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Autism, ADHD, anxiety: Can a diagnosis make you better?
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Researchers propose that the act of naming a malady can itself bring relief.
PHOTO: ALEX MERTO/NYTIMES
Ellen Barry
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NEW YORK – Around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, I began to notice something happening in my social circle.
A close friend, then in her early 50s, got a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She described it as a profound relief, releasing her from years of self-blame – about missed deadlines and lost receipts, as well as things that were deeper and more complicated, such as her sensitivity to injustice.
