The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #126658   Message #2818021
Posted By: Ruth Archer
21-Jan-10 - 05:28 PM
Thread Name: APD or ADD in adults
Subject: RE: APD or ADD in adults
Yeah...googling for those lists is kind of like googling for people who had learning difficulties, or dyslexia...Fact is, they were never tested in their lifetimes, and the application of certain labels to their "symptoms", sometimes decades or centuries after their deaths, is speculative at best and misleading at worst.

The Barnum syndrome is a particular symptom of the internet - people stumble across lists of symptoms and self-diagnose all the time. Suddenly they self-identify as dyslexic or whatever without ever having been properly tested. It's actually quite insidious - you wouldn't dream of diagnosing yourself with a medical condition based on a description on the internet. You'd go to the doctor and get them to check it out. If you have serious concerns, D el G, that's what I'd do.