Compared to other killers from a public health standpoint, ADHD is bad. Smoking, for example, reduces life expectancy by 2.4 years, and if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day you’re down about 6.5 years. For diabetes and obesity it’s a couple of years. For elevated blood cholesterol, it’s 9 months. ADHD is worse than the top 5 killers in the U.S. combined.
Having ADHD costs a person nearly thirteen years of life, on average. Barkley adds, And that’s on top of all the findings of a greater risk for accidental injury and suicide…About two-thirds of people with ADHD have a life expectancy reduced by up to 21 years.
This is from Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey in their book ADHD 2.0
i have been undiagnosed for 27 years and have struggled sith suicidal thoughts since puberty because my parents always told me that i am intelligent and that im just behaving that way because i am an asshole, it can be fucking hard not to off yourself.
but it will get better as you approach your 30s. dont do shit that will get you addicted folks, everything can change, and addiction on adhd is extremely hard to beat, so please, dont do addictive drugs unless ypu really want to fuck your mind and body up.
but always remember: it will get easier from year to year, and this isnt just a phrase, it can and will happen the more you learn about yourself and the difference to others.
People with ADHD are more likely to develop substance use problems, be victims of the criminal justice system, have poorer education and be unemployed. Most of these outcomes can be avoided or mitigated by treatment. This is also the case for many other mental disorders and prisons are full of people with undiagnosed disorders. There are a great many opportunities to improve our society by tackling these problems
Something I haven’t seen mentioned here is stress. Stress is highly unlikely to kill you directly, but it exacerbates ADHD traits in a negative way. It also exacerbates just about every other mental and physical condition. Living in a world not built for us is extremely stressful, it’s even worse in those of us who aren’t diagnosed or have to live with inadequate accommodations.
In addition to stress, there is a link between ADHD and higher suicide rates. We often have comorbid conditions like depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, bipolar, and PMDD. That and, again, living in a world not built for us is extremely hard, some of us just can’t handle it.
Sources:
- https://psychcentral.com/stress/can-you-die-from-stress/
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/chronic-stress-can-damage-brain-structure-and-connectivity/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-suicide/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd-suicide/
- https://www.additudemag.com/suicide-linked-to-adhd-more-than-depression-in-children/
Weird to cite a book that’s citing the researcher. Dr Russell Barkley has videos and books of his own and is, by all accounts, the world foremost expert on ADHD.
If you have autism too, your life expectancy is hugely lowered, under 50 i think. Heart disease and suicide are the main ways we die.
(I’d look it up to link but i feel really sick today and it’s effort i dont have in me(
