Accommodate, Do not Medicate

Jesse's Story

My name is Jesse and I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- ADHD.

When I was younger, I always had trouble in school. I would usually start out really well and then burn out as time went on. When I was about 16, my grandmother found a magazine article on ADD and gave it to my mother. Since mom always felt there was something more to my problem than a learning disability, she was willing to give ADD testing a shot.

"Fortunately, I found much of the help I needed¡­"

Unfortunately, at the same time I started receiving testing -- getting hooked up to electrodes, having my brain waves monitored -- my second dad (who had adopted me) stopped paying for all of our medical insurance. After that, things were a mess for a while. I went to live with my dad, who didn't believe I had ADHD, and then I went back to live with my mother and ended up on Ritalin and Dexadrine -- neither of which helped me.

Fortunately, I found much of the help I needed through my school and their program called Accessibilities. Through this program I get more time to take tests, access to books on tape, note-takers, and other helpful things.

Challenges

What's been the hardest part of this condition? I don't really have a condition, do I? Seriously, I guess the hardest part is getting bored and not finishing everything. Also I need to not let the "little stuff" get to me. And while I wish I could concentrate better sometimes, I'm not going back on medication.

"Please realize that you have great intelligence to tap into¡­"

But ADHD isn't all about problems, it's also helped me. I've learned to look at a person before their "problem" and not the other way around. Society seems to have that backward sometimes. I've also realized that I can't please everyone. To this day, my mother still remembers something I said when I was younger: "But mom, I'm not you, I can't do things exactly like you."

Inspirations and Advice

My inspiration is this: knowing that I'm called crazy until I'm rich. That's why I need to make money, so people will start to call me eccentric instead. It would help if I accepted help more often. I'm kinda stubborn at times.

Advice? Hmm, don't eat the brown M&Ms. Ahem, seriously, please realize that you have great intelligence to tap into, you just have a tougher time going about it. Don't give up on school, even if it gives up on you -- get them to accommodate, not medicate you. You may think that going to a class for seven or eight hours a day is boring, but saying, "Would you like fries with that" for the rest of your life is a lot worse.

The member story above may have been edited for clarity.