Kaitlynn kept it a secret her whole childhood. She never told anyone. She

walked the halls of her school, hiding a crucial part of who she was.

“Back in elementary and high school, when people would find out that I was

older than my grade, I would lie. I would tell them that my mom started me in

Kindergarten a year late, instead of the fact that I was held back because school was

a struggle for me.”

Kaitlynn Bianchini, a fourth semester college student, stretches her legs and

gets comfortable on the couch. She wears a pencil skirt with a loose blouse tucked

into it. She sips her water bottle and then straightens her posture, indicating that

she’s ready to begin. Never would it be guessed that her mind is buzzing a million

different directions at once right now. Never would someone suspect her to have

ADHD.

ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Stereotypically, it is thought

of as the solution teachers and parents give to young boys who can’t seem to pay

attention in the classroom. According to the American Psychological Association,

“ADHD is a behavioral condition that makes focusing on everyday requests and

routines challenging. They typically have trouble getting organized, staying focused,

making realistic plans, and thinking before acting.”

Though the terms ADD and ADHD were previously thought to be different

disorders, the official term is now ADHD with the three subtypes: hyperactive,

inattentive, and combined. Because the term ADD was used for so long, some still

refer to the disorder with that instead of ADHD. ADD and ADHD can both be used

interchangeably, as there is now more focus on the subtypes instead.

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According to chadd.org, ADHD is something that 15 million people have in

America. 11% of adults and 5% of children struggle with the disorder. Bianchini is

one of those 15 million and was diagnosed when she was eight years old.

“Because I was struggling in school, my mom looked into it. She took me to

the doctors to see if there was something more that was going on,” Bianchini said.

A study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that,

boys are two times more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than girls just because

boys are the stereotype. Boys also present more obvious and noticeable symptoms,

where as girls’ symptoms tend to be presented in less obvious ways and are more

“internal.” Healthline.com uses examples of symptoms such as being withdrawn,

intellectual impairment and difficulty with academic achievement, inattentiveness

or a tendency to “daydream”, verbal aggression: teasing, taunting, name calling and

especially low self-esteem (2016).

Many of Bianchini’s self esteem issues stemmed from academic and social

difficulties. She says, “My mom had to meet with the board of directors to see if I

needed to be held back a year in school. They felt that maybe I might do better if I

stayed back a year. Not only did I have ADHD issues, but I was then a year older than

everyone in my grade, so I struggled a lot with confidence.”

Bianchini says, “I didn’t feel smart. After my diagnosis, having to take

medication every day was a constant reminder that I wasn’t normal. As the years

went on, I blamed everything on my diagnosis. If I was bad at something, I said it

was because I was ADD, even if it didn’t correlate to it. It was something to blame

my failures on.”

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ADHD causes a lot of daily struggles in someone’s life. Because of the

imbalance that it creates in the brain, it tends to bring out certain attributes and

characteristics within someone who has the disorder. Some of these obstacles are

major impulsivity, which can negatively affect all aspects of someone’s life. Living a

very sporadic lifestyle can lead to problems such as road rage, difficulty keeping a

job, addictions, relationship issues, etc. A very common struggle that ADHD’ers

experience are learning disabilities. Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D. said, “A person with

ADD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than

most other people.”

“Something that my classmates never understood was that I was working

harder than everyone else,” Bianchini says. “It may have seemed like I was

disregarding my assignments or not trying, but I was giving it everything I had, and I

still looked like I was failing.”

Because people didn’t understand where Bianchini was coming from, they

tended to be judgmental about her academic skills, which ultimately made school

even harder.

According to the CDC, only one in every three people diagnosed with ADHD

actually seeks treatment for it. Many don’t want to acknowledge their disorder

because they are afraid of being categorized with the negative stereotype that

society believes is ADHD.

Bianchini believes that there are a lot of people with ADHD who just stay

quiet about it. They’re just too embarrassed to come out and get the help, or they

believe they “can do it on their own.”

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Because Kaitlynn has had ADHD for years, she has learned how to address it

and help herself accordingly. However she does recognize that there are different

levels of ADHD and that it affects everyone differently.

She says, “I feel that people with ADHD have higher stress levels because they

are always anxious, restless, or stressed out, and a lot of the time, it’s because of

their own doing with procrastination habits. It’s like a cycle, you’re the one who is

causing it, and the effects are what cause you even more stress.”

These types of traits can make everyday life extremely difficult, even more so

a school environment. This is why many believe in the stereotype of schoolboys

having ADHD, because in children, it’s easiest to diagnose at school. The basic

structure of a typical school day conflicts with the foundational principles of ADHD,

and ultimately causes many “ADHD’ers” to struggle. Because someone with ADHD

encounters hyperactivity, inattentiveness, or a combination of both, having to

quietly sit in a desk all day, listening to the same person teach, and being expected to

ignore all distractions, can lead to an educational disaster.

