About 6.1 million children and teens in the U.S. currently struggle with the disorders ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The Triton Voice interviewed some Triton students with these disorders to see how it affects their everyday lives.

People with ADHD often experience symptoms of hyperactivity, excessive talking, the tendency to interrupt, and fidgeting constantly, according to additudemag.com.

Junior, Bridget Tucker, a student who has ADHD, told us the struggles of this disorder.

“ My name is Bridget Tucker, and I have crippling ADHD. I was diagnosed my sophomore year, which is weird because my personality just radiates ADHD.”

“On a daily basis, I have to take pills every morning…basically, its mellowed me out and it definitely helps me with my schoolwork. I definitely feel like this year and the last of sophomore quarter, I’ve been a bit more tolerable. My only signs of ADHD without my meds is my twitchiness, I constantly have to be playing with something.”

We asked Tucker how she found out that there was something wrong and how she knew she probably had ADHD.

“I first discovered I needed help when I realized my GPA was really bad. And I’m not trying to toot my own horn here, but I used to be one of the smarter kids back in elementary school. I used to be in some of the highest reading groups and stuff like that, but then when like sixth grade rolled around, my grades started to go downhill and I didn’t know why I figured I just wasn’t smart anymore and my grades kept getting worse and worse and my teachers kept saying ‘Bridget you don’t shut up in class, please shut up.’ That’s when I told my mom, ‘Mom, I think I have ADHD, I think we need to get me tested again.’ And so, we go me tested.”

“I don’t shut up, I can’t focus. That’s why I’ve been annoying my whole life, cause I didn’t know I  had ADHD.”

ADD can cause symptoms such as forgetfulness, poor organization, difficulty focusing, getting easily distracted, and difficulty listening, according to additudemag.com.

The next two students we interviewed suffer from ADD and seem to have experienced these symptoms as well.

Junior, Ava Ford explained to us the effects ADD had on her before she was diagnosed.

“Before I started taking my medicine for my ADD, it would make me very tired throughout the day and I wouldn’t be able to focus and it was very hard to get a lot of my schoolwork done and even everyday activities because of the ADD and me not being able to understand or focus on the things I really needed to” said Ford.

“Id be very tired throughout the day. I used to fall asleep a lot, even in the car with my mom, because I wouldn’t be in the mindset to do much.”

To help her ADD, Ford explained, “ To help it, I take my medicine and I also try to plan a schedule for myself to help me get things done.”

Ford realized she had ADD only a little earlier than Tucker did.

“ It was freshman year and I had two concussions and apparently when you get concussions it can bring out symptoms or things wrong with you that you didn’t really know you had before and it made my focusing even worse and I realized it was a problem so I went to the doctor and they said I had ADD.”

The final student we interviewed, struggles with ADD but wished to stay anonymous.

“ I was actually diagnosed with ADD only two months ago.”

To help with their ADD, this student also takes medicine to get them through the day.

“ Every morning, I take medicine. I have a really hard time paying attention, so it helps wake me up and it helps me pay attention and stay on track. I’ve been actually doing my homework and my procrastination has gotten so much better.”

“Before I started taking my medicine, I couldn’t pay attention at all. It was really hard for me to get through a school day because of how tired I was and I would forget to do my homework. I would also get distracted so easily.”

The student explained to us how they found out that they had ADD.

“ I realized that I needed help after my freshman and sophomore year and the first quarter of junior year. My grades were so bad and I had no motivation to study for tests or do my homework. After starting off the second quarter off really badly I was confused as to why I was like this. My mom was fed up with it and took me to the doctor and it turned out I had ADD.”