Curious to know the truth about ADHD? I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was four years old even though a doctor can’t technically diagnose a child that young. They tested me by seeing if I would color inside the lines of a picture and how long I could maintain doing a boring task. As my father explained this to me a couple years back, my first question to him was “does that really determine if someone has ADHD.” “Honestly, I don’t think it does,” he started, “but they certainly believed it did.”
The doctors who tested me decided from those tests that I was going to be unsuccessful in the long run. They predicted that I would fall behind in class, struggle to keep up with the work and the other students performance; that I would fail. I am telling you, a general you that includes people who suffer from ADHD and people who don’t, that this is not the case. The truth is that a person who suffers from ADHD might struggle in the classroom, fall behind, and have trouble keeping up with all the other students; but, that doesn’t mean he or she will fail. Here’s the truth about ADHD!
I wasn’t aware that I suffered from ADHD until I was in the fifth grade when I noticed I was doing poorly in school and was in the lowest math group and reading level. Eventually I started taking a special class with a teacher that specialized in helping children with ADHD in the classroom. Later I discovered it was the whole reason as to why my parents transfered my siblings and I to private school- for my sake. I was in my parents room when I asked why I was taking this class rather than going to Spanish with everyone else. That’s when she told me I had a learning disability.
I cried and screamed and as so angry at them for never telling me because that entire time I believed I was stupid; I convinced myself at that time that I would never catch up with everyone else in the class or do as well because I was stupid. However, I felt better because it seemed like I had something to blame. My father told me otherwise when he returned home from work the next day.
“You’re not stupid,” he stated firmly, “You just learn differently and need to find out what works best for you.”
He was right. My grades started improving once I was aware of my disability. It made me aware that I had to work harder and try different methods if I wanted to catch up with my classmates. I discovered that flashcards really helps me study and making it into a game helps me stay focused. I discovered that taking the time to practice math problems wasn’t a waste of time, but actually improved my test scores. Once I accepted the idea that I learn differently and need to accomadate according to my symptoms, I was able to catch up with my classmates.
That being said, a person shouldn’t assume that a person with ADHD is stupid. When I tell people my GPA, they are surprised and almost don’t believe me. It’s not a 4.0 GPA, but the number I state is high enough for them to not believe me. They have trouble believing that a person with a learning disability is actually doing well in school. It can be ridiculous sometimes because I have friends who witness me working and see how long and hard I work on a paper or on an assignment; yet, some of them can’t believe that my GPA is decently high all becasue of my learning disability.
The hyperactive, the inattentive, and the combination. Not everyone who suffers from ADHD is going to be hyper, which is usually what people look for when diagnosing a child with ADHD. A person with ADHD might also suffer from distractability, disorganization, short attention span, and procastination. Though I suffer from all of these symptoms, my biggest issue is distractability. Everyone tells me that I should go to the library to do work because there is no chance that I will get distracted, but that is actually the worst place for me to do work.
Instead of doing my work, I sit there for hours watching people walk in and out, tap there pens, accidently overhear another person’s conversation, etc. Things that people can easily block out of their heads are exenuated ten times in my head. It’s as if that person who is walking into the library is boldly outlined in neon yellow making it impossible to block out. I found that the only place I can truly get work done is in my own room alone. Then again that’s not always effective because I find ways to distract myself.
My other worst symptom is short attention span. I’m the one who zones out during class and most likely doesn’t participate becuase I struggle keeping up with the conversation along with everyone’s opinion. However, this really has an effect on the conversations I have with my friends. I sometimes have to have my friends remind me of an incident that happened in the past or repeat what they were just saying once or twice. It truly has nothing to do with the quality of the friendship- I simply struggle with following verbal conversations.
Routines help a person with ADHD stay on track. He or she consciously know that it’s time to wake up around 9 am and start to rewind around 11 pm. He or she also consciously know that the middle of the day is the perfect time to get homework done and other important tasks. Part of the reason I did so well in high school was because I got myself into a routine and stuck with it. When I got to college and had to take into account my two roommates’ schedules, it was a nightmare. I still did well in school, but it was difficult to stay consistent with one routine.
This past semester as a junior I finally got my own room, and it was probably one of the easiest semesters I had at school. I had my own space to complete assignments without people coming in and out of my room to distract me. I could get up and do my own thing without worrying about waking up another person and go to bed knowing no one would be entering an hour or two later only to wake me up. It was a glorious time! That being said, when someone tries to interrupt my routine, it makes me nervous. I instantly start calculating my schedule in my head trying to figure ways to readjust it so I won’t get way off track. Therefore, know not to mess with the routine- at least without permission.
People without ADHD don’t understand that people with ADHD take it to be able to focus and get tasks done in a decent amount of time. When I hear of someone taking it for shits and giggles or to stay up to finish a paper or study, it’s like a slap in the face. A person without ADHD can already complete tasks and assignments without the medication; he or she don’t need it! Also, people with ADHD who take medication don’t actually like taking it. It can prevent them from a good night’s sleep, make them anxious or depressed, or simply put them in a bad mood. So when people with ADHD hear of other people without ADHD taking it for shits and giggles, they question it.
I wanted to write this article because I don’t think it hurts for the public to know a bit more about ADHD in order to sympathize with a person struggling with ADHD. It’s a real disability that is a daily struggle in all parts of a person’s life (work, educational, social, etc.). It isn’t an excuse to procrastinate, be lazy, or to be energetic- it’s a chemical imbalance.
We are curious, energetic, and creative beings who notice things that another might miss. Our minds are flooding with thoughts of everything and anything the moment we wake up. I love describing my learning disability as a glitch in my system as if I were a robot because the thing is, we aren’t robots programmed to be exactly the same. Everyone is programmed differently and has his or her own visible or invisible glitches. My ADHD just happens to be my glitch- a glitch that makes me unique. My glitch and anyone’s personal glitch is nothing to be ashamed of. Be proud of it because it’s what makes us individually unique. Like Dr. Seuss says, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
I hope you all have a deeper appreciation and understanding for people’s glitch in their system. If you have feedback or want to share some personal experiences, I would love to hear from you!
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