Something that many don’t realize about those with ADHD, is that most of the

time, they do want to listen. They do want to behave. But their brain makes it really,

really, hard to do so.

Bianchini explains, “When you are in that mode where you can’t focus

anymore, you just give up. There is NOTHING driving you anymore. You have to find

a way to spark your brain to get the chemical going.”

Because not everyone can experience what it’s like to live with ADHD, it can

be hard to understand where someone with the disorder is coming from. This leads

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to judgments placed on those with the disorder, and even uneducated doubts of the

existence of ADHD.

Much of the stigma associated with ADHD comes from the medication aspect.

Because stimulant drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are so misused in society,

many see an ADHD diagnosis as a cop out to get these drugs that make work “easy.”

Bianchini says, “I wish that people understood the struggle that medication

can present when you’re diagnosed with ADHD. It’s not always easy to find one that

works for you. People don’t understand that it’s not a magic pill. It’s not a cure.

Sometimes the drugs don’t help you all the way. Sometimes you have to come up

with remedies and routines that help you.”

Bianchini uses tactics such as playing with her hair, when she’s feeling jittery

in class. “I find that I focus way better when I’m doing something with my hands. I

can listen, instead of just sitting there with my brain going a thousand directions.”

The government has recognized ADHD in the U.S. and has tried to address

the issue with programs such as the 504 Plan. Because ADHD can present many

struggles for a child while they are in school, this plan was put into play to acquire

the accommodations that those with ADHD need in certain settings. As 5% of adults

have ADHD, certain laws are also helpful, such as The Americans with Disabilities

Act, which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against employee’s based

on their physical or mental disabilities.

The government isn’t the only one who has been involved in the lives of

those with ADHD. Numerous non-profit organizations have been created with the

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goal of being a resource for those with ADHD. Some have even taken on the platform

of trying to fight the stigma against the disorder.

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association, which caters toward adults with

ADHD, see’s itself as a resource for said adults to “serve, connect, and empower one

another.” One type of mindset that organizations such as ADDA focus on, is viewing

ADHD as a positive attribute.

Bianchini says, “I feel that those with ADHD are really proficient in active

things. We are very adaptable because we thrive off of change. We’re resilient.”

Much of being successful with ADHD is due to someone placing him or

herself in the right environment. Bianchini’s experience of working as a hostess at a

restaurant was benefitted by her ADHD. In a job where a thousand different things

were always happening, she felt that her brain “could keep up and could be

everywhere at once.”

ADHD isn’t a life sentence that means someone can’t accomplish anything.

There are many well-known names in society that openly have ADHD and have been

very successful. According to addadult.com, famous people are diagnosed such as

Adam Levine, Richard Branson, Solange Knowles, Jim Carrey, Michael Phelps,

Wendy Davis, and many, many, more. One trait that all of these people have in

common, is that they chased their passions. A positive attribute of ADHD is that they

can be incredibly determined about something they love. ADHD allows someone to

hyper-focus on a passion, almost obsess on it, until they reach their goal. This is

incredibly helpful for careers such as being a musician, entrepreneur, athlete, etc.

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Though these people have been successful, there is no doubt that they have

faced hardships throughout life due to their ADHD. It’s important to recognize that

these people didn’t let their setbacks keep them from achieving. They addressed

their disorder and lived accordingly.

Bianchini has been able to embrace her ADHD by recognizing the positives

that it has brought to her life. Despite her insecurities, and instead of letting her

struggles make her inferior, she chose to let them empower her. Bianchini knows

she can make her weaknesses into strengths if she’s willing to put in the work.

She said, “ADHD gives me an opportunity to see my self worth. I’d much

rather have this than be really smart, or have a photographic memory, because I’d

miss out on all the lessons that I’ve learned from having the disorder. Because there

is a struggle, we [ADHD’ers] have a reason to look inward, assess ourselves, and see

the value in who we are as just being a person.”

A lot of people think they know what ADHD is: Someone who’s excessively

hyperactive, a child, or incapable of vast achievements. Bianchini describes ADHD

simply. It’s a part of who she is and it’s not going away. She would rather embrace it.

Stigma can truly hurt and affect those who are associated with it. The stigma

on mental health in general, but specifically on ADHD, is very prominent and

commonly inaccurate. Because of Bianchini’s experience, she knows that there

needs to be a change in how others treat those with ADHD regarding the disorder.

ADHD isn’t something to be ashamed of, but rather “something to be celebrated

because of the unique attributes it brings out in someone.”

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Actress, Wendy Davis, who has grown up with the disorder her entire life,

defines it as; “ADHD makes you different, not defective.”

Luckily there are people like Kaitlynn and Wendy who have risen above

others’ negative opinions, and succeeded despite them. Kaitlynn Bianchini is the

prime example that you can have it all if you’re willing to work for it. She is a smart

college student, a confident young woman, and a successful adult who is proud to be

ADHD.

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