Entirely agree - my attitude to performative gender roles has always been 'who in earth has the energy for that?'
That said, I would question your connection between late diagnosis and performative masculinity - I wasn't diagnosed until age 53, but I'd been seeking professional help since age 25!
I suspect this may be partly a generational issue - when I was a kid ADHD (as a diagnosis) was reserved for kids who acted out loudly and violently. Thankfully, this seems to have moved forward.
But also, in the UK at least, the health service's support of neurodiversity is simply not fit for purpose. I'm currently (hopefully) approaching the end of a six year waiting list for a formal autism diagnosis, despite having had an educational diagnosis for five years now (and it being frankly bleedin' obvious), and that is only being taken seriously due to the resulting mental health issues, which have proven otherwise untreatable for more than 25 years. That doesn't exactly encourage people to seek the support they require.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! I know the connection is a bit of a stretch, but you get how it goes—it was one of those spur-of-the-moment “this makes perfect sense!” ideas that led to a post before I even realized it.
Entirely agree - my attitude to performative gender roles has always been 'who in earth has the energy for that?'
That said, I would question your connection between late diagnosis and performative masculinity - I wasn't diagnosed until age 53, but I'd been seeking professional help since age 25!
I suspect this may be partly a generational issue - when I was a kid ADHD (as a diagnosis) was reserved for kids who acted out loudly and violently. Thankfully, this seems to have moved forward.
But also, in the UK at least, the health service's support of neurodiversity is simply not fit for purpose. I'm currently (hopefully) approaching the end of a six year waiting list for a formal autism diagnosis, despite having had an educational diagnosis for five years now (and it being frankly bleedin' obvious), and that is only being taken seriously due to the resulting mental health issues, which have proven otherwise untreatable for more than 25 years. That doesn't exactly encourage people to seek the support they require.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! I know the connection is a bit of a stretch, but you get how it goes—it was one of those spur-of-the-moment “this makes perfect sense!” ideas that led to a post before I even realized it.