“Ha ha, I feel so ADD today.”

I hear this type of comment quite often. It’s become a metaphor for our entire culture. The title of my post alludes to one of many t-shirts that poke fun at the condition.

But I am here to tell you that if you really HAD ADHD, you would not find it to be a laughing matter. If you really suffered from this disorder, you would be too busy trying to hold your life together, or drowning in a sea of self-hatred because your 140 IQ was completely useless in helping you to achieve any level of success in life. If you really lived with ADHD, you would know that all the joking in the world would be no match for the chaos that was driving your life on a daily basis.

So next time you are tempted to make a joke about how you are having an “ADD type of day”, try to remember that for some of us, this is what we are dealing with every. single. day. Think about the pain your words may cause, however unintentional. Those of us who live with this scourge will appreciate it.