Well, I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago (age 35) so if you were to tell me you had ADHD, I’d want to talk with you about it and share tips for managing it. I wouldn’t judge you at all for just having it (how could I?!), and not at all if you seemed to have it under control. But if you routinely *acted *really hyperactive, impulsive, etc., I would think you’re not managing the disorder very well and you should really get that in check, like a responsible member of society, and probably with a :dubious: look on my face while doing so. So, yeah, I’d judge that.
Myself, I brought up my diagnosis to my own supervisor after my diagnosis, because we’re fairly open about personal stuff between us and she not only knew I had problems attending to my work, but she has the same problems herself. (We’ve talked quite about ADHD since then and she believes she has it, too, except she’s always been hyperactive, while I have the Inattentive subtype.) I also told the coworkers I’m friends with, mostly as a way to give them some context for my spaciness. (Things like all the times I passed them in the hall without saying hi – I didn’t mean to be rude, I was just lost in my thoughts and not aware of my surroundings.)
But I only brought it up to my Big Boss when I was seeking permission to make some changes to my office space that were a little beyond the norm, and I wanted to explain why it was important for me to reduce sensory distractions. ADHD is not an ADA-protected class, but I believe that if one has a reasonable manager, one should be able to make reasonable requests for accommodations that will improve productivity. (In my case, I have a lot of noise distraction the way my office is currently arranged, and I asked if I could rearrange it and be allowed to purchase sound-proofing measures with company funds, and my manager said yes.)
There have been times in staff meetings when the conversation has called for the perspective of someone with ADHD, but I’ve never identified myself as such to the entire staff because A) it’s none of their business, B) I don’t want them to think less of me, or ever think I’m using that as an excuse should I make a mistake on the job.
My close family knows (in part because two of them were my references in the process of diagnosis), but I haven’t said anything to my extended family because I’m not close with them and it’s none of their business.