Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the ADHD Underground Network?
A1. AUD is a lightweight social network and private club exclusively for adults with ADHD.
Q2. Who can join AUD?
A2. Any adult over 18 years of age who has been diagnosed as having ADHD by a qualified professional.
Q3. Do you ask for any kind of proof that those who want to join have been diagnosed with ADHD?
A3. No, there is not necessarily one way to be diagnosed even in the U.S. and there may be different approaches in different countries. I met a gastroenterologist at a party last year who told me he had ADHD – his wife was a practicing clinical psychologist, but he had never been "officially diagnosed" – or rather, he just diagnosed himself, but I believed him. We do want those in our network to be officially diagnosed and hope that we don't get too many people who think they have ADHD because they have "ADHD days" but we won't be checking credentials here.
Q4. How much does it cost to join?
A4. It's free.
Q5. Why did you build this network?
A5. I wanted to meet other Squirrels.
Q6. Why do you call people with ADHD "Squirrels"? Isn't that degrading
A6. I don't think so. Part of it is just a convenient writing shortcut when you are discussing this topic frequently it gets boring to always say, "adults with ADHD" so I just say "Squirrels". It also provides some lighthearted "cover" for serious discussions going on internally. I don't necessarily want the normals knowing what we are up to. In a way, it makes no sense – we are the ones who get distracted by squirrels, not the squirrels themselves, but it doesn't have to make sense.
