Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I'm sure you've heard the term before, or more likely heard its abbreviated name ADHD. For many people, ADHD is fake, even self-diagnosed. But for people like my brothers and I, who have a legitimate diagnosis, we know just how real and debilitating it can be. I could list a ton of reasons why I hate my ADHD. Sometimes I can spend an entire day being productive without even thinking about the things that were crucial for me to get done. I hate sitting down, I interrupt people too often, I can be extremely impatient and impulsive, and sometimes it feels like I just can't stop going. Sure, there are many downfalls and quirks to having ADHD, but it also has some perks. I wouldn't be me if I didn't have ADHD, and here’s why!

1. The endless energy and athleticism.

My energy levels aren't solely due to my ADHD, I have always hated sitting down and have a continuous need to keep moving. Being active helps me to stay in shape, which in turn helped me excel in sports throughout high school. I always am motivated to walk or ride my bike somewhere, or go to the gym. I'm not the type of person who can easily lounge around all day being a couch potato and I'm grateful for that!

2. I’m a workaholic.

This is a branch off of reason one but, however difficult it may be for me to sit down and do my homework my restless energy, and never-ending determination force me to push through and continue working. Even when I get off task, I have no problem working for a longer period to compensate for the time lost.

3. It gets me to go out and do things. I’m never bored.

Furthermore, due to my restless nature, I have no patience to sit around doing nothing. I’m the opposite of a couch potato. Even when I have absolutely nothing to do I’ll find a reason to get up and get out of the house. In turn, I'm never bored, and can find the simplest ways to entertain myself.

4. I think a lot and have a good imagination.

Sometimes I can get easily irritated by my overactive, overthinking mind. However, my overthinking is both a curse and a blessing. My overthinking fosters a lot of creativity and it allows me to think of some pretty fantastic ideas or projects from something as simple as what I read in my textbook that day.

5. I’m the queen of multitasking.

Because it’s so difficult for me to stay on one task for an exceptional amount of time I have mastered the art of multitasking and I can easily juggle at least three different tasks at one time.

6. I’m spontaneous, and fun to be around.

Yes sometimes I’m very impatient and impulsive, but this isn’t always a negative. There are situations where this impulsiveness is a perfect fit and allows me to flourish. In these cases, I prefer to call it being spontaneous and outgoing. Sure I may interrupt, say random things, or become hyper suddenly. But, this is one of the things that helps keep life interesting. Many of my friends like me for this trait, I don’t get boring, I’m comfortable with being weird, and making people laugh, and I know how to spice things up a little bit.

7. I know the best places to lose things.

Yes, it’s extremely irritating to lose something every fifteen minutes, but because of my tireless ability to lose things, I have also become a master at finding things. I remember all of the most common places I leave or lose everyday items so; I prove to be a very helpful person in finding lost items.

8. It makes me who I am.

My ADHD is part of me. Whether people like it or not, it’s still an essential part of my personality. It makes me who I am, the bubbly, hyper, outgoing Hayley that everyone knows. When I take my Adderall, I turn into a different person. I get quiet and very tense, most people even point this out, that they prefer me off my medication.

9. I have learned to struggle.

ADHD can be tough, really tough and unlike popular belief, ADHD is real, although overprescribed the idea that everyone has ADHD is false. It’s hard to sit down and get homework done, and I struggled with getting my schoolwork completed, especially when I made the transfer from high school to college. I have to buckle down to maintain focus, medication or not. Although my ADHD can be difficult and has caused me a lot of stress in my life, it has also shown me how to struggle and work through the rough times.

10. I can help others learn to work with and understand their ADHD or mental illness.

Having ADHD and learning to work with it and overcome the difficulties and obstacles it throws my way has prepared me to help others who may be struggling like I used to. This semester I decided to become a mentor for the Disability Resource Center, so I can help guide people who may be in similar situations as I was my freshman year.