Am I lazy or do I have ADHD?
Clinton was an adult who hated his inconsistencies and forgetfulness. He hated himself for being lazy and for procrastinating. He would forget to pay his bills, forget where his car key was. He was not patient enough to wait in line, so he rarely went to the bank. He always forgot to keep in touch with friends so he ended up with none. Clinton wanted to study an online course but halfway he quit because he was inconsistent. He could not watch youtube videos for long because after a while he spaced out. If you are a Clinton, Then you probably have ADHD. Yes, when you are told you have something that comes with an abbreviation it might be scary and life-threatening but ADHD is neither. Why isn’t it? Because ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the focus of the people who are diagnosed with it. The NHS explains it as a condition that affects people’s behaviors, causing them to be impulsive, restless, and unable to focus. ADHD is known to affect the individual’s personal, academic, work, or even relationship life.
ADHD is usually diagnosed in children but if you are in a place where there is not much information about Mental Health (like my motherland) then you were probably called lazy a lot as a child and you have to wait till adulthood to get diagnosed. How do I know if I have ADHD? Well, the best thing to do is to get diagnosed by a psychologist or Psychiatrist if you want to know. But if you are like me who relies on the internet for things like this, here are a few symptoms that say you probably have ADHD. So ADHD is classified into two behavioral problems: Inacttivenes and impulsiveness. A lot of people diagnosed have problems concentrating and are also impulsive but some people are either of the two. That means if you have a problem focusing on anything then you might not be impulsive. ADHD is more obvious in boys than girls because boys tend to show more obvious symptoms like disruptive behavior and girls mostly show inattentiveness. So there is a likely chance that as a girl you might not diagnose till adulthood.
Symptoms include:
1. Short attention span
2. Difficulty organizing tasks
3. Forgetfulness
4. Acting without thinking
5. Unable to concentrate on tasks
6. Misplaces important things, e.g Glasses.
7. Zoning out of conversations
8. Has difficulty waiting in line(impatience)
9. Fidgets
ADHD in adults almost always occurs with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse. This means that people living with ADHD could have either one of these other mental health disorders or two of them at the same time.
The true root of ADHD has not been completely known but there are a few factors that are thought to be behind it. The first is Genetics, in other words, if as an adult you are diagnosed, after showing your parents proof that you are not lazy but have a disorder then you can accuse them of giving it to you and also ask for compensation. You are welcome. There is also the theory that certain parts of the brain of ADHD patients are smaller. Although nothing has been confirmed.
Now you know what’s wrong and the reason why. How do you fix it? ADHD is usually treated with therapy and medicine. A lot of adults are living with ADHD and do not realize it. Therapists often recommend Behaviour management strategies to help cope with distractions and reduce them.
Living with ADHD can be hard but you can make it simple :
1. Setting reminders if you find it hard to stay organized
2. Learn breathing exercises to help you relax
3. Minimize distractions.e.t.c..
4. Take learning slow at a time and go at your own pace.
Also if you are a friend or family to someone who has ADHD then they require patience. They can be forgetful, make decisions out of the blue, zone out of conversations, and be quiet at times because they are lost in their world. This is not their fault and they are trying very hard.
Living with ADHD is tough because not a lot of people understand but you’re doing great. I and other Mental Health enthusiasts understand. Keep on going you are doing great. My article is only an introduction below is a link if you would like to read more.
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd
