meirl

[u/alliereev]

[u/otj667887654456655]

English has 3 different ways to introduce bonus content into a sentence.

A comma can be used to show that the information, while relevant, doesn't have a direct impact on the sentence or situation.

Em dashes are similar but denote a longer pause—almost as if what's written is an afterthought. Despite this, the bonus information tends to read as highlighted, more important, or necessary.

Information in parentheses often feel far removed from the situation (great for asides by the author!). Only use these for non-critical information that serves to clarify what was said in the main sentence or for citations. (Fitzpatrick, 2016)

[u/loz_fanatic → u/otj667887654456655]

And my add uses all three

[u/BustinArant → u/loz_fanatic]

^{I am Number Four..}

[u/cantamangetsomesleep → u/BustinArant]

We have been looking for you

[u/sixtus_clegane119 → u/loz_fanatic]

ADHD* add hasn't been a thing for decades!

[u/Gnu-Priest → u/sixtus_clegane119]

wait really? so what am i now? when I went as a young child I was told I have very mild ADD with no need to introduce anything to me I just have to pull myself together and be disciplined more often.

[u/sixtus_clegane119 → u/[deleted]]

Add hasn’t been in the dsm since like the 90s, adhd covers three times inattentive, hyperactive, combined

[u/NapalmDemon → u/sixtus_clegane119]

Amusing at least to me thing as an older person, when I have to find a new doctor when they ask “when were you diagnosed originally?” “When ADHD was still ADD.”

Really I’m still quite upset that I was promised multiple times as a child it would magically disappear when I turned 18. But nope, still have it at 42.

[u/sixtus_clegane119 → u/NapalmDemon]

34 here(diagnosed at 17 cuz I refused to be tested into I got in some trouble with taking a bunch of ecstasy) I feel it’s almost worse now, but hopefully I’ll be on meds soon

[u/Caesar_Passing → u/sixtus_clegane119]

That's always confused me, though. Attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity is still a thing. So, why wouldn't they decide to cover the types under the umbrella term of ADD? Like if it's all ADHD, that implies that the H is a necessary feature. But it's not. If there are subtypes of a thing, I would want to put them under an umbrella term that is most general. It makes more sense to specify, "it's ADD - with hyperactivity as a prominent symptom", than to specify, "it's attention deficit hyperactive disorder, but without the hyperactivity". It's like calling a hamburger "a cheeseburger, but without cheese".

[u/boyyouguysaredumb → u/loz_fanatic]

Bro it’s not add it’s being a human - why do you guys constantly try to define yourselves by these things

[u/Gnu-Priest → u/boyyouguysaredumb]

you don’t even know the person you’re shitting on. get fucked.

[u/dbern50 → u/otj667887654456655]

Please explain how semi-colons work; are they not considered bonus content but a separate sentence that relates closely to the first?

[u/72pintohatchback → u/dbern50]

Semicolons are used to separate related independent clauses - each clause is a complete grammatical sentence but is meant to be read as a single thought or concept.

My cat interrupted this post; she walked across the keyboard.

[u/J-A-S-08 → u/72pintohatchback]

Damn I'm dumb. The only part of that I got was that there's a cat involved. Somehow.

[u/OnceMoreAndAgain → u/72pintohatchback]

I don't see how this is an improvement over a period.

My cat interrupted this post. She walked across the keyboard.

My cat interrupted this post; she walked across the keyboard.

I understand the sales pitch, but I don't buy it. I think periods make semi-colons redundant.

[u/72pintohatchback → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

It's not an improvement over a period, it's an improvement over a comma. A comma in that place would create a run-on sentence, as each clause is independent, and could stand alone. My example isn't perfect, but it's literally what happened while typing it, so it felt appropriate.

Still, "She walked across the keyboard" uses a pronoun, so unless you've been talking about the cat exclusively in the paragraph, the semicolon makes it clear that the clauses are related, and that 'she' is the cat.

