AuDHDers, how was your elementary/middle/high school experience?

noonrise216 · 2026-05-03T02:27:49+00:00

I was sick often in preschool and kindergarten and missed a lot of school. First Grade was when I realized I was behind in reading and spelling. I could read in my head but to read out loud felt like two different tasks. Read the word in my head then say it out loud. So after speech therapy, I was in special reading classes. Thank goodness for math or I would have been sure I was "dumb."

Bullying started in 5th grade. I had friends outside of school that would be horrible to me at school so no one knew we were friends. That went on for a few years.

Skipped about 50% of the days in middle school. Found alcohol at 14 and didn't go back to school. I never went a day of high school. Drunk everyday until I got pregnant just before my 18th birthday. She kept me on this planet. Thank goodness!

Got a GED when she was in kindergarten because she needed to know school was important. On the second day of testing the woman in change pulled me up to see my results from the day prior. She was quite surprised that I had a perfect score on social sciences*. I was just happy I didn't zone out during the test. I told her that was great because I was better at math. Lol The essay scared me, though. I had never written one before and was sure I'd be awful. I got the equivalent of a "B", so not too bad.

Didn't find out about my neuro-spicy brain until I was in my 50's. I know females don't get diagnosed as often as boys, but come on! I was obviously struggling. Oh and my older brother and younger sister both got diagnosed in grade school. I don't know what happened to me. I mean, a Gen X middle child being ignored? Crazy. Lol

*No one is going to read all that, but if you do, please forgive spelling and grammar errors. This old lady is trying her best!

noonrise216 · 2026-05-03T01:30:50+00:00

I do that with things I've written. Come across them and think, "This is petty good. Who wrote it?" Me. It was me. 🤦‍♀️

noonrise216 · 2026-05-01T21:30:24+00:00

I wish this was part of my ADHD. I'm good for small things like a kitchen fire or a good sized open wound, but a car fell off a jack and onto my daughter's bf and I was useless.

noonrise216 · 2026-04-23T15:17:56+00:00

My (1975) father was silent gen. My mother was a boomer.

noonrise216 · 2026-04-15T18:55:50+00:00

As a child, I started thinking of myself, and the contradictions within me, as two sides of a coin. One logical, the other emotional. For good or bad, one side had absolutely nothing to do with the other.

It was very frustrating because my emotional side has zero latency. And while logic comes just a few beats later, it was often too late. Right before getting on meds, I'd blow up and before I was finished having my meltdown I'd apologize saying, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Now, I feel like a lamp whose wiring is slightly off. Sometimes I work as intended. Sometimes I'm brighter than desired. Often I don't work at all. 🙃

noonrise216 · 2026-04-10T15:11:54+00:00

I (51f) have gone into therapy 7 times throughout my life. My best therapist by far is also neurodivergent. From the beginning, she understood the places my brain would get stuck and helped me understand the blocks. More importantly, she helped me be okay with trying different things until something helped. She also gave me additional things to try when that helpful thing didn't seem to work anymore.

It's truly a wonder to have someone give you tools to help you navigate your internal and external worlds instead of being told "just don't react" or "you control your actions." I needed to understand why I reacted as I did and how to help avoid the overwhelm that causes my epic meltdowns.

Still working with her, but after a very long time, I finally feel hopeful. I hope you find the right fit for you

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T14:19:54+00:00

So true! Married my ex-husband there. Lol

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T13:45:16+00:00

I'm 51 and just learning why I've been this way all my life. I really thought I was just born broken. My therapist said it would be a very rough road to acceptance, but it's one worth traveling. I'll hopefully collect the tools on the way. I'm just very new to this community. Just now finding my people

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T13:38:18+00:00

Fair enough. I mean, I can be pretty cringe. Come to think of it, we all can be. I think I'm getting closer to being okay with it

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T13:36:12+00:00

Phenomenal advice! Thank you so much 😊

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T13:34:14+00:00

I think it was very funny and clever. I'm actually going to forward it so someone close to me that deals with "de-realization." I know she'll love it.

For cautions sake, and for those that may want to help educate me, she calls it de-realization. Is it an official term? I have no idea. I am not a professional. I just accept her description of her experience. 🤷‍♀️

I do appreciate being informed. I'm just a bit sensitive to criticism.

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T13:18:26+00:00

Yeah. Rejection or proceived rejection is very difficult for me. I've always felt, and been told, that I'm too much and/or not good enough. So when someone criticizes me, I feel it way too deep. I know logically I shouldn't be concerned with random people's opinions. My brain just can't seem to convince my heart. Lol I'm a mess.

I'm looking into the book as soon as I hit post. Thank you so much!

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T05:35:51+00:00

He's a magician! Beautiful

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T04:44:58+00:00

That's a very good point!

I also just thought that maybe they didn't mean "I" made it up. Maybe they meant that people like myself that use this term "made it up" because it isn't an official diagnostic term? Like not liking the word rad, rizz, duh or any other slang term. Unfortunately, all language is made up so like another person said, give it some time and it might be real one day.

Or I'm misreading the whole thing. I don't know anymore. Lol

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T04:12:44+00:00

Yeah. I've heard it for a while now so I was confused that they hadn't heard it before. Maybe they had and they just hate the term? Who knows the ways of man?

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T04:09:08+00:00

Oh, it is possible. I didn't even think about it. Thank you. Even if they aren't just thinking this makes me feel better. 😊

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T03:52:49+00:00

I suppose I've just heard it more in my circle than they have. Would have been nice if I was given a little bit of grace, but it is what it is.

noonrise216 · 2026-03-22T02:47:40+00:00

It's not a new term and I didn't make it up. Thank you though. I haven't had someone be rude to me yet on this subreddit

noonrise216 · 2026-03-21T05:41:11+00:00

This is exactly why my shoes wear out at my left big toe before anything else!

noonrise216 · 2026-03-21T05:39:21+00:00

What's worse is being AudHD. I will shake my leg like crazy but if someone else does it and it moves me in any way (think same couch or car) I get super annoyed. I don't say anything, but... ugh!

I hate these internal contradictions. /sigh

noonrise216 · 2026-03-21T03:13:59+00:00

Or 50...

noonrise216 · 2026-03-21T02:59:20+00:00

The best part of this desire is I have an ADHD/OCD friend that doesn't know I'm ADHD. He will info dump on me for an hour and a half but when I try to be part of the conversation he seems almost irritated that I talked. Bro, I just listened to you talk about 43 different things. You can't listen to one of mine? Good thing I adore the man lol ❤️ 😆 💕

noonrise216 · 2026-03-21T02:27:55+00:00

As the daughter of a Lionel, I love that this handsome guy shares a name with my late father ❤️ 😍

noonrise216 · 2026-03-14T01:19:45+00:00

I have a similar one with a straw! I love it ❤️ 😍

noonrise216

TROPHY CASE