October is ADHD Awareness Month So Let’s Talk About It

October is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month. I wasn’t aware of this until recently. No one I talked to on campus knew ADHD Awareness Month existed either. I suppose it’s easy for it to get buried under the many other critical awareness causes that October marks, like LGBTQ+ history, AIDS awareness and breast cancer awareness. 

However, we must understand ADHD because the continuation of stereotypes about ADHD can negatively harm those who have it.

 ADHD is a mental health disorder marked by short attention span, mental and/or physical hyperactivity and social-occupational dysfunction. People with ADHD are often gifted at creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, but it can also negatively affect mood, academic performance, memory and social skills.

Even if you don’t have ADHD, understanding how it affects the college experience can help you to be a supportive friend and peer. Chances are you likely know someone who struggles with it. But did you know that the disorder presents much differently than it’s stereotypically expected to? 

Many students who struggle with ADHD have their experiences swept under the rug or don’t receive proper medical treatment because they don’t seem like the typical hyperactive image that people expect. I do fit the stereotype. I’m loud, overly talkative and often say anything I think without a second thought. 

However, even I have experienced barriers to treatment because I didn’t appear ADHD enough. I once had a doctor tell me that I couldn’t possibly have ADHD because I didn’t fidget or lose my train of thought during the appointment, even though at that point I had already received the diagnosis. 

Hearing language like this still makes me nervous to seek accommodations in school — even if I really need them — for fear that people will think I’m faking or using it as a cop-out. 

Below are some of the stereotypes myself and others have noticed or encountered.

Everyone thinks of a lack of focus when they hear the phrase ADHD. Less discussed are symptoms like hyperfocus, a state of highly focused, singular attention that lasts a significant amount of time. This typically happens when one is either so interested in a task that completing it feels easy and natural, or when one finds the energy to push through the mental barriers to starting or completing a task that ADHD creates. The latter can be challenging to work past. 

Sometimes, people with ADHD hear from others that they couldn’t possibly be struggling the way they say they are because they can focus on tasks in this way. Other times, people with ADHD internalize the false narrative that because they can hyperfocus on some tasks, any task they can’t complete is a failure on their part, indicative of laziness. This brings a lot of internal shame and stops people from seeking help because they believe they shouldn’t need it or don’t deserve it.

ADHD is typically perceived as making the people who struggle with it boisterous, unruly and excessively talkative. While some of us do fit that cliché on many levels, just as many don’t identify with it at all. In fact, I spoke to three students with ADHD who have very thoughtful, calm and composed demeanors. They all agreed that they wish more people understood how differently it can present itself for individuals.

“The stereotype of a person with ADHD is somebody who can't focus on anything for a minute and is constantly bouncing off the walls and stuff. I don't really fit into that. I can hyperfocus on stuff for hours. So long as I have something small to fidget with, I can sit completely still and be fine,” civil engineering freshman Mara Dupres said.

Senior English major Ben Pope said: “My ADHD presents differently than I think in general people probably imagine, in terms of stereotypes like having extra energy or bouncing off the walls. For me, it presents more like an internal sort of storm. Like an internal monologue that's bouncing all over the place.” 

Sometimes, the never-ending internal monologue is helpful. Pope and I discussed how having bouncing thoughts helps him analyze literature and write creative, imaginative essays. However, those darting thoughts can also turn into a storm that feels insurmountable. As one’s thoughts race out of control, anxiety mounts. This is so stressful that it can cause the manifestation of physical symptoms like headaches, trembling and sweating or upset stomach, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

This causes physical pain and exhaustion, making it much harder to get anything done or feel okay. The more people ignore how the disorder can affect them outside of the stereotypically accepted symptoms, the more individuals with ADHD will feel isolated, outcast and unable to figure out what’s ‘wrong’ with them or seek treatment. 

Rina Klein, a junior studying English literature and microbiology, echoed this. “I’ve always been pretty quiet and mild-mannered. I think that's part of why I resisted the diagnosis. I'm not like, you know, like the class clown or whatever. I only had a picture in my head of some kid who can't sit still or who's always in trouble,” she said.

“It’s something that has a sizable spectrum of ways that the symptoms manifest. I wish that the world knew more than the one stereotypical picture of a Ritalin patient, you know? I think that having less of a monolithic understanding of ADHD would have really benefited me a lot in the past. I wish that people knew better about how it's something that manifests and shows up in a lot of different ways,” she said.

If you have ADHD and think you need accommodations, don’t be afraid to ask. You can learn more about the guidelines and how to get started at montana.edu/disabilityservices/guidelines/adhd.html or stop in at the Office of Disability Services at 137 Romney Hall.