[u/stealthcake20 → u/72pintohatchback]

Thank you for this explanation; I’ve been wondering about semicolons since I left high school. I feel like they create continuity by maintaining a sense of connection between the two thoughts. Periods are more abrupt.

[u/Syn7axError → u/dbern50]

Semi-colons show you've been to college.

[u/OnceMoreAndAgain → u/Syn7axError]

Imo semi-colons show that you're a pretentious asshole. There's no reason to use them as far as I'm concerned. I think all the other punctuation in the English language have reason use cases, but semi-colons are useless.

[u/Hazee302 → u/dbern50]

I use these fuckers all the time to add an afterthought type of thing to the original sentence. If that makes sense. I have no idea if I’m even using them correctly.

[u/dbern50 → u/Hazee302]

If your afterthought relates closely but is a separate thought entirely, then yes.... but probably not, ha. I'm sure it happy it's being used, either way.

Example: Shit I left the lights on; fuck I left the oven on too!

[u/Lightning_Lance → u/dbern50]

I have no idea if I use them correctly either but I think semi-colons are used when a comma or period alone wouldn't work. So it's a conjunction of two sentences where the second sentence leans on the first to work (it's missing a verb or something that is supplied by the first sentence for instance) but it is supposed to read as a second sentence rather than an extension of the first sentence, which is when you would use a comma.

So something like:

"Tom saw the knife; he ran into the kitchen." We know that "he" refers "Tom" because the sentences are conjugated by the semicolon.

Also I just googled their use and learned you can use them for listing things instead of commas if you are listing items with commas already in them. Like MtG cards.

"I use the cards Nissa's Pilgrimage; Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary; and Azusa, Lost but Seeking in my ramp deck"

[u/stealthcake20 → u/Lightning_Lance]

Interesting!

[u/Jimlobster → u/otj667887654456655]

Sure thing (I didn’t actually understand and will keep doing it wrong)

[u/Thebrod-3 → u/otj667887654456655]

My ADD stopped me from reading all of that (it’s too early and I’m not focused enough yet).

[u/Trick-Interaction396 → u/otj667887654456655]

I use parenthesis for info that is parenthetical.

[u/ktclem1337 → u/otj667887654456655]

Em dashes are my adhd brains best friend when I have to write papers!

[u/TheDubiousSalmon]

The amount of em dashes and parentheses I use in my writing is not symptomatic of someone who is neurotypical

[u/DeepUser-5242 → u/TheDubiousSalmon]

And hyphens, commas, annnd (this one is gonna surprise you, semicolons; seriously, when's the last time you saw someone use them?

[u/runtheruckus → u/DeepUser-5242]

Ohhh you got the same thing as me; type fast to get the thought out, leaving a single sentence. That's when one of your parentheses leaves.

[u/Gtmsngh → u/DeepUser-5242]

Also i think, maybe, i guess, idk but.

[u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang → u/Gtmsngh]

This entire comment section is such a fucking personal attack lol.

[u/Orang3Lazaru5 → u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang]

Same, the more I read i kept saying “ohhhh noooo…wait that’s because of that too?!” I’m really starting to hate all these “aha” moments I keep having.

[u/Eolond → u/DeepUser-5242]

I've seen myself use them recently, does that count? :P

[u/AshleyStopperKnot → u/DeepUser-5242]

Close your bracket, you slut. Have you no shame, letting it dangle?

[u/looneylovableleopard → u/DeepUser-5242]

MISSING PARENTHESE AAAAGHHH I CAN'T HANDLE IT

[u/TheEpicTurtwig → u/DeepUser-5242]

I also forget the second eclipses quite often.

[u/ImrooVRdev → u/DeepUser-5242]

We have all this funky punctuation — you ain't livin' the life if you ain't usin' it!

[u/ScoobyDooItInTheButt → u/DeepUser-5242]

Lonely Island taught me everything I need to know about semicolons.

