173 // ADHD is Not a Deficit, with Dr. Jennie Byrne

Something you mentioned was the stigma around ADHD.

Can you take us on a bit of a journey of how you've seen, how has that changed over the last several decades, in particular for women with ADHD?

Yeah, so maybe a good parallel question.

to think about would be other mental health issues.

So for example, depression and anxiety.

You know, when I started my training in the 90s, I thought it was still pretty stigmatized.

A lot of people said, oh, it's just you need willpower, get over it.

You know, depression's not real.

And today, obviously, that's very different.

I think the stigma level around depression and anxiety, especially post-pandemic, has improved a lot.

I mean, there's still debates and people have different feelings, but I really feel like stigma is much, much better.

Another parallel that happened a little later was around opioid use.

And when I started practicing in the 2000s, that was highly stigmatized, right? Like people who had opioid use disorders, doctors who treated people with substance use problems, like super stigmatized.

Well, fast forward to today, it's much more openly talked about.

Doctors who treat substance abuse are not stigmatized in the same way.

So, you know, there's always this history.

I think ADHD now, the stigma is still very real.

And I really see it more for adults even than with kids.

There's still some stigma with kids.

But when it comes to adults, there's still a high, high level of stigma.

Like if you have ADHD, blank.

You know, you can't do this.

You can't do that.

You are always late.

You are unreliable.