Self-Destruction

A true story of life with ADD by: anonymous

In math, science, and art, I'm quicker at figuring things out than other kids. Like when my teacher tells us a new way to subtract fractions, it seems obvious to me and not to other kids. But when I'm trying to listen to someone talking or lecturing, my mind starts to wander.

Once when we were talking about plants in science, it made me think about my garden and what I was going to plant next year. And that made me think about a new kind of chili pepper that I'm going to try to plant for my dad because he likes spicy things. And that made me think about the hot dishes he used to eat when we lived in Singapore.

It feels sort of like branches on a tree, and pretty soon I don't know what the discussion is about any more. Sometimes this is good when I'm talking to someone, because it helps me branch out on our conversation. If I'm in class, it helps me bring up new ideas that no one else has thought of. But it also hurts me in class because I don't always fully get what the teacher is saying.

Sometimes I have complicated ideas that I can't explain to others. That really frustrates me, and I get upset with the person for not getting it! I guess you could say I cry pretty easily. This really bugs my mom. Sometimes I have the same sort of problem when I need to ask a question. I get stuck on a question because I can't formulate it. And I have the same problems when I'm trying to write down my ideas for a paper.

When I'm doing something that's hard for me, like writing, I drift off easily and end up doing a quick job so I can do something else that I'm better at. But then I don't get a very good grade on my essay, and I feel bad. The problem is, there are so many interesting things to do in my house; things that I think are just as educational as writing. It's hard for me to keep my focus on just one thing.