you know i've never considered the possibility that i might have adhd (i was too "gifted" for the people around me to worry) but i've really.... resonated and related with a lot of the posts you make/reblog about the subject. so i kind of feel like i have it... but i kind of don't, bc no one ever talked to me about it
if you were/are a gifted child and get good grades and do well in school, and have inattentive adhd, then chances are no one has ever even remotely thought you have adhd.
i was in the gifted program at school. i was in all of the advanced classes except for math (long story on that one that i won’t go into) throughout high school. no one thought i had adhd, no one has ever thought there’s anything wrong with me. i’m smart, i got good grades, i always did all of my homework and never struggled. the biggest problem was that in elementary school i got in trouble for being “chatty” and doodling in the margins of my papers.
as i read the DSM5 and other articles about inattentive adhd, i’ve found that those themselves are symptoms of inattentive adhd. i daydreamed a lot, i was always doodling and thinking up stories, and often lost focus, but because i’m smart and was able to get my work done without asking for much help no one thought i had a problem.
but then when i got to college things fell apart. i didn’t have a structure to follow and that lack of daily structure messed with my ability to focus. the change in environment from daily classroom stuff for 8 hours a day brought out my daydreaming and focus problems. i couldn’t get anything done.
it’s taken 5 years, but i’ve finally figured out that all of my issues have to deal with adhd. it’s inattentive, which means more of a quiet lack of focus instead of constantly bouncing off the walls and talking and being loud and moving. i have sleeping problems. i’m constantly restless, i can’t focus and i still daydream and have my mind wandering. i forget things constantly and can’t complete tasks.
daily routine from elementary to high school helps people with inattentive adhd a lot because you know exactly what is going to happen every hour of every day, and knowing what to expect while being smart and loving to learn makes it easier to focus in class, even if you still wind up daydreaming and missing information.
to anyone who has no knowledge of inattentive adhd, you’ll never look like you have a problem that needs solving. but chances are if you are relating to things this heavily and have felt for a while now that something is “off” or “wrong”, then you may have adhd. i would suggest doing more research, getting your hands on a copy of the DSM5 if you can (honestly you can just google DSM5 pdf and find one) and read up on the criteria for inattentive adhd. give yourself some time, you don’t have to decide you have it (or don’t have it) right away. it may take a long while, but it can’t hurt to look into it more.
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