Ryan:I was diagnosed with ADHD at eight years old. Lexi:I was diagnosed with ADHD six years ago. Jake:I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 14. Raphaella:I was just diagnosed this year with ADHD. My symptoms are always, it's hard for me to focus. I was so distracted. Ryan:Really, throughout my childhood, I just felt overwhelmed constantly. I would always be second guessing really every decision that I made. Lexi:I get really hyper focused on things. I remember when I was in fourth grade and I was in the Book Nook, and I was reading and I looked up and everyone was gone. And it turns out they had left for an assembly, and I had just not even heard a thing. Jake:I started struggling in school. My grades just started slipping and I couldn't seem to focus. It was frustrating, diminishing. Just soul crushing. It just made me feel bad about myself and anxious. Raphaella:I had an appointment for a psychiatrist. And I don't know, it was kind of a relief that she diagnosed me. Jake:I was actually relieved because at least I knew that I wasn't just suddenly starting to fall apart. There was a reason behind it. And that made me feel good because I knew that I could get help and that it was something that could be fixed. My pediatrician walked me through different treatment options. Raphaella:Honestly, I was a little bit scared when I heard medication. I think why I was so scared was because I heard there's side effects to it. And I just didn't want anything to take away from me being me. But I did it, and we started off slower. And I saw that it helped me. Lexi:When I take my medication, it gets a lot easier with managing all the different aspects of my life. Strategies that have helped me deal with my ADHD, I need to take breaks. But the key is, is that I need to set a specific time for how long that break is. Ryan:When your brain is mentally fatigued and you're frustrated, when you take deep breaths, it essentially resets your brain. So that's one skill that I've definitely picked up on. Meditation, I've picked up on. I really feel like that helps to redirect my focus. Raphaella:Organization. Don't put it down, put it away. Jake:Support is very important. And if you're not comfortable with your parents, you can always go to a friend or a guidance counselor or a school advisor. Ryan:I honestly wish that I learned from a younger age how I could better advocate for myself. Lexi:Know that you're not alone and that people are there to help you. You've just got to accept the help. And I know that it's something that's hard to do. But if you don't accept the help, life won't get better. Jake:I always thought people would judge me. But I wish I'd known it's a normal thing, you can't control it. And if you need help, you need help. Raphaella:We just have a different mind, and you've just got to work around it and be your best self.

Raphaella:Hi, I'm Raphaella and I have ADHD Edward:And I'm Raphaella's dad. Robin:My son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of nine. Jaime:I'm a parent of a teenager with ADHD. Rowen:My name is Rowen and I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was nine. Amy:And, I'm Rowen's mom. So, do you remember what your first symptoms were? Rowen:I was very hyperactive. I remember that. I had a lot of trouble focusing, got in trouble a bit in class. Jaime:My son was eight years old when we first noticed symptoms. A lot of them were academic, but there were also behavioral symptoms such as impulsivity and yelling out. Robin:When my son was nine years old, he started leaving things. We started getting frustrated that he was just forgetful until one day one of his teachers called me to say that she thought Ben might have ADHD. Edward:Then, we're getting calls from her teachers. So, I kind of was onto the idea that she might have it. I didn't know how severe it was until we really sat down with a pediatric neurologist. Amy:When I heard that she had ADHD, I think I felt relieved, and really we just wanted to make sure that we knew what would help her the most. Jaime:Our pediatrician was the one who officially diagnosed our son. The pediatrician wanted to put him on medicine right away, but I was a little hesitant. So, for a while I put it off. Edward:This idea of her going on medication, it's scary because you hear side effects. Robin:In the end, we tried the medications. It took a lot of experimentation before we got it right. Amy:Kids with ADHD can be hard to manage and a lot of extra work and can be very tiring. So, make sure that you can give yourself a break and find ways to relax. Edward:I think the first thing is not to panic and there is help out there. There's a lot of help. Jaime:I joined a support group of moms who also had kids with ADHD. That helped me to be able to speak to parents about what I'm going through in everyday life and what it's like raising a child with ADHD. Robin:I think one of the best things for me was when I realized that I had friends and I had my sister and we could talk to each other and we could commiserate. Jaime:I wish I had not hesitated as long to put him on medicine. It was really a game changer for him and for everybody around him. Amy:I wish I knew and could have been stronger to just say there's no normal and not normal. There's just the ways that different brains work. Edward:There's something in their brain that keeps them always being creative. It's that spark in the beginning. It's that excitement. Robin:Having gone through this journey with my son and all of the struggles and now he's in college and he's doing great. So, just because your child doesn't fit some sort of mold that you may have in your head or that society has in its head, don't worry about it. They're going to be fabulous.

Dr. Kojo Sarfo:ADHD is a mental health condition. It stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. So, a lot of times people think that ADHD is an issue where you struggle with a deficit in attention, but it's actually an issue with regulating your attention. Dr. Judith Joseph:And it's actually quite common, so people typically have symptoms of inattention, poor organization, forgetfulness, poor attention to detail, and also they can have symptoms of impulsivity and hyperactivity. Some people have a combination of all of these things and others may have a purely inattentive type or a hyperactive impulsive type. And it typically shows before the age of 12. Dr. Elizabeth Feingold:A lot of people think that you need to have neuro-psych testing to have a diagnosis of ADHD, but it actually is a clinical diagnosis. Dr. Judith Joseph:So, some common misconceptions about ADHD is that it is a behavioral problem and that you can discipline a child out of it. And this can be quite traumatizing for a child because a lot of times it's really not their fault. Dr. Elizabeth Henry:I hear a lot of parents say, "my child can focus on video games and activities that they like. So, they can't have ADHD." And that's a misconception because kids with this condition can focus for short periods of time on things that they like to do. The problem arises when they have to focus for long periods of time on activities that aren't very stimulating and that's when you see the trouble crop up in school. Dr. Elizabeth Feingold:I hear a lot, "my kid's really smart, but they're lazy." Dr. Kojo Sarfo:It's not a learned behavior, it's neurodevelopmental. So, you're most likely born this way. Dr. Judith Joseph:Validating a child and letting them know that this is a medical condition can be quite powerful. Dr. Elizabeth Feingold:There's not a one-size-fits-all treatment. So, it's a little bit of trial and error. The gold standard for treatment for ADHD is to use the stimulants. Dr. Judith Joseph:But then there's newer medications that are in the pipeline. So, if one type doesn't work for you, there are many more to try with a skilled provider. Dr. Elizabeth Henry:Usually the pediatrician or the family practitioner, the primary care provider is the first person to start a child on medication. But sometimes you need one or two different types of medications and that's when a psychiatrist is best. Dr. Elizabeth Feingold:For patients that don't want to go on medication, first, they need to focus on sleep. Not just getting the quantity of sleep, but getting the good quality of sleep. Dr. Kojo Sarfo:And also exercise, getting that regular aerobic exercise in can do wonders for the brain. Dr. Judith Joseph:There is a type of organizational skills therapy and you work closely with someone, so that you develop skills and tools over time so that you can cope with the symptoms of ADHD better. Dr. Elizabeth Feingold:I think it's really helpful to put academic supports in place. Supplementing their education with a tutor is really helpful and it helps to really raise their confidence level. Dr. Kojo Sarfo:When people bring awareness to a condition like ADHD, people are more likely to go out and get the help that they need.