Rethinking ADHD

With growing awareness，many in China are finding support online and viewing ADHD as a source of strength，but experts caution against romanticizing the condition and over-reliance on internet diagnoses.

確診多動癥的成年人們：既非“擺爛”，亦非“超能力

M What I expected from you was guidance on howto better‘utilize'myself，notto be treated asapatient.\"

Such was the conversation between Vivi Zhang （pseudonym），a27-year-old employeeataninternet company in Shanghai，and her doctorasshe underwentdiagnosis forADHD，or\"attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder.Seeingthecondition asanintegral partofherpotentialand talent， Zhang had been unsettled by her doctor's stance. \"My struggles stem fromADHD，but so does my energy， creativity，and quick thinking，' she tells TWOC.

Before her ADHD diagnosis， Zhang struggled with time managementand was reliant on deadlinesforproductivity.Sheoftendaydreamed， misplacedthings，andcravedconstantfeedbackto staymotivated.Itwasn'tuntil 2023that she first heardaboutadultADHDthroughasocial media post detailing common symptoms.To her surprise sheidentified with most ofthe diagnostic criteria. Fromthatmoment，shebeganresearchingthe condition online and seeking professional help.

Zhang is notalone.A growing number of adultsin China are turning to social media forinformationaboutthecondition，aswellas support.A2023reportbyJDHealthestimates thatover6percent ofchildrenin China have ADHD.However， government data suggests thatmore than 90 percent of childhood cases.

It affects people of all ages and genders，making it difficult to initiate tasks， switch betrween them， manage time，and focus on uninteresting subjects medicationsbeing scarce outside major cities. Social media hasbecome anunexpected haven for manyyoung people seeking help.Onthe lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu （RedNote）， the hashtags #AdultADHDand#FemaleADHDhave24.6 millionand1l.4millionviews，respectively.

Traditionally，ADHD hasbeen framed asa deficiency，especially associated only withboys atayoungage.Children with the condition areoftenseenasmischievousordisobedient， promptingparentsandteachersto respondwith strict discipline.

goundiagnosed，and only a third of diagnosed childrenreceivetreatment.Meanwhile，China Dailyreportedin2023thatatleast25.2million adults in thecountryareaffected byADHD.

The stigma surroundingADHD，often dismissed as an excuse forlazinessand irresponsibility，alongwithalack ofunderstanding about the condition，hasmade itdifficultto accessproperdiagnosisand treatment，with However，，irealityani more than just a\"lack of focus，encompassing numerouscognitiveand behavioral traitsthat shape daily life.Itaffectspeople ofall agesand genders，makingitdifficult toinitiate tasks， switchbetweenthem，managetime，andfocus onuninteresting subjects.However， they can alsobecome intensely absorbed in enjoyableor immediatelyrewardingactivities，asymptom known ashyperfocus.Some also experience hyperactivity，fidgeting，and impulsivity.tudies suggest that ADHD is linked to functional impairmentsincertainneurotransmitter systemsin thebrain，particularly those

involving dopamine and norepinephrine.These neurotransmitters play a crucial role in regulating attention，motivation，andimpulsecontrol.

David Ge （pseudonym），an office worker in his mid-3Os livingin Guangdong's Shantou city，hasbeen negatively impacted byADHD symptoms for years.He struggles to stay focused and feels overwhelmed by starting important tasks.Although he had recognized his symptoms foryears，he lacked the courage to travel alone foraformal diagnosis，as specialists were only available in big cities.\"Ten years ago，whenI frst encountered theconceptofadultADHD，there wasvery little informationaccessible in Chinese， noranysupport groups，\"Ge says.

In 2024，after reading various personal stories of adults diagnosed with ADHD and learning thathis local hospital had begun offeringADHD diagnosesforadults，he finallysawa doctorWhile there was stilla shortage of specialists in Shantou. with consultations limited to just 15 to 25 minutes compared to the 6O-minute sessionsin cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou，his diagnosis brought asense of validation.\"Many things in my past finallymade sense，\"he tellsTWOC.

