As most of us are aware there are plenty of people who wish to cause tension for those of us with ADHD. They will post insensitive articles about ADHD being a bunch of made-up bullshit. They will use children as leverage to speak about the dangers of medication. They post pictures illustrating how we are bunch of lazy crybabies.

The places I see these links, are in the social media groups in which I frequent. I don’t ever bother to look past the headlines. I just roll my eyes and carry on about my business. The question is, why do they do it? The answer is simple. They do it for the same reason anybody does anything. They do it because there is a market for it. Guess who creates this market? ADHD people create this market.

Yes that is you. Not all of you, but just a handful of you. The writers of these articles are like puppeteers. They know exactly how to excite you and manipulate you to action. They know all they have to do is come out strong and hard because as soon as certain ADHD people are made aware of them, they cannot get to their computers fast enough so they can share them;  thereby multiplying the reach of the author and his bullshit.

Under your false banner of “ADHD Awareness” you post this garbage because you know it will get people in your group’s attention. You then somehow feel like a champion or a watchdog for the cause, but the damage you cause goes well beyond your “harmless” ploy for relevance.

Other ADHD people see the link you shared and they hop right on over to it, get mad, and then do likewise. The result of this cycle is the bloggers hit-count, relevance, and perhaps their incomes soar because thanks to you, their website climbs the ranks among the other ADHD blogs.

When you share horseshit like this, you have made yourself complicit in spreading that which inspires no one, while lining the pockets of assholes. You have succeeded in pushing the helpful ADHD blogs to the bottom of the search inquiries. You have succeeded in upsetting your friends and your community who have ADHD. You have succeeded in providing incentive for malicious people to continue to create the very thing you claim to be against. Congratulations!!! How does it feel to be part of the problem?

Yes! Your intentions may be good, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are being a stupid-ass, and f#cking it up for the rest of us. You are part of the problem and quite honestly, we would be better off without you if this is the measure of what you can offer. I can’t tell you what to do but I am telling you that regurgitating this bullshit helps all the wrong people and hurts all the good people.

There is nothing wrong with being an attention whore. I am the last person to judge anyone for that. I would ask you, are you really such a whore for attention that you are willing to promote the activities of those for whom you believe are trying to hurt us to get it? Perhaps you are better than that.

I am speaking about only a few of you. I am aware I have judged you, but I do not and will not apologize for what I have said. However I am Tom Nardone and I am nothing if not a giver so let me help you discover how you can get all the attention you ever wanted while at the same time not doing damage to a community you love and not being a douchebag.

Be a Hero!

Stop spreading lies and/or negativity under the banner of “ADHD Awareness” and DO something. Start a blog and write about your own struggles and victories. I promise someone out there needs to hear your story a lot more than they need to hear your bullshit. If you can’t figure out how to create a blog, I will help you personally with it. You would certainly not be the first person who I have done this for. Somebody needs to hear from you! 

If you can’t write, that is fine. Make art that inspires rather than depresses people. There are people who need to understand what ADHD people are capable of. There are people who need to see you share your talent. Perhaps they are afraid to put their art on display and your work might be the thing that gives them the push they need to do it. Somebody needs you!

If you can write draw or paint then get involved in your social media groups and listen to other people and try to help them by letting them know they are not alone. Let them know you have been there. Share the ways in which you have persevered. Be an inspiration to somebody and let them see where you are and from where you came. Lots of people need to hear from you.

You will know how great it is to be a hero when you become one to somebody.

I am Tom Nardone, and You are welcome.

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