The Invisible Mushroom: Is ADHD a Fad or a Reality?
The scientific reality behind the increasing number of diagnoses in recent years: Is it the effect of social media or the awakening of an undiagnosed generation?
Diagnostic Increase: A Fad or the Awakening of an Undiagnosed Generation?
With the increase of ADHD content on social media, a perception of 'everyone has ADHD, it became a fad' has formed in society. Dr. Cengiz Arca and many psychiatrists state that the picture is not a 'balloon' (overdiagnosis), but actually the coming to light (catch-up effect) of dark statistics (the undiagnosed group) that were not 'recorded' for years.
Former DSM (psychiatric manual) rules defined ADHD only as 'a 7-year-old naughty boy who cannot sit in his seat in class.' Quiet girls, daydreaming introverts, or successful adults who covered up (masked) the situation with their intelligence received diagnoses of depression or anxiety for years. The increasing cases today are not 'newly ill people,' but the lost children of the past who are finally 'wearing the right glasses.'
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The Double-Edged Sword of Social Media
Symptom content on social media platforms ('If you have these 5 signs, you have ADHD') can lead to incorrect self-diagnoses (danger of self-diagnosis). Because inattention or procrastination can also stem from insomnia, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiency, or trauma.
However, on the other hand, thanks to platforms like dehb.ailesi, a massive psycho-education revolution is taking place. Millions of adults who watch the videos and say 'I've finally found what was wrong with me all my life' have found the courage to seek medical help for the first time. Verifying the diagnosis is always the job of the specialist, but 'Awareness' is the unstoppable success of social media.