The Time We See: ADHD, Neuroqueer Temporality, and Graphic Medicine.

Abstract

This article examines the lived experiences of ADHDers with respect to time perception, through the lens of a neuroqueer temporality framework and its representation in graphic medicine. By close-reading autobiographical comics digitally posted by Pina Varnel (ADHD Alien), Dani Donovan, Heidi Burton, and Cecil, the article studies key elements of ADHD time perception, including time blindness, the now/not now dichotomy, the waiting mode, and the state of hyperfocus. ADHDers' perception of time is nonlinear and present-oriented, diverging from neuronormative temporal expectations. In visualizing the nuanced differences in temporal perception and their impact on ADHD self, the article contributes to the discussion of diverse ways of perceiving and interacting with the world. By recognizing these differences, the article aligns with the neurodiversity paradigm and calls for understanding ADHD as a way of being, breaking the vicious cycle of moral judgments and assumptions of intentionality on the basis of invisible but legitimate differences in temporal perception.