I need help... do I have ADHD?

Student Lounge College Life
1

Hi everyone. I am a college student going into my sophomore year, and I have been more and more frequently questioning if I have some form of ADHD.

So to start off, as a child I was never necessarily hyper. However, I would do a lot of things that not many kids did that I am guessing may be signs of inattentive ADHD. I would be watching a cartoon, and in the middle of me being completely invested in the cartoon I would get up and go into another room and do something else. I was always very moody in an angry way, sometimes for no reason. I would stare off into space for long periods of time, completely blocking out all other noises. In the middle of class, even though I was staring directly at my teacher, I would completely miss everything they were saying. It was always hard for me to make and keep friends. My mom always used to tell me (and still does) that I have “selective hearing”, meaning I want to hear only what I want to hear… but this is really not true.

Today I still suffer from a lot of things that I did when I was younger as well. For example: the constant forgetting EVERYTHING! …keys, phone, ID, books, essays, I even forgot my school bag on the bus a couple times… (and even trying to remember what I want to type right now is a struggle…), being spoken to and completely forgetting the conversation, missing or completely forgetting about deadlines (I have to make 100 sticky notes, and a daily to-do list which really helps), and my biggest struggle school-wise was and still is reading comprehension. I am a good reader and I can read 10 pages of a book, but literally get nothing out of it… having to read the 10 pages all over again. Something that is also very frustrating that I have noticed I do a lot is that I am HORRIBLE when it comes to remembering peoples names.

However, I was never bad to the point of flunking at school, but I was never a straight A student. I always just floated by getting 75’s-85’s on my report cards, and I was also very shy when I was little so I never stood out in class. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I really pushed myself to doing better in school, buying a planner, investing a lot of money on sticky notes, and studying for hours on end for tests. When I took my SAT, I was completely overwhelmed. Sitting in a room trying to count how much time I had left after barely completing every section. I would sit and space out for almost 15 minutes at a time because my concentration was completely horrible… I did not score very high. Now in college my freshman year I earned a 4.0 GPA, but it was not easy at all. I realized that I would be studying (or trying to study) for 4-6 hours for one 50 question, multiple-choice test. I am also more of an organized person when I try to be as well, which is making me reconsider if I have ADHD, because a big symptom seems to look like disorganization.

I have talked to my primary doctor about possibly having ADHD 5 years ago, but she tried to dismiss it as stress. This makes me extremely nervous to even bring it up with her. Mostly because of my GPA right now, and the passing grades I have had in the past, this is where I think my doctor will disregard all of my other problems. I also think its good to note that I am a very anxious person, mostly in social situations but also regularly. My doctor did recognize this, and recommended I go to a therapist for my anxiety.

2

It sounds like it is worth getting evaluated. Keep in mind that many doctors are hesitant to diagnose people with ADHD if they seem to be high functioning. Many of my friends had similar experiences at my college, which was full of other high achieving people, but once they did they found that they did they did much better in school and were able to get the treatment they needed.

3

You can have ADHD without the “H” – the hyper, impulsive part, so based on your description, it is quite possible you have it. You will need a full neuropsych evaluation to know if you do (and insurance may not pay for it.) It is easy for people who have good compensating skills in other areas as well as ones who do not disrupt the classroom to just slip by in the system.

If you are evaluated and do have this, meds may be recommended. So will a number of other strategies that you could implement on your own – always put things away in the same places so you don’t lose them, maintain a detailed planner, break tasks into smaller parts, figure out when you are most alert and plan your most difficult work for then, study in a place with few distractions, use the alarm on your phone to keep from zoning and to schedule in short bursts of activity. You can read up on those snd start working on a plan to incorporate those into your work.

It can be a relief to get a diagnosis when you have been struggling, and meds can help (as can accomodations like more time), but the lion’s share of the work will require self-discipline and a will on your part to implement. You can definitely get a head start on this part while you see if you can get a full neuropsych workup done. (It can be a day or two of testing.)

4

Try seeing a psychiatrist. They have tests that can determine your severity level of ADD. Most primary doctors really aren’t qualified to treat ADHD anyway.

5

I suggest CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) as they will help you find techniques that will allow you to function better under such conditions and really allow you to find great skills and habits to improve your daily life-- whether you have ADHD or not it sounds like you could benefit from a touch of counseling, they literally change your life lol. I no longer spend like 6 hours doing minor amounts of homework and can focus on more things I care about

6

It can also be autism as well. Often the symptoms are similar.
Either way, you should get it diagnosed. If diagnosed with something severe enough, you might qualify for college disabilities benefits such as being able to take more time for exams.

7

Keep in mind that lack of sleep usually makes add symptoms worse so try to get sleep. Once you are evaluated get the accommodations you need to make yourself successful. Talk to your learning center at school now since they will have the tools now to help with test anxiety etc. All of this is related. Also watch your caffeine intake. Can make things worse not better.

8

Absolutely agree that if you have a concern, see a professional psychiatrist or psychologist. Your GP might be able to refer you if needed. There’s a difference between being distractable sometimes (or a lot) and actually having ADHD, which is a significant mental illness. Whether you actually get diagnosed with ADHD or not, it will give you some relief finding out from a professional, and if you are diagnosed they can help you find effective strategies or medications to deal with the symptoms. If you do receive a diagnosis, make sure you get in contact with your school immediately to take advantage of their accommodations.

9

As @gardenstategal suggested, consider an evaluation with a neuropsychologist. Although symptom checklists are often used to diagnose ADHD, having objective measures related to attention, executive functioning, and possible emotional factors can help you better understand why you’re having a hard time and what interventions are likely to be helpful.