Now that it’s September, school is starting again and with it, concerns from some about whether or not this will be another disaster waiting to happen. It’s not that the student is unprepared or unmotivated, it is that regardless of how hard they “try”, their efforts are for naught. They complain about their inability to stay focused, to be organized, to keep on task, to complete assignments, or to not lose and misplace things.

Imagine how difficult it would be term after term, semester after semester and year after year to hear that you aren’t trying, that you are lazy, that you aren’t working up to your potential. Patients tell me that they began to believe those words and felt demoralized and distraught. Sometimes the absorption of these negative thoughts leads one to feel anxious and or depressed and the schoolwork or job performance suffers. One begins to have a sense of underachievement and can show signs of stress, hypersensitivity, and low self-esteem.

If you can relate to any of this, I would advise you to consult with an ADHD/ADD specialist rather than suffer in silence. There is no need to ignore the signs and symptoms that your body may be telling you something is amiss. Case in point, a patient of mine most recently with tears in their eyes, share with me this past semester they got all A’s (a 4.0) in all their subjects and what was most pronounced, was this was the first time in their whole life that they had ever received an A, let alone an A in every subject. They remarked that now they knew that they weren’t lazy, or dumb, or unmotivated; if anything, they felt vindicated and motivated to continue their academic success.

If you are anyone you know thinks they may have ADHD or ADD, feel free to contact me either through this blog, the website at www.LarryEckman.com, or by phone at (503)492-2200.

As always, I am deeply appreciative of your questions, comments, feedback and suggestions.