Teen Voices the Realities of Living with ADD

At the Witches’ Voice there is an essay by Katryna who candidly writes about life as a teen with ADD/ADHD.

“ADD/ADHD: How to Make it into a Positive Journey”
www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usmd&c=words&id=14318

“I think my main problem with ADD/ADHD is how people try to “fix” it, and how they handle this “problem”. They try to make you concentrate by doing negative things, such as taking away your TV, or freedom, or whatever other privileges you might have if you can’t concentrate. They yell at you if you do something wrong. And if you can’t change into a perfect child fast enough, the rules only get stricter. Let me tell you right now; it doesn’t work that way. It only makes things worse. And somehow, I want to change that. I don’t think ADD/ADHD is always a curse. It’s not this huge problem you’ve got to “fix”. And never ever, should the person believe something is so wrong with themselves that they hate themselves. ”

Katryna outlines three steps to turning the struggle of ADD/ADHD into a positive experience of growth and self awareness. 1. education about ADD/ADHD 2. find treatment 3. “The third thing is where it gets hard. This is the part where you take it from a negative into a positive. It’s not just changing the way you deal with it, but also about how you think about it.”

She recommends Born to Explore! The Other Side of ADD borntoexplore.org/index.html as a must read resource. The site has a comprehensive section on what ADD is and isn’t. Some of the controversy over who should be diagnosed and whether it is strictly a brain chemical issue or series of other behaviors or health issues culminating in an ADD diagnosis. In the Positive and Alternative Viewpoints section, there are articles on alternative treatment, famous people with ADD, positive quotes, and reader’s personal stories.

Katryna’s essay and the Born to Explore website are a must read for anyone with ADD/ADHD and their family.