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Description
     I have heard several people tell me that ADHD is not a real medical condition. Some doctors and psychiatrists even argue about whether it is a legitimate disorder or not.

     ADHD stands for "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Some persons affected basically cannot pay attention, some persons can pay attention, but are hyperactive and cannot sit still, and finally, some are a combination of both. I am in the last category.

     When I was 6 years old, my first-grade teacher noticed that I was very hyperactive and easily distracted. Sure, all kids are hyper and have a hard time focusing, but she said that I was the worst in the entire classroom. I was even stopping the other children from learning. My grandma told me that she said I wasn't allowed to come back until I was "cured."

     I went to the doctors, and he performed some tests that I honestly can't remember. He asked questions and got people to observe my behavior. He concluded that I did in fact have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He prescribed Adderall, which to those of you that don't know is supposed to help with the symptoms of ADHD.

     The side-effects that come with taking Adderall are horrible. They include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, nausea, reduced appetite, irritability, hyperactivity, and unpredictable changes in your behaviour. For me personally, the side effects were decreased appetite, extreme irritability, fatigue, and my depression became more intense. I would take the pill in the morning, and then would have no desire whatsoever to eat anything. The pill calmed me down and made me tired. I didn't want to talk to anyone, which is a good thing to others who find me annoying and wish for me to be quiet, but my friends became upset because I wouldn't speak with them. It did help with my anxiety a tiny bit. Before, I was so "hyper" that anything would get my heart racing and would terrify me. After taking the medication, I was so tired and calm that while I would still feel the fear kicking in, it wouldn't be crippling like it was before.

     I don't like the fact that I am labeled an "ADHD child." Tasks that seem so easy to "normal" people are so stressful and time-consuming for me, simply because I cannot seem to focus, no matter how hard I try. People who argue that ADHD isn't legitimate say that the reason some of us fail is because of our work ethics. I must say, I do not have the best work ethic. I tend to procrastinate and do things that I find more worthwhile and enjoyable, such as listening to music or talking to my friends before starting homework.

     Some people claim that they have ADHD, just because they are lazy and/or hyper at times, which is not what it's about. ADHD is categorized as a learning disorder, because it makes it hard for the individual to focus, complete tasks, and sit still long enough to learn or fully understand. I could sit in a room at school and the teacher could be lecturing, but I would miss a lot of the lesson, simply because I zone out so many times and can't help it. Fortunately, I am pretty fast at picking up new information, so it won't take me long to understand things. (However, my short term memory usually causes me to forget things quite frequently.)

  [I don't remember where I was going with this.]

     In an individual with ADHD, the tests show that we have differences in our brains than those without ADHD. Whereas a normal person will feel occupied and will focus when doing something such as writing or even doing a puzzle, people like me are easily bored and switch from task to task every few minutes, simply because we never feel satisfied with what we are doing.

[Brain complications. Will continue writing later.]

     Some cases of ADHD go away before adulthood, and the person will live a "normal" life. By normal, I mean one without having to take medications. Others will find that they will continue to have ADHD for their entire life, unfortunately.

     I guess where I'm going with this is that I strongly believe that ADHD is a real medical condition. Agree or disagree if you want. (For the record, I believe that any condition that prevents you from learning or living life like a "normal" human being is a disorder. Well, not all I guess. I don't know.)

Description
     I have heard several people tell me that ADHD is not a real medical condition. Some doctors and psychiatrists even argue about whether it is a legitimate disorder or not.

     ADHD stands for "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Some persons affected basically cannot pay attention, some persons can pay attention, but are hyperactive and cannot sit still, and finally, some are a combination of both. I am in the last category.

     When I was 6 years old, my first-grade teacher noticed that I was very hyperactive and easily distracted. Sure, all kids are hyper and have a hard time focusing, but she said that I was the worst in the entire classroom. I was even stopping the other children from learning. My grandma told me that she said I wasn't allowed to come back until I was "cured."

     I went to the doctors, and he performed some tests that I honestly can't remember. He asked questions and got people to observe my behavior. He concluded that I did in fact have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He prescribed Adderall, which to those of you that don't know is supposed to help with the symptoms of ADHD.

     The side-effects that come with taking Adderall are horrible. They include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, nausea, reduced appetite, irritability, hyperactivity, and unpredictable changes in your behaviour. For me personally, the side effects were decreased appetite, extreme irritability, fatigue, and my depression became more intense. I would take the pill in the morning, and then would have no desire whatsoever to eat anything. The pill calmed me down and made me tired. I didn't want to talk to anyone, which is a good thing to others who find me annoying and wish for me to be quiet, but my friends became upset because I wouldn't speak with them. It did help with my anxiety a tiny bit. Before, I was so "hyper" that anything would get my heart racing and would terrify me. After taking the medication, I was so tired and calm that while I would still feel the fear kicking in, it wouldn't be crippling like it was before.

     I don't like the fact that I am labeled an "ADHD child." Tasks that seem so easy to "normal" people are so stressful and time-consuming for me, simply because I cannot seem to focus, no matter how hard I try. People who argue that ADHD isn't legitimate say that the reason some of us fail is because of our work ethics. I must say, I do not have the best work ethic. I tend to procrastinate and do things that I find more worthwhile and enjoyable, such as listening to music or talking to my friends before starting homework.

     Some people claim that they have ADHD, just because they are lazy and/or hyper at times, which is not what it's about. ADHD is categorized as a learning disorder, because it makes it hard for the individual to focus, complete tasks, and sit still long enough to learn or fully understand. I could sit in a room at school and the teacher could be lecturing, but I would miss a lot of the lesson, simply because I zone out so many times and can't help it. Fortunately, I am pretty fast at picking up new information, so it won't take me long to understand things. (However, my short term memory usually causes me to forget things quite frequently.)

  [I don't remember where I was going with this.]

     In an individual with ADHD, the tests show that we have differences in our brains than those without ADHD. Whereas a normal person will feel occupied and will focus when doing something such as writing or even doing a puzzle, people like me are easily bored and switch from task to task every few minutes, simply because we never feel satisfied with what we are doing.

[Brain complications. Will continue writing later.]

     Some cases of ADHD go away before adulthood, and the person will live a "normal" life. By normal, I mean one without having to take medications. Others will find that they will continue to have ADHD for their entire life, unfortunately.

     I guess where I'm going with this is that I strongly believe that ADHD is a real medical condition. Agree or disagree if you want. (For the record, I believe that any condition that prevents you from learning or living life like a "normal" human being is a disorder. Well, not all I guess. I don't know.)