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Ciarra Willetts

Mrs. Crist

English IV

24 October 2018

ADHD: How does it affect teenagers?

In 2016 approximately 9.4% of adolescents in America have attention deficit,

hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, thas 6.1 million kids. Of that 6.1

million about 3.3 million of them are ages 12-17. ADHD can be a debilitating disability that

affects a teenagers life in more ways than one. Although most people wouldn't agree, in reality,

its impacts are embedded in every aspect of their lives. It affects their relationships with other

people, their self-esteem, and personal life. In this essay, I will write about how it affects their

lives and the lives of those around them.

Children with ADHD have a harder time making friends and connecting with their peers.

One result of poor social skills, including aggression, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity, is that

these characteristics lead to rejection by peers (Brinkerhoff 87). Being a kid with ADHD is like

watching eight different shows playing all at the same time and you have to pay attention to all

of them at once, so it's not a big surprise that kids fail to learn the social cues other kids learn by

watching those around them. Because they lack the awareness of social cues a lot of the time

kids with ADHD don’t get exactly why their peers don’t like them, and sometimes the kids don't

even know that their peers don’t like them. If they do know then a lot of the time they don't get

that it's their behavior. Kids with ADHD who often face this rejection by their peers may have

fewer friends and lower self-esteem (Brinkerhoff 89).

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Because of their immaturity, difficulty delaying gratification, impulsivity, forgetfulness,

and need to acquire material possessions, they may overlook the needs of others (Zeigler Dendy

186). People with ADHD also have a hard time remembering to keep in contact with people,

remembering birthdays, and holidays causing them to seem self-centered. They can hurt others

feelings without realizing that they hurt them. Other times teens can be the exact opposite, they

may be too generous. Giving out money they don’t have, giving out their parents money, and

other things.

Many people with ADHD say there is a sense of otherness when talking and interacting

with non-ADHD people, that you aren’t quite like everyone else. Its an anilenating feeling that

negatively impacts the mental state of those with ADHD. The way non-ADHD people think and

act is so different to the way someone with ADHD does that it can feel like they are constantly

getting judged for not being ‘normal’. Many ADHD people say that even without realising it

they are drawn to others with ADHD and that its easier interacting with them then someone

without it.

A lack of self-esteem is extremely common in children with ADHD. Teens with ADHD

are extremely sensitive to personal failure which can lead to a spiral of negative thoughts such as

“I’m not good enough”, “I’m too stupid to get this”, and “Why even try if I'm just going to fail?”

that slowly chip away at self-esteem (David). When combined with other disorders that are

common in ADHD children this can be disastrous. Things like anxiety, depression, and rejection

sensitivity dysphoria can amplify low self-esteem to extreme levels. They internalize others

criticisms and this can seriously hurt their mental state. People with both ADHD and rejection

sensitivity dysphoria can agree that they are extremely sensitive to rejection, criticism, and

failure (Matteson). On the other hand, some people with ADHD have really good self-esteem but
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when during low points can have a complete downward spiral. It can be a delicate balance,

between being high functioning and low functioning.

ADHD affects can be seen in every waking moment of a persons life. From when they

wake up to when the go to bed, well more like don’t go to bed. Slightly over half of all teenagers

with ADHD have problems involving sleep (Zeigler Dendy 189). Getting ready in the morning

can also be quite hard, between waking up on time, getting dress, remembering to eat breakfast

and to take their medication. Combine that with the executive disfunction common in people

with ADHD can make leaving on time a difficult task. Thats not even adding in the factors of

making sure their car has gas or if they have all the work they need done that day completed.

The affects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be seen in every faction of those

diagnosed with it. It affects their personal realtionships, their self-esteem, and their personal life.

They have a hard time making connections to non-ADHD people, are sensitive in ways that non-

ADHD people aren’t, and it affects their average everyday life in ways that are hard to

comprehend without being ADHD yourself.

Works Cited

A., Zeigler Dendy Chris, and Zeigler Dendy Chris A. Teenagers with ADD and ADHD: a Guide

for Parents and Professionals. Woodbine House, 2006.

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Matteson, Noelle. “Dealing with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and ADHD.”

HealthyPlace, 28 Nov. 2017,

www.healthyplace.com/blogs/livingwithadultadhd/2017/11/adhd-and-rejection-sensitive-

dysphoria.

David, Melissa. “Childhood ADHD and Poor Self-Esteem.” Psychology Today, Sussex

Publishers, 16 Oct. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-expect-what-you-

werent-expecting/201710/childhood-adhd-and-poor-self-esteem.

Brinkerhoff, Shirley. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Mason Crest, 2015.