Walk In My Shoes. Just imagine yourself as a caveman…
By: Nathan Damtew
Tags: Mental Health, Adhd, Lifestyle, Disorders

Yo Mama is so broke, she can’t even pay attention

I’m kidding, I’m kidding, don’t go anywhere. . . Yet! Weird way to start an article right? Especially if you don’t want your readers to leave early. . . way early. Well, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect “Yo Mama” like that. Only said that to grab your attention . . . you gonna need that, especially if you’re like “Yo Momma”, broke!

I love “Yo Mama” jokes. This one is everybody’s favorite and it’s funny until you start wondering the reason why “Yo Mama” couldn’t pay attention might not just be because she is broke but also suffering from “ATTENTION DEFICIENCY HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER” Aka “ADHD” Aka “ADD”. . . phewww!

👀Huh? Ikr . . . have you thought about that? Or is it your first time hearing about ADHD?

I’m pretty sure by now you have run into someone with ADHD or you might have it yourself or think you have it. Either way, this article is gonna change your life. . . Who am I kidding, only said that to grab your attention, AGAIN! Incase you wanna check if you have it, I left a link at the end of the article.

This piece has been in my draft since Mental Health Week in May 2020. It’s been in there for so long until it got my attention now. Since then, I have published a couple of articles, the most recent one being “My Toilet Seat Thoughts”, put 10 more topics in my drafts, and also did a bunch of other stuff. You might have guessed it by now, yes I have ADHD, although I’d like to think mine ain’t that severe. Despite being forgetful, impulsive, sometimes being hyperactive, and of course inattentive, I’m completely fine! Don’t worry about me!

“I’m completely fine! Don’t worry about me!”

I’ve always had ADHD, it’s not something I woke up to one day with. Mine was easy to spot as a child. If only I got a penny every time my teachers used to say “Body present, mind absent” to me while I was in school, I would have been a multimillionaire by now if not a billionaire. Getting distracted or being inattentive was just one sign of it. No one knew it’s something big of a deal . . . definitely not my parents. I didn’t know it’s ADHD until very recently after I self-diagnosed and later went to see a psychiatrist to check if I have it. I wasn’t surprised at all, a lot of things started to make sense. From the way I write and my handwriting to my inattentiveness in class to having trouble sitting still to getting easily distracted to what excites me, to learn new things easily to fidgeting. . . The list can go on forever.

Remember in my other articles when I told you I wasn’t good in my studies, well turns out my low grades were not from lack of effort, nor stupidity or inadequacy. . . or at least I’d like to think that, cuz I tried. I really tried! Can’t blame me! I can’t blame anyone either. There wasn’t enough awareness about ADHD back then. In fact awareness about any other mental or behavioral disorders. My parents did what every parent would do to help their children cope with their studies. They hired me tutors, one after the other, for almost every major subject until one day I finally told my dad I didn’t need one anymore and that I’d do it on my own. Long story short, it didn’t go as planned.

I wish the story could have ended right here, apparently, ADHD is not something that wear off when you become an adult, it follows you throughout your entire life. We init for good!

Ngl, having ADHD while being an adult really really sucks, but I quickly get distracted from it. Deep down it’s not as bad as you think it is. Once in the A.Ds, the traits associated with ADHD helped more with enhancing hunter-gatherer skills than those of a settler. I would have made a good hunter, bringing some amazing Warthog or Mammoth to feed my family and my Sabre Tooth Tiger pet. Life would have been so much easier for us. Just imagine yourself as a caveman doing a 40+ Hrs workweek or taking some long-ass meetings or whatever you’re doing now to put food on the table. How are you gonna feel? Actually, 40 Hrs workweek is boring for everyone but you get the point.

The modern world is tough for anyone with ADHD but eventually, we have to learn to cope with this rapidly evolving word one way or another. The same way my mom & dad got me a tutor to try to help me cope with my studies, I have to look for my ways this time around to cope up with modern society.

While having ADHD can be a little challenging, it has traits that I would like to consider beneficial. My spontaneity, curiosity, hyper-focus, creativity, and a few other traits have contributed a lot to what I have been able to accomplish so far & will continue to do so. That’s not enough though, especially if you’re looking to strive in this modern society. These traits combined with some “normal people” traits, which I usually have trouble with, would make a lot of difference for someone with ADHD. It’s basically having a superpower. Imagine having to follow through a project until the end, listening to the entire story when your girlfriend has some “tea to spill”, not zoning out while the teacher is teaching, not waiting until the deadline to do something, sitting still during meetings . . . my, oh, my, these would actually mean a lot.

ADHD has its special way of making you the most interesting person in the room. By interesting, I mean the person with . . . Never mind, I’m just gonna finish this some other time.

Ciao 🥂

P.s.Imagine having to finish writing an article you’ve had for 2 years in your draft. Wouldn’t that be awesome?