<p>I am a high school senior about to graduate. </p>
<p>Just a brief history of my LD: </p>
<p>I was diagnosed the second semester of my freshman year. I went off junior year due to some neurological problems, but I'm back on Adderall for my senior year. Now, I've been seeing the therapist I have since the eighth grade. So its been a while. </p>
<p>Even though I've been on Adderall, I don't feel like it's solving my problems. I think my therapist kind of just shoved some medication at me and ignored my organizational issues. I've been reading a lot about EFD and I feel like this is something I may be dealing with, but I hate being that person who tries to diagnose themselves.</p>
<p>I have no concept of the future, deadlines, or time. I don't think this has anything to do with my motivation because I've always been an extremely motivated student, and I want to do well. In fact, it disappoints me when I don't. But I just don't know. It's simply not in my nature, it seems. The concept of time seems overwhelming. When I look at a list of homework in my planner, I get anxious and can't break down what I need to do to tackle the list. I can't imagine how long it will take me, etc.</p>
<p>My room is a mess. I lose track of my doctors appointments. I feel like I can't find the time for anything. I don't think it's depression. </p>
<p>I'm afraid of going to college, and not being able to take care of myself. I've thought about this a lot. How am I going to be a successful adult when I can't organize my own life? </p>
<p>I think the next step to take would be to switch therapists, mine seems to ignore my issues. Even when I bring up my organizational concerns, he shifts to something else! Other than that... does anyone else have any input on this?</p>
<p>I’m so sorry about your LD. What I would suggest is getting a calendar or planner and write down every deadline, appointment, and so on. As for a therapists I’ve heard about some that do Skype so you could Skype them. I wouldn’t suggest going to a college to close to your house because then you would never learn to be a true adult. You could probably find a college close enough to your home but not close enough that you can always go back. Good luck!</p>
<p>You need to go to a college with good disability resource services. This should be one of your major factors in choosing a college. You need to talk with them prior to acceptance. You need to feel comfortable with their program. There are a lot of kids like you out there.</p>
<p>Go to college early, like 2nd summer session, to get acclimated and take a course.</p>
<p>You need a new therapist who will take your organizational issues seriously. Talk with your guidance counselor at school. There may be a resource teacher who can help you with this until you find the right therapist.</p>
<p>Don’t go to college until you have better organizational skills. The simple hard truth, is that for most of college, smarts don’t matter. Organization and self-discipline do. It is fine to take a gap year while you get this sorted out.</p>
<p>One thing I’ve really found helpful is memotome.com. I always forget to do things like take my medication, so I have it send an email to me every day reminding me to take it. I also have it email me a to-do list every morning and remind me to charge my phone at night. I think it works better than calendars or planners because I always forget to check my calendar after a few days so they never work out. Also it’s good for remembering doctor’s appointments that happen three weeks from now, or things like “ask for my textbooks back at the end of next term.”</p>
<p>My LD isn’t severe enough I don’t think that I need to do a summer session, but thank you all for your support and suggestions. I feel kind of weird talking about it. I’m looking forward to going away for college, disability services are a good thing to look into even though I’ve never used them at my own high school. I’m a really independent person so having an LD is kind of a source of shame for me. I hate asking for help :(. </p>
<p>memotome sounds like it would be really helpful for me. Thanks! Also, I definitely need a new therapist. So my next question is… how do you “break up” with a therapist? I tried doing this a year or so ago and we ended up having a huge argument in the session. I felt like I was being put on a guilt trip. I feel manipulated now >:(. By my own therapist, no less.</p>
<p>If your therapist isn’t skilled enough to take breakups well and listen instead of arguing, you could be like</p>
<p>You: I’d like to cancel all subsequent appointments.
Her: Why?
You: I don’t want to talk about it.</p>
<p>Do this at the end of the session so she doesn’t have time to protest. Or over the phone. She’ll probably hate it but you tried the other way before so what can you do?</p>
<p>Per the therapist, I suggest you seek advice from your parents. They’d need to arrange the next one, and that can get tricky depending on medical plans etc.</p>
<p>Regarding colleges, research schools that participate in federal TRIO program, which provides significant help for low-income, first-generation and/OR LD college students. Goggle, find federal web-site, identify schools in your target area, and go to their web-sites’ disability description page. TRIO program’s goal is to work closely, one-on-one, w/at-risk undergrads to ensure successful school completion. Some schools’ services are very impressive on paper.</p>
<p>Regarding therapist: tell your parent(s) to cancel further appointments, telling them that you feel that you’re not making any progress w/current therapist. Many therapists aren’t helpful, some inept. Since it’s also their livelihood, many won’t release a client until client stops process. Solicit new therapist recommendations from other parents and students, school, pediatrician, etc before interviewing therapist candidates on phone. Keep looking - you may need to check out more many candidates before finding a good fit.</p>
<p>Go find some books to help you 1) understand your symptoms/feelings; 2) organize yourself. Don’t expect a therapist to “fix you”; much of process needs to come from within, with your full cooperation and motivation. It does require more effort from you.</p>
<p>I would see if your colleges offers any special services for students with issues like yours. Many colleges do. You might also want to contact Student Health Services to see what they offer in terms of counseling, medication monitoring, etc.</p>
<p>Also, you might want to contact aheadd.org and see if they offer services at your college. This is a terrific resource and might be just what you are looking for. </p>
<p>I am a Mental Health professional and I am shocked and dismayed by your therapist’s behavior. Not only are the actions you described unprofessional, they are also unethical and absolutely not therapeutic. I agree that you should seek out another therapist. Discharge of the client because of the resolution of the presenting issue is the ultimate goal of therapy. Client-centered treatment is client driven and the therapist should honor the client’s decision to end treatment. Talk to your Guidance counselor or school social worker, and ask for names of competent therapists. Even in my relatively small town, there are therapists who specialize in treating clients with ADHD and Executive Functioning deficits. Be picky, and don’t settle for less than you deserve. There are good therapists out there.</p>
<p>I don’ t think you are self-diagnosing, I think you are taking appropriate interest in your own health, and advocating for yourself. That’s a great thing to do. I am a parent, but my son is very much as you describe, but we are very new to the whole thing. I want to offer you two things: everyone has to ask for help sometimes. It’s not a sign of dependance. It’s a sign that you know your limitations and are prepared to work around them. Or with them. But you can’t get better on your own, or you would have by now. (This is a conversation I had when trying to convince my son to seek help).</p>
<p>Also, you are doing a good job trusting your instincts and sense that you are not ready to be in college. I think college is where many people who were managing, or dancing on the edge, are finally and truly overwhelmed. (That’s what happened to my son)It’s okay to assemble a plan and get ready, and then consider what is best for YOU. That might be a soft start at a CC, or a lighter classload at another school. </p>
<p>I would just leave your last appointment with this “counselor” and not schedule another, or cancel it via the phone. You are not obligated to do more than that, and as others have said, you might be amazed by what a proper therapist could offer you. Best of luck. You sound like your future will be bright.</p>
<p>In addition to a new therapist, you might also consider a life coach who specializes in people with ADHD. There a a number who advertise with ADDitude Magazine (accessible online at [Attention</a> Deficit Disorder | ADHD Symptoms, Medication, Treatment, Diagnosis, Parenting ADD Children and More: Information from ADDitude](<a href=“http://www.additudemag.com%5DAttention”>http://www.additudemag.com)). Memotome is a great suggestion, and there are some books that might be of help:</p>
<p>Learning Outside The Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution - Jonathan Mooney & David Cole</p>
<p>ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life - Kathleen G. Nadeau</p>
<p>The Disorganized Mind - Nancy A. Ratey</p>
<p>Delivered from Distraction - Edward M. Hallowell</p>
<p>Also, be sure to contact the Disability Services office at whatever college you go to (the names are different everywhere - just type “Disabilities” into the college’s website search box), and find out what types of services they may have that can help you. My son’s college can offer test accommodations, note-taking, alternative media (maybe you learn better by listening to someone read your textbook than reading it yourself?), speech recognition software (allows your to talk to your computer, rather than type), and referrals for tutoring, among other things. You don’t have to use all or any of these things for EVERY class, since you might have lots of trouble with Math and none with English, or vice versa.</p>