ADD/ADHD?? HELP?!? I ask this a lot but...?!
Question: ADD/ADHD?? HELP?!? I ask this a lot but...?
My parents don't think I have it...but I think I may have it. Here are some of my symptoms:
1) I can never focus in school. No matter what class it is, I find myself phasing out and day-dreaming, or just staring into space for no reason. Then I miss instructions. A few times, I have gotten in trouble for not paying attention. If I love the class or hate it, I always phase out. Also, I can't even read a book. 90% of the time, it's almost impossible. Only with a book I truly love, which is rare, I can focus. Sometimes, even with a book I like, I still can't focus.
2) When I'm doing my homework, I also can't concentrate. I always get distracted by minor things. I also have a habit of sitting and doing my homework for about 30 seconds, then I get up and run to my room for no reason at all! I think I just run to my room because it wastes time. I am a horrible procrastinator. Most nights, it takes me 3-4 hours to do homework that should take me 1 hour. I have to admit that sometimes with my homework, especially math, I just look at it and just completely avoid doing some of it. Maybe I could do some of the problems if I put my mind to it, but I can't really focus enough to do those tough problems. Maybe it's just laziness...But I'm not sure.
3) I am so unbelievably disorganized. I always lose things, and my room and locker at school are always a mess!
4) I'm kind of a perfectionist. [Not sure if that's a symptom...]. I always have a strange but great memory of random facts.
5) If I'm sitting in class or I'm doing my homework, I can never sit still!
The weird thing is, I'm really smart [not trying to brag or anything]. I'm in a bunch of accelerated classes at my school. I can never pay attention in class, and I just barely get my homework done, yet I manage to get straight A's...I've even been in a few SCHOOL PLAYS.
Also, sometimes I can actually focus with no problems, and I can finish my homework in a good amount of time. Sometimes, I can never focus! It's an on/off thing...But basically most of the time, I can't focus.
I completely understand the differences between having ADD and just not being interested in something, but SERIOUSLY!! I can almost never focus!!
Please help! What in the world is wrong with me?!
I'm not sure if ADD/ADHD runs in my family, but apparently (according to my mom), I wasn't even breathing when I was born, and I had to be resuscitated. I know that things like that can cause minor issues.
Answers:
I almost cried while reading this. It made me remember how my life was before I was prescribed Focalin XR by my psychiatrist. I am really smart, I am, and I am also really mature. I feel as if I am ahead of all my peers mentally, knowing so much about life and people-- And I do, I really do.
Before I took the medication, I would go to school and.. Just sleep.. Just to get through the classes as I couldn't remember any of it anyway. When I read books, I'd fall to sleep after half of a page.. Just as a natural reaction to the time of day and school being so.. hard. I wouldn't even have the effort to get my math homework out, why? Because I would have to spend 2 minutes opening my binder, and spend 3 hours trying to finish one problem. It was so hard.. I couldn't do it. I couldn't focus long enough to read how to do it in the book either. I would end up looking at the T.V, and 10 minutes would pass. I got to the point that I tried hard, but just couldn't even get to taking my homework home, because I knew I wouldn't be able to do it.. It would take up to 7 hours trying to do homework, and I could get one easy worksheet done in that amount of time.
I was prescribed a medicine to help me "focus." By my therapist, because my parents loved me enough to not give up. They kept trying so many people to help me. Inside, I am smart. I know so much. I just felt like my head was full on data, and I couldn't take in anything else. It was like trying to push in information through a wood block instead of a piece of fabric.. If you get what I mean.
Now I actually feel I can proceed in life. The first day I was on my medication. It felt like: "Wow.. I'm ready.. But I need my teachers to help me learn this stuff.." and they did. I learned. It stuck like sticky glue after that.. I was like a newborn baby learning everything around him, soaking in information. I'm not on my way to becoming an Anesthesiologist, a doctor. I feel like I can take on the world and all of it's challenges. And guess what, I can. I will. I will make something of myself.
When I was born, I had a cleft palate. It's where the roof of your mouth is split open, ruining your nose, ears, and throat. It is also a common reason for ADD. If I were able to, I would bet as much as I can that you indeed do have ADD, and it hurts me to see somebody with parents who do not care enough to accept the fact their child has troubles, and only wishes to succeed in life, but can't. I know that inside you want to succeed as much as possible. You may not see it, but you do, you really do.
If your parents do not want to accept this fact, what you need to do is go to your school's counselor, no matter how hard it will be to even get there and explain the problem. I'm crying now, and I'm a guy who hasn't cried for months. Just remembering what I was like before my medication and seeing somebody who is trying but their parents cannot accept this fact is enough to cause my eyes to well up with tears.
I wish you the best luck, and I do know you indeed have ADD. Just the way you explain your difficulties is like a mirror of my past self. I urge you with all I can to speak with somebody, anybody, to help you.
I don't think you do... I teach kids who have ADD and such mentalities, and You seem to just be a... undedicated student. Just try to realize what you could achieve if you do well, and I think that will help you.
I am a middle-school special ed teacher- I'm in seventh grade myself.
:O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must have ADHD or ADD. Tell your parents you can't concentrate and tell them to bring you to the doctor. The doctor can figure out if you have ADHD or not.
ADD/ADHD. i was diagnosed with that in my teens. they bombarded me with meds. those brought on other issues. my 4 yr old hits the checklist perfectly. i believe that the "disease" is mislabeled.
i think that it is an evolutionary step. the world is a much faster place now. there is a lot to notice. a lot to do. so you cannot concentrate on what they want you to do and learn, my daughter is so frustrating that way. yet when it comes to her desires and interests she is as focused as a guided rocket. you may not find one thing that will interest you for long. thats ok. learn all the bits and ieces that you can. one day this info will develo into your world view. you will see connectivity where others cant. you will be able to multitask better than the average person and you will be the one the average people come to for answers.
so do fret. grades dont really matter. neither does organization. i hope never to be organized, just prepared.
For your first point, have you tried actively participating in your classes? Its not a bad thing to answer a disproportionate number of questions, and that will keep you engaged. It may also help for you to listen to music while you do your homework--thats wjat i do, and it prevents other distractions from coming up. Im the same way with most of the stuff, bit i do not have ADHD.