From the article: Personal Stories of ADD
What's it like to live with ADHD on a daily basis? If you or someone you love has ADHD, please feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences to help others understand what it feels like living with ADHD. Share Your Experiences
Teen With ADD
- I have a 17 old teen with ADD. We have tried everything, counseling, medication, tutors, IEP at school. My son is very smart, fun loving, tons of friends, but he is failing school and won't even try. I don't know how to help him. All we feel is angry, myself his father and also him. Lost.
- —Guest Monica
Marybeth
- Our son (16) was diagnosed with ADD a few years back. It has been an uphill climb, but we are a tight-knit family and he knows we support him 100%. What I can't fathom, is why most (not all) of his school teachers judge and label him right from the start as a lazy teen, say the most incredibly cruel things to him, and us as well, and make it so crystal clear to him that they think he is worthless and will never amount to anything. His IQ is 132, he plays 7 instruments (very well) and sings in a madrigal choir. No, he will never be a mathematician, but he graces this world with his loving, compassionate, demonstrative, wonderfully creative light and it is heartbreaking to watch these so-called educators do their best to break his will. He wants to be a music teacher because, in his words, "I understand the musical mind and think I could really help kids succeed." He will reach whatever goals he sets, in spite of teachers who have clearly lost their own focus!
- —Guest Marybeth
Teen with ADHD
- Hi. I am 13 and am in boarding school because I have ADHD. Life is hard because when you have ADHD you do everything over and over. I love my mom and dad and I know they put me in a boarding school to have structure. Does it help? Yes, but I don’t let them know because I miss them so much while I am away. I think when we have this problem and you take meds and get therapy, you have a better chance. So I am a 13 year old and proud to have ADHD because it will just make me stronger and nothing can break us. I know that it is going to be a struggle for the rest of my life so I will take it on because if you let it take you over then you will lose. So for all of us out there that have ADHD just remember that we are on a roller coaster and just hang on!!
- —Guest jason
Putting A Square Peg In A Round Hole
- When I was finally diagnosed and treated for ADD, I also started reading a lot about it. I began to feel what the ugly duckling might have felt when she found her swan mother. It explained so many things. I wasn't diagnosed until my forties. By this time I absolutely believed I was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole world. Despite years of therapy and studying psychology I could not understand my puzzling behaviors and attitudes. I only knew they were self-defeating and yet I seemed entirely unable to change. After being treated with stimulant drugs and atypical anti-depressants for several years I can say I'm learning to accept my negative characteristics such as being a clutter bug, disorganized, incapable of doing work or chores that bore me, always interrupting others, procrastination, etc. Originally when I started treatment, I expected these traits to vanish. I am still depressed now that I absolutely know how ADD keeps me from reaching my potential.
- —Guest Maryellen Grady
You Know You're Different
- I am 15 with ADHD. It can be a bit of a burden, especially in school. As a child, I was made fun of because of my ADHD. ADHD affects social skills and learning skills, and making friends can be quite hard. I had a lot of trouble figuring out how to respond in certain social situations, and I was and still am impulsive, inattentive and hyperactive. I've been taking the same medication since I was diagnosed in the first grade, and I'm a junior in high school now. While the medication did stunt my growth, it worked well. Try hiring a shrink for your ADHD child or for yourself; when you have ADHD they can seriously help.
- —Guest Leah
embrace it ADHD
- I was diagnosed at a young age (just remember I’m only 13). I often found it hard to speak without angering others. I was always and still referred too as "annoying". But yet as hard as it seems I find myself looking to the world from a different angle or perspective. And through my eyes the world is truly a cool wonderful place I wouldn’t trade that even if it meant being without ADHD.
- —Guest rodihoualla
What is it like living with ADD/ADHD?
- Where do I begin? My son is 14, and in 8th grade. He was diagnosed 4 years with ADHD inattentive type. He's a very bright, loving, happy, athletic kid with tons of potential. Lucky for me he has never gotten into any sort of trouble. Unfortunately this also makes for a tough time at school. When he forgets things, which is almost every day, the teachers claim its laziness or not caring, which couldn't be further from the truth. We've been going to counseling to try to learn some coping strategies and as a result I have also been diagnosed with ADD and Bipolar. Now the research I’ve been doing makes so much more sense. I’ve been working part time at the same restaurant for almost 2 years and still have to look up the prices every single night for every single table. I can only hope that my personal experience will help me figure out ways to not only get through to his teachers, but also help me figure out some new strategies for my son. Fingers crossed. It’s been a ride so far!
- —aly1979
Living with ADHD
- As a mother of a child with combined ADHD, ODD, dyslexia, learning difficulties and severe behavioral problems, life is extremely hard, especially when you are on your own, can't work and everyone is against you. I have fought for the past 10yrs for my son to access services and to be helped. Every service turns you away, schools classifies your child as naughty and that they lack discipline, exclude that child and pass the problem back, the mother is separated from the father it's the mothers fault, the father gets left alone to start again, the mother carries on with only thoughts of her son in mind, 10yrs of knock backs, dealing with all levels of services and head of departments, not letting anything slip unnoticed, being humiliated and degraded by family, friends, neighbors, professionals and even strangers. Frustrated by the lack of help and support. As well, trying to keep things consistent and calm at home, trying to keep sane. It's extremely hard but I look at my son and say, you are worth it!
