Do you want to know why you feel so deeply? Or a loved one, such as a spouse, partner, friend, or even family member? So do I. As someone with this disorder, it almost feels like I’m always mad, sad, anxious, and I can’t ever just be straight-up happy. I wanted to know more about the mental disorders that I have and what things come along with them. While researching ADHD, I found out a lot of information that I wanted to share that could potentially make you open your eyes and realize why some things in life are hard for you or a loved one. 

First off, let’s get into what ADHD is. ADHD is Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is most common in childhood. Neurodevelopment means having to do something with the way the brain grows and develops. 

There are different types of adhd, such as Hyperactive/Impulsivity, which is the standard kind everyone is used to, with moving around, fidgeting, and not sitting still, but it is often more mental than physical, such as doing something without thinking about the outcome. Inattentive is the second kind, which makes it hard to focus and keep organized; this type can really affect your everyday life. Lastly, there is a combined type, where the symptoms come together and make it extra hard to live. 

Most people think ADHD is a disorder where you are super jumpy, ready to speed off in space. In all honesty, that’s not how it is. This is a disorder that affects people and their everyday lives. Most who suffer from ADHD find it difficult to have stable relationships and friendships, due to the way they overfeel each of our emotions. It makes it hard to finish work on time. Sometimes, even being early or on time for work and school is very hard, almost feels impossible. Unemployment, Trouble with the law, poor physical health, and or poor self-image, suicide attempts, and alcohol or substance misuse are other complications that we struggle with. 

While living with ADHD, I never really knew the effects it had on my everyday life, until now. I thought my pounding headaches, forgetting to eat, and feeling so deeply were just a part of me, and I was different or weird from others. While researching ADHD, I have figured out that the majority of things I go through mentally are caused by this specific mental disorder, which is funny, considering I used to call myself weird.  Forgetfulness is a big part of ADHD, yet I didn’t think people actually meant forgetting. I thought it was just forgetting where my pencil went after I had it in my hand. Turns out, you can forget a lot of things. Were you ever walking to class in the middle of the school year and all of a sudden forgot where you were going, or what route to take? Yeah, me too. Have you ever driven on the highway plenty of times, yet still took the wrong turn just to get back to your house? Welcome to the forgetfulness of ADHD, in other words, memory loss. 

 Memory Loss in Adhd is caused by: 

• Mental health issues, including stress, trauma, and depression, 
• Lack of sleep 
• Alcohol or drug use
• Prescripted drugs or over-the-counter medication

• Drugs for high blood pressure and seizures 
• Menopause
• Brain injury 

How did I even get ADHD? Well, Genetics plays a big role. 

• Child health conditions, including head injuries 
• Parental mental health and family environment. 
• Exposure to environmental risks such as lead
• Problems with the nervous system
• Premature birth 

There is no simple test to find out if you have ADHD. It isn’t like a COVID test you take in ten seconds for results. In order for you to get diagnosed, you have to get a vision and hearing test, and then you have to get evaluated. When I was in my sophomore year, the doctor gave us a paper to give to my teachers. They fill it out, and if it all matches up to be true, then you will talk to your health care provider, and potentially you will start the process of getting medication or maybe even talking to a therapist. If your medication doesn’t work out, they keep prescribing other kinds of pills. If you are doing bad, they will up the dosage, and if you max out, then you go on the other kind.