I am a junior in college in a health care major and I am one failed test away from getting dismissed from my major. I have always been a poor test taker because I have difficulty retaining material. I have had this issue my entire life but my parents never suspected adhd because I'm very shy and keep to myself, never drawing any attention. My parents did not believe in medicating either. I have had difficulty with reading comprehension my entire life, I have to read things over and over and over again for them to click. I got by in high school with b's and c's, math being my worst subject. I have always been a hands on learner, anything else never clicks. However, my issue goes deeper than just academia.
I often find myself taking long pauses to gather my thoughts in the midst of telling a story. I consistently interrupt people's conversations, sometimes with statements that make no logical sense being introduced. I cannot study or accomplish anything with noise or distractions in the background. Criticism brings me to tears and I'm often viewed as emotionless by my friends because I constantly zone out. I lose focus during normal tasks like laundry and cleaning the house and I'll come back in a room and see a mess and get mad at myself for my lack of attention. The past year I have seen a big increase in my procrastination and it's starting to really hinder how I go about my daily routine.
I have some questions:
1) Do these symptoms seem like ADHD or ADD?
2) If so, how should I tell my pcp doctor about this? I know there is a huge stigma around college and adderall type medications, how can I assure her that I am not going to abuse it if she chose to prescribe it?