I Survived Years of Relentless Bullying

I never thought I would tell this story publicly.

Photo by Morgan Basham on Unsplash

I was ashamed, embarrassed

I am now 38 years old and still reluctant to share.

The reason I am doing so is because now I have a child who is 8 years old and was mistreated at his former school.

The other reason I am sharing my story is because I work with children who have been, or are being, bullied and I want them to know they are not alone.

Students with ADHD are twice as likely to be bullied at school when compared to their neurotypical peers. I didn’t know then that I had ADHD, but I know now, and it makes a whole lot of sense.

Image created by author, photo taken by author’s grandmother

You Are Not Alone

I don’t remember exactly when it started, but I know it was very early on. I remember incidents as early as grade two, so I must have been around 7 years old. As I got older it only got worse. I was chased in the playground by mobs of children, hit with a baseball bat, and constantly mocked, insulted, and made fun of. Once when I tried to tell a teacher she laughed at me. When I tried to tell the…