“Rachel has trouble focusing in the classroom and staying awake” is a sentence that has been plastered on my school report cards since I was 7, and it clearly addresses concern about both of my disorders. Narcolepsy and ADHD.
As a kid, I was always sleepy and distracted. I found it hard to finish my projects and stay awake during school performances but it never occurred to me that I was suffering from a medical disorder. Looking back, I thought that everyone was distracted and tired but I soon discovered that was not the case.
In second grade, I realized that I was different. I would fall asleep all the time; during class, at the playground, and especially when I was at restaurants with my family. It got so bad that one time I fell asleep
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They affected my ability to focus as well as my ability to say awake and for years I used my conditions as an excuse for my mediocre grades that littered my transcript. They were a reflection of how I prioritized my schoolwork. Poorly.
The summer after my sophomore year an experience changed me. I attended a Syracuse Summer College Program to study Fashion Design and Creative Writing. There I became friends with a small group of kids who were incredibly self motivated. Working with and around them inspired me to try harder.
By the end of my junior year I began to see modest results from my hard work. I was determined to prove that despite the hurdles I face I could achieve just like anyone else. During my senior year I have become very involved with 3 different positions of leadership. I am currently involved as a Bridge Builders Leadership Board Member, as President of the Jack and Jill of America, and as President of the D.E.C.A club that I chartered this year at my school. In performing in these leadership roles I have discovered that working with a group to establish a goal and working hard to achieve that are two particular strengths that motivate me. I believe will serve me well in college and
Narcolepsy is a permanent sleep disorder that gets worse with age. It is estimated that about 40,000 to 135,000 people in the United States have narcolepsy. (Narcolepsy, 2002). Most people who have narcolepsy are often times misdiagnosed because the symptoms, especially if noticed at the beginning stages, are very similar to other sleep disorders. Some of the symptoms that go along with narcolepsy are excessive sleepiness, especially during the daytime or when sleep is inappropriate, cataplexy which is when a person suddenly looses control of their muscles, sleep paralysis which is when the person is unable to move for a short period of time after they wake up from sleep, and hypnagogic hallucinations which is very
When most people sit down in class they seldom think about the amount of effort that is subconsciously exerted just to focus on what is being said. Those who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD, are constantly reminded of the daunting task that is focusing. Living with ADHD is a fatiguing task, that has adverse psychological effects on those who suffer from the disorder. The inability to focus accompanies ADHD, which opens the pathway for other complications that carry a heavy burden. These complications lower self-esteem and can generate complications amongst friends and family.
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder are a disorder that greatly affects children, teens, and adults. Although it is most prominent and know about in children 10 and under adolescent and adult aged people also suffer. ADHD causes people to have a hard time sitting still or even focusing on one thing for a period of time. ADHD may be caused by Genetic, Neurobiological, or Psychological factors. ADHD may also be comorbid with another disorder. The first National ADHD Awareness day was on September 7, 2004 (Kring, 2012, P. 399).
Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopment psychiatric disorder which affects the executive functions of the body. For many people suffering from the disorder, they have issues with paying attention to a particular issue for a long period. They also exhibit signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness which is not in line with an individual’s age (NIH, 2014). The symptoms of the disease normally occur in the children aged between six to twelve and have to persist for approximately six months for a diagnosis to be made. Many school going children that suffer from ADHD develop symptoms such as lack of attention which normally lead to poor performance in their tests and exams. Many people do not know the implications of having ADHD and for some the cases go undetected for a long period (ADHD Health, n.d). There are those individuals that do not suffer from the disease but since the medication enables one to have more concentration on an issue, they abuse the drug for their benefits. Before I was diagnosed with the disease, my parents could not understand my poor performance and I could not understand why it was so hard for me to concentrate in class no matter how hard I tried. The dismal results that I continued to display in school and lack of attention even when I was at home made my parents take me to the hospital for tests that indicated that I suffer from ADHD. For me, I did not quite understand how this happened but I was put on medication that
Society demands more from a person than it has ever before. Day by day, people move at a lightning pace to keep themselves afloat in a never ending sea of tasks and goals. For individuals with ADD, managing to keep their own personal boat on course is difficult. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a condition where a person may have trouble focusing, sitting still, or performing day to day executive functions. To those affected, everything is interesting and prioritizing objectives become an afterthought. Several kids are placed on medications in order to combat distraction. While there is no known definite cause of ADD, there has been significant increase in people diagnosed
I find myself to be a natural leader in service, community, education, and daily life. I have pushed myself in my schooling to ensure I was taking control of my own education. With my commitment to education I have been in charge of classes, service projects, and club events. This past year my teacher chose me to lead the beginning and intermediate chorus class while she is there and when she is absent. Having this responsibility makes me take my education and the education of the other students in that class. I have spent much of my own time that I could have spent on my other classes to ensure that everyone is understanding the material and prepared for performances. Being able to use my leadership skills to help others with music performance, theory, and other aspects has pushed myself further than I thought I could. Dealing with others that are my age and younger can become discouraged and aggravating at times, but I try to stay determined no matter what the circumstance I’m in. My determination has pushed myself to remain calm in situations and continue my service work no matter what the issue. My qualities that I have gained in high school, I feel have prepared myself to move to East Carolina University and hopefully into the Leadership Program. The Leadership Program is a place I feel I could thrive in the community and the
