Do I lack intelligence or is my disorder?

I need to get a degree because I'm stuck in a minimum wage job. I'm 24 and I still don't have even an Associates degree. When I finished high school I went straight to work at a fast food store and I'm pretty much stuck.

The reason I don't have my Bachelors by now is because I just can't study. I took general education classes at a community college and it just made me frustrated. Two of the four classes I took were Fundamentals of English and Intro To Algebra, based on my placement score. So that's another issue. Even though I went up to algebra 1 in high school and passed, I basically forgot or wasn't proficient enough. Then I got to Algebra 1 and English 101 and US History. I dropped all of them the first time. Then a year later I tried again in Eng 101 and finished with an A grade. But Algebra again totally frustrated me.

In 2010 I was diagnosed with ADD, and took Adderall. But it didn't help me in my studies. The adderall game me side effects and I stopped.

I take way too long to learn things. I have to repeat it to myself over and over. I think slowly and new situations freak me out. I'm losing confidence in myself completely. My short term memory is weak, because I can't handle multiple bits of info at once. I've just been scared, anxious, depressed, and nervous about life since high school. In high school I realized it was getting hard for me to learn.

I can write and speak but that's about it. I'm not really learning how to do things. It feels like I don't have any substantial knowledge in anything useful. The only thing that makes me happy is watching movies and TV shows and stuff like that.

I don't have a social life because I'm always fearful of being a totally idiot and not knowing something.

If I just have some kind of learning disability what am I supposed to do?

Have you been tested for a LD? Those kinds of tests measure your IQ and then compare it to your scores in specific areas (memory, spatial reasoning, etc.) as well as grades. You can do very poorly on tests and still be very intelligent. If the scores don't match up, then likely, it is a LD or something else, not your intelligence that is holding you back. I think it might be helpful to get evaluated.

As for school, have you tried tutoring? You said you like to watch movies. Is there any way that you can take the things that you enjoy and incorporate them into your learning? Such as watching a documentary about a specific subject or watching tutorials on how to do math problems? Have you tried talking to a counselor at your school?

Don't give up... people with ADD and LD can be very successful. You can do it!

I think you need to find something that interests you so you aren't just getting "a degree" but are wanting to learn something specific. I find it very hard to study or work in classes I don't like if I don't have some reason I am taking the class besides it being there, next on the list of what I "have to" take.

First off, thank you so much for the reply.

Question 1: No I haven't. The closest I've gotten to that is when I met with the psychologist specializing in ADHD. He said it was unusual that "my speaking ability is not hindered while everything else is difficult." The topic of LD didn't come up, and he pretty much concluded that my ADHD is so intense that it conflicts with every mental function. I should probably get a formal test for my IQ.

Question 2: Yes, since I realized that I learn easier with audio and video, I turned to websites like KhanAcademy.org. It has helped my math skills, and I did improve in proficiency. Also I have been watching documentaries on science and history heavily for the past six years.

But I still don't feel comfortable in a classroom. Maybe the classroom environment is part of the problem. I do have very high anxiety around strangers.

Thanks so much for your encouragement. Yes, I do believe that my knowledge is improving over time but it's very slow.

In general, I fear that with my LD symptoms that it will be very hard for me to learn at a required pace, like for instance, In a new job situation.

If I could just think and learn a little bit faster all my other problems woudn't matter.

I feel I can relate a lot. Initially I clicked on this post out of curiosity and I'm surprised at how much what you say echoes my own situation. I've been strongly considering being tested for a learning disorder or ADHD because I have always had an abnormal psychology but have had trouble putting my finger on it. Finding ways to cope with my anxiety and depression I ended up stumbling across coping methods for ADHD and was really taken aback that the coping methods that worked best for me to counteract my depression and anxiety are also really good for working with ADHD...

Anyway, I digress..

What I really mean to share is that I flunked out of 2 years trying to do my general education to the point that the PELL grant would not support me anymore. I found an online school related to many interests I have and I have been surprised at how easy it is for me to keep on my studies (Even when I fall behind!), how much I really absorb, and how much I actually feel like I'm learning. I think online learning is my best bet for continued education just because I connect one on one much better than in a classroom setting. With online schooling I might not be one-on-one with the teacher but I'm definitely one-on-one with the learning material and can take whatever time I need to learn it for myself rather than sitting with 20 other people trying to understand what the teacher is saying but being unable to really interrupt when I need to.

I have been frustrated a long time by time-constraints in my society and culture especially when it comes to working and school, but I've been finding ways to be patient with myself and to speak with others so that they can come to understand what it is I need to reach a faster pace or at least compromise on speed vs quality.

Best of luck!

Thank you so much. At least I'm not alone.