ADD Diagnosis - Before 2

Continiued from ADD Diagnosis - Before 1 (see post below)

No one could comprehend the fact that I would near fail some of my subjects, but comes prize giving evening at the end of the year, I walk away with 2 book prizes for best student in certain other subjects. I endured bullying throughout school. I was a sissy and a faggot because I was bad at sports. My hand-eye coordination is terrible. I started reading voraciously as soon as I learned how. My mother and I suspect it is because I hardly slept when I was an infant, and she would put a reading light and a stack of books on my bedside table every night to keep me occupied at least. I find it hard to fall asleep till this day if I do not read a bit. My school work suffered even more because of it though, because I would read in secret and cover my story books with my school books, so that I could sit and read in stead of doing homework or study. The subjects I excelled at, I simply excelled at. I hardly studied at all. Other subjects reflected my lack of input. As I progressed, though the volumes of even my favourite subjects increased beyond my capacity to absorb it all simply by paying attention to the teacher. And that is another thing. Paying attention in some classes required no effort at all, whilst it proved quite impossible in others. Generally, unfortunately, I found school boring beyond belief. After school I went to study Social Work and the same story just went on and on. When I successfully completed my degree, I went to work as a Child Protection Social worker in the UK for two years. On my return I worked in the SA Police Service as an Occupational Social Worker, at which time I also got married. I always did well and was generally liked by my clients, though my superiors gave me a hard time about my admin always being in a mess. That may be the wrong term – maybe my admin being non-existent would be more accurate. I met a friend at university, Army Man, (see post Friends 1 below) who was diagnosed as dyslexic and he also mentioned ADD to me, but when I met him, he was in his 4th year and could read write and understand 9 languages. Many of it ancient languages like Hebrew, Greek and Cuneiform. I once asked him how he did it to which he replied – hard work and perseverance. With this friend in mind, I told my self – if he could, I can. I started on a new course in my life and cultivated a determination second to none. I wanted to enrol for an MBA (and WHY I ever wanted to do a Master’s Degree in Business A D M I N I S T R A T I O N Is quite beyond me, till this day. I did not meet the criteria, since I quit maths in Secondary School. The University’s Business School told me that Statistics First Year Level will do in stead of maths, and I enrolled for stats 101. I struggled my butt off but I finished it. I was enrolled for an MBA start 2001. By April I realised that I forgot how hard I found studying. I told myself though that no matter the cost, I shall complete this degree. In May 2001 I read an article on Adult ADD in the South African Men’s Health Magazine. I was stunned by the realisation that I have ADD. There was absolutely no doubt. I phoned Army Man and asked him about ADD and he told me about the Doctor he was seeing. I went to see the man and he made a diagnosis and prescribed Ritalin.