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Misunderstood Minds: ADHAD in College Students

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, generally known as ADHD can be described as having a nonstop conversation with yourself. Constant racing thoughts, changing from one thing to another, not needing coffee because you already have a buzzed. Instead of walking, you are running. Standing in line for one minute feels like five hours. Always on the go and never looking back because, it would cause you to slow down. Imagine that always happening and not being able to control any of it. Unfortunately, this effects two to eight percent of college students dealing with ADHD and it is the most common learning disability that receives accommodations at higher levels of education (Musso and Grouvier 186). The stigma about ADHD is that it can …show more content…

Recently, one study reported that ninety percent of the participants that take prescription stimulants indicate that it has helped them academically (Green and Rabiner 565). The challenge with medication is making it work for their schedule, meaning that most stimulants are rapid or extended release. They only last for so long, but in college class go all day then studying all night. It is not guaranteed that the medication can last that long and not having a scheduled routine can often make remembering to take the medication a challenge. The viscous cycle that only lowers the idea of success for these students. Poor motivation causes difficultly with sleeping which makes getting up harder in the morning and then leads to possibly forgetting to take their medication (Meaux and Broussard 251). This domino effect does not seem to stop without a little bit of help from an external source. Most often though these students do not seek help because either they do not see that there is a problem or they are embarrassed. Either way it leaves them at greater risk for other psychological problems. Out of all psychological disorders these individuals can be diagnosed with the most common is depression. Those with ADHD are at higher risk of depression and often score higher in psychological tests for somatization, obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, etc. (Weyandt and DuPaul 315).

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