Please help.

[ALTF4]

Hello! I am a junior in high school right now. I've always had trouble focusing on whatever anyone would say and can't understand direction until reading it slowly over and over again. I also daydream uncontrollably- sometimes to the extent of wasting 2-3 hours in one time doing so. In around 5thgrade, I would regularly sleep at around 12 am doing homework because I just could not focus. I would also keep bugging my friends to teach me what the teacher just taught because I could not focus on what the teacher was saying during his teaching. Then middle school came and the homework load doubled causing me to sleep on average at 1 am. The high school started along with volunteer and work and I began to sleep at 2-3 am. However, things have just spiraled out of my control this year. I am taking 6 AP classes right now along with 3 volunteer events per week along with work from 3-10 after school on Fridays. This is causing me to sleep at around 3-5 regularly- while waking up at 6:45. I really feel like I can't do this anymore. Homework is taking way too long to finish (I usually take much more time completing classwork that the rest of my classmates) and studying is just too hard because I always end up daydreaming- even when I have an exam the next day. My parents have always been academically strict so I have always maintained straight A's including this semester... so far. I just don't know how I am going to continue this with my terrible concentration and my inability to process information quickly. I wanted to let my parents know about my problems and to ask to find a psychologist who can tell me if I have ADD or ADHD or not but my parents don't really believe in ADHD. I've told my mother once but she told me that everything was just mentality and that I just need to have more willpower to get things done. But I know that that's not true. I'm struggling- not with the courses or even my schedule but that fact that I just don't have control over them. I wanted to get your input on what you think of my case. In your personal opinion, do you think I may have ADD or ADHD? Do/did you face similar problems as I have and still am? If you do see similarities between your case and mine, how do you think I should approach my parent to let me talk to a professional? I know this isn't in any way a diagnosis place but I wanted to get some input from first-hand people who have ADHD/ADD.

[Carlysla]

I think that even if you didn't have ADHD anyone would struggle with a workload like that! I have a lot of the same focusing issues as you and I have ADHD but because of that I have changed my life to work around it. I know for a fact I would not be able to keep my sanity if I had that much stress! Since you are in high school you should absolutely talk to a counselor or even the principal about this or the school psychologist, they really helped me a lot with everything.

[ALTF4 in reply to Carlysla]

Hahaha, yeah I'm working hard now so it'll pay off in a couple decades from now :))

Do counselors deal with this kind of stuff? Also, do you know if all school have a school psychologist?

Thank you so much for responding!

[Carlysla in reply to ALTF4]

Yes counselors absolutely deal with that! It is their job and what they are trained to do. I believe all high schools have a psychologist, and the counselor will refer you to them if you want to talk to them. I spent like all of high school bothering my counselors with all my problems lol... And they honestly can help you and can offer great advice! Also, they have a confidentiality agreement so unless there is risk to yourself or others they can't tell anyone what you tell them without permission 😊 also of course I really hope I can help just a little at least 😊

[PoppyWithADD]

Advocate for yourself! I absolutely relate to your story, yes, and do not want you to be like me and wait until your thirties to get acknowledgement! That is not nearly enough sleep and will harm your health as well as making your symptoms worse. My parents didn't believe me either and now my 69-year-old dad has finally admitted he probably has ADD too. He has made a good career and life for himself, and I have barely scraped by, and we are both very unique and smart and probably could have done a lot better if we had a little help. I still don't know what exactly "help" looks like for me, but I am trying. In high school I really just wanted extra time on standardized tests, because of the daydreaming (and re-reading, and overthinking...). Tell your parents some random 34-year-old on the internet says ADHD is real! Just kidding...mostly... Best of luck, you sound amazing!