Journal 2

A thing or two about ADHD

     Do you generally forget events that you consider important? Do you find it hard to stay focused or motivated? Are there multiple voices in your head that you can’t seem to turn off? If so, you might be suffering from ADHD.
   Now bear with me, even if you do not have the symptoms above. It is very important to know that having ADHD does not mean that you’re “abnormal” or “weird.” On the contrary, learning about it actually helps you understand yourself better, explains the struggles that you face, and helps you deal with the difficulties in your life. 

       First, let's give our friend a proper introduction. ADHD, also known as Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic disease, which means technically it cannot be fully cured. Its symptoms include: "inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought)" ( Elmaghraby and Garayalde, 2022)

            Second, I would like to show you how ADHD affects our lives by sharing my personal experience. We may not jump up and down throughout the day as some people have assumed, but these symptoms do affect us in many ways in our lives. Academic-wise, it's harder for us to keep concentrating in class, especially when the class is "not interesting enough." We also procrastinate to a horrifying level since we easily lose interest in the projects we are supposed to be working on.  Daily life-wise, many ADHDers struggle with time blindness, also known as time awareness difficulty. We might have trouble planning events, unrealizing time passing when engaged by something interesting, or struggling to make plans for the future. (the mini ADHD coach, 2023) It's also one of the main reasons that makes us late since our brain miscalculated the time needed. It's also common for ADHDers to forget an appointment with other people. Now, before we move on to the next paragraph, it's important that you know I'm not using ADHD as an excuse for my behavior. It's more like an explanation of the struggles we face in our lives, not a cover for our faults or something to get away from our responsibilities. 

             Finally, I will share with you some tips and methods. I got them mostly from the internet, and some from my own experience.  During class, if I find myself continuously losing focus, I will pop something chewable in my mouth. When I have more than one mission at hand, I list them down and start with whichever seems more interesting at the moment. If I get bored, I switch to the next task. This method works better than the Tomato clock since I tend to turn off the alarm and rest for "just a few more minutes," causing horrible consequences more often than not. Knowing that I have the tendency to forget things, I use a calendar to keep track of my pace, checking it on a daily basis. 

      Our brains are built differently, hence we can run into different sorts of problems. Those problems may or may not be considered as a diagnosed disease. Instead of worrying about that, however, I believe that it is more important to understand ourselves, find out the problems, and deal with them. Do not over-worry when the problems you face fit with the symptoms of ADHD or some other mental illness. SO WHAT if you are crazy? I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are. (Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland,1865)

​

​

​

​

References 

Elmaghraby, R., & Garayalde, S. (2022). What is ADHD?. Psychiatry.org - What is ADHD? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd#:~:text=Attention%2Ddeficit%2Fhyperactivity%20disorder%20(,in%20the%20moment%20without%20thought).

The mini ADHD coach. (2023). Instagram post

Carrol, L. (1865). Alice in Wonderland. London: Macmillian.

​