Everything you’ve said is correct, but please don’t demonize a medication that I depend on to be functional. ADHD is a disability, there’s more nuance to this than black-and-white.

I was blown off by doctors for years when I was seeking a diagnostics because I was a successful person, but make no mistake: I was suffering. I am a textbook case. The stigma around this disorder is pervasive and it’s extremely easy to reinforce that stigma.

Stimulant medication doesn’t give me superpowers, it improves symptoms. I still have all the problems that come with ADHD, just... less.

Google is failing me, but a study a few years ago indicated that stimulants do not have a meaningful impact on the output of those who do not have ADHD. People often think they do because of the euphoria effect, but the euphoria is actually a transient side effect.

Stimulants should be paired with therapy, to better understand the nature of the disorder and developer additional coping tool.

(I’ve been on stimulant medication to treat ADHD for about half a decade. I was diagnosed well into adulthood.)