So nothing really leaps out when I think about this. So I guess I’ll tell 3 smaller stories to fill the word count. So I have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or as it’s most often called ADHD. Many of the initial studies of people with ADHD were based on 12-year-old males. Based on these flawed studies the first diagnostic was written. Because of this roughly 3 boys are diagnosed for every girl diagnosed. Statistically, girls tend to have different symptoms than boys, which effects the rates at which they are diagnosed. Also these symptoms are often approached differently. My mom still to this day will deny that I have a hyperactivity problem, because I’m not “hyper enough.” Because I can sit still for hours at a time I can’t possibly have this issue, which I think is unfair. The standard stencil for which most people are diagnosed excluded based on age, gender, and race. This in itself created an issue. Also people love to talk about how ADD/ADHD are over diagnosed. There could be a lot more diagnoses now that we understand it more and have been willing to look past a single story that more cases in girls and adults are being diagnosed. Furthermore, I think this “epidemic” could be cause by misdiagnosis of other things. Conditions such as Depression or Anxiety can display similar symptoms to ADHD, as anyone who has these conditions will typically also display some level of inattention. I saw another TED talk where a girl talked about her experience with her autism. She decided to google people with autism are and let google complete the sentence. I was inspired and decided to do the same. I the results were not inspiring. Now I no that this is also isn’t the only story, but it really doesn’t offer much hope.
I’ve also found that since I’ve started college studying a hard science people treat me a little differently when I tell them what I am studying. One of my close friends that I met my freshman year, later told me that, based on my appearance and demeanor, I came off as more of an English major or liberal arts type and that’s why people acted strangely when I said I was in science. The instance that stands out the most to me was when I went to Rutgers to set up my accommodations I was chatting with an advisor and an intern before delving into the details. They asked me what class I was taking and I told them Calculus 2. They were both like “That’s awful” and “I’m so sorry.” So I said “No, it’s not a big deal. I mean I liked Calculus 1 but I’m more of a chemistry/physics person. I’m excited to get my last math department math class out of the way.” After I said that they both stared at me like I was crazy. There was no small talk from then on. It was all business. They did, however, tell me that they were both History majors. They acted like we could have nothing in common because of my interest in science. I also mostly feel that people take me a little more seriously. And in a way I feel like I need to act more seriously, like sit up a little straighter or whatever. One of the things that I’ve been struggling with probably since before I came to college but it’s become so much more evident now that I’m in college. I realized and assumption that I had and it was really effecting how I was making friends. When I interact with new people I assumed that they didn’t want to or need to be my friend because they all ready had friends. Don’t get me wrong I’m not at all mad that my friends have other friends. I’m just scared that they will decide they don’t need me because they have other friends. It’s weird because a part of the statement is true. Most of the people I have met and will every meet will have other friends. But the second part of that statement, that they don’t need me because they have other friends is not at all based in fact.
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AuthorMy name is Paige Dinneny. I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech and a first year member of SERVE. Archives
December 2016
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