- —Guest cheekipixi
17 and ADD
- I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 9. Now, at 17, I'm the kid that spaces out all the time and can't for the life of her do her work. The worst part is that the teachers often think you're just lazy or don't care. What they don't get is that I actually do have issues paying attention. I went off my meds when I started high school and I found other ways to cope. I learned to knit when I was very young, and now I do it in class as a mindless kind of thing to help keep me focused. Don't ask me how, but it works! At home, my parents keep chore calendars and reminders to help me out. Unfortunately, those only work when I remember to check them, which isn't as easy as I'd hope it would be. Now I'm to the point where I'll be moving out soon and living on my own, so I'm excited, but at the same time cautious, since I struggle enough with homework here with people keeping me on task. What'll happen at university?
- —Guest AngelontheMoon
ADHD
- My daughter has just been diagnosed with ADHD in the last week. She is 14 and was labeled a naughty child, school reports where always bad, I was constantly called up to the school as she was rude to teachers, would not concentrate, would not do homework, constantly disrupting the class, finally she had an evaluation and we were told she had ADHD. We are now waiting on DRs for medication to help her focus in class. It’s been a very long process but I feel relieved. She is not "a naughty child" but a teenager who has ADHD. We were also told it’s in the genes but we don’t know anyone in the family who shows any signs and it is harder to pick up in girls. We are hoping the school will see her in a different light, but only time will tell.
- —maxine_adams
Spouse
- I am the wife of a husband with ADD. He is in denial about his illness. He has been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia. We were recently married, and since that time I have observed his behavior full-time. I work in the area of mental health. He is text book ADD. He is disorganized, late, has difficulty concentrating, lacks empathy, seems unmotivated, lazy and often frustrated. His psychiatrist has agreed this could be what has been wrong with him all these years. He still doesn't want to take the Adderall. I just want our lives to be better, and for him to feel better. He is unable to work, and basically sit around the house all day. It is hard to watch him like this.
- —evelyngw
Can't Keep a Job
- I have never been able to keep a job for more than a year, and I’ve done everything. I’ve been on meds for sixteen years and can’t even keep a job I love. I’m presently looking for a job while trying not to lose my wife and my home. :(
- —smalljobs
A Lucky Thing
- We knew my son was very bright. Couldn't follow directions or follow through if his life depended on it. He got good grades but failed the 'conduct grade' department. Then he hit the wall in 5th grade. His intelligence could no longer carry him through. He had to pay attention. A year of severe anxiety on all parts, led finally to a diagnosis of ADHD/combined type. Here's the ‘lucky thing’ part. As an educator, I failed to know enough about ADHD to even identify my son. As a grown adult, I failed to know enough about ADHD to understand that I had been experiencing the trials and effects for nearly 45 years. The end result, I am a much better parent to my son, I have trained myself to be a better teacher and advocate for those with ADHD, and I now am working through finding ways to deal with my own ADHD trials. I know now that my creative, impulsive, and hyper-focus characteristics are responsible for my success.
- —Guest linda
Kyle's Mom
- My son is 14 and was diagnosed when he was 6 1/2. He's very bright, but always lacked the ability to "just do" boring tasks such as school worksheets, vocabulary, etc. He started out on one stimulant med and that seemed to help, but was never independent when it came to homework. We kept increasing his dose when it seemed to be less effective, changed to another stimulant, increased the dose. He has the inattentive type and is impulsive and full of rage sometimes. We had him evaluated by a psychologist this summer and sent him to some tutoring to try to increase his confidence (already made As and Bs, but didn't always finish or turn work). He's a talented athlete, but we are having a hard time getting him to take responsibility for his disorder and do what needs to get done. He's so bright, but I'm afraid he's not going to be successful in college and life. Not even sure he'll be able to stay on sports teams if he can't finish homework fast enough. Taking away privileges provokes the impulsive rage fits. I hope he outgrows this!
- —Guest Kyle's Mom
FINALLY, I AM SANE AND NOW HAPPY......
- Most people have similar experiences with ADD and with a little understanding, I believe that life goes on and that one can just keep up the faith and know that you will survive this. For the people who are just getting a handle on what this ADD is about, just know that most people don't understand what ADD is and it's hard to explain to them the true feelings of your situation. My family STILL doesn't understand what my ADD is and I can look back and say “Well, folks this is my situation and you have to deal with it". I know my limitations in life and can now work with what is right and wrong. It's been a long haul but I never give up and work harder than ever...Tons of information on the net and one should really move forward with the experiences that they have endured in life and know that help is easily found....Good luck everyone!!!
- —hawaiiman69
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