Maybe its just me but fandoms tend to be really bad at headcanoning characters to have ADHD or saying that characters are "ADHD-coded"
It feels like ADHD is always diminished to just hyperactive, bad at focusing, ditsy, and in alot of cases just straight up dumb and childish. Is it just me who feels like these are really ableist stereotypes? Idk about you but I'd say writing a character with a neurodevelopmental disorder/disability as being dumb and childish is really ableist.
If you're making a character with ADHD here are some symptoms that would be really good to add in because ADHD affects everything about a person's mental processing:
- RSD - Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria - You ever feel like the whole world is against you? Like everyone has it out for you? Like you're an absolute bag of shit and you deserve to be put through an industrial shredder? That's RSD, except this comes from any kind of explicit or perceived criticism. It can show in two main ways: extreme criticism towards self, or extreme criticism towards others. It can come from the tiniest things, such as someone online saying that a certain hair colour that you just happen to have is ugly, even if the comment wasnt aimed at you specifically, it can cause an extreme emotional reaction. It feels like everything and everyone is evil, the whole world is horrible, and you just hate everything, including yourself.
- Emotional and Object Impermanence - A really underutilised thing that isnt just found in ADHD, but a bunch of other disorders, and even in people without any mental disorders! It can be caused by childhood experiences, and doesnt necessarily require any trauma or abuse. Its simply a deficit of something that needs to be taught to children. Very natural, and most people don't realise they have it. An explanation would take ages so I'd suggest you research it yourself.
- ODD - Oppositional Defiance Disorder - a behavioural disorder really only found in 50% of people with ADHD, but it has alot of potential for the development of a character's relationships with others. In ADHD, it can show as the inability or struggle to follow instructions or accept criticism from authority figures. Do you ever stop wanting to do something like the dishes or reading a book the moment a parent/teacher tells you to? Multiply that by 1000, and that's ODD in ADHD.
- ADHD Paralysis - ADHD is characterised as a major lack of dopamine, which is the motivation hormone, the thing that makes you feel proud or good after finishing something. The hormone that makes you motivated to do hard tasks for that sense of satisfaction and pride afterwards. Since those with ADHD lack dopamine, they struggle to find the motivation to do things. After doing something hard, they don't feel that satisfaction, and it feels like they put in that effort for nothing. ADHD Paralysis is where the brain thinks "Doing this will only bring me misery with no reward afterwards, so I shouldn't do it." It isn't just being lazy, it's your brain physically stopping you from doing something, the same way your brain stops you from touching a hot stove or stabbing your arm with a knife. If you have your hand near a fire, you have the physical ability to move it into the fire, but it feels impossible because your brain is stopping you. That's ADHD Paralysis.
Emotional and Object Impermanence is, in my opinion, as someone who deals with all of the above, the most damaging to my life. It affects my ability to store and recall memories, my security in relationships, my work life, my ability to take care of myself, and my overall mental wellbeing very negatively.
Now I have quite severe ADHD, so obviously not every character has to have all of the symptoms that I do to the extent that I do, but it'd be nice to see some better representation when it comes to characters with mental disorders. I'm tired of ditsy immature characters being headcanoned as having ADHD despite having no symptoms other than lack of focus and a child-like mindset.
Im currently in the process of writing a Jegulus Fanfiction and (in my fic) James has adhd and Regulus autism.
I personally have adhd so I’m basing a lot of James personality and actions of my own, but I need help with Regulus and autism.
So if you have any facts, annoying parts that no one talks about, things you want me to consider and add or ANYTHING to say for adhd OR autism, I would greatly appreciate that!! (:
