I think it's safe to say that mental illness is not talked about nearly enough, and when it is talked about it's often not in a positive or constructive context. I'm not going to spend this post ranting about the stigma around mental illness or complaining about a lack of support systems in place for the mentally ill. If that's what you clicked for I'm sorry to disappoint you.
Instead, I'd like this to be a place where NSers, whether neurodivergent or neurotypical, can share their experiences with their own or someone else's disorder. I think it would be interesting and enlightening to hear stories from the diverse group of individuals that is Newschoolers.
Your story can have any mood you want, whatever you feel like sharing. That being said, not every experience with mental illness is necessarily negative; it would be a pleasant change of pace to hear something happy once in a while.
Let's talk.
I'll start:
I have ADHD. I was diagnosed in either the sixth or seventh grade, but we always knew. When I'm not making an effort to focus on what's in front of me, I'm either hyperactive, lazy, hypersocial, withdrawn, excited, bored, or a combination of any or all of those. Primarily, I am always impulsive and prone to distractions. Ironically, I'm posting this while I should be writing a history paper.
To help me control my impulsivity, I'm prescribed Vyvanse, 60mg. I'm supposed to take it daily but I only do on days that I have class, and even then I usually don't. I've never liked taking medication. Prior to Vyvanse, I was prescribed Concerta and then Biphentin. Besides the usual side effects, ADHD meds make me feel antisocial, apathetic and emotionless, even about people and things that I sincerely care about. I also don't like how readily doctors will prescribe these meds. I'm thankful that my family doctor suggested every alternative treatment options before reluctantly agreeing to put me on drugs at the urging of my mom. However, when all is said and done, the meds give me a significantly greater degree of control over my ADHD and I'm glad that I have them when I need them. Thanks Mom.
Generally, people with ADHD are either classified as inattentive (the space cadets, the daydreamers) or hyperactive. I'm both. I'm an absolute motormouth, but I'll sometimes completely forget what I'm talking about mid-sentence and space out until someone verbally brings me back to reality. Be that as it may, I'm mainly an incessant talker: that kid in elementary and high school who thought that it was ok to blurt out an answer just because my hand was up, regardless of being chosen by the teacher or not. If I wasn't jumping the gun on hand-raising, I'd usually be in talking to as many classmates as possible or sometimes simply staring out the window thinking about anything that wasn't class.
There are certainly moments in which I feel the hindrance of my disorder. I often struggle to meet academic deadlines, handing assignments in late and sometimes even forgetting to complete them. I'm rarely organized: my room is a mess, my papers are unsorted, and I've never been able to keep track of a pair of earphones for more than a month. At work, I've been reprimanded for spending too much time talking to coworkers. I'm often late. I've accidentally ditched people because I forgot about our plans in the first place. An interesting enough distraction has the potential to make me lose my drive in the middle of sex. I had the misfortune to learn that through experience lol.
There are also times when having ADHD has benefited me. Thanks to my talkative nature I have yet to experience an awkward silence. I am rarely nervous. I adjust to new people very easily and have no problem keeping conversation going. This has allowed me to ace most job interviews and has made me a confident and skilled public speaker. As well, I have always worked in retail, and have very little trouble closing a sale because I engage in and often initiate conversations with customers about something other than the product I am trying to sell them. I've never had trouble talking to girls that I've been interested in. My affinity for words and conversation has enabled me to become a skilled negotiator and persuader, and I one day hope to put my skills to use as a lawyer.
One last thing. While having ADHD does influence my personality considerably, who I am is not and will never be defined by my disorder, and that is true for everyone else who lives with a mental health disorder.
inb4 ADHD isn't real
Who wants to share?