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SeptimusHeap MOD (Edited uphill both ways)
Mar 23rd 2021 at 5:44:39 AM •••

Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: Accidentally split?, started by sgrunt on Mar 14th 2011 at 12:07:12 AM

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
wafflingviolinist Since: Nov, 2012
Nov 26th 2012 at 5:45:01 AM •••

I think there are an awful lot of examples on this page which are something of a square peg in a round hole. The trope is SUPPOSED to be about exaggerated or oversimplified cases of ADHD in the media (i.e. the character who can't sit still and gets distracted by pretty things), but many of the examples seem to be honest portrayals of ADHD. This is especially true of cases where the character is demonstrating things like hyperfocusing or social differences which tend to be ignored or unknown as aspects of ADHD. This trope needs to be either about the over-simplistic and false representations of people with ADHD as being nothing but fidgety and distractible, or it needs to be about depictions of concepts related to ADHD in the media, but NOT both.

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Palindromee Since: Dec, 2012
May 21st 2013 at 7:34:03 AM •••

Agreed. The Real Life section is basically just a list of celebrities with ADHD.

Trope-tan is here! ➯ my pronouns are ze/hir
NessaEllenesse Since: Apr, 2015
Mar 11th 2017 at 9:04:09 PM •••

They probably should have consulted with people who actually have this condition before determining the accuracy of the trope. The page only mentions ADHD. ADD which is a completely different diagnosis does fit this trope much metter than ADHD. Not everyone who is easily distracted has ADD or ADHD. Students who have a very high IQ but are not challegenged enough are often misdiagnosised. This happens a lot in publich schools that teach to the lowest common denominator. Boredom breads absentmindedness.Epilepsy is another condition that could be mistaken for absentmindedness. certain types of seizures can be mistaken for not paying attention.

lavendermintrose Since: Nov, 2012
Aug 13th 2016 at 8:35:57 AM •••

So is this just for characters that are stated to have some sort of attention deficit, or is it for any easily distracted "ooh, shiny!" characters, regardless of pseudo-diagnosis? The description really isn't clear on that.

I made this Idolized Julius Kingsley icon back when Akito first came out, and now that the crossover is actually happening, I don't care.
W3irdN3rd Since: May, 2011
Jun 23rd 2015 at 6:32:05 AM •••

Real life examples say: "You. Quit wiki walking and get back to work."

https://youtu.be/kNzqsu8zTNo :-(

maddthesane Crazy rabid squirrel Since: Oct, 2010
Crazy rabid squirrel
Oct 5th 2013 at 12:36:33 AM •••

Okay, there seems to be some confusion over the difference of ADD and ADHD. The H in ADHD stands for hyperactivity. I.e., a person with ADD is easily distracted, someone with ADHD is easily distracted and bounces off the walls.

Get out of my mind, idea! I already have an idea in there!
ProjectXa3 Since: Mar, 2013
Sep 24th 2013 at 10:09:00 PM •••

I recently thought up a good comparison to explain what having ADD is like to a non-patient. I mean, at least what *my* particular strain is like, and just the mental wandering part, but still.

It's like your brain is this computer/radio combo, and every two to ten seconds it takes the last few bars or words of whatever was just on and—in an instant—searches for anything close to the sample. Anything and everything is included in the search parameters- music, conversations, abstract quantum theory, you name it. When it finds a match, it switches over seamlessly to the first matching entry it finds, starting at the point where the similarity exists. Lather, rinse, and repeat ad nauseum.

It might sound like it's incredibly annoying or random to someone who doesn't experience it, but what they sometimes find hard to see is that in the list of items the mind can fly by, no matter how disparate, there is always a common thread throughout the entire thing.

Sorry about the soapboxing there, I just needed to get that out of my system and this seemed like a good spot.

mellochan42 Whoa! {{Ahoge}}! Since: Dec, 2011
Whoa! {{Ahoge}}!
Jun 4th 2012 at 12:15:17 PM •••

I'm not sure this image fits. I mean, if anybody heard their name called, they'd look, right?

Gay elephant noise? Hide / Show Replies
Telcontar MOD Since: Feb, 2012
Jun 4th 2012 at 1:08:00 PM •••

I think that for most people, if their name was called they might respond verbally or look around, but they wouldn't let someone fall on the floor and not even notice.

That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
DomaDoma Three-Puppet Saluter Since: Jan, 2001
Three-Puppet Saluter
Jun 30th 2011 at 8:07:02 AM •••

Where's that advertising trope that used to be called Distracted By The Shiny?

Hail Martin Septim!
Cidolfas El Cid Since: Jan, 2001
El Cid
Mar 15th 2010 at 1:52:13 PM •••

Removed the following paragraphs for adding a wealth of information not actually having to do with the trope. Folks are free to make a Useful Notes page if they wish instead.

Standard treatments for ADD/ADHD include Ritalin and Adderall, which are both stimulants (Adderall, for instance, being composed of amphetamine salts, chemically similar to speed). They both work not by necessarily calming the patient, but by making them more able to focus. The main drawback is that while these drugs improve focus, they don't necessarily improve one's judgment in choosing what to focus on. One editor once took some Adderall so he could write his resume, but instead wrote the pages for Hollywood Psych, The Schizophrenia Conspiracy, and "L" Is for "Dyslexia". Productive, but not necessarily in the right way.

