Hi, I’m Bethany and this is my story. When I walked the halls of school, nobody would talk to me. When I walked the halls of school, people would glare at me. When I put my hand up to answer a question, teachers would roll their eyes. I was Bethany Parker-Farmer, the girl with ADHD who everybody wished wasn’t there.
In 2008, I became who I am today. In 2008, I was diagnosed with ADHD; I became me.
When I was 7 years old, I had all of these emotions rushing to my brain that made me think differently. I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t speak without someone telling me to shut up. I couldn’t be me.
In 2013, I was year 7 and was starting at my new school, Balmacewen Intermediate. I tried to make friends, but I failed. I thought it was a new start, but I was wrong. I couldn’t focus, and I was introduced to bullying. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I didn’t fit in, and I was right. After that year I left because I had had enough of being bullied. I had had enough of being me.
What is ADHD you might ask? ADHD is a condition that affects your brain and makes you overly hyper. Here is the difference between a normal brain and a brain affected by ADHD:
ADHD stands for “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
People with ADHD can get hyper and overly angry, and they can be very sensitive.
What you all may not understand is that we try to control our condition, but it’s like puberty; there’s no way out of it. There are many of you out there who may think: “OMG, you’re so annoying; just go away.” Well, the reason we are so annoying is actually because our brains function differently. When you bully us, we get really sensitive and just cry. I sometimes go home after a bad day and think to myself, “Why am I here? Why did God put me here when we all know nobody wants me?” It hurts to be me.
People with ADHD sometimes use medication, such as Ritalin, to calm down. I used Ritalin for the first time this year, and it has impacted my life so much. People want to be around me, and people like me. Now I’m a teenager, and I have been able to have boyfriends. Seven years ago I used to think, “This is impossible. I will never find love. I will never conquer this quest.” I have, and I love it.
Kids at my school call me stupid and dumb, but they don’t realize the reason why I’m like this. When I was younger, I couldn’t concentrate, and so I learnt a lot less than everybody else. My parents realized that the only way I learn is if I have something in front of me. The way I learn and calm down is by writing and singing. Being me is hard, but a little adventure never hurt anybody — and that’s the way I like it.
When you read this, I hope you realize that we matter, too, and that, for us, life is a double take. We need the best of both worlds, too.