Understanding ADHD: Lisa's Journey and Strategies for Success

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity  Disorder, or ADHD, is mostly of   genetic origin. Symptoms are categorized as  inattentive or hyperactive, but people can   experience both in all sorts of forms — which  means there is a spectrum of presentations.

Lisa, a young girl who wants to become a writer,  will help us understand what it means to grow up   with ADHD. Her story shows how her atypical  brain makes it harder to achieve her dreams. During early childhood, Lisa has a  tough time paying attention. She gets  

distracted, starts daydreaming, and  frequently forgets or loses things. Because her senses pick up too much  information for her brain to process,   she gets overwhelmed and as a result, she  often cries or becomes frustrated. Her parents,  

who don’t know better, scold her instead  of helping her deal with the pain. In primary school, Lisa can’t sit still  and often disrupts the class. She is smart,   but besides English and the arts, has  bad grades. It is not long before Lisa  

is branded as lazy — as someone  who doesn't use her potential. It’s also hard for Lisa to make friends.  She feels different and is bullied. The   few friends she has tell her that she is  too emotional, but admire her enthusiasm.

In middle school, Lisa starts doodling to help  her stay focused but her teacher doesn’t like   that and scolds her, because he thinks  she is distracted. And so she masks her   inattention and puts all her energy  into nodding and making eye contact.

But by doing so, she loses her concentration  entirely and ends up not listening at all.   This is where she turns inwards and  develops a passion for creative writing. During high school, her mind starts  racing — with a thousand thoughts in  

her head. She now wears headphones,  to isolate the noise and calm herself   down. But when she has her period  even that doesn’t help anymore and   she goes through intense mood swings. She  begins binge eating and starts smoking.

At age 19, Lisa gets into a top literature  program. But the responsibilities of everyday   life are overwhelming. She feels burned out,  stops showering, cleaning up, and going to class. One evening, she tells her best friend that  she can’t handle it anymore. All her life she  

has been too different to ever fit in. All  her life she felt like a burden to others.   Her friend tells her about a psychiatrist,  and as a last resort, Lisa goes to see her. The psychiatrist first thinks  it's depression. But then,  

asking about Lisa’s childhood and family  history, she notices something else and   requests more tests. A few weeks later,  Lisa is diagnosed with ADHD and depression. The doctor explains to Lisa that ADHD is not  limited to the most well-known symptoms. For  

example, people with ADHD also have deficits in  their executive functions, such as working memory,   time perception, or emotional regulation.  Some also get sleepy when drinking coffee! However, they often also have higher  levels of creativity, are more caring,  

and are more curious than their peers, making them  great artists or scientists. Plus, they react more   calmly to stressful situations — some become  fearless firefighters or outstanding surgeons. The psychiatrist goes on to explain  that ADHD symptoms can be treated  

with medication and therapy and that  regular sleep and exercise can help too. When Lisa takes her first pill the next day,   she bursts into tears. For the first time  in her life, her mind is quiet. It does not  

take an effort for her to get up and shower.  She realizes that, throughout her whole life,   she has spent so much energy trying to do  things that others do without even thinking. Although medication helps, Lisa knows that  it is not enough. She has to make changes  

to her life and find work that plays to  her strengths. By the time she is 30,   she learns to accept and  appreciate her neurodivergence,   and her atypical mind is celebrated  after the publication of her first novel.

What do you think? If you had - or have-  ADHD would you adapt your brain to your   life by taking pills, going to therapy, and  masking your behaviors? Or is the solution to   accept your differences and adopt a lifestyle that  fits who you are? Tell us in the comments below!

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