ADHD & ADD seem to be seen as these sort of... laugh-off 'that's not a serious problem' thing, or at least where I'm from (Australia where not every kid is doped up on adderall)

I vaguely remember being diagnosed at something like age 9 or 10, even though I wasn't 100% aware of it until late high-school (my mum never actually told me herself until I was 18) when it started getting just so incredibly difficult to force myself to study, concentrate on anything, stop myself from getting completely distracted every 5 minutes, and if I did manage to focus on something for more than 5 minutes it'd be hyperfocusing on something completely different to what I should have been doing.

I knew that it was happening, and I knew I had to do something about it or I'd end up failing school. But the problem with never being told you even had it, is that you just don't know how to deal with it properly. I ended up dropping out of school 6 months before my final Year 12 exams, and although it might not have been the entire reason for dropping out, I can't help but think of how things might have gone differently.

Nowadays I still can't focus on things properly, organisation seems an impossible task, I still get distracted by every fucking little thing (couple times just while writing this), even the simplest little tasks seem herculean. Then there's the zoning-out, the hyperfocusing, the self-control issues, breaking down & freaking out over the simplest shit that really shouldn't be taking such a toll, the temper, moodswings, self-esteem, etc etc etc.

Shit just gets so fucking hard to deal with.

Adult ADHD & ADD get so overlooked, and people don't seem to think they're really much of a problem, when in reality they make just getting through the day so hard. Combined with those diagnosed having a 6 times higher chance of developing psychiatric & learning disorders, I think it's something that should be taken more seriously