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TikTok has become a popular destination to learn about and share information on mental health. When measuring the #ADHD hashtag’s popularity, TikTok told “GMA” it has amassed over 10.5 billion views on the platform. The hashtag #ADHDTikTok has been viewed over 2.7 billion times.

Cook added that she’s heard from people, including Hardt, who credit her videos for alerting them about ADHD and encouraging them to obtain a formal diagnosis.

Cook said social media not only has the power to further destigmatize ADHD, it also provides “an incredible opportunity” for underserved communities to access and share necessary information.

@lesleypsyd #adhd strategies in real life. #executivefunction #planner ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) - Danilo Stankovic

Misinformation on social media

Just because TikTok is educating users about ADHD and helping people identify it, misinformation is still a problem. Cook strongly encourages her followers to do their own research after consuming her content.

“I tried to make that clear that if you heard something from me and it's really exciting, try to find another source that is credible [and] stay away from things that seem sensational,” Cook said. “I think the hardest thing on social media is that the onus is really on the consumer to vet their sources.”

A 2022 study from The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry raised the alarm on the growth of ADHD misinformation on TikTok after reviewing its 100 most popular videos about the disability. The study found 52% of the top videos were deemed “misleading” while 27% of the videos were about “personal experience.”

Cook said she has come across several content creators selling products such as herbal supplements that purportedly cure ADHD.

“There is no evidence that any one supplement can cure or effectively treat ADHD,” she stressed, adding that ADHD can only be managed through treatments such as prescription medication and therapy.

The importance of obtaining a formal diagnosis

Both Cook and Brown encourage anyone who suspects they have ADHD to meet with a medical provider who specializes in the disorder and understands how it impacts people from their age group.

Both said obtaining an ADHD diagnosis allows for treatment to manage symptoms. It also opens the door to access accommodations such as additional time to complete tests in school or accommodations in the workplace.

Brown also warned that adults with undiagnosed ADHD may face certain risks.

\"They have twice the risk of having a serious drug or alcohol problem,” he explained. “They often have more difficulty getting jobs and keeping jobs. They often have more difficulty in close, personal relationships. There are more difficulties in terms of getting along in a dating relationship or in a parenting relationship.”

Relief in answers

Hardt believes she never would have connected the dots about her ADHD without the app.

“I have two degrees in psychology and counseling, and we spent, at least in my programs, such little time talking about neurodivergence,” Hardt said.

That's why she thinks she was “completely unaware of my own diagnosis.”

Now, Hardt has started treatment to manage her symptoms and says it's been “life changing.\"

\"It’s absolutely changed my perspective on myself,” she added.

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