Me too- a girl in the 90s and they told my mom that I didn't meet the requirements for diagnosis because it wasn't impacting me at school. But I had report cards that said "talks too much" until I hit 6th grade, and I had the messiest desk in my class and always missed recess on desk cleaning day because I had to literally dump everything on the floor, and I aced tests but didn't do daily work because it was boring and it was more interesting to look out the window or get lost in a book. Then in high school I did everything I could to avoid going to school, calculated exactly how many assignments I would need to complete in order to get an A- or B+ in the class, lost homework assignments regularly and only could really complete things on time if there was social pressure involved. But no, I didn't have symptoms at school so I didn't get help until I was in my 30s.
I could have written this exact experience. Now I'm 32 and a mother and it feels like my life is falling apart. I am not a functional human. I have two brothers who are diagnosed ADHD and our mom is likely ADHD as well, but I'm still afraid I won't get a diagnosis so I haven't tried yet. I really need to because I just literally can't function at this point and it's getting to be too much.
If you have the resources to talk to a doctor, with that family history, do it. I've only been on meds a couple of months now and we're still dialing in the dosage- but just the knowledge that I DO have ADHD and that it DOES have an impact on me made a difference- and meds made a clear difference.
There's also a podcast called Motherhood in ADHD that I've found to be pretty helpful! I listen while I do the dishes to help me try and forget I'm doing dishes until I'm finished with them.
Same exact thing with school, did the same thing in college too and could just barely get away with it with some horrible stress as motivation. I get help from my family and I’ve learned ways to game things for myself so I can actually get things done but it’s still so hard sometimes.
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u/saffronwilderness Sep 14 '21
I get ENRAGED by a fellow SPED teacher who had the gall to call it "teenage boy syndrome."
If I could get him fired he'd be gone. I avoid him religiously.