#in fact i blame most of my physical disability which include vision impairment and muscular problems ON ADHD

[aro-bird]

Okay since I have ADHD, let me try to explain it to you point by point from the things you asked.

-so sa logic ng twitter post, kung may diabetes ako, pwede akong kumuha ng PWD card?

No, the logic here is that they are comparing it to diabetes kasi yung implication ng pag-ban ng may ADHD na medicated is that dahil meron silang gamot, then they don't have the condition. The OP ng tweet is trying to illustrate na it's as if sinabihan mo ang isang person na may diabetes na wala na silang diabetes because they have insulin which is stupid as hell.

Just because I have insulin, doesn't mean I don't suffer other issues or had suddenly stopped being vulnerable on things related to diabetes, same goes for people with ADHD. Just because they have meds, doesn't mean they stop having other issues related to ADHD or become suddenly not vulnerable with ADHD related issues.

-bakit kumukuha ng PWD card ang may ADHD? yes they have inabilities to keep their attention/focus on certain tasks… but why? -hindi ko nagegets na may depression symptoms ang ADHD kasi its more of a congenital condition rather than a trauma based condition. o baka ang ibig sabihin ng op is depression because of awareness?

This is going to be the longest part of the post because these are loaded questions but if you want to know the proper full answers to your questions then you have to read the whole thing. You are questioning our disability so I'm giving you a full response.

Because ADHD is not just a focusing disorder and there's a lot of other issues that make it debilitating. People with ADHD have executive function issues which may be because of anomalies in the brain's structure like with its cortex itself or maybe its neurotransmitters (and specifically most likely dopamine) with both of these things possibly negatively affecting executive function. Ang executive function ay ang function ng brain mo to do things like organization, time management, working memory, inhibitions, patience, focus, etc. Basically, most things na people without ADHD have an easier time working with.

This may not seem like much, pero if laging sabog time management mo, laging walang order mga gamit mo, laging nakakalimutan mo mga bagay, you could end up struggling with day to day functions and even struggle in school and work. People may see these issues that you're struggling with and may think that it's just you being a mess or being lazy when it's literally just your brain not working right. When I started to gain more independence and my parents stopped assisting me with school, I ended up struggling more kasi they were basically doing my executive function for me when I was growing up and when they stopped doing that for me, it made me go from excellent student to average and even almost failing some subjects because I literally had issues with those tasks because of how my brain is.

Another important thing is that ADHD isn't actually someone having an "attention-deficiency" pero is closer to someone struggling to control their attention. The stereotype na laging hindi maka-focus and isang tao na may ADHD is not entirely true and especially since it's been well-known to anyone who takes time to talk to someone with ADHD na if the topic is interesting, then the person with ADHD could actually sit down and focus, even longer than the non-ADHD person and this is called "hyperfocus". Whenever people talk about hyperfocus it's always touted as a superpower kasi people with ADHD could focus on work for hours at a time if they're really invested in it but it's not just a positive kasi it could lead them to neglect their other commitments, relationships, responsibilities, and even basic needs and bodily functions. This has actually gotten me hospitalized because I ignored my basic needs and I know I'm not alone here. I even heard a story of someone who was so focused that they didn't notice na nasusunog na ang kanilang bahay. This is all because our brain is physically not working properly. I'll also clarify that hyperfocus could last for hours to maybe even close to a full day maybe even several with very limited breaks in-between. It isn't just "getting in the zone" like how people without ADHD may experince it.

This difference in the brain whether it be because of the difference in the brain's cortex or a dysregulation with dopamine neurotransmitters affect other things too even emotions or mood. Yung dysregulation na ito could cause problems with ADHD people not being able to properly control their emotions and their mood fluctuating back and forth which could worsen other issues and is speculated as the reason kung bakit ang mga may ADHD ay nahihirapan sa pagkuha ng motivation sa pagtatrabaho and may also lessen the rewarding feeling sa pagkokompleto ng mga tasks. This lack of rewards and lack of motivation may make people with ADHD find more "rewarding" activities which could go as extreme as addictive hobbies (like video gaming or gambling) or even addictive substances (like drugs or alcohol). If they don't find ways to manage this mood dysregulation, it could worsen symptoms of depression and make it much harder for them to function to even take care of themselves.

Other than that, since most kids with ADHD act different from their peers and that most adults don't help them and just call them lazy, a lot of ADHD kids and adults end up having self-confidence issues, anxiety, and depression. They may even struggle with participating in school and academics because of the lack of support systems and networks. On the first point, a study has stated that 56% of children with ADHD had stated that they had no friends at all compared to 32% of non-ADHD children, and may struggle to keep friends as 25% had reported losing them within 6 months compared to 9% of non-ADHD children. Do you know how traumatizing it is to be a child without any friends at all? How isolation and loneliness could really mess with your brain? I definitely experienced it growing up and I still have a lot of issues with that to the point that I'm still in therapy for it besides my ADHD.

Related to all that, according to this study, people who experience prolonged periods of social isolation or loneliness have mental issues and psychological problems like anxiety, stress, depression, and even cognitive decline, with physical problems showing that lonely people are at a higher risk for premature death because of increased risks of cardiovascular health diseases and conditions and increased blood pressure.

As for the latter point, let me briefly discuss ADHD and academics. It's very well-known that ADHD could negatively impact academic performance and especially untreated and unmedicated ADHD. In fact, there are several studies on this specific issue and I'll link some here, here, and here. It has been consistently shown time and time and time again that people with ADHD who get treatment and help for their condition has a higher chance of doing better in school. Being a registered PWD allows you the possibility of getting school assistance for your condition. Why shouldn't ADHD people not get this accessibility help if it could help them compete with their non-ADHD peers and even help them finish their studies.

There's a lot of other issues but I hope you get the point na ADHD isn't just struggling to focus on a task, it's a disability that could be extremely debilitating and even life-ruining and could cause serious mental issues other than ADHD itself.

To answer the question na bakit kumukuha ang person with ADHD ng PWD card is that it's a disability that's not just about not focusing good and since it's a disability there are a lot of treatments and doctor's consultations and even medication that could help manage it and having a PWD card could help with medical expenses kasi medication is expensive. Having to go to therapy is expensive. Going to a psychiatrist is expensive.

Hindi nga ako nag-tatake ng medication pero I pay my therapist 2k a month just to go with some people needing to pay more than that. If I wanted to go on medication, I would need to go to a psychiatrist which might be another 2k or maybe more and I heard some places spend over 3k or even 5k depende sa pinuntahang therapist. I heard someone needed to get a 10k assessment just to get a diagnosis din so I'm lucky as hell na 2k lang bayad ko per month for my therapist. I heard some medications could go for 3k for 30 pills tapos extremely controlled pa.

Why wouldn't you allow a person with a disability that's expensive to manage to even try to live like everyone else at least 20% sa medication nila like it's not going to hurt any other disabled person that's just stupid. This isn't even getting into the other thing I discussed about academic problems that most ADHD people experience.

-itama nyo ko kung mali, isa sa grounds ng PWD is psychosocial disability pero nasa guidelines din na dapat 20% or higher ang severity level ang pwede. so invalid kumuha ng PWD kung kaya mong makipag interact or socialize in a normal circumstance ryt? ex. kung kaya mong magbayad ng pamasahe sa jeep, like "manong bayad sa kanto lang po" which is a normal circumstance, bakit ka kukuha ng PWD card?

This is not true like at all. According to the National Council of Disability Affairs, anyone with a permanent disability is entitled to get a PWD card. ADHD would be under non-apparent disability under "Mental Disability" since that's what ADHD is —a mental disability and specifically a developmental one, not a psychosocial one, pero even if it is a psychosocial one, this isn't the case either. You can read that here. I think you confused yung 20% with the discount na every disabled person is entitled to. It has nothing to do with cognitive function and measuring someone's "severity" is tricky.

*side kuwento: sabi ng ophthalmologist na tumingin sa mata ko, pwede akong kumuha ng PWD and she can write me up a med cert for it. tumanggi ako. hindi kaya ng loob ko ng kunin ang isang benefit na intended sa may mga visual disabilities coz alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi ako imbalido, malabo lang mata ko. malaki ang difference ng bulag sa malabo ang mata lalo na sa tulad ko na kayang kayang gawin ang pang araw araw na gawin kahit walang salamin. getting that PWD card is straight robbery to those who are actually disabled.

