What it’s Like to Have ADHD

Narrator: What's it like to have ADHD? For some people, it means daydreaming or finding it difficult to concentrate. Others might feel angry, sometimes so much that they just want to lash out. Child 1: Your heart starts to race, your body feels really hot and aggressive, like a human volcano. Narrator: That sounds tough. Does that mean you might get into trouble or feel bad about yourself? Child 1: Yes, but some people with ADHD don’t feel that way at all. Some just daydream. Narrator: So do you feel like you can't pay attention very well? Child 2: Only when I’m taking a test. I get distracted and then I'm off in my own little world. Narrator: What’s that world like? Child 2: Fun! I get to draw, paint, whatever I want. And I get to buy my own dog! Narrator: That sounds like a lovely world. Why do you think it's a problem? Child 2: Because I don’t get my work done. Narrator: So she’s daydreaming, which sounds fun, but it means she’s not concentrating on her schoolwork. Child 3: The worst problems I have are with schoolwork. I can't finish classwork before the other students. In my math class, when we’re done with a test, the teacher asks us to raise our hands if we’re not finished. Sometimes I’m the only one still working, and everyone stares at me. Narrator: So he struggles to concentrate. Child 4: I say stuff that I don’t even know why I said it. A couple of minutes later, I’m like, "Wow, did I really do that? I can’t believe I did that." Narrator: ADHD can feel different for different people, and that’s why it’s difficult to tell who has it.