ADHD and living with it in HIGH SCHOOL! BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Anonymous]

In high school I swear it is like allllll the emotions,like, FUSE into one big ball of chaos!!! 😯 and i am thinking in my head… ok so and so is doing this, or so and so is doing that, a bird flies past the window, the rain starts to fall, AND ON TOP of alll that, trying to take notes is a PAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!!! If a friend tries to talk to me… it is ALLLLLLLLLL OVER! I can barely remember half the things that I have to do! IT IS A NIGHTMARE SOMETIMES! BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

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[Anonymous]

Yeah, i hear ya. I did not know what was going on in HS with my ADD, but I empathize with your BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

I was not clear if you have been dx and/or if you are on medication. A good support group could help. I keep pushing CHADD but they are a good resource for many things. It was particularly hard for me because i did not have a support system at home. I do know that I started counseling at the age of 18, and while my therapist knew that there were differences in brain chemistry the ADD knowledge was not yet even on the horizon.However, he probably saved my life! I went to him for years and then on and off when I felt I needed a “tune up”. He was an excellent therapist, MSW. I named my second son after him. Paul helped me deal with my daily frustrations and offered behavior modifications. Something you might want to think about…remember, raging hormones add to the craziness!

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[Anonymous]

@hypersoprano93 First, scares the heck out of me that you were born 1 year after I graduated high school. [depressing]

Second, I got through high school without a diagnosis, so you’re already ahead of the game. I agree with lakelly, too, there are a lot of resources on line.

There are a few coping strategies I used (not knowing they were coping strategies):

• Cognitive rehearsal: before talking to someone about something important or doing something important rehearse it in your head. The night before, 5 seconds before or in the bathroom. I used to do this all the time. It helps you deal with whatever emotions may come up, and not deal with them in front of the person you’re talking to. You also avoid saying things you regret.
• speak up in class. If you’re actively engaged in class, you’re less likely to be bored and more likely to pay attention.
• take notes after class or at home before bed. You flush your short term memory with sleep. If you can find time between class, write down short reminders about what was talked about, key points you were supposed to learn, and then fill in your notes later that day.
• develop a shorthand for words you need to write a lot. In law school, an L with a circle was liability, an A with a circle was “amendment”. This will let you write as fast as your brain needs to get it out.

Stick with it, and focus on the stuff you’re good at. Find time and energy to work as hard as you can on the rest.

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[Monika]

@hypersoprano93

Please check out the student control journal on http://www.flylady.net the link to the control journals is here: http://www.flylady.net/pages/control_journals.asp

Perhaps ask a friend who is a good note taker to get a copy of their class notes. Figure out the best way that you learn, visual, auditory, kinestic and then use that method to study, flashcards, voice memos on your favorite electronic device or studying while playing basketball or doing a physical activity

Best wishes,

Monika

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[Anonymous]

In answer to your question lakelly, yes i have been diagnosed. I have been diagnosed since i was three. I am also on medication to help control it. It is getting easier to handle the everyday high school gist, however i somedays still have ‘relapses’ if you will and the chaos gets to me. Other than that, things are going pretty good.

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[Monika]

Great to hear from you again Hyper, like your new name and new avatar! Glad to hear that things are going well!

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[Anonymous]

Hey, I was just diagnoed with add-adhd and my dr gave me this sight I have already graduated highschool but I went back for an extra year. I just started taking medication for it to see if it helps me out any, I just dont know where to start, my dr gave me two books to read and with school i dont have time to watch tv never the less read two books -.-‘ lol he wanted me to look up information and stuff but half of the time i couldnt tell you what way is up, does anyone know of any reliable websites with good information and coping skills.

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[Anonymous]

I used to be able to control my add but it seems like it has just turnt into this huge monster that is creeping its way twards me, some times i feel weak and defeated because i’m constantly losing things, forgetting things, and that ends up adding up to not doing so hot in school and im just so frustated.

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[Geoduck]

Ah, High School. That was about 22-26 years ago. OUCH!

I did better if I had more going on. Now that seems weird, but it worked well. I guess I was forced to organize myself, and the thrill of being in over my head must’ve supplied enough of whatever my brain was missing that it all worked out well. Well, at least in my senior year, anyway.

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[Anonymous]

Depressing indeed,

I finished highschool in 1968, bored out of my mind mostly, coasted through in a daze … hated it .. “could do better if only he tried.”

Got lucky, worked driving cabs at night, university daytimes and it went well … hyper focused on Lit at U of T and got out with an honours B.A., and never used it ..laughs became a cook, stock broker, to court reporter, factory worker … etc.

Finally diagnosed ADHD in August, plus Anxiety and entitlement issues … the latter was a surprise. Gradually, getting in touch

with the rest of the planet … nice to find out what the problem was. .. good luck.

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[billd]

I hate high school save for the shop classes. Otherwise, those years were the pits. Well, Jr High was not really better. Come to think of it, school just sucked. College – that was different. Loved it, looked forward to classes, breezed through with a 4.0 GPA and deans list. Prior to that – don’t ask………

MAYBE the reason was that college was my choice – I determined what I was going after, it was all for something I dearly loved. HS and before – uugghh. Boring.

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[Author]

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