The Commonality of Misdiagnosis of ADHD & Gender Dysphoria.

There is a lot of overlap with symptoms of Gender Dysphoria looking like ADHD.

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Hello Friends! I'm Dr Z, and this is a channel where I help you break free from dysphoria!

👉NOTE: I work solely with adults, and all video content is marked for adults only. As such, the information shared is based on my experience working with adults only.

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[moonsocks]

WOW. I was really surprised when you said that gender dysphoria can occupy 80% of your brain capacity, but it makes so much sense. While I was struggeling the most with my gender issues I was just not functioning. I was unable to concentrate and focus on anything else and was really wondering that was going on and if I could have ADHD. A friend of mine told me to get myself together and I couldn't do it and I told them I had too many other things in my head. I guess I was right. Now that I have started to resolve some of my issues, like finding a new name and discussing HRT with my doctor, I do so much better.

[PuppyDash]

Once my ‘egg cracked’ if you will it’s felt as if my adhd has gotten worse and worse. This actually shines a light on why it feels like i can barely focus, my attention is way too divided.

[kosherflame]

I was never diagnosed with ADHD, but after I started to seek help for suicidal ideations in my early 40s, I was diagnosed with multiple conditions by several mental health providers, to include: Autism/Asperger, Major Depressive Disorder, General Anxiety, Mild TBI, Mixed Bipolar, and PTSD.

I have been in 100+ therapy sessions during the last 10 years but it wasn't until six months ago when I finally felt comfortable approaching the "elephant in the room" which was my life-long unhappiness with my gender identity. Once I was being treated for gender dysphoria, got on HRT, and began to transition, all my other symptoms (Autism, Depression, Anxiety, etc) faded away and never returned.

I do believe that I was initially misdiagnosed when I started mental health treatment, but it had much to do with my repressing my gender identity issues and never bringing them up to the therapists. I grew in a narcissistic family system and being in the "lost/invisible child" role I was taught to believe that my emotions, feelings, wants, and needs didn't truly matter and I learned to become "needless" and repress everything I was feeling as a child to include my gender dysphoria.

It has almost taken me 50 years to deprogram myself from the toxic beliefs I was taught as a child and realize that my emotions and feelings are valid, that my wants and needs are important, and that I deserved to be happy. I now believe that all my social problems and mental health symptoms in life was caused by two core issues: gender dysphoria and the trauma from being raised by narcissists.

[ChloeMakesPuns]

I have adhd, autism, and gender dysphoria, and am working on resolving some temporary mental health illnesses that came up as a result of not addressing these underlying 3.

What I've found is that by transitioning, I am learning to get to know myself, my personal experiences, and my neurodivergences in ways I never could have before accepting my gender identity.

Still, I do have ADHD. There was a point in my transition where my ADHD was undiagnosed in error, and treatment stopped. I happen to be one of those who does have ADHD indeed. Being back on my ADHD medication treatment has helped, but now that I am accepting of my gender identity and keeping my transition momentum at a healthier pace, I can say that it's much easier to work on my ADHD and autistic therapy goals as my authentic gender while I transition than I was when I had been in denial

[Carrie_Ann_]

This explains so much! I thought I was ADHD and got meds but it had zero effect. Was lost for progress until I accepted I was TG. Now I’m on HRT and know why ADHD treatment didn’t work for me.

[davefisher]

In my case I did not have ADHD but almost all my life, I had OCD which went away as soon as I found out I was transgender. Before she died my wife and I went to a movie a couple of times a month. She could remember the movie in detail and I could remember almost nothing about it. Since I found out I was transgender my memory has improved dramatically.

[jemmadough]

I'm in my early 50's and was diagnosed with ADHD about 5 years ago and have been taking medication on days when I am working to help me concentrate. However, I began getting symptoms of gender dysphoria about 2 years ago having never really thought much about my gender identity up until that point. But now it does occupy my thoughts much of the time. DR Z you are so right when you say it is a problem that the mind is trying to solve 24/7 and it is exhausting. I am getting closer now to making myself get a diagnosis one way or the other. I have tried to talk to my partner of 30 years about it and I even wrote her a very honest letter in which I poured my heart out, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. But she still says she doesn't want to know. It seems that she can just about deal with my ADHD (my son has it too) but not gender dysphoria.

[erikthalman]

I'm a 39 y/o non-binary transwoman. I thought I had ADHD, but I was evaluated, and it turns out i have CPTSD. And my gender dysphoria finally came to my full attention once I'd started therapy. My mother's abuse stemmed from homophobia, which was doubly damaging in that I suffered abuse and erasure simultaneously. I don't think my experience is unique in our society; I am one of countless many.

[cathnbabs]

when I add the realization, I felt I became smarter and able to feel.

[sarah-marc]

I thought for a long time I had ADHD, and my doctor even told me so. Now I understand that it was pure dysphoria and I understand why I don't have any of these symptoms anymore. I took control of my dysphoria when I started my transition and all my symptoms disappeared at the same time. Thanks Dr. Z.

[ThatJay]

i am diagnosed with adhd, gender dysphoria, and autism :)

[TheSchemel]

In the late 90's I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, in 2003 I was diagnosed with major depression. In 2014 I was diagnosed with ADHD. Finally I thought that was the right answer, but after nine years of being on generic Adderall I still can't focus, my spending habits are still bad and I still feel uncomfortable talking with most people on a one basis. What it does help with is that I don't feel any kind of depression when I'm on it.
In 2017, I started questioning my gender. I was 56 at the time. I am now 62, I've been on HRT for over a year now, and I still question whether or not I am truly transgender. There is much more to what I just wrote, but that's the jist of it. I need help with all this!!

[natalieguzman]

I just discovered you today, my sister who is transitioning to a boy is going through this and I want to understand her more. We came up from a very conservative Latino household. No one understands him and I want to be his safe haven.

[kierandesu]

This matches my own experiences.

Besides other mental health problems, before I was on HRT, my autism/ADHD symptoms were very, very strong. Now after going on HRT, my symptoms are still there, but it's a LOT lesser. Like, mentally and emotionally I'm just way better overall. This is why it's infuriating when I see people saying transition is a choice. It's either I go on HRT or I suffer a host of psychiatric issues, and this is not even factoring in gender issues yet. Just talking about mental health alone.

[pointhot]

You know that dream where your running but can’t seem to get away? Or your in danger but your legs just won’t move, that’s how my brain feels most days, daily conversations and activities are minefields for triggering dysphoria and my attention suffers.

I also am pretty sure I have ADHD as well as autism as I don’t think dysphoria explains all my symptoms.

It’s exhausting

[DrayseSchneider]

To start, I don't have an ADHD diagnosis. That said, I can cite examples in my life where, in hind sight because I remember how I was feeling at those times, I know gender dysphoria was affecting my performance. Not only in my job, but as a spouse, a parent and academically. If I understood what gender dysphoria was and how one needs to deal with it I might have made alternative and better choices. But I didn't, and can only point to moments where I can see the correlation between my dysphoria levels with respect to my performance levels.

I started to "write a book" as my comment, but I've distilled it down to this. Maybe I should write an actual book someday. lol

[diaxus]

Thank you Dr Z, this vid is amazing, you have opened up some ideas, About 6 years ago i was diagnosed with ASPD. All my life i had been told i was wrong, disgusting, not right, so i started to withdraw into myself and fight back, cutting out any emotion.. i talked with my Psychotherapist 2 years ago and she said after a long chat after a breakdown, have you thought you have Gender Dysphoria and once i realized she was right, m it was like a massive weight lifted from me, she was right. Its always been that, its the cause of all my Mental Health disorders as i have had to hide it for the last 50 years, now, I have accepted that im not wrong, im just different and am having such a good time accepting at last who i am, but i can't get past the past from others, they keep me there, keep me in a Limbo, i cant go forwards and i dont want to go backwards

[milky]

Wow, just wow. I guess this explains a few things

[damwalsh]

Thanks again Dr Z for a very interesting take on this subject. I do suffer from gender dysphoria and ADHD. I find my ADHD medication helps me get through my day. I hope one day when my dysphoria is finally minimized, I may take myself off the medication and see if it is truly the dysphoria and not the ADHD. Also I’m about 13 months in to HRT which has helped both mentally and physically with my dysphoria but it’s still haunts me everyday. Thanks again. ! ❤️

[PHDADHDTranshuman]

Wow I love it that is me, I am diagnosed with ADHD but my therapist told me that she can’t take care of my gender issues. Thanks it clarify a lot or not but love it!