I have ADHD.
For some kids it is very apparent that they have ADHD. They are constantly excited and have a hard time focusing on basic tasks. This is a very basic and common understanding of ADHD. A lot of time as the kid grows older, they can grow out of ADHD. For some kids it follows them into adulthood. I feel like this is when ADD transforms into something completely different.
On a side note, ADHD affects people differently based on the individual, but there are a few things that I have found to be commonly shared between adults with ADHD.
The first big thing I notice about having ADHD is that I'm socially impulsive. This means that when I'm having a conversation with someone, sometimes I interrupt them unexpectedly. Like if someone is telling me a story and I interrupt with an assumption of what I believe will happens next in their story. Going along with this, sometimes I talk without actually thinking about thinking about what I'm saying. For some people this can be formed through blurting out something inappropriate and unexpected. For my brother, who also has ADHD, he has difficulties telling a story because he may get distracted halfway through, or his brain shuts down for a minute because he can't form the words in his mind to continue the story.
Another symptom that affects my life is that I am terrible at making decisions. This can affects me at the most basic level like ordering something at a restaurant, or deciding between plans for the evening. When it comes to bigger decisions I often times just freeze up and never make the decision, like the many years when I couldn't decide what I want to do with my life. In fact, it took me a long time just to decide what this article was going to be about.
Another more rare symptom of ADHD is that some people are very sensitive to being touched or feeling certain textures. This is very apparent for my brother. If anything or one brushes his arm he has a severe feeling of discomfort or a skin crawling like feeling.
The worst symptom I can attest is a severe lack in motivation. This can come in many forms. Like the inability to bring yourself to do school work, clear up a room in your house, organize yourself, or even keep up with basic hygiene. This can also keep people from going out and having new experiences like traveling to new places, or making new friends. This symptom can lead to frustration or anger issues and a lower self-esteem.
I understand that there is a lot of people who don't believe in ADHD. Some people think its as simple as recognizing that you have the disorder, then you can simply overcome it and learn to focus.Trust me when I say it's not that simple. A wise man once told me that someone not understanding a mental disorder is like walking up to someone having an asthma attack and saying "What do you mean you can't breath? There's air everywhere."
My understanding of ADHD is that it is much more debilitating then people think. In fact many people with ADHD don't understand that a lot of their own experiences and behaviors can be explained by ADHD. They just don't know the full scope of the disorder. I hope this helps some people recognize some of their own flaws and behaviors as symptoms of ADHD and find out more about who they are as a person.
