ADD Advice Needed

Student Lounge College Life
1

Over the past few years, I’ve strongly considered the possibility that I might have ADD. I have always been a high-achieving student, but over the last couple years my concentration levels have significantly dropped and some of my grades have suffered (I had straight A’s through middle school, freshman, sophomore year, lots of B’s and C’s my junior and senior years). I can never seem to finish a task, no matter how much I want to, and it’s a struggle to stay focused on anything. I brought this up to my calculus teacher and he thinks I may have ADD - he said he had noticed this about me in class. A few of my friends have told me that they’ve always suspected it because I oftentimes forget what I’m talking about in the middle of saying it, and that I always lose track of my belongings.

I brought all of this up to my parents and requested to be tested for ADD. I just want a test - that’s it - but my parents are saying I don’t need it. They almost laugh at the possibility of me having ADD because I’m such a “successful student”. And yes, while I have had a variety of extracurriculars and leadership positions, and even though I completed the IB program, I don’t think that means I always have the ability to concentrate and get things done. They blame my lower grades on the harder coursework, and while that could very much be apart of it, they’re saying it’s because I was too lazy and busy to do all of my homework. So essentially, they refuse to let me see a doctor to get tested.

I’m entering college in the fall and I really want to be as successful as I can be. I just want to know if I have ADD, and if I do, I want to go from there. My dad claims that any doctor will diagnose me so that they can load me up on medication, and he doesn’t believe in it. I’m 18, so I could technically go myself, but I’m on my parent’s health insurance so I don’t really know how that would work. I also don’t feel 100% comfortable going behind their back about this.

So, what can I do? Any advice?

2

I’d guess you dad is pretty anti all doctors if that is his viewpoint.

Two thoughts about the meds: (1) lots of people have fears about meds but they aren’t like they used to be (fears of being a “zombie”)—that is the old school meds (2) if you aren’t ADD they won’t help, if you are ADD they will…A LOT. I can tell within a short time whether my ADHD son has taken his or not…because he can sit down and do puzzles, draw, stuff that requires concentration and stillness. My husband was very afraid of the meds and now wishes he’d pursued it earlier.

You can be smart and successful and be ADD.

This is the kind of stuff that will effect your adult life/career. I encourage you to check it out. Best.

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You could very well have ADD. If you cannot convince your parents to get you tested, I would explore your options for the health or counseling services at your university. Testing usually involves going through a psychologist or psychiatrist, with your primary doctor being the one who prescribes your medication; it is not that easy to get a diagnosis. However, if you do have ADD, getting a diagnosis will greatly benefit you in college, especially if you can receive accommodations, specifically extended time for tests and quizzes (I know in HS, my assessments were really time intensive and I would time out, lowering my grade).

I just want to tell you my story so that you have an idea of how much ADD can affect you even if you are highly intelligent (perhaps this will help your parents too). I also want you to know though that you can succeed! I have Asperger’s (ASD) and, consequently, ADHD, but have an above average IQ (I won’t reveal what it is because that’s really not relevant).

I always had trouble staying motivated in doing things that weren’t of interest to me. I was diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school and while I performed stellar on standardized tests, I would only get okay marks from my teachers because I wasn’t be challenged and wasn’t interested. I switched to a private school for 5th and 6th grade and started ADD meds in 6th grade, and my grades improved. I went to a gifted and talented (GT) middle school, where I received As and a few Bs .

I was honored to be admitted to my selective magnet high school (a stem school ranked among the top 4 schools in the country). Once there, I was really challenged and, while I got quite a few Bs my sophomore year, I decided to stop taking my medications and undergo a experimental cognitive training program over the summer. I then began junior year without medication and it was a disaster! I got a C+ and a B- in physic and Calc BC; I was falling behind in my humanities classes and I just couldn’t keep myself motivated. Doing poorly just made me even less motivated and everything just spiraled out of control. My organization skills were not up to par for my course load and I didn’t get any As really (except band and electronics). I’m sure my ECs had something to do with it too, since I was involved in a lot of stuff (choir, band, jazz band, dance, several school clubs, and several outside ensembles) and probably was overextended.

So senior year, I went back on my meds and I believe I got almost all As IIRC (not counting multivariable calc, which was just really hard and I got a B- ). I was very successful in my college applications. I got full tuition scholarships to my top two choice schools (granted they were music scholarships; Im a math/CS major).

In college, for the first time in my educational career, I applied for accommodations and was able to receive 50% extended time on tests and quizzes. I just finished my freshman year with all As (2 A-'s). I actually went off my medication this past year for the most part (I take for exams or for other important days). I have found that since I love my classes, I’m able to hyper focus and do my best. I took sophomore level CS last year and sophomore/junior level math (was the only freshman in my math class 2nd semester) and did well. I also got a job as a grader with the CS department, which is normally a job reserved for upperclassmen. I’d like to think that I have been successful in the last year.

Sorry for the essay (oops), but I hope this helps you in deciding how to proceed and maybe gives you some perspective. Too often people think that those with good grades don’t have an issues, but that is not the case. High achieving individuals can have ADD and definitely can benefit from medication and accommodations.

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@TempeMom He’s not anti-doctor, he just doesn’t think ADD and other mental health medication is effective and believes that they have side effects. I do, however, think it would help me if I actually have it, so I will definitely look into my options.

@guineagirl96 Thank you so much for the advice! Can I ask what ADD testing is like? What should I expect if I do decide to go in and get tested - how do they determine if you have ADD?

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There is no specific test for ADHD, but rather it is assessed through interviews and sometimes different types pest of behavior raring scales. Russell Barkley is a great resource on ADHD and you might want to watch a YouTube or two of some of his lectures with your parents. This might help your cause considerably.