Personal Conflict

11/30/07

Life Change

Imagine starting a book that you have to read for class, one that really looks interesting and you can't wait to get into the middle of it to find out who dies, who cheats, or who solves the world's mystery. All of the anticipation is for nothing. You can't read it, your mind wanders and thinks of everything else but concentrating on the story. Some people call it laziness, but to others it is a serious mind problem that just won't let you concentrate no matter how hard you try. I can remember rereading paragraphs multiple times because my mind would wander into some other world; I would still be reading, but unable to absorb the content of the text. My life changing event was when I was finally able to sit down and read a book without being distracted. I was diagnosed with ADD in the winter after many years of being unable to sit down without wandering around or spacing out, I was finally able to focus on my work.

I went to the doctor many years before and talked about ADD with him, but he just said I didn't like the book, or I just wasn't interested in the subject. He gave some sheets of paper to my teachers, which they were suppose to fill out and that would tell if I had ADD. A simple paper that a teacher fills out could determine if was qualified to get pills for ADD. I looked over the some of the questions and I was baffled on what they were asking. Some of the questions were: Does the student have friends, Does the student socialize with others. What could those possible have to do with ADD. After my doctor got the tests back he said I don't have ADD. I still knew that I really had it but no one would believe me. I finally went back to him the winter before I graduated high school, because I knew I need to figure something out before I went away to college. College would be nearly impossible for me to do. Everyone running around, playing loud music, every video game you can imagine, what's a college kid suppose to do around that if he can't concentrate and do his homework, or study for the finals. I could only image how it would be. High school was tough enough with ADD how was I suppose all the temptations and distractions at college. There were some other medical things that I needed to get taken care of too. I have very bad intestines and the doctors still aren't sure of why I'm having some of the problems I do, like sudden bathroom urges. I can't just leave class or have a stomach ache every day. Taking care of everything a major priority. Have you ever had that feeling that you know you're right, but no one believes you? At the end of the winter I was eighteen and my mom wasn't there, so I didn't have to worry about embarrassing her. I got the guts to stand my ground and say to him "Hey, look it has been many years and I've come to you many times. Can I at least just try to see if anything works?" I think he finally believed that I might possibly have ADD. He gave some medicine to try and it worked like a charm. You could never believe how much one pill can help a person focus and be able to concentrate on anything. From that day forth my life would change forever.

My grades went up, family life became so much better and life was great. I, for the first time was able to enjoy school. I was getting good grades. That extra concentration gave me the focus I needed to study for quizzes and tests, do my homework at home, and take notes without drawing little doodles in my notebook. Before I would not be able to read without getting up and it was very hard for me to do any reading or studying. Even for this essay I needed to take some pills so I could concentrate especially with all the distractions. While writing this it's almost like I'm completely zoned out, but zoned in at the same time. In other words I'm basically in my own little world just sitting here peacefully writing my essay for English. Do you remember when you read your first book and while reading it you couldn't put it down, for who knew what would happen next. I remember it clear as day, I had to read a novel for English class Senior year and it really looked like a book I would just look at on "Spark Notes", but I decided to give it a try. When I read my first book without being distracted by spacing out or any little sound that I heard I loved it. The novel was a Tail of Two Cities". Most of my classmates dislikes this book, but I found it very interesting. I could never wait for what would come next and it had some historical significance to it as well. I was amazed on how complex some characters can be in just a simple story. The way the writer was able to detail the setting and give the reader such a clear picture was perfect. It