By Zainab Jobarteh
“I look back at my report cards and all the teachers kept saying the same thing; ‘Ais’hah is smart, but she could do better if she focuses and applies herself,’’ remarks of a 26-year-old neurodivergent student.
Ais’hah Mahmoud has been struggling with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) her entire life. Before she got diagnosed last year, she and the people around her confused her behavior for incompetence.
ADHD is a mental health condition that can cause unusual levels of hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors.
According to the NHS, symptoms of ADHD can be categorised into two types of behavioral problems: inactiveness (difficulty concentrating and focusing) and hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
The main signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness according to the NHS are: being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings, constantly fidgeting, being unable to concentrate on tasks, excessive physical movement, excessive talking, being unable to wait their turn, acting without thinking, interrupting conversations, little or no sense of danger.
Though not talked about enough in The Gambia, this condition continues to affect people all around the world, from their childhood to adulthood. While the lucky ones get help as soon as possible, others struggle with their day to day activities and ultimately struggle to live a normal life. Aisha is one of those many people in The Gambia.
She narrated that while growing up, people always said she was very curious and could not sit at one place. “I talked a lot, I was always acting without thinking and I would forget a lot’’.
She went on: “All through my education, I have had struggles with focus, but I made it through to university and got my first job,’’ she said. “First few years I was coping well. Some days I am really productive and other days I am really terrible; I struggle to send one email’’.
Tired and desperate, Ais’hah said she contemplated quitting her job late last year because she was not being the best. Even though this was the job she loves and had all the trainings, she was ready to give up.
Forgetting task, failing to meet deadlines and the inability to concentrate was so apparent that her coordinator at work pulled her aside and asked what the problem was.
“It was getting too much and I was depressed because I was so bad at my job,’’ Ais’hah lamented.
She finally decided to talk to a professional who is a staff at the clinic she works at and they started the process of diagnosing her with ADHD. ‘’It was freeing and I finally felt seen’’.
Even after getting diagnosed, she continued to struggle. She explained that her first struggle was access to medication.
‘’It took me six months after getting diagnosed to get on medication because they are not available in The Gambia,’’ she said.
‘’The thing with ADHD is that even when you are on medication, you still struggle so much. There is so much to learn. I had to change my diet, I cannot drink certain medication because of the drug interactions. You still need therapy because there is so much trauma from living undiagnosed for so long,’’ she explained.
Ais’hah said she still struggles with time blindness, sound and light sensitivity and impulsively spending.
‘’I forget to pay my bills, I struggle with my relationships, be it family, friends and work,’’ she said. ‘’It is really hard and it can get overwhelming. Things often get ‘’lost’’ in your brain, falling out of your limited awareness. Worse, your working memory can be disrupted by distractions’’.
Since October is ADHD awareness month, Ais’hah writes threads on her Twitter page to raise awareness. In one of her tweets she wrote, ‘’…I really struggle with organization. Organization of my work, chores, relationship and thoughts. Whenever I finish cooking, the kitchen looks like the aftermath of a tornado. I try to keep organize but I just end up crying because I am overwhelmed’’.
On how forgetful she is, Ais’hah said she sometimes forgets about her husband until she gets home and hear noises in his editing suite and she remembers, ‘’oh, I am married’’. She added that she sometimes only remembers her parents when she talks to her siblings and verse versa.
She said she is grateful to have gotten diagnosed and finding the tools to educate herself and the people around her about her condition.
Several attempts were made to interview a doctor who specializes in this area for this story but to no avail.
