By Harlee Hunsaker
Everyone knows what it feels like to get distracted from time to time, but one group of BYU students deals with distractions and diversions every day of their lives.
On the outside, they look like regular college students. However, on the inside, they are dealing with a chronic condition known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
“People can do a good job of masking, of looking like everyone else and you don’t see the struggles that they’re facing,” BYU’s ADHD Club president Tim Jafek said.
Jafek created this group to find a community on campus, and each member of the club struggles with ADHD on a daily basis.
“You know you’re supposed to be focusing in class or doing your homework or studying,” club co-president Victoria Latey said. “But your brain just has this wall that you have to jump over that other people don’t.”
Jafek and Latey meet with fellow students each week to simply hang out and talk about their struggles and successes of being a student with ADHD.
“It can be hard when you feel like you are the only one failing, especially at a school like BYU, where lots of students are academically gifted,” Latey said.
“Outwardly it might look like procrastination or something like that, whereas inwardly it’s like ‘I’m trying to get this assignment done,’” Jafek said.
Next time you meet someone with ADHD, think about these club members who found a community of support.
“The big thing is finding community. Finding other people to talk about my challenges and they can talk about their challenges and we can learn together,” Jafek said.
The ADHD Club meets every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Joseph F. Smith Building, Room 1141.
