How accurately does the South Park character Tweek represent ADHD? (depression, addicted)

[Markus86]

I have become kind of curious about ADHD recently, and my general understanding is that people with ADHD have problems focusing on specific things, and feel overwhelmed by a lot of information and also are often very restless.
Then I also realised that the popular show South Park actually has a character (Tweek) with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis, and this is what I have noticed in that character:

*eye tics that make him blink randomly
*very jumpy, and gets scared easily
*easily gets frustrated
*trouble sleeping
*uses relaxation techniques to help him with stress

Here are a few videos with him that show some examples of how he acts - what do you think?

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keDrmiomwa8

https://youtu.be/dIFnx5hxMA0

Of course, I should probably also point out that his parents give him lots of coffee very often since they think that it helps him relax, but they give him so much of it that it seems to make him even more jumpy instead.

I would say that it's probably not entirely accurate, but it doesn't seem totally inaccurate either;
some factors definitely seem reasonably believable.

[lunalvr]

I would agree with your assessment that while Tweek certainly displays several classic symptoms of ADHD, the depiction as a whole is embellished and exaggerated for entertainment value. Also important to note that it’s Tweek’s parents who say that he has ADHD (as opposed to an episode which includes a doc dx) and that these are the same people who provide Tweek with a seemingly endless supply of coffee laced with meth.

The big-picture symptoms like forgetfulness, paranoia, agitation, lack of focus, hyper-fixation episodes, etc. can and often do present in real people with ADHD, but they often present in people who are addicted to drugs too.

[Dragonmam]

The videos are definitely over the top and more caffeine/meth head than ADHD. My husband and 4 out of 5 of his/our kids have ADHD. If it was that bad, I don't think I could have survived.

They are restless. Even sitting still they are finger tappers, pen clickers, foot jigglers etc...

They can focus quite well under certain circumstances. They are actually quite good at, maybe even better than non-ADHD types at emergencies and high speed decision making. They can take in, process and act on an amazing amount of input when their adrenaline is pumping. They absorb and process tiny details quite well in these situations.

They can zone out at slower, but critical moments, like the announcement of a deadline in class or even important conversations in relationships. It's better to keep those conversations short. They can overlook important details in the rubric or description for a class project.

They can go into panic mode or get frustrated (like in the videos) but that tends to not happen if they stick to a strict routine.

They can have other disorders, like anxiety and depression and even OCD, that can cause more problems by themselves than just the ADHD does. ADHD by itself is actually fairly easy to deal with if you develop coping mechanisms like using the reminders and features on a smartphone or written agendas, setting alarms, organizing your closets certain ways and getting rid of clutter.

None of them are jumpy, scare easily, or have physical tics. A few have sleep issues.

All have tried various relaxation techniques, apps, etc... Basically they can't sit still long enough for them to be effective. They do better with things you can zone out to like video games, tv (they aren't really watching it), and listening to loud music.

[coschristi]

He is not representative of ADHD at all but he is representative of Tweakers; meaning meth users. I should clarify: Tweak the character is representative of meth abusers.

Since many prescribed meds for ADHD are chemically similar to both methamphetamine & amphetamine; it would be easy to confuse the two. There is also a condition called Tardive Dyskinesia that looks very similar & it is caused by long-term use of neuroleptic drugs, which are used to treat psychiatric conditions & epilepsy.

I was diagnosed as profoundly ADD (and later as ASD) by an expert MD in Neuropsychiatry who told me that I was the most impaired adult female he had ever seen. My "case" is now presented at lectures on the subject all over the country; under a pseudonym, of course.

There is no therapeutic pharmaceutical made that I can take without quickly building a tolerance to & I exhibit the Paradoxical response to all stimulants. The last time it was tried, I was prescribed 80mg of Ritalin a day, in the form of two 40mg sustained release pills.

That was the most horrifying experience I have ever had: I was acutely aware of the ebb & tide of the medication throughout the day. It was like experiencing 8 micro-withdrawals followed by 8 temporary reliefs all within a 16-hour waking day. Up-down & up-down ... Awful.

I was surprised to learn how many educators who specialize in learning disabilities actually believe that ADD & ADHD are part of the Autism spectrum; a belief not shared by the scientific community (& unlikely to be shared anytime soon).

If you were to meet me; you would not immediately think that my brain function is as impaired as it is. I am not bouncy, shakey or twitchy. I don't startle easily, in fact; I'm told that in chaotic, emergent situations that my movements become very methodical & intentional & that emotionally I withdraw & I do agree with that assessment.