ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a disorder that may affect both children and adults. It refers to the inability to focus, hyperactivity, poor organizational abilities, and being quickly distracted. Not everyone with ADHD exhibits all of these signs and symptoms. They differ from person to person and tend to alter as people become older.
ADHD is seriously ruining my life.
I never thought I would write a piece about my mental issues. However, as there are people out there struggling with the same problem, I decided to write this in order to raise awareness of such a disorder and let them know that they are not alone.
When I asked my friends how long they need to spend on a specific task at school, one said two and the other said three hours. However, it would take me from six to ten hours just to complete the same task. For us, ADHD-ers, it is extremely difficult to stay 100% focused on one task at the same time.
It is common for us to suddenly think of booking a trip somewhere while writing an essay and switching our existing task to that instant urge right away. After booking the flight, it is another cycle of reserving a hotel room, calling our trip mates and tons of other nameless tasks. Eventually, it blurs away the importance of the initial vital task that we need to accomplish.
Additionally, we have unusual mood swings. I could experience a high level of energy outburst in a moment and suddenly become numb to everything around right after. This has not only affected our feelings, but also our relationships with others as we might be happy to be around a lot of people, but at the same time lonely, which will eventually be expressed in our unsual behaviors.
However, ADHD-ers out there, you are not alone. There are psychologists, student advisors and other departments that you could reach out to regarding this problem. One of my suggestions would be creating a non-stop ‘brain dump’ while working, which means writing everything you have in mind on a piece of paper or notebook next to your laptop. This paper would help ensure that the idea you just think of is going to be kept in a safe zone for you to work on later. After writing, you could go back to the important task that you are doing.
Author: Ellie Duong Dao
Editor: Phoebe Elliott
Visuals by: Jülide Aytuğ