ADHD: Battling Your Own Brain

When a person thinks of someone in battle, many times it is of armed combat in the military; but Sara Cozzi, sophomore, has been in a battle with her own brain since she was in the third grade.

Cozzi was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. This means that she has trouble focusing, but it is not because she is a bad student.

“You know how when you’re doing research and another article will pop up and you’re like ‘Ooh that looks interesting’, and after that another one, and another one. Next thing you know, two hours have passed,” Cozzi said. “That’s what it’s like with me; someone will say something or something will happen and I will remember something completely unrelated and my mind will just go through five things.”

Aaron Glave, junior, understands Cozzi’s busy brain. Also diagnosed in third grade, Glave says school can provide major frustrations for someone with ADHD because school requires long periods of necessary focus, and ADHD makes it difficult. A major challenge Glave faces with ADHD is his homework. It takes him much longer to stay focused on his homework, especially since the work can lack interest, according to Glave.

“I really do not like being still. Sometimes, it is a hard time to focus and get down to doing something if I do not find it interesting. I mean even doing math homework, that’s a thing that I sorta  care about, and it is a challenge, so I can do that. But if it’s just reading some dry text, it is going to take me quite awhile,” Glave said.

Difficulty staying focused is only one of the many symptoms of ADHD. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, difficulty controlling behavior, paying attention, and hyperactivity (being too energetic), according to nimh.nih.gov.

“I get a bit antsy once I finish [a test] because I don’t have [anything to do or] anything to occupy my mind, and I just have to sit there quietly. That is not fun. But when I am just taking [a regular] test itself, it’s pretty okay,” Glave said.

According to Cozzi, her mind almost never stops working.

“With my ADHD, it is harder to concentrate for me, where most people at school can be bored and they just stare off,” Cozzi said.  “For me, it doesn’t matters if it is interesting. I will still have no concentration because it is just hard for me to focus on some things.”

One way Cozzi manages her ADHD is through medication because it enhances her focus. If she does not take medication, she feels like she has to juggle all her thoughts.

“If we’re talking about one subject, my mind is constantly thinking about like a bunch of different other thoughts,” Cozzi said.

Glave said he used to take medication, but he felt like it no longer was helpful. He says he refuses to let ADHD rule over his life.

“I had never been too much for letting my disabilities really affect the way that I think about something,” Glave said. “I am more of the guy who tries to do things the same way everyone else, until he eventually gets it right.”
There are many struggles that come with having ADHD, but Glave says “Don’t beat yourself up if you have a hard time doing what you want. Once you can get started on a difficult task, you have already won half the battle.”