ADHD
Story by Liv Van Osten and Avery Andrews | Design by Rody Farr | Photos by Dylan Hanson
Imagine you struggle every day with simple tasks: paying attention in class, getting your chores done and focusing on one thing at a time is harder for you than for your friends. And yet, you have trouble convincing anyone you have a genuine disorder that is causing you difficulty with these things.
This is the reality for people who struggle with ADHD. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder that affects your brain and ability to perform many seemingly simple tasks. It is misunderstood, ignored, disregarded and overlooked.
Obtaining a professional diagnosis for ADHD can be difficult for many people because of the stigmatization around the disorder, which has led to a rise in young adults self-diagnosing.
“I think for anyone who thinks they know something about it, do the research and double check because I feel like there’s definitely more more myths than than facts that circulate about it. And then also if you like know anyone that has it, kind of like talk to them, like how does this affect you? How can I help you in the day to day?”
What is ADHD
ADHD is defined in a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association called the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Illnesses (DSM-5). In DSM-5, ADHD is defined as “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.”
The most well-known types of ADHD are inattentive and hyperactive. People with inattentive ADHD are more prone to getting distracted and having trouble with concentration or organizational skills. Hyperactivity often rears its head in the form of fidgeting, hyper behavior and troubles with completing tasks.
According to Healthline.com, a health and wellness website, among the people that receive an ADHD diagnosis, it is common that “13 percent of men will be diagnosed with ADHD. Just 4.2 percent of women will be diagnosed.”
Annabelle Morris, a second year psychology major at CWU, says, “Especially in women, it's a lot harder to diagnose because women are so good at masking. So people just don't think about women having it- it's kind of more a men's thing, you know.”. Often, because ADHD can present differently between men and women , it can be hard to notice when someone is struggling with it.
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
ADHD is an illness that tends to be overlooked, misunderstood or misrepresented. However, many people who struggle with the disorder feel that it has a sizable effect on their daily life.
Many people with the disorder feel that scheduling their events and organizing their lives are one of the hardest tasks to complete. Morris says, “the fact is that if I don't put everything onto the calendar right away, I'm not gonna go.”
Some people with ADHD find that they need to develop specific tools and coping mechanisms to help them through regular daily tasks. Dexter Seuberlich, a sophomore education and history double major at CWU, says, “if I put on my phone, I'm going to forget about it. So I use my whiteboard in my room. If it's something important I put it on there.”
While these tools can help throughout daily life, the disorder can take a toll on someone’s overall mental health. Often, stigmas surrounding ADHD only make it harder for those diagnosed with it to feel comfortable in their own skin.
Dexter says, “it feels like you're stupid when you don't understand things that a lot of people understand. Because you just function differently.”
Self-Diagnosing ADHD
When you think you may have ADHD, it can be helpful to do research on your own about the condition. Researching some general facts from credible websites can be a great first step in self-evaluation. A part of mental health is the ability to self-evaluate and recognize when something is hindering your daily success.
CWU student and psychology major Megan Bunn says when she first was diagnosed with ADHD, she “liked to research a lot so I could really understand myself”.
There is a difference between researching ADHD and self-diagnosing ADHD though. Research helps identify personal traits that are commonly linked to the condition, but does not provide a concrete diagnosis.
CWU psychology professor Dr. Greenwald says, “self diagnosing is tricky”. He explains that the internet can be both a positive and negative source, but can ultimately help people get an idea.
The research process can give a person a better sense of what is going on with themselves, but can also be overwhelming. With so many different websites, data, and information, it can feel like a lot to process. A helpful hint when researching is to look for official and credible sites. A lot of these sites will have .org instead of .com to indicate credibility.
Although there are benefits to research, it is best to remain skeptical of what you find until seeking a professional opinion. Greenwald stresses the importance of this saying, “it's always best to verify [ADHD self-diagnosis] with a trained mental health professional”.
Professional Diagnosis
Once you have identified that you may have ADHD, it is best to seek a professional opinion from a doctor or psychologist. There are benefits to doing this.
Greenwald explains how “there are things that can be done both behaviorally, and in terms of medication to help that individual” if they seek a professional diagnosis. Medical and mental health professionals are knowledgeable and safe people to go to when figuring out personal mental health.
Doctors also have the ability to evaluate all sorts of factors in a person’s health. This is important because physical health and family medical history are factored into a professional diagnosis. A professional will gather the full picture of your health to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis.
When asked about college students wanting to seek a professional diagnosis, Greenwald says, “I think we're living in a time now where people understand that mental health issues are real. They're out there and they're a problem. People do need to seek help to get better”. The most accurate way to determine if you do have a condition is to check things out with a professional.
Personal Account
CWU psychology student Megan Bunn offered to share about her own ADHD. Although she was not professionally diagnosed with ADHD until age 15, she says “I struggled with this my whole life”.
Bunn mentions experiencing memorization problems at a young age. Early on in “I couldn't remember a paragraph. You know what I mean? It didn’t feel normal,” Bunn says.
When visiting her doctor for an unrelated reason in her mid-teens, her doctor was able to evaluate and professionally diagnose Bunn with ADHD. She says after starting medication and consulting with her doctor, she was able to see a big improvement, even realizing things about herself that she previously did not know. Receiving a professional diagnosis from a doctor greatly benefited Bunn.
Myths vs facts about ADHD
There are unfortunately many myths and stigmas that surround ADHD. These falsities affect not only people’s understanding of the disorder but also the mental health of the people diagnosed with it.
• Myth #1: ADHD is a result of bad parenting.
FACT: While bad parenting certainly wouldn’t help any child’s development, it certainly is not the cause of ADHD disorder. In fact, the only involvement parents have in the causation of the disorder would be genetics. Chadd.org, a website dedicated to helping the understanding of ADHD, says“ the family environments of the children contribute very little to their individual differences in ADHD symptoms.”
• Myth #2: People with ADHD are just lazy.
FACT: People who are affected by ADHD often are viewed as lazy. However, this is not a conscious choice. ADHD involves many different symptoms, one of them being executive dysfunction. While the person may have a strong desire to do things, their brain is unable to motivate them to do so. “Executive functioning is the ability to plan, remember instructions, and carry out tasks to completion. If you have ADHD, this may be especially challenging for you, making it seem like you lack motivation,” says PsychCentral.com, a website that includes facts about ADHD and the myths surrounding it.
• Myth #3: ADHD isn’t a real disorder
FACT: Many people speculate that ADHD isn’t a real disorder. They argue that it is an excuse to act out or be lazy. However, “Research studies show numerous differences between those with and without ADHD … (it) impairs major life activities including social, emotional, academic and work functioning,” says Chadd.org. There are proven differences noted in people with ADHD, and it has been shown to be a hindrance in day to day life.
• Myth #4: People grow out of ADHD.
FACT: Many people think that ADHD only affects younger children, and that adults grow out of the disorder. This is untrue; many adults still struggle with ADHD, and have to learn the proper coping skills to deal with it for the rest of their lives. “Long-term studies of children diagnosed with ADHD show that ADHD is a lifespan disorder,” Chadd.org says.
• Myth #5: Girls with ADHD have it easier than boys with ADHD
FACT: It is a common misunderstanding that ADHD only affects males. “ADHD in girls and women has been recognized only in the past few decades, and more research studies are reporting on the substantial impairments they experience, often to the same extent as boys. They are at risk for many of the same coexisting conditions and impairments as males,” Chadd.org says. Contrary to beliefs, ADHD does not pick and chose between the sexes.