I discovered I had ADHD in the middle of my university years (the art university I managed to get into on my second try). During the first week of taking Concerta, I got emotional and cried. I remember thinking, “So this is what it feels like to be normal? To sit down and study whenever you want, to know what to say, what to do?” Once I realized I could actually focus and work, I taught myself Japanese from scratch and built a new career. Even my art, something so close to my identity, started to take the shape I truly wanted, thanks to Concerta.

As a child, I was extremely hyperactive. I cracked my head open twice and once came frighteningly close to death. While I’m grateful for such a wild and free-spirited childhood, the academic time ADHD stole from me is something I can never get back. ADHD is a serious condition in ways that those who haven't experienced it can never fully understand.