What Does it mean to have ADHD?
A former pro athlete and opera singer share their stories
Seydou, 31
Former professional football player
Sophie, 52
Former opera singer
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WITH ADHD
KEVIN*
- 42, roofer
- Father of three
- Two of his sons also have ADHD
Kevin’s wife is hoping he can get help managing his ADHD throughout the day.
Mornings:
- Commutes to various job sites in the city
- Struggles to follow GPS directions
- Often gets lost, arrives late
Afternoons:
- Recently had a few careless accidents at work
- Often argumentative with co-workers
- Long commute homeLoses patience in traffic and frequently feels “road rage”
Evenings:
- Often has a few drinks throughout the evening
- Seems to ignore the many unfinished projects sitting in his garageHas difficulty helping kids with homework and bedtime routines – loses his patience easily
Justin*
- 18, university student
- Living away from parents for the first time
Justin needs help with his ADHD throughout the day, and into the evening.
Mornings:
- Frequently late for classes
- Rarely makes it through lectureswithout taking walking breaks
Afternoons:
- Has trouble staying awake in class
- Has had to reduce his course load
Evenings:
- Studies well into the night, has trouble maintaining focus
- ometimes takes him hours to read a few pages
- Struggles with low self-esteem
- At the end of the day, he feels like he let himself down by not keeping up, and is buried in work
Luci*
- 8 years old
- Wants to be rich when she grows up
Luci’s mom is looking to her doctor for a formal diagnosis and management advice.
- Luci’s mom complains that Luci is easily distracted and spends a lot of time daydreaming.
- Luci has difficulty engaging in play activities quietly and often acting as if “driven by a motor”
- Luci’s teachers say that she consistently avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort
- She often blurts out answers before questions have been fully asked and talks excessively
- Luci has difficulty getting organized
- Her friends complain because she is frequently late
- Takes over conversations, and intrudes on others
* All patients are fictional.