One symptom, descriptively referred to as Hyperfocus, is generally ignored in media for some reason. This is possibly because the symptom itself seems contrary to the general stereotype of the disorder. Hyperfocus is Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The ability to focus so intently on some activity that most outside stimuli is excluded, similar in some ways to high-functioning autism. As pointed out above though, with ADD more focus isn't necessarily a good thing. The media seems to avoid all other symptoms of ADHD and ADHD-I,specifically speaking out of turn and "hearing" problems. A common symptom of ADHD-I is that the person has trouble fully understanding what another person says if other people are talking around them, or the TV is on, or music with words is playing, etc. That's why people with ADHD-I (and to an extent ADHD) miss things like homework assignments, they just didn't fully hear what was going on around them. A particularly frustrating aspect of this problem is when the individual finds themselves hearing totally irrelevant conversations going on around them perfectly but cannot comprehend the person they are trying to converse with. The media also ignores all the other problems that tack onto ADHD, like OCD, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, learning disabilities, and delinquency problems. They also tend to ignore the frustration felt by the sufferer. People with this disorder usually recognize that they have problems. They suffer embarressment when they find themselves speaking out of turn or realizing that they have over-shared. And it is particularly frustrating to try and fail to focus on something important and know that your own brain is working against you.

This has led to ADHD (and other ADD diagnosis) as being disturbingly "trendy". Many parents, upset that their children are generally disobedient or having problems paying attention, label them as ADHD, ignoring that there's no actual disorder, they just haven't been taught to behave. Many people come to think that being casually ditzy, or good at thinking outside the box, are signs of ADHD and claim the diagnosis even though they don't have any real traits. This has gotten to the point where a fanfiction.net list of "top ten signs you are a writer" lists "You have ADHD, or wish you did." Ignoring the fact that — as stated above — ADHD is a concentration disorder and makes writing anything extremely difficult. (Although those with ADHD tend to be very creative, they are also noted for starting new projects, then losing interest in favor of an even newer one. So while ADHD may assist in coming up with great ideas for stories, it makes finishing those stories incredibly difficult. Except when it doesn't.)

Because of this, there's also been a backlash among some groups of people towards assuming the opposite extreme; that ALL people who claim to suffer from ADHD are simply making an excuse to be inattentive and act out. This is also known as the 'SIT DOWN AND STUDY!!!!' viewpoint. Some of these people even claim that the disorder has no actual on-the-books medical basis. Others who actually have the disorder are offended but the people who act like they do.

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Tarnizial Since: Apr, 2010
Jun 1st 2010 at 6:25:04 PM •••

To be medically correct (Sort of) we need to remove 'ADD' from the page: by medical standards the diagnosis ADD is obsolete. It has been replaced with ADHD-PI as a diagnosis. Requesting permission to do so, though if there are no protestations I might change it anyways assuming I don't lose interest. Oooohhh... shiny...

Still looking for a avatar. -.-
TBeholder Since: Jan, 2001
Jun 6th 2010 at 7:59:13 AM •••

(yawn) did they show anything other than usual post-freudian theology in this version?

...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
Iaculus Since: May, 2010
Jun 6th 2010 at 8:00:42 AM •••

... Theology?

Edited by Iaculus What's precedent ever done for us?
FastEddie MOD Since: Apr, 2004
Jun 6th 2010 at 8:30:02 AM •••

We are not in the smallest imaginable degree required to be medically correct. If the use of 'ADD' ever falls out of use in the general public, we should use the new term, but until then we should stick with ADD.

Goal: Clear, Concise and Witty
TBeholder Since: Jan, 2001
Jun 8th 2010 at 11:00:17 AM •••

@Iaculus: As in, you know, talks about talks. Cloud castles construction. As opposed to any methodology that may be called scientifical without laughter, for example. Last i checked this was based on data more ephemeral than N-rays research. And with even less efforts to make it at least look as something sound than BACKTO_1400-CENSORED "the global warming". Thus my question — maybe it worth one more glance already?

Edited by TBeholder ...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
MrDeath Since: Aug, 2009
Jun 8th 2010 at 11:04:01 AM •••

He was questioning your use of the word "Theology", which is specifically the discussion of gods and religion.

TBeholder Since: Jan, 2001
Jun 8th 2010 at 11:05:26 AM •••

@ MrDeath: I meant the distinctive methodology, of course. =)

Edited by TBeholder ...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
CarolineorCarly Since: Mar, 2011
Apr 13th 2011 at 4:26:51 PM •••

ADHD was first described by a school master in the 16th cenerty observing how some of his students behave witch listed all of the major dsmv qualifications. Only recently have we been able to widely diagnose AND treat the problem. The "trendy" aspect of AD/HD is not due to society but instead of incompetent untrained doctors attempting diagnosis without referral to a mental health specialist (who is the only doctor trained for an AD/HD diagnosis) and dispensing type one classified drugs willy nilly to miners. Thus many people who truly have this disorder are not diagnosed or unable to get treatment due to lack of access to mental health professionals. I personally take Strattara an anti-depressent off the books treatment for AD/HD that has been showing promise in trials for AD/HD individuals with Dyslexia (which I also have). This has been spellcheked.

I think I am, there for I am. I think... ~George Carlin
RobinZimm Since: Jan, 2001
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