Challenges
Life since being diagnosed with ADHD hasn't been without challenges. First challenge has been to accept and deal with the fact that I have ADHD. I've always been the type of person who doesn't like to admit to having a problem or needing help of any kind. Especially, after spending most of my life not knowing I had this condition.
Other challenges have been harbouring feelings of anger and resentment towards the school system for letting me "fall through the cracks". Of course, the thought of of girls having ADHD never crossed their minds because girls like me were the quiet ones who sat in the back of the class twirling their hair, chewing gum (allowed in High School) and staring out the window.
I also had feelings of resentment towards my mother because I felt she had failed me as a parent for not pursuing the school system to have me assessed.
Lessons Learned
My having ADHD is no one's fault. I have learned to let go of the feelings of anger and resentment because it is unhealthy to have so much negativity. All of my life my mother has always had my best interests at heart. She went above and beyond to raise me the best way she knew how. I know for a fact that if the information about ADHD was available then like it is now, she would have gotten me the help. For her to raise an ADHD child in an era when ADHD wasn't well known, well she had her challenges and needless to say she was relieved when I was finally diagnosed.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I'm new to the blogging world.
Life with ADHD
Challenges in School:
Elementary
• Low attention span
• Easily distracted
• Didn’t demonstrate full potential
• Teachers always telling my mother “She’s capable of doing really well if only she focused more.”
High School
• Low self-esteem
• Easily bored in class
• Struggled to fit in
• Knew I had a different way of learning than everyone else
• Day dreamed, twirled my hair in the back of the class, most of the time it was out of boredom
• Math, Biology, and Chemistry were my struggle subjects
• Language Arts, Literature, French were subjects I maintained average marks in
• Didn’t demonstrate my full capabilities
• Again, Teachers would repeatedly make the same comment of my being able to do so much better if only I focus more.
• Without my mother’s encouragement and support I probably would not have graduated from High School. She kept giving me the push of encouragement to succeed.
Post – Secondary
• Not knowing what I wanted to do right out of High School.
• Attended University for one semester and failed out.
• Tried Business Administration and didn’t complete. Had difficulty with Accounting courses because of low math grade from High School.
• Completed Travel and Tourism Diploma but never worked in the industry.
• Applied for Nursing School to do Licensed Practical Nursing and was advised to upgrade high school math, biology and chemistry. Applied for X-Ray technology program as a back up plan in the event of not getting accepted into Nursing School.
• Successfully completed the high school upgrade. Didn’t get accepted into Nursing School but X-Ray technology Program instead.
• Attended first year of X-Ray Technology program and failed out. Math, Biology, and Chemistry proved to be more difficult at a college level compared to high school level.
• Physiotherapy Assistant Program, didn’t require math, biology or chemistry but did require theory and hands on practical. My shortfall here was my inability to apply what I learned in theory in a hands on approach. Not because I’m not smart, because having unknown ADHD and not understanding how ADHD affects certain parts of the brain.
Having a son who was hyper-active from ages 2-9 years old. About three months after starting the third grade at age 8, I took him to a pediatrician to be assessed for ADHD. After assessment he began treatment before his ninth birthday.
In the process of my son being diagnosed, sitting in the pediatrician’s office filling out the questionnaire I couldn’t get over the fact that the questions I was answering about my son also related to me. It was a huge relief even though at the time I wanted to deny the fact that I could possibly have ADHD. Pediatrician confirmed that ADHD is hereditary.
Six months after my son was diagnosed and seeing how treatment was helping him, I went to a Psychiatrist and finally got diagnosed at the age of 31.
Challenges in School:
Elementary
• Low attention span
• Easily distracted
• Didn’t demonstrate full potential
• Teachers always telling my mother “She’s capable of doing really well if only she focused more.”
High School
• Low self-esteem
• Easily bored in class
• Struggled to fit in
• Knew I had a different way of learning than everyone else
• Day dreamed, twirled my hair in the back of the class, most of the time it was out of boredom
• Math, Biology, and Chemistry were my struggle subjects
• Language Arts, Literature, French were subjects I maintained average marks in
• Didn’t demonstrate my full capabilities
• Again, Teachers would repeatedly make the same comment of my being able to do so much better if only I focus more.
• Without my mother’s encouragement and support I probably would not have graduated from High School. She kept giving me the push of encouragement to succeed.
Post – Secondary
• Not knowing what I wanted to do right out of High School.
• Attended University for one semester and failed out.
• Tried Business Administration and didn’t complete. Had difficulty with Accounting courses because of low math grade from High School.
• Completed Travel and Tourism Diploma but never worked in the industry.
• Applied for Nursing School to do Licensed Practical Nursing and was advised to upgrade high school math, biology and chemistry. Applied for X-Ray technology program as a back up plan in the event of not getting accepted into Nursing School.
• Successfully completed the high school upgrade. Didn’t get accepted into Nursing School but X-Ray technology Program instead.
• Attended first year of X-Ray Technology program and failed out. Math, Biology, and Chemistry proved to be more difficult at a college level compared to high school level.
• Physiotherapy Assistant Program, didn’t require math, biology or chemistry but did require theory and hands on practical. My shortfall here was my inability to apply what I learned in theory in a hands on approach. Not because I’m not smart, because having unknown ADHD and not understanding how ADHD affects certain parts of the brain.
Having a son who was hyper-active from ages 2-9 years old. About three months after starting the third grade at age 8, I took him to a pediatrician to be assessed for ADHD. After assessment he began treatment before his ninth birthday.
In the process of my son being diagnosed, sitting in the pediatrician’s office filling out the questionnaire I couldn’t get over the fact that the questions I was answering about my son also related to me. It was a huge relief even though at the time I wanted to deny the fact that I could possibly have ADHD. Pediatrician confirmed that ADHD is hereditary.
Six months after my son was diagnosed and seeing how treatment was helping him, I went to a Psychiatrist and finally got diagnosed at the age of 31.
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