Wellness

What if your brain wrote all of its thoughts down on cement blocks? The weight would be too heavy. Your brain would need to drop some off along the way, or it wouldn't be able to move at all under all the weight. That is the simplest allegory one could use to describe living with ADHD. 

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a legally recognized, neurodevelopmental disability that limits normal daily functions. It is characterized by impulsivity, mood swings, executive dysfunction (the inability to get up and do things), and the inability to focus, regulate thoughts/emotions, and remember a variety of things. There are just too many  signs of ADHD for me to fit into this article. But what I can mention is how it is too overly normalized, and having a disability is not a cute or quirky thing to have. For years, many people have claimed to have or joked around about having ADHD over small things, one of the 30+ challenges that come with ADHD, without doing proper research. There have been many people who have said they have it because they like to fidget in class. But they wouldn't say the same if they had to admit they can't remember to use the bathroom and shower because then it's seen by the public as something embarrassing. 

Do they know that not all ADHD presents itself as hyper? It can literally cause an inability to get up in the morning or do things, called task/ADHD paralysis. Unfortunately, ADHD isn't just about being hyper and fidgeting a lot. It causes a lot of hygiene issues, severe emotional distress, and significantly impacts the ability to function in every aspect of life.  It can impact your ability to wake up and get out of bed, make meals, and it could negatively affect your sleep. Because of constant forgetfulness, inability to focus, and cognitive dysfunction, small tasks like picking up a piece of paper on the floor become overly complex. 

For years, I was scared to speak up about it because of how people may believe I'm faking or seeking attention. Not only are there too many stereotypes and stigmas, but it is so normalized. Yale Medicine suggests that 7 million have been diagnosed, and there are still 55%  people that have it but aren't diagnosed. But that does not mean that it is easy to live with. It comes with many challenges that people typically don't have to face because of constant, unwavering brain fog. Loud, overlapping thoughts are constantly ruining your focus and emotional/environmental sensitivities make it really hard to be in any type of social setting. It makes it really difficult to perform tasks, make friends, stay calm and get tasks done. It's all because your brain lacks key components to function, think and be able to make your muscles do what they are supposed to do in the moment like get up and put a book on its shelf. Or the opposite, focusing too much on something not necessarily important to you to the point you don't even remember to eat or use the bathroom. 

Studies at Yale medicine also suggest that over 50% of people with ADHD have suicidal thoughts (3-5 times more than the average person), and half of that group actually attempt it. 1 in 4 with ADHD engage in NSSI. (Non suicidal self injury) So why isn’t it taken more seriously?  

ADHD is an extremely difficult thing to live with, it overlaps a lot with severe disorders and disabilities that a lot of people care about. ADHD is often overlooked and misunderstood because it is very common among people as a whole compared to other disabilities or disorders. It presents itself with certain characteristics but when you look at those from just an article or someone describing it, it's easy to get the wrong idea. Because not focusing is one of the most well-known parts of ADHD, a lot of people joke that they must have it when they lose concentration. Those misconceptions build up, and when someone who actually has it speaks up, they're more likely to be dismissed or seen as jumping on a trend. 

If more people took the time to look into what it is and how to help people who have it, it would be so much easier receiving help. I myself have ADHD and it took me years to get the help I needed. My doctor's reasoning was that because my grades were fine and so many people in my age group thought they had it/joked about it, it was most likely a phase that was going to pass. But, that wasn't the case. Years later, I got diagnosed with it and received help but because of my late diagnosis, I still struggle with almost every aspect of my life despite getting all the treatment I need. 

I wanted to bring light to the issue that ADHD being common doesn't mean you can joke about having it because then people go through what I did. It creates too many stereotypes of “what ADHD should look like” versus “what it actually is” and it only ends up with more people hurt than helped. There are so many people out there right now going through what I did and being made fun of by the same kids who joked about having it without knowing the truth of living with it. So, as a community and a school we should be there to support and uplift each other through these issues and so much more. ADHD isn't a joke, it isn't “just zoning out” and it’s more than just a common phase that “everyone has.” 

With the rise of mental illness in recent times, there needs to be more and more ways for people to cope. Nearly 1 in 5 people struggle with their mental health. Over 6 million people in the United States alone struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders that make it difficult to live life to the fullest. A recent survey by the NMS Health Organization has shown that over 77% of people who struggle with their mental health use unhealthy ways to cope. But with the rise of music and streaming platforms, studies have shown that music chemically alters the brain to make you feel better, meaning music is a largely successful coping mechanism.

Let's take a closer look at what truly happens in the brain when someone has a mental disorder. A study at Yale Medicine tells us that when someone has a mental disorder (such as depression), certain parts of the brain misfire. When the brain "misfires," the neurons (nerve cells) in those parts of the brain can't properly release the chemicals that make you happy or calm. Those chemicals are called neurotransmitters, such as serotonin (happiness), dopamine (pleasure/feel good), and norepinephrine (counter to adrenaline, which is released in anxiety). All of these keep you calm, happy, and at ease. When someone has depression, those neurotransmitters have a hard time releasing because of neurological or psychological trauma, or genetics that cause the brain to misfire.

As you can imagine, when the brain makes it almost impossible to feel happy, it's hard to find a way to manage how you feel. That's where music comes in. In the continuation of the study at Yale Medicine, researchers took people with major depressive disorder, made them listen to music, and recorded their brain waves and heart rates. The heart rate slows while the brain waves increase. But what does this mean on a neurological level? The increase in brain waves indicates that those previously mentioned neurotransmitters are actually being released, stimulated by music. As they release, they boost mood through the reward system with the help of serotonin and dopamine, while norepinephrine slows the heart rate, reducing anxiety. The results of the study show that music is a great coping mechanism.

What also makes music a reliable and healthy coping mechanism is the type of music you listen to. Each type of music consists of many different frequencies that can assist in the release of neurotransmitters. Not to mention, being able to relate to lyrics and the feel of a song can make someone feel less alone and provide a non-verbal outlet to express feelings.

No one is truly alone in their mental health struggles. You just need to find what works for you, and that very well might be music. Although music can't solve mental health issues, it can definitely help someone hold on. Mental health matters, and by using accessible tools backed by data, life can get a little easier.