I was clinically tested for ADD at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia and they decided I should take medication. I took it for maybe a year, then never took it again. That was nearly 8 years ago.
I just recognize how I function. I get really interested in something and pour all my effort into it. If I don't get interested in it, I will avoid doing it for as long as possible.
In school, my strengths are History, Writing, and Science, and Computers.
My weakness is mostly in Math. I'm not very good at it, and I don't like to study it or really put any effort into it.
I hate boring teachers, they will turn me off to the subject as well as the class.
I remember sitting in a Ed-Psych class last Spring with a woman who came in to lecture us about ADD and ADHD studies, and we got into a lengthy discussion about the validity of ADD and the overmedication that seems to occur.
This is a list of all the symptoms of ADD/ADHD that I can relate to from the Wikipedia article:
Inattention
-Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks
-Failure to follow instructions or finish tasks
-Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization, such as school -projects
-Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities, such as school supplies (I never had a pen or pencil for school....ever.)
-Excessive distractibility
-Procrastination, inability to begin an activity (although I have gotten much better about this one, but this used to kill me)
-Difficulties with household activities (cleaning, paying bills, etc.) (Getting better at this too, because I live on my own)
Difficulty falling asleep, may be due to too many thoughts at night (Which is why I am writing this right now.....)
Easily distracted
Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior
Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat (I have a habit of having my feet fidget, it's almost unconscious.....I'm doing it right now....)
Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate (I'm sure I'm guilty of this in gradeschool)
Running or climbing at inappropriate times (see above)
Frequently feeling restless
Excessive speech (I used to stutter, a lot.)
Answering a question before the speaker has finished ( I am so guilty of this!)
Failure to await one's turn
Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times
Medication really wasn't good for me, I remember distinctly feeling tired all the time and generally "blah". I recognize some of the difficulties that my personality entails (see above list) but one of the things that I've walked away with is the fact that I am very creative, and extremely good with people. My people skills are excellent, and in a professional environment, I have a maturity that is at least twice my actual age. It's just that as soon as I'm out of the work place I'm a total kid again.
What leaves me frustrated is the whole feeling of being forced to be turned into a zombie by taking medication, so that I'm not trouble. Yes, I had a lot of trouble when I was a kid, I'll admit that. But do any of my teachers think that I was stupid? Good lord no.
