Danielle Elliott

All's well that ends well, right? Parker got her second opinion and found her people. But what about that King of Prussia doctor who tried to convince her that she didn't have ADHD? What was up with that? I looked into this issue of Black women being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. I found that it's not only a problem for Black women with ADHD.

Doctors also fail to accurately diagnose Black women who actually have bipolar disorder. Often, according to what I read, emotional swings are dismissed as being those of angry Black women. For Parker, having the diagnosis of ADHD gives her a way to contend with this classic racial bias and others.

Doctors also fail to accurately diagnose Black women who actually have bipolar disorder. Often, according to what I read, emotional swings are dismissed as being those of angry Black women. For Parker, having the diagnosis of ADHD gives her a way to contend with this classic racial bias and others.

Like in meetings, if she's quiet and someone thinks she's not a team player, she can now tell them, No, I have ADHD.

Like in meetings, if she's quiet and someone thinks she's not a team player, she can now tell them, No, I have ADHD.

She handed me her phone to show me a photo. It was a spiral notebook. On the page, names of movies filled every line, top to bottom.

She handed me her phone to show me a photo. It was a spiral notebook. On the page, names of movies filled every line, top to bottom.

Whose filmography is this?

Whose filmography is this?

But she was focusing. Writing out these filmographies made it easier to focus. And now it's easier to explain this.

But she was focusing. Writing out these filmographies made it easier to focus. And now it's easier to explain this.

I lied when I said I was off social media for 2021. I had a couple of relapses here and there. Once, in April, I reactivated my Instagram account and a post caught my eye. It was a drawing of a woman in jeans and a sweatshirt. Across the top, it read, women and ADHD. Across the bottom of the page, it said, start a free assessment today. I looked at where the post was from.

I lied when I said I was off social media for 2021. I had a couple of relapses here and there. Once, in April, I reactivated my Instagram account and a post caught my eye. It was a drawing of a woman in jeans and a sweatshirt. Across the top, it read, women and ADHD. Across the bottom of the page, it said, start a free assessment today. I looked at where the post was from.

Only then did I realize it was an ad. The account belonged to a company called Dunn. It seemed weird to me. An ADHD company? What even is an ADHD company? And why is it posting on social media? I didn't remember that from before the pandemic. Dunn and ADHD Online LLC are two of maybe a dozen ADHD-focused companies that appeared on social media during the pandemic. This is not a coincidence.

Only then did I realize it was an ad. The account belonged to a company called Dunn. It seemed weird to me. An ADHD company? What even is an ADHD company? And why is it posting on social media? I didn't remember that from before the pandemic. Dunn and ADHD Online LLC are two of maybe a dozen ADHD-focused companies that appeared on social media during the pandemic. This is not a coincidence.

It actually happened because of the pandemic. Remember when I said diagnosis got easier? Early in the pandemic, states eased strict regulations around how doctors can diagnose and prescribe stimulant medications. For the first time, doctors could prescribe via telehealth.

It actually happened because of the pandemic. Remember when I said diagnosis got easier? Early in the pandemic, states eased strict regulations around how doctors can diagnose and prescribe stimulant medications. For the first time, doctors could prescribe via telehealth.

With the hassle removed, the roadblock eased, thousands of women who might have previously been deterred by the steps were now able to handle the process before they had a chance to get distracted. This policy shift definitely contributed to the rise in diagnosis. It also sparked questions around over-diagnosis. I told you I'd come back to this.

With the hassle removed, the roadblock eased, thousands of women who might have previously been deterred by the steps were now able to handle the process before they had a chance to get distracted. This policy shift definitely contributed to the rise in diagnosis. It also sparked questions around over-diagnosis. I told you I'd come back to this.

Once these strict telehealth policies changed, people took advantage. Not individuals, as far as I know, but entrepreneurs. People created ADHD companies and started advertising services on social media. Companies like the ones that sent ads to me and Parker. The algorithm sent these ads to millions of women who, like Parker, took the assessments.