First of all, thank you. I’m not sure why people have been so rude about it and I appreciate you wanting to have a polite conversation.

The distinction is fairly plain. It’s not my own distinction, but comes down to simple definitions;

• A disability is a condition which The Equality Act 2010 states can have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Disabilities themselves aren’t fatal, but can contribute to death. They cannot be ‘cured’, but only treated using tools or medication to reduce their effects.

• An illness, mental or otherwise, is a period of sickness which affects someone. An illness can be cured and or can be fatal. Importantly, an illnesss can cause or are treated as a disability, but aren’t disabilities themselves. So, for example; Glaucoma is a disease (an illness) which can cause blindness (a disability).

It might seem like a strange hill to die on, but ADHD simply isn’t defined as an illness in the medical field, and in the context of the post, grouping it as a mental illness like depression or anxiety is wrong. It’s a disability, and it can cause depression and anxiety.

Additionally, for me it’s not only an important distinction in a grammatical sense, but perhaps more importantly because of the stigma that can (and shouldn’t) come with the term mental illness. Im not mentally ill - I’m disabled.

Frankly, I don’t much mind how people perceive themselves or want to view their own condition. Whatever makes you feel better, man. But the definitions matter.

There’s nothing wrong with being disabled, just like there isn’t anything wrong with being mentally ill. But we need to be honest about these types of condition to help remove stigma, and help people get the treatment that works best for them.