ADHD TikTok: Dangers of Self-Diagnosis Support

I've had many clients share their favorite ADHD TikTok videos with me. Some are hilarious and relatable. Others make me cringe. The best and most useful ones do not go viral. Some ADHD TikToks destigmatize mental disorders by normalizing certain symptoms and building community. The platform makes accurate information and research accessible to a new demographic. 

On the other hand, some ADHD TikToks perpetuate negative stereotypes and popularize untruths. They encourage dangerous self-diagnosis and unqualified advice by content creators who are not ADHD professionals. According to a new study, more than half of the most popular TikTok videos on ADHD contained misinformation and only one-fifth were deemed useful by researchers.

Go ahead and have fun with TikTok, with a discerning eye for qualified professional advice. Here are some Credible TikTok ADHD resources, including Dr. Hallowell’s.

“I’m trying to do a service to educate the public,” Dr. Hallowell said. “[ADHD] is a good news diagnosis! Not knowing you have it is the real danger… then you don’t know why your best efforts don’t succeed…The only danger of information on any platform is that it is wrong information,” he said. “But that’s the danger for the entire Internet. If you identify with the symptoms of ADHD, it’s up to the professional to screen out the people who don’t have it. It’s not up to the viewer.”

Interested in reading the article yourself? Click HERE.

ADHD TikToks on ADDitude Magazine’s Shortlist:

@adhdcoachsheila
@catieosaurus
@drhallowell
@dr.kojosarfo
@howtoadhd
@loloelizabeth
@stina905
@thepsychdoctormd
@youradhdmom

More Mental Health TikToks:

@5hahem
@dhoardlmft
@drpatriceberry
@h_e_z_y_helps?
@lesleypsyd
@lindsay.fleminglpc
@doctorshepard_md