When you think of ADHD (ADD), an image of a blond hair boy running around comes to your mind. However, 4% of United States adults over the age of 18 live with ADHD/ADD daily.

Our very own managing editor, Stephanie Dionne lives with ADHD/ADD. Throughout her childhood, she found it hard to focus and would question her “normalcy.” Which isn’t odd, as most people are diagnosed at the age of seven. Symptoms show up at an early age. Recently she has been doing more research and came across a questionnaire.

“I came across an online questionnaire the other day that claimed to help you determine if you should speak to your doctor about medication. It intrigued me because I knew that I suffered from ADD (though I was never officially diagnosed),” shared Dionne.

The survey had a slew of questions that she felt came from her own brain. After she was done with it she scored 45 out of 50 (severe ADHD).

• Do you often feel like movies are just “too long” for you to watch all at once?
• Do you find yourself constantly doing more than one thing at a time?
• Do you fidget or feel the need to “get up” out of your seat more than once in a half-hour?

“I’ve always been the type to do several things at the same time. You’ll rarely find me “relaxing”, I don’t know how to do it,” shared Dionne

The general symptoms of ADHD/ADD are;

• having trouble concentrating or focusing
• having difficulty staying organized
• being forgetful about completing tasks
• having difficulty sitting still

Now, these symptoms vary depending on the living environment and lifestyle of each person. Also, ADHD can last a few years or be a lifetime illness.

While ADHD has become more known and the stigma is slowly decreasing, it is still very much a mental illness we have to pay attention to. As 6.4 million of children in the U.S between the ages of 4-17 have been diagnosed. However, like most mental illnesses, people have their own opinion on treatment. After taking the survey, Dionne shared it with a co-worker and her co-worker was quick to give her two cents.

“My co-worker instantly stated, ‘ Don’t medicate yourself. Try something else first,’ ” shared Dionne, “I never said I wouldn’t try something else first; in fact, it’s what I planned on. I’m not, though, afraid to medicate if I get the idea that it’ll help me in the long run.”

Like most mental illnesses, you have to do the treatment that best suits you. Talk to your medical provider about the best options for you. It can be drugs or just simple lifestyle changes. But remember, your mental illness is real and it’s not a made-up thing.