Possible ADHD? How to deal with it

Q

@susannchen
My 15 year old son has adhd and struggles with everything you mentioned. He had a psychological evaluation to diagnose adhd and takes adhd medication to help him focus at school (methylphenidate and guanfacine). He has medication he takes after school for homework after his medication wears off from school. I need to remind him to do things and pay attention to the clock/time. You can use your phone and set timers and alarms/reminders/notifications to help you daily do the things you need to do. Use a planner to break down assignments and project due dates so you know the deadline and make some progress every day leading up to the due dates. You need to externalize things and use visual reminders of time and tasks. Use whiteboards that are in front of you and there are time timers that show you the passage of time to help you build your time sense.

Here are some helpful links. Good luck learning strategies to help yourself and ask family and friends to help you stay accountable. Also, get exercise and go outside before homework because it helps you focus. Make sure to eat well, sleep well and manage distractions as best you can.

1. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-symptoms-in-teens/

2. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-in-teens-challenges-solutions/

3. https://www.additudemag.com/help-teen-manage-adhd/

4. https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-in-teens

@susannchen Thanks for coming by Mayo Clinic Connect! @dlydailyhope has given you some good information to think about. Do you feel you might be able to put something like that into practice?

Do you have a school counselor you can speak to about the issues you see? Would your folks be open to having you evaluated for a professional diagnosis? It might be good to remember that as a young person, there is a lot going on with you right now, from not only a physical sense, but your emotional and mental growth also. So it stands to reason that just growing up might be part of the issue! I can recall that when I was your age, keeping track of things could really be a challenge, and that was before all the electronics and all we have these days.

I hope you will let me know what plan you come up with, okay?
Ginger

hi @dlydailyhope @gingerw
thank you for the advice and help

I haven't asked my parents yet, but I feel like they would not be too open about it, but I think I can handle it without getting a formal diagnosis.

I've been experimenting with a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of things over the past few months (or years) and I've found some things that work. Using the strategies I've found don't always work, but sometimes they do. I also tried some of @dlydailyhope's tips.

@gingerw here's what I've been doing/what I plan to do.

I plan to: exercise first before homework(that seems to help me), display a clock on my computer when I'm not using it so i'm not tempted to go on other sites and I'm aware of what time it is(I tried this for 2 days and it seems to be helping), make a to-do list every day after school by priority and do it in the order I made it(this makes things less overwhelming as I don't have to think about what I should be doing after deciding about it that initial time), try to sleep more, and keep my workspace organized. This i've just been doing today but has been helpful is giving myself positive reinforcement (like a thumbs up).

Things I've been doing: I found that using a mix of lofi(no lyric) songs and pop songs I like works because there are periods where I can focus and periods of songs I like so I don't get bored nor distracted, I also use different playlists sometimes depending on how much concentration I need on a certain task. Eating dinner earlier has been helpful (my parents are helping me in this part). Having a clean workspace and focusing on one thing at a time (instead of trying to do 10 things at the same time/switching between tasks frequently because I can't decide which one I should do). I use a paper planner to write down assignments when I'm at school and I use an online planner to keep track on long term things and because I like checking the boxes on it haha), there's more things but I dont have all of them off the top of my head.

Not really sure what happened today but I've been very motivated and focused (I only wasted like 40ish minutes which is less than usual) so thats good hopefully I can keep it up. Idk if it's because I slept a decent amount yesterday and I went on a run after school and also saw my friends at school after my run(social time helps keep my mood up).

If anyone has any more tips/suggestions/advice that would be much appreciated!! Thanks!

@susannchen
It sounds like you have some great plans and strategies to help yourself! I’m impressed with what you are doing for yourself.

Another suggestion is to look at your diet and what you are and are not eating. My son is a picky eater (doesn’t eat meat and more of a vegetarian) so I need to supplement him with vitamins like D, B12, etc. plus iron, magnesium, etc. Here is some information about supplements and nutrients important for those with ADHD.
https://www.additudemag.com/vitamins-minerals-adhd-treatment-plan/
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year‼️🎄🎉🎊

@dlydailyhope

Wait, just to clarify, do you actually think I could have ADHD?

@susannchen
You would need to be diagnosed by a doctor and have a psychological assessment done to determine if you did have ADHD. What you could do is make sure you are eating well and getting the right nutrients to help you be your best. A doctor could check you blood to see if you are deficient in any nutrients that may cause symptoms.