I wasn't going to comment on this kasi it's a side story but I feel like I already touched on this point awhile ago so let's tackle it. Getting a PWD card does not affect other disabled people. That's stupid as hell. If meron kang PWD card even if "minor lang naman" yung disability mo, does that mean that other people would have less benefits? Fuck no!

Like seriously, think for a moment. Do you think they're rationing out yung mga benefits to people who are in need like we're living in an apocalypse bunker and not that it's a fixed list of benefits that the government is required to give to people? Like do you honestly think that? Imagine if other government programs act like that like imagine yung government insurance isn't based on anything else, just that if there's too many members you get less insurance payout when you need it. Imagine if yung DSWD binabaan yung bigay sa 4Ps bc there's already too many people sa program. Like does that make sense to you? What kind of country would do that? Why would disability activist groups allow that to be in the law?

The PWD card is also tied to senior cards so should senior citizens also not get their senior card just because they might "rob other people" even if they're already 80 or something just because they could "still function normally"? Like genuinely asking what's the logic here.

**ang mentality ba dapat natin lately is "just coz you could, you should"??

This is so condescending as hell. Most people who get an ADHD diagnosis and get ADHD medication and get PWD cards aren't just doing it for the LULz or whatever. ADHD is a debilitating condition to the point that there are a lot of people who haven't gotten diagnosed literally struggling to live and even possibly feeling like they're broken and worthless with some even committing suicide. Hell, even people who have been diagnosed may even feel broken or worthless.

Giving them access to disability benefits helps make their lives easier regardless of what you think. Making medicine cheaper, giving them discounts for services, giving them assistance in schools to name the few benefits makes their lives easier and doesn't take anything away from people. It just helps another disabled person get by a little better.

This reply to my post genuinely baffled me and to have someone WITHOUT ADHD assume all these things WITHOUT ANY PROPER REASEARCH is honestly INSULTING. ADHD is already a misunderstood, stigmatized, and dismissed disorder.

Honestly as someone who got denied a diagnosis when I was a CHILD because my guidance counselor thought ADHD people "can't be that successful in school" and later on denied a diagnosis when I was 17 because the old psychometrician that I went to thought I was "too old to be diagnosed" and that I "may have had it when I was a child but now it's too late to tell" only to finally be diagnosed properly during my SECOND-YEAR OF UNIVERSITY, I am getting sick and tired of people without ADHD, who barely know anything about the recent research, spreading misinformation like this and thinking like we're acting in bad faith when we try to assert our rights and our disability.

If you literally know nothing about the condition except hearsay, maybe don't make assumptions about us? That's the least that you could do instead of potentially spreadin misinformation and dismissing our concerns. Do better.

Haha what the fuck do you mean that allegedly the Philippine government's no longer recognizing medicated ADHD people as a "Person with Disability" and are now barring them from getting disability cards what the fuck

English translation under the image

Original Tweet: Apparently medicated people with ADHD are allegedly no longer allowed to get PWD (Persons with Disability) cards especially since they can cope. Is it really like that it's like if you said "you don't really have diabetes because you have insulin" Reddit Screenshot: i went to the pdao (Persons with Disability Affairs Office) then i gave them my medical certificate. then the staff asked if i can cope [with my ADHD]. i wasn't able to answer quickly then they said that medicated people with adhd who can cope weren't entitled to pwd cards. that's apparently the new rule when applying for pwd cards. i wasn't able to answer anything because what else could i do, right. after that they said to still ask the doctor, it's a good thing the doctor allowed it and the staff even told me that "you're not really entitled to it but we'll allow it for now." i said thank you even passive-aggressively hahahah but in my opinion even if you're medicated, you should still be entitled to get a card. because adhd medication still has a shortage. and symptoms of depression would start manifesting when you don't have medication. it's like they're downplaying the hardships of people with adhd

Like this is just straight up appalling. and to have the GOVERNMENT [allegedly] be the ones doing this kind of shit is disgusting. They're basically saying that if you have medication, that means you don't have the condition anymore which is absurd. It also makes me fear that a lot of people with ADHD who may want to at least try if they could perform better with medication would refuse to take them specifically because they might lose their government benefits. This is disgusting.

A lawyer's advice regarding this issue:

Please keep this in mind and don't let them trample on your rights!