Well, it gave me the ability to know that I am able to be a good student. It wasn’t just because I had a learning disability it was that I had an attention problem. I am able to get good grades. My grades improved immensely in my later years in high school.
Megan, 20
Be a lawyer or a psychiatrist
My mom says I should be a constitutional lawyer which I would probably like a lot. Or a psychiatrist because there are probably a lot of other people in the world that need good psychiatrist and that is probably something that has affected me a lot in my life. I would want to give back to other people and help other people because I can relate to it. It would be something that I would feel like I was accomplishing something because I would know how I was helping them because I went through it myself.
Stephanie, 16
Under control
I think it’s pretty under control for when I go to college. I do have time management problems and stuff like that. It’s a new experience for everybody. I don’t think I’ll have a harder time than anyone else will in terms of adjusting to being more independent.
Julie, 18
It’s hard at times
It’s definitely hard at times. It can get really frustrating, but the medicine definitely helps. It’s not really extreme in my case or physically taxing in the way it is with people who are bouncing off the walls. Even if I don’t take the medicine I can sit still and I can focus– it’s just harder. In terms of living with it– it’s not something I think about that much because it’s not really a burden.
Julie, 18
Might grow out of it
I can see myself taking medicine for the rest of my life, but I could also see myself growing out of it, because as you get older you get more mature and the more mature you get, the less you tend to say dumb things and do dumb stuff.
James, 18
I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to take medicine in college because I have no attention span and I know there’s a lot of studying and hard work that goes into college and into building a career. I think taking medicine will help me along the way–without it, I’d probably go to college and just fail because I wouldn’t focus or anything.
James, 18
ADHD and getting older
I don’t know for sure if I’ll still have ADHD as I get older. I feel like it will stay with me a lot. I don’t really know research on it if it’s supposed to go away with time. I’ve had it for at least 5 years now, so I feel like it might stay with me. I don’t know; I’m not sure.
Megan, 20
Medication doesn’t have to be forever
Medication doesn’t have to be forever– I don’t take it anymore and feel fine. My mom still says that I speak fast, and when we talk I jump all over the place so she has a hard time following me. I have trouble remembering things sometimes so I write everything down in a planner. I don’t know if it is something I outgrew but I definitely felt as though I didn’t need the medication anymore. Taking the medication was helpful for the time that I needed it, though.
Amy, 23