I am one of 15 million

In light of CHADD's #oneof15M campaign, which is to give names and faces to many of the 15 million individuals in the United States that deal with ADHD, I have decided to add my story to the many that have been shown on Facebook. I am an adult woman with ADHD. I am a Darn Hardy Dame. I am one of 15 million.

For most of my life, I did not know I had ADHD. All I knew was that I had an immense appetite for books, and I had a reputation of being unable to pass a book without picking it up. I had little to no sense of time, and I didn't like having to put forth much energy into things. My ADHD went undiscovered during my school years because of my high IQ, meaning I could daydream in class all I wanted and still understand what the teacher was explaining. I had a slump in fifth grade when I kept forgetting assignments at home, but it was quickly resolved by my parents' promise to take me out to dinner every time I had straight A's.

It wasn't until I was 18 years old and in college that I finally "hit a brick wall," as the expression goes. I was always late to my classes, and frequently slept through them, only to discover that I couldn't bluff my way through them the way I had in High School. I began to struggle with depression, and finally sought help from one of the University counselors, who diagnosed me with ADHD. The diagnosis was a relief, as it told me that I wasn't just lazy and unmotivated, but that there was something else behind it.

My life hasn't been easy since then, especially since not everybody believes that ADHD is a real thing. I have been told that the whole thing is "stupid," and "just an excuse." At first I did use my ADHD as an excuse, but I've since learned that medications can take you only so far. Considering the recent weather that has barraged the Eastern States, I would like to compare living with ADHD as trying to walk through waist-deep snow. If you put forth effort, you will eventually get to your destination, but it would take much more time and effort to get to the same place as somebody walking on solid ground, and you would be completely exhausted by the time you get there. Medications, then, are like snowshoes. They help keep you up out of the snow, but they aren't going to get you to your destination alone. It is the combination of the will to keep moving forward and the snowshoes that will get you to your destination. It still won't be easy, but at least you will be on the same level as everybody else--well, mostly. (Snowshoes, I hear, are still pretty difficult to walk in).

Despite the scorn that I have received, I must keep moving forward, and I will. I am an adult woman with ADHD. I am a Darn Hardy Dame. I am one of 15 million.