Geinitially kept his diagnosisa secret，fearing judgment due to widespread misunderstandings ofADHD.Hisparentsalso refused toacceptit， concerned about its impact on his reputation. Fortunately， he found support ina small WeChat group for adults with the condition in hiscity.Whatbeganasathree-personchatgrew intoacommunityofadozenmemberswho meet forafternoon teaand exchangeadviceon diagnoses，doctors，and medication.Through thismutual-aid network，Ge found a space to connect with others who shared his experiences and gradually came to see ADHD as just one part of his life，nota defininglimitation.

Recent scientific developmentsand public advocacy have also fostered a more inclusive， non-pathologizing perspective.Known as the neurodiversity paradigm，thisapproach views ADHD asa natural variation of the human brain rather thana disease ora deficiency.

Afterlearningabout thisperspective from content creators online and books by psychologists，such asDriven to Distraction： Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder，Zhang has stopped blaming herself forlacking self-discipline or being lazy.She nowrecognizes these traitsas part of her

neurodiversity-she wassimplybornwitha‘nonnormative\"brain.

Priorto her diagnosis，Zhanghad worked tirelesslyto excel bothacademicallyand professionally-but at a great personal cost.\"I waslocked ina strugglewithmyself-feelingstuck during the dayand compensatingwith sleepless nights.Ididn'tallowmyself to fail，\"saysZhang.

Eventually，her condition worsened to the point where she hadto seek medical help.She wasdiagnosed with severeanxiety，moderate depression，mild mania，and suspected AHD tendencies in 2023

“Receiving an ADHD diagnosiswasthe most important step in my self-healing journey， saysZhang，whowasformallydiagnosedsoon afteritwasfirst suspected.Forthefirsttime，she hadaframeworkwithwhichtounderstandthe challenges she had faced throughout herlife. However，despite hernewfound clarity，many peoplearound her failed to grasp herunmasking \"Iexpected my friends to sympathize，\"she says， but many dismissed her strugglesas a way to explainaway laziness orprocrastination.

Onesummerdayin2024，she found herself mentally paralyzed in her office，struggling to prepare forapresentation with alooming deadline.\"I'd hada good night's sleep and even gone to the gym that morning.But suddenly，I couldn't proceed with my work at all，\"she says. Frustratedand anxious，shedecided to share her experience online， making several posts on Xiaohongshu.

Toher surprise，her posts strucka chord with otherusers，sparkingan outpouring of responses fromindividualswho had experienced similar.

\"l expected my friends to sympathize，\" she says，but many dismissed her struggles as a way to explain away laziness or procrastination.

Some caution against romanticizing ADHDframing it as a superpower linked to intelligence while overlooking its real challenges.

ADHD symptoms and struggled with selfcriticism.Zhang came to realize that what she once viewed as her\"personal uniqueness\"was，in fact，a shared experience amongneurodivergent individuals.This realization inspired herto create an online community for young people like her， providinga space to express their challenges and celebratetheirachievements.

Since then，Zhang has become an active content creator，sharingprofessional insights alongside personal strategies for how to live with ADHD. Her perspective-rejecting pathologization，embracingcreative solutions，and celebratingself-uniqueness-hasresonated deeply Shehas since amassed over 22，Ooo followers，and herposts have garnered over25，OoO reactions.

Zhang also launched a group chat where followers could seek support and encouragement fromthecommunity.Bytheend of March 2025，the group had nearly 5O0 members.She encouragesthemtosharefreelyandverbalize their struggles：\"The moment you articulatehow you're stuck，theproblemisalreadyhalf-solved，\" she tells TWOC.

Through discussions within her community， Zhang haslearned to embrace herADHD traits rather than fightagainstthem.\"Livingwith ADHD isall about finding our own‘manual，\" she concludes.She now consciously structures her daily life to be more purposeful， implementing real-worldstrategies，likeaskinghermanagerto setsmaller，manageable deadlinesto boosther productivity at work.She also allows herself to takebreaksand seek creative solutions.“There are farfewer battlesagainstmyself now，\"she reflects.

