Don’t worry; I wasn’t going to go through all the things I hate about having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) without telling some good things about ADHD too.
1) The never-ending optimism. Even if I’ve failed miserably at something, I always think it will be better the next time I try. Calculus class? I tried (and failed) twice. But after the first time I thought the next time would be fine, I didn’t consider that the class would be just as hard the second time. It’s nice to be the one who always thinks things will turn out fine when everyone else is worried and stressed all the time.
2) Ritalin. Even though I hate that I need it, I must admit, I love how productive I am when I take it. After I spend even one day being unmotivated, unproductive, and feeling crappy because I didn’t get anything done, I feel great when I do accomplish things (and usually it’s mostly pain-free). One of the best feelings is looking back on what I did at work that day before I leave for the night. I love knowing that I organized files, completed projects, and actually did something that helped.
3) Hyper energy. Sometimes it’s unproductive energy, but other times I can actually work for hours on end, hyper-focusing until the project is done. If I’m in the zone, I forget to get tired, and I can work straight through the night, until my paper’s complete, without having to go to bed when I get sleepy and careless. Other people don’t have that extra adrenaline push to keep them awake and focused; lucky me, I do.
4) The sixth sense. (No, not the movie). I can read people, and situations pretty well, usually I can tell if someone’s genuine right away. I’ve learned to trust this inexplicable instinct, and if something tells me a person’s not trustworthy I stick with my gut instinct. This instinct also sometimes helps me with problem solving in classes. Everyone else works the problem out one way, and I do something different, but end up with the right answer. When someone asks how I knew to go about it that way I usually can’t explain; I shrug and say, "I just knew."
5) Being silly and childish. I like acting my shoe size, not my age. I know I can’t be six all the time, but it’s nice to goof around and have some fun once in a while. Other people are so serious, lots of college kids hole themselves up in the library for days on end, studying, studying, studying. I think everyone should have some ADHD once in a while; no one should forget how to skip, it’s more fun than walking and it gets you to class faster if you’re late.
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