Contemporary psychiatrists might detect behaviour (in the plot of Herzog’s latest film) consistent with autism or ADHD hyper-focus. Not Herzog. “I do not relate to all these trendy terms – I just can’t hear it, it dusts out of my ears,” said the Bavaria-born US-based director, speaking in the idiosyncratic, heavily accented English familiar to viewers of documentaries like My Favourite Fiend. “Neurodivergence sounds like there’s some sort of clinical aberration – these sisters are dead centre.”
So I kind of understand his perspective.
I am an older Millennial so my perspective likely differs from that of a lot of Gen Z / Gen Alpha folks.
I was diagnosed and began treatment when this was still ADD and Vyvanse didn’t even exist yet (released 2007 and I still prefer Adderall XR but hey everyone should find their preferred med if you choose to pursue medication as a path to manage your condition)
I don’t think ADHD makes one “not normal” - it’s a condition to manage with medication, therapy, alternative learning and organizational techniques - similar to how GERD (acid reflex) is managed with medication or diet.
I find that in the TikTok/Reddit era people have decided that conditions can become their entire personality so we have “POTS Warriors” and “ADHDers” (or even more cringe “ADHDSters”) as if having a condition makes one part of a special club and is something on which to dwell and focus constantly by consuming content and participating in spaces related to that condition.
ADHD already lends itself to becoming intensely interested in certain things (for a while…then not so much and on to the next thing haha!) but that isn’t a bad thing nor is it abnormal - it’s very much normal if you have ADHD.
ADHD is part of my life like my acid reflux, like the bad foot I have from a childhood break that never healed quite correctly leaving me with a slightlly weird gait when I run - I am glad there is information about all of these things online but none of them makes me abnormal no do I seek to be part of a club to talk about these conditions endlessly - there’s too much else to do in life to make this a large part of my personality. I would never say “OMG guys I belched at a dinner tonight right in front of everyone because of my reflux what a GERD moment so glad for my fellow GERDIES who get me!” - no, I would a) try not to do that because it’s rude regardless of my medical condition or b) simply apologize and move on.
I understand how the term neurodivergent appeals to some people in the era of wanting to form community and be unique when everyone is online consuming the same content but it also implies we are fundamentally totally different from everyone else and that’s simply not true - we have some traits that are different and that we manage or don’t but everyone to some degree has something going on.
When I read stories about people needing “support stuffies” or who say things like “my Crocs are my ADHD self-care” I wonder if we have the same condition because a stuffed animal and fugly plastic shoes adorned with cheap trinkets made in China don’t do anything for ADHD but medication, therapy, and learning to accept yourself as your own normal certainly do.
This will get downvoted to hell but I am fine with that. And yes, Crocs are fugly.