ADHD is my Superpower
I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022. I was already 21, a successful mechanical engineering major, and a straight-A student. I didn't struggle academically, but I often had teachers complain to my parents that I was talking too much during class and doing random things unrelated to the curriculum. When I was 10, I started a personal paper trash can business. For just a few cents, I would turn an ordinary A4 sheet of paper into a hanging trash can for the underside of your desk. It was good business until I was shut down by my teacher.
It wasn't until college that I really started to see it. In college, nobody was constantly looking over my shoulder to check if I was working. I was in the front row of the lecture hall in my Physics 152 class playing idle games on my laptop while I pretended to pay attention. But because I was smart, I was still able to pass the class with an A. That was the thing: nobody ever questioned my ability to focus because I was so intelligent.
I'll admit: I didn't make the best choices in my years at USC. I was a bad kid. When things got rough in my junior year, I was pulling all-nighters every day to turn assignments in on time. I would go to bed at 8AM and wake up at 6PM – more about my sleep disorder another time. But because I was bad, I knew that there was a better way to get my work done. I texted a phone number that I obtained through questionable means, and soon street Adderall was in my hands. The thing is, it didn't really make me feel that different. My mind felt quieter. I really, really enjoyed the time that I spent working because I was able to study without my mind racing like the final lap in an F1 event.
This made me suspicious. I started to look into what ADHD actually is, and I learned that it can present itself in different ways. I wasn't the hyperactive type, and that was the definition of ADHD in my mind. I learned that there was another type of ADHD that did apply to me: ADHD-Inattentive. This was also more common among adults and females. I noticed that ADHD was comorbid with some of my other diagnoses, and I noticed signs in my behavior that wasn't so obvious to me before: I constantly interrupted people when talking, I was great at masking, and I hated engaging in tedious tasks like washing the dishes and folding laundry.
I scheduled a formal test and passed (failed?). I was prescribed methylphenidate to help with my symptoms. It changed my life. I was overjoyed, of course, but also hurt and confused. I was a cum laude engineering student at a top university; can you imagine where I could have gone if I had gotten help sooner? Maybe I would have gotten off the waitlist to MIT.
Later in life, I discovered my passion for business. Did you know that 20-30% of entrepreneurs have ADHD? My ADHD puts me at an advantage as an entrepreneur. I love the versatility of wearing multiple hats – I can be the CEO for a few hours and then the CMO when I get tired of that. I'm hyper fixated on my business. 90% of my thoughts throughout the day are related to Chirp.
ADHD tends to make people disorganized, but I am incredibly Type A about organization. I love to organize – I love Notion, Kanban boards, Google Calendar, and the Reminders app. Keeping a clean and organized workspace makes me feel in control. It's almost like roleplay to me. Here I am in my well-organized office with two monitors and an iced coffee, how could I not be productive?
It's only been 3 years since my diagnosis, so my journey with my ADHD is still in its early stages. It's a part of me that I've come to love; I wouldn't be me without having 100 brilliant ideas in a day. I've learned to stop mourning a life in which I am neurotypical. This life is amazing, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.