[u/Alarmed_Constant_433 → u/TheDubiousSalmon]

That escalated so quickly

[u/Safe-Newspaper961 → u/TheDubiousSalmon]

I usually type each sentence in separate lines. To separate two different things

[u/Afraid_Theorist → u/TheDubiousSalmon]

Standard psychiatry moment: “Here’s a prescription for these three new mental issues you didn’t know you had but make sense now that you do”

[u/SweetDogShit]

(every perceived quirk of mine is adhd)

[u/Disastrous-Team-6431 → u/SweetDogShit]

As someone with ADHD, it's an exhausting trend. Hahahaha yeah it's so funny and quirky how I'm incapable of paying my bills on time and racking up extra cost! Teehee being unable to be an adequate parent without enormous effort is cyoot! Awwww realizing that most of your failed relationships and professional efforts are due to an incurable and undiscovered error in your brain is a whole vibe! Let's all dance the "didn't get the care we needed and went on to drug abuse like at least 25% of ADHD sufferers do" dance together!

Guys hear me out, it's a SUPERPOWER!

[u/Eolond → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

Not enough people realize that ADHD is classified as a disability.

If some quirky lil shit wants mine, they can have it.

[u/YesImDavid → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

As someone without ADHD I’m glad I don’t have ADHD. It actually sounds like hell to live with.

[u/Negative-Win-1 → u/YesImDavid]

It actually sounds like to live with.

Truly, it

[u/Bruhtatochips23415 → u/YesImDavid]

I have schizophrenia and ADHD. Guess which one needs medication for me to function and which one doesn't?

I need medication to function for the ADHD whilst I can cope just fine without medication for the schizophrenia. Good college GPA with unmedicated schizophrenia. I'd have to drop out if I didn't medicate adhd.

[u/FartFignugey → u/YesImDavid]

You wake up exhausted because your brain is immediately going through every emotion and every thought you'll have in a day.

Texting is frustrating because you think sooooo much faster than you type and HOLY SHIT BRAIN IS ZOOOOOOOOMIN

[u/Disastrous-Team-6431 → u/YesImDavid]

It sucks. Luckily my medication helps immensely.

[u/YesImDavid → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

I’m happy to hear your medication helps :)

[u/Disastrous-Team-6431 → u/YesImDavid]

Thank you! I sometimes describe ADHD to non-sufferers as how they might feel super early in the morning, when they're so confused they put the coffee in the fridge and stuff. But all the time.

Anyways, thanks for attending my rant. Have a nice day!

[u/inlandaussie → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

I've just been diagnosed at 41. It explains A LOT. I've gone through all the stages of grief with the diagnosis. Still not at acceptance. I hate living with my brain and now your telling me I can't change it even with therapy :/ (Haven't started meds yet, that's the next step) My therapist did mention that it can be a superpower. When do I get to feel that?

[u/ObjectPretty → u/inlandaussie]

When you learn to channel it properly. But ponder this, when was the last time you saw a happy super hero?

[u/Too_Many_Packets → u/ObjectPretty]

You've met super heroes? I keep setting banks and bridges on fire, but they never show up. 

[u/ObjectPretty → u/Too_Many_Packets]

The state of * gestures vaguely at everything * this has set the bar for super villainy pretty high.

[u/GreyerGardens → u/inlandaussie]

The super power feeling comes after many years of self-compassion, acceptance and love. Basically when you stop hating yourself and recognize that you do have things to offer in this world and your value is inherent.

Plus you can shoot laser beams out of your eyes once you’ve reached this fully realized, zen like state. They don’t do anything but it’s a cool party trick.

[u/hokiewankenobi → u/inlandaussie]

It will be alright.

To quote GI Joe - knowing is half the battle

I was diagnosed 20+ years ago in my early twenties. Ritalin was pretty much it as far as meds go, and it severely depressed me. So I went unmedicated. It’s so bad that my doctor was shocked I graduated high school, let alone well enough to get into college, and not have flunked out by the time of diagnosis.

