ADHD: I have it and I’ve overcome it

The term ADHD refers to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is “a chronic condition that includes attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness”. Most people have heard of ADHD and many are diagnosed every year. For those who may not understand what ADHD is, it’s common to not know what it is like having it.

I was diagnosed with ADHD about ten to fifteen years ago as an adult. Before I was diagnosed, I always struggled with being able to simply pay attention and focus on things. I’d be in the cloud all the time and not too motivated either to do a whole lot. ADHD is considered controversial as a diagnosis because many people don’t believe it. They say that ADHD isn’t a disease or condition but an attitude. I don’t want to go into the controversy, but I do feel it is a medical diagnosis and it is something that can be treated with cognitive behavior therapy and/or medication.

Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I was fairly successful with my work but found I could not look at a screen for very long. In my profession, you have to look at a screen for long periods of time, sometimes ten to twelve hours a day. I had trouble focusing for long periods of time and if I was not distracted by someone else, I would distract myself. I would get up and walk around for a while, go on Facebook, etc. Just having a voice in the back of my head saying, you want to do this, let’s do this, this is getting boring, etc.

There is a constant feeling in the back of your head saying what you are doing is boring and you need to do something else for just about everything and instantly losing interest in what you are doing. I went to the doctor and my doctor agreed that I could try something. I started Adderall and used the medication for a few months. I found that the medication helped but II didn’t care for it because it took me on a mood roller coaster.

The up effect was too drastic, and it would drop me down faster. I moved to Adderall XR which is an extended-release version which was a little better but not great. Eventually, I started taking Vyvanse and I’ve taken it for five or six years now. When you are diagnosed with ADHD and you start medication, you will find that the process is life-changing. It was for me anyway. I don’t think I would be where I am today without the help of…