My name is Arturo Contreras, I am a newly disabled person. Well actually, I have always had a disability, I just never knew. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD… at 25…
When I was growing up I was always a “smart” kid. I always got good scores on my tests and good grades in class. From kindergarten until I graduated high school I passed all my classes and was a good student. That is if you ignore that D- I got in 4th grade because I did not like my teacher, the constant late assignments throughout my schooling, and the lack of studying outside of class. Nevertheless, I was a great student!
The lessons that my amazing work ethic taught me in my primary schooling helped me flourish in college! During my first semester, those lessons helped me fail my classes. It turns out that all those years as a student did nothing to prepare me to actually study. Why did this happen? Did I forget how to study? Did I stop caring about school? Did I no longer have priorities? Of course not! I was just distracted. I was going out and working a lot, and I had a girlfriend. So I did what all good students do and I removed all distractions from my life, I stopped going out. And right as rain, my semester GPA goes from a 2.1 to a 2.4.
The next semester I tried harder, I had to. How could I be proud of that 0.3 increase? I worked and worked, and I worked so hard that I realized I was working harder but my circumstances were not improving. It’s at this point where we have to ask ourselves as readers “Is this person serious,” or “If I were them I would’ve done this, this, and that,” or my favorite “I feel like this person is just complaining too much and just needs to do the work.” That last statement is what helped me get out of a major depressive episode that had set in and rendered me immobile for a week straight! I was good as new!
Just kidding.
What helped me was a part of my safety net. A close friend, Angel. He had helped me before as a teammate, pushing me to give my workouts my all when I was ready to give up. Now was no different, he was pushing me to get help when I felt my weakest. He helped me go to an emergency therapy session, on campus. He was the one who helped me feel sane at a time when all I felt was pain, confusion, and sadness. This action was what propelled me to take care of my mental health.
Fast forward 6 years, 3 wrong diagnoses, 2 therapists, to finally being diagnosed and recently medicated for ADHD.
Writing this makes me realize that I have been working for 6 years to get “stable” enough to finally be able to “work hard” enough. The “Gifted kid to ADHD overwhelmed Adult” pipeline that has been able to flourish, needs to be studied. For years I did what was expected of me; now, all of a sudden, that wasn’t enough to succeed. I feel like the goalpost has been moved. I didn’t realize that I was working hard so that I could “work hard”.
And it is true, to some degree or another, that I could’ve been in a better state if I had just “worked harder” from the beginning. Working harder in this context usually just meant applying whatever silly little neurotypical strategy that was in fashion. When I reached high school, having SMART goals and a growth mindset was all you needed to succeed in school. Before that, I needed a planner, in college, I was told I needed to find a system that worked for me. At no point did anyone suggest that maybe I had a disability. At no point did anyone tell me that “working harder” could also mean going to therapy, getting evaluated, and understanding your disability. A lot of the better part of these past few years has been exploring how my symptoms affect me and those around me.
As my journey with ADHD unfolds, I’m realizing that the initial steps can be daunting, yet with the right support system, they become more manageable. Cultivating the support of those around me has been crucial in my quest to move forward in life. My family and friends have played a huge role in encouraging me to seek answers and progress. The support that they have shown has been fundamental in how I continue to go forward. My family has taught me that hard work is the basis for anything good in life. It is because of them that I know now that hard work can be reflective. My friends push me to make decisions that challenge me to grow.
I don’t know if I will ever fully understand my disability, much less the failings that allowed me to go undiagnosed for the past 25 years. But I do know that I will always have my support system to back me up. Because of them, I know I am not alone and I have the confidence to keep going forward.
ABOUT THE ARTHOR: Arturo Contreras Mejia
Arturo Contreras Mejia is a 25-year-old Mexican Man. He is currently a student at IUPUI studying digital marketing. Arturo is also a part of IDJ as a social media captain (intern). In his free time, Arturo enjoys spending time with his loved ones.
Image Description: Arturo is standing on the left of the picture, in front of a telephone pole with his arms crossed. He is wearing a pink hoodie, jeans, and sunglasses. He has a serious bearded face. To the right, is a plentiful cactus plant. Behind a gas station that reads “kinda tropical”