My Experience With ADHD

626 Words3 Pages
On the first day of school, Mrs. Theissen’s fifth grade class walked in to find squishy foam and gel balls sitting on every desk. She explained to us that these were there for us to squeeze when we were angry or upset. This was the first time I learned about fidget toys. When I was in elementary school, I ruined countless pens, erasers, and crayons from messing around with them during class. My teachers and my parents didn’t understand why I had such destructive tendencies. I didn’t understand either. Even after getting much-needed treatment for ADHD, I kept ripping apart my erasers, bursting my pens, and making origami with index cards. By the time I transitioned to middle school, I hadn’t outgrown it, even though the teachers were stricter and that sort of behavior wasn’t tolerated. To make matters worse, I started getting teased for severe acne. My attention shifted to my skin, I began to pick, often until I bled. Picking and then getting teased became a vicious cycle. I knew it was gross and I shouldn’t do it, but I couldn’t stop, so I tried to hide it. It was impossible to cover up what I had done to my face, and I was taken to a dermatologist and put on acne medication.…show more content…
I was too ashamed to mention my problem in therapy, but I finally confided in a close friend. She told me about compulsive skin picking, also called dermatillomania. I cut my nails short and picked up hobbies such as knitting and guitar that kept my hands busy, but nothing stopped my constant picking. One day, I happened to buy a hand strengthener to improve my guitar
Open Document