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Old Jul 16, 2015, 10:29 AM
Claire2015 Claire2015 is offline
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Member Since: Jun 2015
Location: London, England
Posts: 352
Quote:
Originally Posted by alwaysin6thgear View Post
There is a stigma that goes with having something like ADD, however, you can't control what other people think. People can be very shallow, ignorant judgmental and narrow minded. I think many parents are more concerned about what their circle of friends might think if of them if they had a child with ADD. I'm only 53 but in my parents generation and before you never talked about going to therapy and you never talked about your feelings. Back then if you acted differently you were considered "feeble minded" a moron. You were put in an asylum. Society was very cruel to people who were "different". In some cultures, even today, having a child with some form of disability, physically or mentally , brought shame on the family or it was a sign of the devil. The child was discarded, sent to an orphanage and disowned. Peoples religious beliefs have a lot to do with dealing with mental issues.
What your friend will at some point realize is that having ADD and making an effort to control it won't be as much as an issue as having it and not doing anything about it. People will judge her for her actions. One thing I notice about people your age, and I was there at one time, is that you worry way to much about what other people think of you, nothing wrong about making a good impression but kids try to hard to fit in an be accepted. I notice it more with girls especially when a guy is involved. Social Media is no help. In fact Facebook has had nothing but a negative effect on society, all it has done is make billionaires out of it's investors. People need to realize that your posts, pictures will never go away.
Today there are options to treat ADD unlike when I was a kid, your friend is at an age where she can make her own choice and her decisions will either lead her to failures or success. Unfortunately, a young kid doesn't have that option, no voice, he/she is at the mercy of their parents. Somebody in your friends family saw something that led them to get her tested, now she knows the reason for some of her behavior, but knowing and ignoring it is only going to make her life more and more difficult and for those around her. There are several books about ADD in women written by women who have it. Maybe it might be a good idea to either give a copy to her mother to pass on to your friend or leave for your friend for her to find, not telling her that it was from you and walk away for a bit. Her boyfriend maybe playing a big part in her behavior and their isn't much you can do. She'll learn the hardway. As I said I work at a college, and I found out very quickly that the study they did that said girls mature much quicker than guys was very true. Young guys today have absolutely no respect for women, they are basically @$$h0le$. When I was at that age we never treated women the way they do today.
Thank you so much for replying with all that i agree that it has a lot of stigma which could be why my friend believes she doesn't have it anymore as she is ashamed of being labelled with it. I personally don't think ADHD is a problem at all some traits can be tough to handle however the person beneath all those symptoms is usually a sweet, caring, funny, intelligent, sympathetic soul with a heart of gold. It's just a shame not all non-ADD'ers don't have a positive perspective on it like myself.

That must of been so hard having parents think you are 'feeble' minded or 'lazy' or whatever people would ignorantly pass it as. Thank God it is more popular today so people can be diagnosed and treated, although it is one of the most misdiagnosed mental illnesses. I feel sorry for ADD/HD'ers like yourself who are genuine and struggle to keep up with the way society is suited for non-ADD'ers as it means many people can pretend to have it just to get meds or be excused for being lazy or not wanting to work as hard for whatever reason.

I haven't come across someone pretending to have it, i have however got someone in my year that thinks 'she has' ADHD cause she can't be bothered to do certain tasks that involve effort... I have known her since we were 4 so i can say for a fact she has not got ADHD... Just wish she would stop going on about it and just have some respect for those people who wish they didn't have it.

You're 100% right she has to make her own decisions so maybe just letting her hit rock bottom will be a wake up call. As an 18 year old i applaud you for working in a college it must be so stressful, high school is probably one of the hardest things a teen goes through but college is more demanding. You must have your work cut out for you cause i know many people that are mouthy at my age and think they can say what they like.

I agree he is wayyyy to immature he has horrific social skills and is about as interesting as a brick wall.... But i think you're right she needs to learn the hardway, my only concern is how much more has she got to lose before she realises he is toxic? I mean if i lost 2 different friendship groups, got kicked out of college and lost my job since being with a guy i would definately reconsider the relationship and try to mend my life back up.

Thank you again for replying i appreciate it

Claire