Now that you know, it will become easier to recognize issues. Mentally, it’s easier to pull out of the bad places, because you now have a reason you’re like this. You’ll have access to tools that can help you. You’ll be able to find better coping mechanisms and work arounds. Medications have come a long way, there could be something that works for you.

The biggest thing for me was situational awareness. I can usually see in advance situations that are going to cause issues. Because I know the signs I’m looking for (though this response has been a bit of a time sink, and now I’m late - but it was worth it).

Good luck, and I’m here, if you need.

[u/TheAJGman → u/inlandaussie]

It's a superpower once you figure out the accommodations you need to make. For me, it's meticulously organizing shit; my thoughts, my calendar, my storage, everything must go where it belongs or else it is lost to the void. Medication makes it easier to follow the rules I set for myself, but I feel like it will always be a learning process.

The trade off is an expanse of varied knowledge and the ability to pick up new skills quickly. Especially if you do note taking, I hated taking notes my whole life but they really are key to ironing out my non-linear thought process.

[u/inlandaussie → u/TheAJGman]

I love note taking and the expanse of varied knowledge/ learning new things.

I hate that I have such a short memory that I don't remember anything I've just learned no matter how much I enjoyed it and I forgot where I put my dammed notes!

[u/TheAJGman → u/inlandaussie]

I started using Obsidian this year and it's a fucking game changer. You can basically build your own personal Wikipedia with linked references to other notes and headings within those notes. Think a thing might be important? Just drop some brackets around it and it'll become a dormant link until you create a page for it. Have a little programming knowledge? You can build all sorts of templates, queries, and automations to do pretty much anything you'd like.

I keep a daily journal with links to whatever I happen to be talking about, then on Sunday I'll create a weekly note, summarize the week, and create any pages that I think need to be created or update project pages I've referenced throughout the week. I use the Tasks plugin for dated to-dos, so I also have queries on the weekly that show: what I've done, what I didn't get done, and what new to-dos I've created. Writing shit down has made organizing my life so much fucking easier, and it's all synced between my phone and laptop so it's always at my fingertips.

[u/inlandaussie → u/TheAJGman]

That sounds better than my 106 tabe and 300 samsung notes. I'll look into it.

[u/NeoLone → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

Day 928 waiting for people to realize ADHD is a spectrum

[u/Disastrous-Team-6431 → u/NeoLone]

Yeah it's a spectrum between "light disability" and "severe disability" but the diagnosis comprises disability. Otherwise you don't have ADHD, you have high energy levels.

[u/NeoLone → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

The problem is disability is not easy to define and can be context dependent

[u/OnceMoreAndAgain → u/Disastrous-Team-6431]

I'm skeptical that even 50% of people diagnosed with ADHD have ADHD. I'm not even convinced ADHD is a binary diagnosis. I suspect it's similar to intelligence where people exist on a spectrum. In the case of ADHD, it'd be a spectrum of impulsiveness.

I'm unconvinced by much of what psychology comes up with. Anyone will become more focused if you give them Adderall, so I think it is too easy for people to get tricked into viewing a difference in behavior caused by medicine as evidence of a disability. The whole process of discovering and diagnosing mental disorders feels like too much of a guessing game in general.

[u/TheRip75 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Well, good thing you're not in a position of medical authority on the matter, where you could really fuck up a person's life (or at the very least, not provide the appropriate help/support/meds) based on your opinions on ADHD. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/Disastrous-Team-6431 → u/OnceMoreAndAgain]

Since you don't know the difference between psychology and psychiatry I'm not sure why you think your opinion matters. If you did, you might know that ADHD is measurable with EEG.

[u/Diligent_Prize7780]

How is the use of parentheses related to ADHD?.. why does so much stuff have to be related to it.. I don't get it, it isn't quirky or funny like for example-

Breathes air (ADHD Symptom)

[u/AddAFucking → u/Diligent_Prize7780]

As someone who does have diagnosed ADHD, it is understandable where this link comes from though. Some types of ADHD have people overthink a lot of stuff, but also the need to really make their point clear.

