Living with ADHD

If people are my age, they will remember when “bi-polar” disorder was called being “manic-depressive.” Either way, it was really hard being mis-diagnosed for all of those years. In fact, the one drug they used the most to treat BPD is Lithium, and I’m certain that it made my actual ADHD much worse. Lithium is designed to treat the ups and downs (or highs and lows) of BPD, symptoms that some people with ADHD also happen to experience.

At first, though, the school I went to was sure that I had a “hearing” disability, and every time I got tested, I passed with flying colors - hence the diagnosis of being lazy and lacking self-discipline. What I had (that I now realize all of these years later) were the most basic symptoms of ADD. In fact, what I had was more of a “listening” disability.

Anyway, if you fall into one of these categories of mis-diagnoses, you probably remember sitting still in class as being some sort of “adult-devised” torture session. If you get the diagnosis late in life, rest asssured, there are lots of things you can do to treat the symptoms. But mostly, my relief came with having a real and tangible label for what I have struggled with my entire life (even while getting my bachelor’s degree in college).

I just wanted to add that when I found out there was an actual, real disability that I had been struggling with, I didn’t feel defective anymore, or angry, but instead I felt like a light had been turned on for me, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like a bad or a lazy person.

I just hope that this will help someone else who might be battling with their self-esteem too.