ADHD

TW: Abuse, Mention of Homophobia, racism, and ableism. Hi! I'm a 13 (nearly 14) year old AFAB and I have struggled greatly with symptoms of ADHD and other symptoms of many neurodivergences all my life. I never really thought much of it because I thought everyone thought the way I did, but then in 5th grade (when I was 11 years old) I learned about ADHD and Autism for the first time. I am someone who has difficulties reading social cues and has many sensory issues so I started researching autism, but while learning about that I learnt more about ADHD. I realized it sounded a lot like me and started digging deeper. After extensive research, I realized that my personality and my traits are basically all symptoms of ADHD. I'm incredibly energetic and enthusiastic, I'm loud, I interrupt people on accident a lot, I can't sit still, I'm impulsive, I talk WAY too much, I'm very sensitive to rejection, I'm easily distracted, I'm unorganized, I experience periods exactly like 'ADHD paralysis', I'm VERY forgetful, and I USED to have little sense of danger (before I got severe anxiety). I also have conditions very commonly comorbid with ADHD (like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Tics, and Insomnia). At first, I wondered if those symptoms were things I would grow out of, but it's been two years and things have only gotten worse. Last year around springtime, I brought up ADHD to my mom but she immediately rejected me and said "You don't," and changed the topic. Later in the summer, I brought it up again and she said, "We've known you had symptoms since you were young but we don't want you on medication," and then again, ended the conversation. I talked to the special ed. teachers at my school this year about what diagnosis looks like and if medication is the immediate path and they talked to me about a 504 plan, which you can get after diagnosis and it helps teachers support you based on specific needs. I think it would be beneficial to my education and life path to get tested for ADHD among other conditions that I fit a large amount of criteria for, but I don't know how to bring it up to my parents. My mom is in general, supportive of me for who I am and is easier to reason with. My dad has PTSD from his childhood due to being abused by his parents and is not easy to reason with at all because he thinks his answer is the only right answer and the only right way. He is also homophobic and had a whole time where he was trying to convince me that I wasn't gay and it was just a phase. Don't get me wrong, my parents are kind to me and they are helpful, but their views on a lot of things can come off old fashioned and in todays day in age, can come off as homophobic, racist, and ableist. I want to talk to them about getting tested, I just don't know how. My dad is really overprotective and refuses to admit anything is wrong with me, even when I'm having very obvious problems. This means when I hurt my ankle I'm 'not hurt', or when I'm sobbing and having a mental breakdown I'm 'overreacting'. He likes to invalidate things I do that he doesn't like (ex. TV I watch, Music I listen to, Clubs I do, Languages I learn, etc.) This has been a problem when I am struggling with things that I believe would get better if I seek out a diagnosis. I believe that if I get a diagnosis, it would give my parents a view on lessons to teach me in a neurodivergent-friendly way so I can benefit more in life. If you have any idea how to bring this upt o parents or any coping mechanism, please let me know. Thank you and have a nice day!!