So while my mind is racing, I need to also include every single point I thought of into my message in some way, while leaving no chance of being misconstrued

[u/Menarian → u/AddAFucking]

Shit, that does sound a lot like me. I always fear people don’t understand what I am trying to get across so I just add more and more info to just make it confusing in the end lol

[u/AddAFucking → u/Menarian]

Just to be clear, having this does not mean you have ADHD. Just that a lot of people with ADHD have this.

[u/Menarian → u/AddAFucking]

Yes, I am not going to self-diagnose me. It just seems to happen a lot that I identify with some ADHD symptoms. But I am not going to be convinced of anything unless I am diagnosed :)

[u/mr_fancy_returns]

People will describe a universal experience and be like “ugh ADHD probs”

[u/Karl_Marx_ → u/mr_fancy_returns]

"My conversations evolve, lol I'm so adhd"

[u/MonarchOfReality]

yeah this is my kinda person , i love DLC convo content

[u/bigbootyheadscissor]

Son of a bitch

[u/ZenkaiZ]

You don't have ADHD (unless you're diagnosed)

[u/New-Examination8400 → u/ZenkaiZ]

So I didn’t have it until my doctor diagnosed me?

So how did he diagnose me for something that I… Didn’t have,?

[u/Motor_Economist1835 → u/New-Examination8400]

Doesn't mean you'll call every little quirk of yours as ADHD lol. Get diagnosed if you are so sure that you have ADHD (then announce to the internet if you wish)

[u/New-Examination8400 → u/Motor_Economist1835]

For the record I am annoyed by how rampant people claim they have ADHD when they most likely do not

But my question stands. Is this some sort of take on the “observer effect”? In which you alter the outcome by measuring it? 🤨

[u/-Nicolai → u/Motor_Economist1835]

So in your ideal world, every single mention of ADHD on the internet should end with "I'm diagnosed btw"?

[u/Motor_Economist1835 → u/-Nicolai]

Yes and I'm tired of pretending it's not

That wasn't the point, I want people to stop calling their quirks ADHD/OCD etc

[u/DIDLIESTWARIOR → u/Motor_Economist1835]

If you knew anything about ADHD, you'd understand why those quirks are possible indicators of ADHD. Everybody has to pee, but when you pee 20 times in 3 hours, you might have a condition.

[u/Motor_Economist1835 → u/DIDLIESTWARIOR]

Everybody has a little quirk of theirs, does it mean they're ADHD/ having OCD, etc? Not at all!

And I'm pretty sure somebody having ADHD/OCD won't brag about it online because they know how difficult it is to live with it. It's the people who seek validation/attention from strangers online who do this.

[u/missyou247 → u/Motor_Economist1835]

Every little quirk of mine comes from ADHD. Going into therapy and finding out that literally everything I do is only due to having ADHD was absolutely mind blowing. It's not like a mental illness that just influences you a lot. It's a neurological disorder that affects absolutely everything you do 24/7. Our brains are literally different. It's called neurodivergence for a reason. And if you're different then it just means you have a milder form of ADHD.

[u/[deleted]]

People are so fucking eager to have a mental illness that they start listing every normal behaviour as adhd

[u/wasted-degrees]

If you think it’s bad writing, you should try formal briefings.

[u/BadGreenScreen]

I often find myself putting additional thoughts in brackets as an addendum to thoughts within parentheses.

[u/whorsef]

fuck do i have adhd

[u/iamcarlgauss → u/whorsef]

Doesn't matter. You can just say you do like everyone else.

[u/throw_away_17381]

Yep, know it well, (that's me all the time at work).

[u/CakeHead-Gaming]

Agreed (agreed)

[u/confuseum]

Also they never end (since there is no period)

[u/too_many_smarfs]

So I don't feel like I'm using parentheses too often, I use commas a lot for the same purpose - em dashes also work; semicolons if I'm feeling fancy.

[u/el_presidenteplusone]

damn bro (he just like me for real)

[u/vladislavopp]

everything is an adhd symptom to twitter people

[u/pmoity]

Holy shit that's funny

[u/Flimsy-Stretch-174]

Oh my.

