ADHD Success Stories and Challenges

What now?

Whether you have been diagnosed years ago or only yesterday, your journey to the life of fulfillment should start right away. Every unique ADHD story shows a path of losses, loneliness, misunderstanding but most importantly, hope.

We would like to share some stories of people with similar experiences and their life with ADHD to remind you that you are not alone and every story deserves to be heard.

I spent years feeling sorry for myself while I could have been using all that energy to fight the symptoms.

I was diagnosed in middle school and I am only of the ‘lucky ones’ who have been living with knowing I am different for as long as I can remember. The worst thing is that I hadn’t been able to cope with it mentally up until two years ago when I turned 30 and started going to regular meetups with people with ADHD in my area. Finding myself a role in a large and caring community has greatly contributed to my self-esteem and I am currently working on improving many aspects of my life to the extent that I thought was unattainable for me only a few years ago.

- Chris (Diagnosed with ADHD)

Even though there is no cure, I feel more confident now knowing the enemy and learning to live with it.

I learned that I had ADHD only after I graduated and was struggling to find a job. I was blaming my lack of success on my degree, the economic situation, my parents, many things actually until I learned what was actually holding me back. Now, after 10 years of living with the condition, I have my own little tricks to keep myself in check and I’m pretty optimistic about the future.

- Lindsay (Diagnosed with ADHD)

I did not address the issue before it was too late to save my family.

I’m almost 40 years old and I have only recently learned that I had ADHD. It was such a relief because I have suffered years of addiction and went through a horrible divorce all due to the fact that I did not recognize the pattern on time. I know I have a lot of work to do, but knowing what is wrong with me, gives me hope.

- Derrick (Diagnosed with ADHD)

Having ADHD does not automatically make you an underachiever.

Becoming an orphan early in my life made me fend for myself at a very young age. I remember that learning that I have ADHD made me angry at first, as this condition has been surrounded by a sort of social stigma at the time. It is still like that nowadays to a certain extent. But with little to no resources, including the financial ones, that we might have in order to cope with something as serious as this, the key is to find enough strength in ourselves.

- Donna (Diagnosed with ADHD)

I used to blame my career failures on my personality.

I have been diagnosed with ADHD later in life which means I might have lost too much precious time and career opportunities while trying to figure out what left me in these constant ground-hog-day-style situations at every new workplace. My advice is to speak to your doctor as soon as you start finding yourself in a failure pattern that is constantly repeating itself.

- Erica (Diagnosed with ADHD)

Learning to accept myself was the hardest for me after I learned I had ADHD.

Being an adult with ADHD I have been faced with a lot of misunderstanding from people who have only heard a little bit about the condition. I was confused myself when I first learned that I had the same disease that children are diagnosed with when they underperform at school. I think the most important thing at the moment is to raise people’s awareness of what ADHD really is, as well as to help people who have the condition to not feel alienated and alone in their struggle.

- Jason (Diagnosed with ADHD)

Recognizing that ADHD does not define you is only the first step.

I have been struggling with ADHD my whole life, switching medication, moving from one place to another, losing jobs and friends, and I feel that the day when everything changed for me was when I realized that it was not my fault that my brain was wired differently. After all, my goal should be to fight it and not ask: ‘Why me?’ all the time like I used to.

- Robert (Diagnosed with ADHD)

I feel lucky to be surrounded by people who understand my struggle.

I come from a family with ADHD history so some might think that I have it easier than everyone else. I truly feel blessed that I have people who have got my back, but I also feel that my obligation is to provide this level of support to everyone who shares the same personal tragedy as me. This is why I supervise several support groups in my area and help people with ADHD connect with each other.

- Marta (Diagnosed with ADHD)

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?
How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?
How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?
When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?
How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?
How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?
How often do you have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
How often do you have difficulty concentrating on what people say to you, even when they are speaking to you directly?
How often do you misplace or have difficulty finding things at home or at work?
How often are you distracted by activity or noise around you?
How often do you leave your seat in meetings or other situations in which you are expected to remain seated?
How often do you feel restless or fidgety?

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Very Often
How often do you have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself?
How often do you find yourself talking too much when you are in social situations?
When you’re in a conversation, how often do you find yourself finishing the sentences of the people you are talking to, before they can finish them themselves?
How often do you have difficulty waiting your turn in situations when turn taking is required?
How often do you interrupt others when they are busy?