Having ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, isn't what people think it is. Various generalizations are often made about the disorder and the people who have it. I'm here to tell you everything anyone with ADHD has ever wanted to tell someone without it.
1. Yes, it's real.
It's not this 'made up' disorder people use as an excuse. It's a very real chemical imbalance in the brain and affects millions of people.
2. It's more than just not being able to pay attention.
Yes, staying focused is hard for people with ADHD, but there's a lot more to it. It's things like walking into a room and forgetting why you're in there, your mind going completely blank mid-sentence, or even just watching a movie and not being able to understand what's going on because your mind has been elsewhere the whole time.
3. No, we will not sell you our medication.
Understand that we take medication because we have to. We don't take it to get a 10 page paper done all in one night. How we feel while we're medicated, is how you feel every day. In addition, we don't have an advantage over you because we're medicated. Even after taking medication, we may still not have the same ability to focus and get things done as you. Again, our medication makes us feel 'normal.'
4. We aren't lazy.
An unmedicated day for someone with ADHD includes a lot of sitting around and very little real accomplishments. Something like cleaning our room may be the most productive thing we're even able to do when off our medication. It's not that we're lazy and don't want to do anything, it's that we can't muster up the kind of motivation and drive that others can. We can try and push ourselves, but it's not easy.
5. Adderall isn't all it's cracked up to be.
High school and college campuses are hunting ground for Adderall. The savagery of stressed out students comes at it's highest around finals. Some students stick with dangerous amounts of caffeine, some are able to function with no assistance, and some rely on ADHD medication to ace their exams, even if they aren't prescribed. Here's the thing: Adderall sucks. Again, we take it because we have to. Of course, there's other forms of medication such as Vyvanse, Ritalin, and Concerta, but their goals are the same. If we didn't have to take Adderall, I can assure you we wouldn't. It may be a fun high for college kids to experience a couple times a year, but taking it daily really takes it's toll on you. Many people who take ADHD medication on a daily basis will be stripped of their personality. Once the drug is in our systems, it seems the only things we can focus on are the things we aren't able to do while not medicated.
6. Not just anyone can be diagnosed with ADHD.
Diagnosing a mental disability is a long and boring process. You meet with doctors, take a series of multiple-hour-long tests, look at a lot of inkblots, and talk to even more doctors. It's not like we went into the doctor's office one day, said we had ADHD, and got medication. The process can take up to over a year to complete, and it's extremely tedious.
7. We're not dumb.
Just because it may be harder for us to pay attention in class or get our homework done on time doesn't mean we're stupid. It means that we each have our own pace at which we're comfortable, and we have to stick to it. This is why a lot of students with ADHD are given extra time on exams and extensions on projects.
8. Our day is planned around our medication.
We may have to wake up an hour early in order to allow our body time to react to our medication. We may have to set a timer for the afternoon to take a second dose. Because when our medication wares off, our ADHD seems to be at it's highest point. It's a stress we're all familiar with but it's something that most others don't have to worry about.
9. When we finish a long project, we want you to let us bask in our glory.
Don't put us down and say, "Oh, I finished that weeks ago," or "That was so easy, I don't get why you're excited." For us, completing something that requires a lot of work, concentration and organization is a big feat. Allow us to feel proud of ourselves, this is what we work towards.
