Honestly, if you're losing friends, especialy ones who know you have ADHD, for talking "too much", then I don't think you have good friends, no offence what-so-ever.
I've lost friends, my so-called best friends, because they thought I was annoying and rude (Talking too much, getting upset and yelling over stupid things, interupting conversations, craving attention, etc.,) but now I've learned that they're all stupid and don't/didn't care about my feelings and that I act and look different at all.
Also, take meds if you want, not stopping you, but I've heard they make you feel zombie-ish and can cause headaches q:
I absolutely agree that friends should be understanding and accomodating of any symptoms you have due to ADHD (or any other mental illness / disorder). Although, personally, I don't think a mental illness / disorder should excuse being repeatedly rude or disrespectful to others. Of course, I'm aware that some things are much harder to control for those with ADHD, and I'm not trying to say that "talking too much" is rude. But, if a friend is upset that they're being interrupted constantly, I think it's fair for them to voice their concerns in a gentle and respectful way.
Obviously, if a friend doesn't accept you for who you are, they aren't a true friend. But still, mental illness doesn't give anyone a free pass to be rude to others. I think it's important that there's proper communication in all friendships, so that both sides feel respected and understood.
It would be interesting to hear others' thoughts on this. If you have ADHD, what advice would you give neurotypicals on how to treat those with ADHD? And, if you know someone with ADHD, are there any particular things you do to make them feel accepted and included?
Medication doesn’t work for everyone, but when used properly and prescribed by a doctor, it helps the majority of people who take it. Many people I’m close with have mental health issues (such as anxiety, ADHD, and depression) and are currently taking medication. It’s helped each and every one of them immensely with managing their symptoms. Recommending others not to take medication simply because you’ve heard about some potential side effects could be unnecessarily driving people away from something that could really help them.
100% agreed. There's still a stigma surrounding medication for mental illnesses, and dropping random side effects and hearsay doesn't help. It's a personal choice whether to take medication or not, but, for many people, it's necessary for them in order to function. Yes, these medications have potential side effects, but everyone will experience them differently. You will always take these medications under supervision of your doctor, who may try out different types to see what works best for you, and will probably start you on a smaller dose at first to minimise side effects. For me, I was terrified to start taking meds because of the side effects, but they ended up being a lot less bad than I'd anticipated. Just because there's a long, scary list of side effects, doesn't mean you'll experience all of them, if any at all.
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I'm sorry you're struggling, LBD :( You might find something helpful in this post, where I talk about academic stress and maths anxiety.
I think the person who would be most helpful here is your math teacher. Are you able to raise your hand during a lesson and get help if you don't understand something? Or, if that's too much, maybe you could approach them at the end of the lesson for help on the areas you're struggling in? For general tips, try slowing down, making sure you've read the question correctly and double-checking your answers. If any of your numbers are hard to read, or easily confused (often, I confuse my 0s and my 6s), make an effort to write them more carefully. Maybe do your working in pencil and keep a separate eraser on hand? The standard way of presenting your maths working is to work "down" instead of "across", i.e. start a new line for each new "=", and only cross things out once with a neat line.
I've also struggled with remembering how to use certain functions on my calculator, so I tend to make a note of which buttons to press, in which order. It seems extra, but it really helps if you're as forgetful as I am xD
"I’m behind everyone else in some ways, but good in other ways" -- I think what you've said here is very normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and know that your worth doesn't depend on a certain grade, or how well you do in a maths assignment. I hope school gets easier for you and that being able to vent your feelings on here has helped somewhat <3
