I always thought I was just failing at being normal.
No one ever said ADHD could look like this. I tried so hard to do the right things: homework, keeping a job, showing up on time, but it never stuck.
People told me I was lazy or careless, and after a while I started to believe it.
Now I’m older and I’ve learned more, and I can see it wasn’t laziness.
It was ADHD. But the damage is kind of done. I still hear those voices in my head every day.
I’m writing this on behalf of my 5 year old. He tells me his brain is too fast, and why can’t others just keep up? He tells me things move too slowly for him and he needs it to be faster. He is clever, kind and definitely misunderstood. He has been asked to do better…
I’m a teacher with ADHD. Nobody wants to say it out loud, but kids like me, kids with ADHD, aren’t “disabled enough” to get real support in school.I’ve seen it time and time again. A child finally gets their diagnosis. Their parent comes in, hopeful that this means some real help, maybe a plan, some…
I have ADHD, Bipolar Type 1 combined. The ADHD I have had my whole life, but the Bipolar started when I was 19. School was a living nightmare for me. I couldn’t remember things and I couldn’t write down what was on the board. I was punished for this and told I was lazy and…
I was diagnosed with autism first, and ADHD many years later.The contrast in how people respond to those two words has been eye-opening. When I mention autism, people are curious. They ask questions, they want to understand. When I mention ADHD, the reaction shifts — suddenly it’s about effort, parenting, or self-control. The empathy disappears,…
My son showed me the petition since I’m not on social media. I reckon it’s bloody great, but yeah, also pretty sad that it’s true, true about the lifetime of harm. It’s probably too late for me, but it gives me a bit of hope for my boy. If the people in charge actually listened…
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my late 30s, after one of my children was diagnosed. Since then, I’ve found myself starting to really loathe the school system. I can’t unsee the harm it has caused, not just for my child, but for me too. I feel like I’m stuck doing generational repair. It’s exhausting….