College student struggling with ADHD? - CHADD's Adult ADH...

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College student struggling with ADHD?

merc30 profile image
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How do I know if I have ADHD? I used to be a 4.0 student in high school and now I am about to fail out of college. I have started to notice more symptoms of ADHD but do not know if I am overanalyzing the situation. I have lost all motivation to go to class and I don't do any of my homework. I've been doing this since my freshman year in 2018 after I dropped out of the AFROTC program at SDSU. I do not know if this is caused by my potential ADHD or if I am just depressed or lazy. For the past 4 months Ive been telling myself that I will change my ways but never do. I can make a list and write down everything in my calendar but then never act on it. I find ways to distract myself, whether it be social media, TV/ movies, being involved in other peoples lives, or being involved in my fraternity.

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merc30
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You can try this quick quiz, it's very similar to the questions you would be asked in an assessment

psycom.net/adhd-test (you dont have to put in your email at the end just click next for results)

If you'd like to formally find out, the app I used was called circle medical and you can set up a specific video assessment for ADHD with someone that's in 2 parts if that kind of thing is your preference

A ton of us have the feeling of being lazy or defective for not being able to get our brain to do a task so you're not alone in that, and it's very common to develop depression/anxiety as a side result of ADHD symptoms they overlap a lot

it's important to note if any of these symptoms showed up when you were younger, as it can be other things if they were not. I did well in school because I enjoyed learning, but I would still daydream and fidget any time it was boring or I finished work fast.

Dinosaur_Guy profile image
Dinosaur_Guy

Hi, so I very recently got diagnosed. And despite suspecting since my earliest year in collage I only search for this diagnosis now because I am about to start my Master Thesis. There was no way I would start it without trying to "fix" this ADHD thing first! I had a similar path as yours: i had the best grades from school until high school, and even then I finished it with an average of 18 out of 20 points. But my bachelor degree took me 4 and a half years to finish instead of just 3... and with non of those previous good grades! I really struggled in college.

I would refuse any confirmation about my ADHD back in the day just duo to my dumb pride... But the true is that I kind of regret it. I believe things could have been easier: not arriving late to classes, not constantly entering to the wrong classroom, not missing assignments deadlines, not starting projects 'the night before', not mixing up the exams dates.... and so on.

So my advise is for you to seek an expert who can tell you for sure if your suspicions are right in other for you to get the proper tools to overcome the difficulties you've been feeling.

Don't delay it too much!

advancedassessments.co.uk/r...

This pdf is the interview script/query used in Europe. It's quite extensive but it takes some time to complete it.. I'll leave it here just in case you wanna try.

All the best for you and try to stay close to people you trust.

MsJackie profile image
MsJackie

Hi, I can really relate to your situation. I was an excellent student thru high school, and for my first 2 years of college (because I was at an easy, low-key school). Then I transferred to a difficult school (but with a great reputation so I wanted to be there), and suddenly everything was very difficult and for the first time in my life I felt stupid. It battered my self-esteem and confidence.

What I have learned since then is that when I was in high school and earlier, I was in a very supportive environment, with parents, teachers, and even friends helping me and encouraging me. My life was structured around school. Once I went away to college, that structure and support was no longer there and I had to fend for myself. Having ADHD (of which I had no clue at the time), I struggled - I was depressed, couldn't study, procrastinated, did poorly. I too dropped out of ROTC (Army) - and gave up a full scholarship!

I dropped out of that college (to my parents' dismay and alarm), but then I transferred (yet again) to another college that was not as intense and offered a more supportive environment. It was still difficult but I managed to graduate.

Back then, no one knew about ADHD (I'm old lol) so there wasn't a place to turn for help. It wasn't until many years later that I learned I have ADHD. I'm sure it would have made my life a lot easier in college if I'd had the knowledge and treatment you can get today.

I strongly encourage you to seek professional help and get a diagnosis (you sound like you have it, but find out for sure). I wish you the best of luck!

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