Giving some Attention to ADHD
In the current day and age, attention can be hard to come by. I hear attention spans being talked about all the time. Over time, the attention spans of human beings have diminished. This is partially due to the growing digital age we exist and progress in. But the main attention for today will be put on ADHD, the condition in which attention difficulty is very prominent. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder (I prefer to call it a condition) can affect people of all ages, races, and genders, and can change the way that anyone goes about their daily routines and duties.
ADHD, by the CDC, is a neurodevelopmental disorder, where one may experience trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or be very active. Individuals with ADHD are often diagnosed at young ages and maintain it through adulthood.
ADHD has been a part of my life since I was little and will continue to be as it is something one cannot really outgrow. Even though it is a quite common disability, there are several stigmas tied to it and in reality, there’s more to the condition than many people think. I’m here to shed some light on this fact and explain, in further detail, the effects ADHD has on me on a personal basis, and on other people.
With this being said, there are a lot of stigmas around ADHD as well as first impressions that a lot of people who aren’t too familiar have. Even with ADHD being quite common, many people undervalue and sometimes claim “oh, it’s just having trouble focusing, being fidgety, or hyperactive,” when it is so much more in reality.
I want to draw attention to the ADHD iceberg (shown in the picture above). It further enhances the points I’ve made prior and really shows a good analogy for highlighting the clear and visible symptoms and how they’re different from the other invisible ones. I’ve had conversations involving this picture and concept with some acquaintances of mine who have ADHD and have had much positive feedback in terms of how accurate this depiction is. Every person I showed this to agreed with me that several of the misconceptions revolve around this idea of “What actually is ADHD and its symptoms?”
On a personal basis, ADHD has added several complications to my everyday life, and are most prominent when it comes to academics and work. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age and I have a very difficult time focusing for prolonged periods of time (like classes, meetings, etc), especially if the subject material does not interest me. But a common misconception is that it stops there. But it also can work in reverse — hyper focusing or obsessive focusing. If I’m very engaged in a certain activity, I am locked in and it becomes very hard for me to disengage from said activity. Sometimes I even find myself tuning out everything else around the more immersed I become in whatever I’m doing, which is not something I do intentionally but it is what ends up happening.
This picture shown above was posted as part of a web comic story by Dhruti Shaw that depicts their life with ADHD. The picture really resonates with me as I can relate to pretty much every concept shown there.
Like I noted earlier, ADHD is not something that you can simply outgrow or cure. However, there are ways to cope and/or mitigate some of the negative effects. When I was very young, my case of ADHD was severe, but I have found a couple ways to help with some of the challenges that it brings me over time. I also feel like I was able to deal with my ADHD better the more I matured through my childhood and my teens especially. An example of how I’ve improved upon this is by staying organized as best I can, both spatially/physically and mentally. Keeping my workspace clean and organized, for instance, provides a healthier environment for me to keep focused as well as subtract one more thing for my brain to become distracted by.
I would say that every case of ADHD is slightly different from one another at least slightly. Since there are so many combinations of symptoms that stem from ADHD, multiple situations can be created for any individual affected. You could ask hundreds of people about their story with ADHD and how they deal with it, and you’ll find no two cases are the exact same. ADHD, although a common condition, still has large impact on people’s lives and should be taken more seriously in academic settings.