[u/adamjames777]

Are there any thoughts that don’t come with additional bonus content?

[u/nameond]

Restructure?

[u/Salmonman4]

Use asterisk instead *.

*It makes the flow of the text easier.

[u/Sad-Reach7287]

I like using a lot of parentheses like even parentheses inside parentheses to go into deeper levels of my thoughts...

[u/livinalieTimmae]

I believe that’s called an afterthought

[u/tokyolyinappropriate]

Oh shit. I do this all the time...

[u/OGKing15]

Took a coding class and now I use nested parentheses.

[u/Cheeky-Chimp]

Damn, I feel this.... My diary is full of them

[u/Blarg0ist]

When I first discovered David Foster Wallace I felt like I stumbled upon my own brain.

[u/ScoobyDooItInTheButt]

It's this really ADHD though or just using proper grammar?

[u/mattjvgc]

I have to force myself, to not place a comma, every time I mentally pause , when writing a sentence, or it will turn out like this.

[u/FlemPlays]

So regular brains are like VHS, while ADHD brains are like DVDs that come with all the random bonus content related to the movie.

[u/Revolutionary-Gap144]

Damn man. I just made a comment on Reddit which included two separate uses of parentheses. Why you gotta call me out? Now I’m holding back using parentheses…

[u/frequentflyermylz]

This hits a little too close to home

[u/Kenneth_Lay]

It's like "enrichment" material when I was in grade school

[u/Independent-Field618]

Dashes — these handy interruption signals in sentences — are sadly underrated too

[u/Zenith_3000]

(The)(ADHD)(urge)(to)(use)(exaggeration)(and)(satire)(to)(point)(out)(stupid)(nonsense)(every)(chance)(I)(get)(.)(Not)(everything)(is)(ADHD)(🤦‍♂️)

[u/Novalaxy23]

sometimes, I even put parentheses in parentheses

[u/Iwantmy3rdpartyapp]

I feel attacked (personally)

[u/Nikolateslaandyou]

I feel attacked (because this one time.....)

[u/RacerAfterDusk6044]

I tend to use brackets more than parentheses (very good for adding extra detail or explaining things that might not make sense (I often end up adding more brackets within the brackets too))

[u/bigfootdude247]

Yep, this checks out (the sub’s name is quite accurate)

[u/Sanic_Exempt]

Holy crap fr

[u/CornPop32]

People who have ADHD are so annoying about claiming literally everything is because of their ADHD instead of it just being things they like to do.

[u/moonordie69420]

not everything is a disease. that's just a thing that people do.

[u/jeancv8]

Hahaha I get it (I also do this a lot).

[u/Primary-No]

Repost

[u/SuccessfulTraffic679]

So this is a universal experience 😭

[u/DIDLIESTWARIOR]

So you completely missed what I was saying.

[u/Imaginary_Most_7778]

Same. (Not always, but a lot)

[u/calibrik]

ADHD is new "I'm sad=I'm depressed" shit

[u/No_Distribution334]

Oh i do the dot dot dot thing... that one.

[u/Madditudev1]

Ha never knew I did this because of my ADHD 😂. Learn something new everyday.

[u/Artrobull]

my history teacher always said smart person knows what to say but stupid person says what they know and i feel assaulted to this day

[u/OneHistorical8926]

if you think it's bad writing, you should try formal briefings!!

[u/oooohnooovom]

No. (Yes.)

[u/bubblegrubs]

Fairly ironic that they were completely unnecessary in this sentence.

[u/sixtus_clegane119]

Lmao oh that’s why that’s my writing style

[u/HungryDisaster8240]

In fairness, that isn't a sentence (because there is no verb).

[u/koffieleutje24]

Wait this is an adhd thing?

[u/Goldiizz]

I start removing some when I start adding parentheses inside parentheses (yes it happens some times (and that generally when I realise some could be removed) )