Zhang now views herADHD traitsas\"gifts， focusing on amplifying their positive aspects， particularly the ability to hyperfocus ontasks that deliver quick feedback orcall upon her creativity and passion.She decides to align her future planning morecloselywith her strengths，rather than forcing herself to meet societal expectations ofbeingaperfectly self-disciplined person.

However， as more people like Zhang share waysto best utilize their\"gifts\"online，some caution against romanticizing ADHD-framing itasa superpower linked to intelligencewhile overlooking its real challenges. Dr. Zhang Yana，aneuroscienceresearcherbetterknown online as Dr.Qingshan，founded the knowledge platform Qingshan Neuro in 2016to combat misconceptions surroundingADHD，including itscasualappropriationforsocialmediacloutand itsmislabelingasa\"trendyillness，\"bothofwhich fuel stigma and misinformation.Herplatform， which explains diagnostic and intervention guidelines and curates and generates support resources，hasbecomeavaluable sourceofexpert information forpeople like Ge，who have limited access to licensed specialists.She hasalso built upanationwide mutual-aid community through WeChat group chats.

Dr. Zhang recognizes the risks of relying solelyononline information fordiagnosisand treatment.\"Self-diagnosis is just the beginning of self-help.ADHD symptomsmay result fromother conditions.Therefore，seekinga professional diagnosisis very important，\"Dr. Zhang tells TWOC.\"For some，medication isn't necessary. Butfor those struggling，the right treatment can be life-changing.\"

ShebelievesthatADHDtreatmentshould beasnecessaryas glassesare fora nearsighted person.However，accesstomedicationremainsa challengein China.Accordingto Ge，Concerta， akeyADHD medication imported from theUS， hasbeen in short supply for months in Shantou， hishome city，and other smaller cities due to strictregulation of psychoactivedrugsand growing demand.Somedoctorsrecommend travelingtoresource-richcitieslikeShenzhen to obtain it，but financial constraintsmake this impractical formany.Even though Concerta hasbeenpartiallycovered by national health insurance since 2O23，Ge says，“Depending on mydosage，itcanstillcostaround45O to1，400 yuanper month after insurance in my city.For many individualsnot covered by employee health insurance，thecost ofmedication iseven higher. Asaresult，Ge has opted foramoreaffordable alternative despite its lower efficacy.

Dr.Zhang has been advocating for legislation thatbalances the regulation of controlled substances with ensuring easier accessto treatment for individualswithADHD.Volunteers onherplatform have helped to createadatabase ofADHD-friendly hospitalsand doctorsacross China based on first-hand experience. Dr. Zhang also encouragesmembersto share theirlife.

experiences，which now form the core of the platform's content，challenging stereotypes and highlighting individual differences.

\"Some individuals with ADHD face workplace complaintsdueto overlooked detailscaused byattention deficits，while others struggle with addictiveorimpulsivebehaviors.Butwhat theyall seek is to improve their quality of life， says Dr Zhang.

Inrecentyears，thecountry haslaunched initiativeslikeADHDAwarenessWeek， held everyApril orMay，to raiseawareness and enhance support.The conceptof neurodiversity-depathologizing the condition alsoappears more frequently nowin the official mediaand medical institutions'advocacy.Actions havealso begun to address the shortage of specialists and the limited access to medication. Forexample，China'sNational Medical Products Administration（NMPA）issued provisional guidelines forADHD clinical trialsin 2021 to promote the development of medications.

Alongside these state-led efforts，the rise of onlineADHDmutual-aid communitiesin China reflectsapositive shifttoward inclusivityand understanding.As Dr.Zhang emphasizes，the ultimate goal is for more people with ADHD to receive early diagnoses and proper medical care， enabling them to live ina world free from stigma and to navigate challenges in their relationships， academics，and careers more effectively.\"I hope thenext generation with ADHD experiences less suffering than those before them，\"says Dr.Zhang.