/ confused little person /

it might not surprise you to know that how mental illness is diagnosed is sexist.

most baselines for mental illnesses and the symptom criteria for diagnosis are based on studies of Caucasian males. this includes developmental disorders, like ADHD.

whether it’s a result of gender norms or of biology, girls with ADHD (all 3 types, including what was formerly called “ADD”) typically present symptoms differently than boys. for example: whereas boys might jump out of their seat and be very disruptive in class, girls might display hyperactivity through more subtle means, such as fidgeting and, especially, excessive or loud talking. once they get older, boys start having trouble completing assignments on time because, for example, at midnight on the night before it’s due, they’ll abandon a project to go to something else. girls, however, typically will not abandon projects - instead, they might just have a lot of trouble finishing them, or have a brand new idea for how to do the project at midnight, scrap everything and start all over. but they get it done - making it harder for teachers to notice they’re struggling.

because they’re often better at completing schoolwork and behaving in class than boys, the symptoms of ADHD often don’t catch up to girls until high school, college or early adulthood - when, suddenly, they cannot finish projects the night before and need to plan in advance/time manage - and they realize that they can’t.