When given the option to choose a condition to write a paper on I was immediately drawn to ADD and ADHD because these conditions are something that has had a direct effect on my life. These two disabilities weren’t just words to me, they were my reality. My father had ADHD but we were never told the name of it, rather that he just couldn’t sit still and needed to tinker, so dad was a tinkerer. It wasn’t until years later that I was diagnosed with ADD, which I realized that it was a condition that could helped. I wasn’t alone in my diagnosis, my little sister, my husband and my daughter all have ADHD. For many I think these conditions are just words or labels to put on inattentive children, but I think if they had more education about the
In the seventh grade I attended School of the Future. The previous middle school I went to was Ross Global Academy, a charter school in the Lower East Side located on east 11st and 1st avenue. I changed middle schools because Ross Global Academy lagged academically when it came to Science, Math, History, and English. The school eventually closed when I was in the eighth grade. Since Ross Global Academy, fell behind in key academic courses, I found it very difficult when I transferred schools and began going to School of the Future. It was very hard for me to comprehend the work and what made things worse was that since I was new, everyone bullied me. Sometimes, this group of girls who were thought of as popular would disrespect me by calling
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, most commonly known as ADHD is a condition characterized by an ongoing pattern of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity which interfere with functioning and development (National Institute of Mental Health). In attention refers to a child not paying close attention, lack of organization, and gets easily distracted and is forgetful. With hyperactivity a child can’t stay in assigned seat, fidgets, and talks excessively. Impulsivity describes a child who interrupts, yells out answers, and has a hard time waiting for a turn (Woolfolk, 2013). About 9% of children between the ages 3-17 are diagnosed with ADHD. More boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. Genetics is said to have a large contribution in ADHD. It can run in the family in some situations and in others there are trends in specific areas of the brain that contribute to attention (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The effects that ADHD has on a student’s education is noticeable compared to those who don’t suffer from this condition.
There is also a combined disorder that features symptoms similar to both ADD and ADHD. Students can also be inattentive. They usually do not pay attention to detail. They often make careless mistakes. They have trouble staying focused. They appear not to listen when spoken to because their attention is focused elsewhere. They also have problems staying organized.
“Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a term used to describe hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and/or impulsivity. It is a common condition that begins in childhood and may persist into adulthood. Children with ADHD typically have trouble sitting still, staying focused, and/or controlling their behavior and emotions, which can lead to lower social skills, isolation, dependence, and poor performance in school” (Sleep & ADHD, 2013). In Sartorius and Schredl’s study, Dream Recall and Dream Content in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, they were trying to establish a strong correlation between negatively toned dreams and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They studied 103 children with ADHD (47 girls and 56 boys). The mean of the sample was 10.1 years. The control group consisted of 100 children (51 girls and 49 boys) whose mean age was 9.9 years. “The controls were recruited at three different local schools and they completed—after obtaining written consent from the parents—their questionnaire in the classroom. The parents completed their questionnaires at home” (Sartorius & Schredl, 2010). Socio-demographic and dream questionnaires were used to successfully gather their
As the name says for itself, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. Some people only have one of the two symptoms while many have both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Most children have the combined type of ADHD and hyperactivity is the most common symptom for children in pre-school (“Attention”). To have some inattention, unfocused motor activity and impulsivity is normal, but for people with ADHD, these behaviors “are more severe, occur more often, and interfere with or reduce the quality of how they function socially, at school, or in a job” (“Attention”). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people with symptoms of inattention may often miss details and make careless mistakes
Sodn and Mulakaluri (2014) noted that ADHD affects children in many aspects of their lives. This disease affects their school work, due to inability to pay attention to detail, resulting in careless mistakes (p.1). Another way it affects them in school is by the inability to follow directions and causes the child to fail finishing the assignment. These symptoms also affect them at home with chores and homework, which can cause the child to become frustrated, not understanding what is going on with them. The other symptoms include: fidgetiness, difficulty organizing tasks and activities, easily distracted by stimuli, forgetful in
I think this is the reason I have been so tired my whole life. I have felt tired like this for many years. It started around age ten. I cannot believe that all it was is that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I have always had insomnia, but have only recently diagnosed, and fixed this issue. I take necessary steps in my everyday life to make sure that I get a full eight hours of sleep.
problems can share signs and symptoms of attention deficit disorder; therefore, they must not exist in