We Need Critical ADHD Studies Now

Jesse Meadows
9 min readJul 5, 2021

It’s time to move beyond the disorder/superpower binary.

Graphic showing a person standing in profile holding a book over her face with the DSM criteria for ADHD snaking out of it across the frame. The background is the full text of the DSM criteria.
Art by the author

The ADHD Internet is full of bad science and self-deprecation. It’s so prevalent I had to stop going on TikTok, my frustration growing as every swipe offered more scientific explanations for why my brain “sucks”.

The broken brain narrative is everywhere on social media, but it’s not entirely the fault of ADHD creators when…

Jesse Meadows

writer + digital artist doing critical adhd studies + re-politicizing mental health | they/them