I would like to hear about your experience being in school or working in healthcare and coping with the daily challenges of ADHD. What's been your experience studying? Do you have any tips? What has been your struggle?
I miraculously passed the entrance exam by the 3rd time this past june and started the nursing program in June at the age of 39. It's been one of the hardest and toughest things for me. I've always struggled majorly my entire life with with school, mostly with not being able to focus, concentrate, comprehend information or retain it. And I've always felt really bad about myself. So I gave up on school at the age of 29. I went to several community colleges on and off after high school but I couldn't stick to a field of study, I changed it at least 5 times and nursing being one of them. Until recently I decided to do more research about ADHD and went to the doctor and he confirmed that I definitely have it. So i decided to try to go back to school again because I was just so sick of working as a nanny for years, even though i love kids I just couldn't do it any more. I've been obsessing about my future with no health insurance and etc so now I'm really determined that I'm not going to give up when it gets hard and suffer through the studying aspect of school and become a nurse like I've always dreamed of. Prior to that I worked as a nursing assistant on the pediatric unit for 6 years and I loved it so much. Just looking to connect with you guys and get some tips and read about your stories. Thanks.
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Sunshine1992
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I struggle with procrastination and I also feel like I have a learning disability because I cannot recall new information. I’m guessing this is just part of ADHD. I’m not hyper or anything like that but I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was a kid but it got better over the years I think.. I really want to start college but my memory is absolutely horrible. I can’t remember anything I’ve learned and not even anything from highschool..you could give me an algebra problem and I wouldn’t know how to solve it. It’s quite embarrassing. I feel so behind in life :(( such a struggle. I also have anxiety/depression as well. Which doesn’t help lol
I have gone to university and college and the best thing I can suggest is take lots and lots of notes, highlight what is important, and have a couple friends in the class who can remind you of assignments and other school work. Agendas and reminders in your phone are also essential. Taking breaks when you need to throughout the lecture is also really helpful (don't worry if you miss some information the profs usually send the slideshows). I would also maybe look into getting into the accessibility program that is at the school for extra time on exams and assignments. You'll also be able to take tests in private rooms if you're part of the accessibility program. If you are passionate about nursing I think the interest in the subjects will make you want to stay and complete the program. I too have terrible self esteem when it comes to learning but we're resilient and persevere and I think when there's a passion for a subject matter we can hyper focus. It is also worth looking into an ADHD coach or a psychologist that works with people with ADHD to help get organized, develop time management skills and works on self esteem.
People with ADHD often have low self esteem because our whole lives we're told we're not good enough or not a 'good' student. The fact is that our brains process information differently and we don't learn the same way other people do, we don't fit into the rigid structure of the education system (and that's okay!!) People with ADHD are extremely creative and are often entrepreneurs because we can create ideas and jump from idea to idea. It's common to do a lot of different jobs as a person with ADHD or jump from profession to profession.
When times get really hard and I want to quit my job or school I also seek support of a professional and make sure I'm eating properly and taking my medication - I work on my mental health so that I can stay on top of everything.
Also be kind and gentle to yourself. Make sure you're resting and recharging your energy. Sometimes when I'm in a really negative self talk I ask myself, "would I say this to my best friend?" Then why would you say those things about yourself. I hope this helps! You can do it!
It's really good to hear somebody else going through what I am going through. It's like the toughest obstacle in the world to overcome especially because the standards of work are really high in this industry - and it's all about how well you memorize and understand and study - all the things that I cannot do without focus.
It's like, I can only focus 'sometimes' and it comes like a wave, and then I can't stop. But the smallest distraction - and it's gone - I'm somewhere else.
I want to continue taking online classes to get my certification as a nursing assistant, my friend has recommended these courses cnaclasses101.com/online/ I'm not sure if anybody has ever heard of this but it's basically all online. And that is like the worst for my ADD. Most of the educational platforms look like that and I get extremely anxious and exhausted just by looking at it.
Does anybody have any tips for studying online without losing focus? Or perhaps any ADD-friendly platforms?
(PS I don't take medication because it gives me anxiety)
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