ADHD. This is a complicated one. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This means you have problems focusing, extra energy, memory problems, and a whole bunch of problems. For me personally, its focusing, memory and energy.

I forget things. A lot. Sometimes it’s what I said two seconds ago, what I was writing about, what I was planning on doing or even how to write my name.

My mind is a mess. I’m thinking about what people think about me, I’m trying to do school work while wanting to just go home. At home, I feed off the energy at home.

There are three other people with ADHD at home and we are a mess. We all want to talk, interrupting each other and then getting mad when someone interrupts us. In a family of seven, there is only so much time for each of us to say something.

I forget a lot of things at home. What chores I was going to do, what we are doing that night, things like that. My memory basically sucks. So if I ask you the same question three times, just go with the flow. I have no idea what I’m doing.

I struggle focusing. I can hear all the people around me, I’m thinking about what I want to write, the things I need to do, people I need to help and how to get to the next class while avoiding the most people. I day dream, zone out and it sucks.

ADHD gives you a lot of energy. Tapping my foot, swinging my leg, clicking a pen. I just have to do something or else I’ll just explode. Add Anxiety and how much energy I get from that, If I’m not moving I’m sick.

On a good day, it’s not much of a problem. I can function and do the basics. But on a day where I’m also anxious, I struggle a lot.

I self-medicate through music, it blocks my anxiety and focusing problems. I use it as white noise while I try to write or do work. As I’m writing this, Pandora is playing ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ With my headphones in one ear, I can listen to teachers or focus on the task at hand.

I do have medicine for my ADHD, and it doesn’t go very well. First of all, it’s a pill to help me remember, but I can’t even remember to take it. Yeah, doesn't quite work out.

Second, it changes me and I don’t like it. Meds suck.

Two of my brothers have been taking pills since they could eat solids. One is Autistic with ADHD while the other had ADHD. When they heard I was getting meds, they had all of these things for me to do.

My problem, is that I can’t take pills. Like, I can’t. The only way is with food and who eats in the morning? They say how easy it is, that I just need to get into the Rythm of things.

Just because you have the same mental illness doesn’t mean you do the same things and that the same coping skills will work. My brother and dad focus through lists of what they need to do. Lists make me anxious because all I see are things I haven’t done yet. My other brother keeps his hands busy with cards or fidget toys, I lose rings that are on my fingers.

Everyone deals with things differently. ADHD had ruined my memory, but my brother has the most perfect memory I've seen. It’s like with a disease, I can push through a cold while I had a friend that was crippled with any sickness. Being open minded is the best thing a person can do.