How Frida (49) changed her life after her ADD diagnosis

“Typical foreign child!”

Frida* often heard these derogatory words in her youth. “It used to be said at school that troubled children came from the south,” says Frida.

The pedagogue and educational expert grew up in Germany in the 1970s with her parents from the former Yugoslavia. ADHD was not yet a problem at the time, and the core symptoms of the neurological disease – inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity – were considered culturally entrenched.

Even at a young age, Frida is prone to impulsive outbursts that she cannot control. Your feelings and moods fluctuate quickly and dramatically. If she doesn’t like something, she can get loud. Very hard. Says things she doesn’t actually mean.

No one thinks about what’s wrong with little Frida and why she can be so short-tempered. The educators agree: her impulsiveness is related to her southern temperament. “I have believed in that for a long time,” says Frida. In order not to be seen as the ‘typical foreign child’, she tries to pull herself together.

That wasn’t easy. Frida’s brain cannot properly control impulses. This is due to the messenger substances dopamine and norepinephrine, which are out of balance in her body. She perceives stimuli such as sounds, smells and moods much more intensely, and this excess of stimuli can lead to overwhelm.

But Frida knew nothing about it for a long time. She first heard about the neurological disease ADD while studying education. Frida was almost 30 at the time.

“When I looked more closely at the biochemical imbalance, I suspected I was suffering from it,” says Frida. “During seminars I discovered that my impulsiveness is probably not culturally coded, but is probably a genetic predisposition.”

Before this assumption, Frida struggled through life. I didn’t follow the linear path, but many branches. And therefore received a lot of criticism.

«I was born in a generation where trying things was considered a break. Life used to be very linear. After school came training. Then you usually worked in the same job until you retired – often even in the same company,” says Frida. «I have experienced many disruptions in my life. I quit my electronics internship shortly before my final exams and always struggled to maintain long-term friendships.”

During her pedagogical studies, many things changed for the better in Frida’s life. “I finally found something that nourished me. I was incredibly motivated and committed.” Suddenly Frida can concentrate. This is due to the so-called hyperfocus, which can largely block sensory overload. When people with ADHD have found something that interests them, this ability often emerges.

But the fear of the final exam, the fear of failure, returns. «I really reached my limits during the final exams. I couldn’t concentrate well, I couldn’t concentrate,” says Frida. Yet she finds a way to overcome her anxiety and concentration problems.

Although she suspected that she suffered from ADHD during her studies, she postponed clarification. “I have long wondered whether research was even worth it,” says Frida. She can do her job well as a teacher, but is still dependent on cooperation. Background noise must be avoided and mobile phones are prohibited.

Over time, Frida’s skin becomes thinner and she has difficulty controlling her impulses. “I can resist my impulse pressure to a certain extent, but when it becomes too much, the impulses rush into your face,” says Frida. Then she no longer has control over what she says – and she also uses gutter language. No advantage in a teaching profession.

Finally, after a few years, Frida qualified as a teacher. Diagnosis: ADD. As expected.

We meet Frida in a café in Basel. We’ve been talking for about half an hour. All around us there is a confusion of voices, the coffee maker hums, the plates clatter, a small child bangs his fist on the table. It’s too much for the 49-year-old. “I can hear what’s going on there ten times more clearly than you can. It’s driving me crazy now,” says Frida. We switch places.

When asked why she was examined, she said: “On the one hand, I needed a diagnosis for therapy. On the other hand, scientific evidence depends on numbers. If people do not get checked, the prevalence cannot be determined.”

Exact figures are not collected in Switzerland. According to estimates, approximately 2 to 5 percent of the population suffers from AD(H)S. Most of those affected have a genetic predisposition. According to current scientific knowledge, the biochemical imbalance cannot be overcome.

Frida says it is perception that is prone to disruption in people affected by ADHD, and not the person themselves. This results in challenges such as constant rumination, severe concentration problems and even brain fog, high levels of distractibility and difficulty prioritizing tasks.

Medicines containing the active substance methylphenidate (for example Ritalin) are mainly used to treat AD(H)S. Frida also tries to control her impulsiveness through medication. She is open to the stimulants that fall under the Narcotics Act: “The biochemical process works differently in people with ADHD. “Drugs should therefore be understood as supplements that compensate for the chemical imbalance in the brain.” However, she cannot tolerate the medications. “My daily life became even more strenuous. I could hardly follow conversations anymore.”

Either way, she finds it difficult to concentrate on a conversation for long periods of time. Frida has barely been able to read for fifteen years. “If I want to read a longer report, I need at least five attempts. There are no more books in it,” says Frida. Talking, on the other hand, is not difficult for her at all. Frida has been talking non-stop for almost three hours. “I never stop telling stories,” Frida jokes. Unrestrained speech flows are a typical sign of AD(H)D.

In addition to her work as a teacher, she gave dance lessons. She was outside all the time in the evenings. “At some point I had to admit to myself that I needed more rest.” She turned her life around and took more time for herself, which allowed her to deal with her impulses better. The open approach she used as a teacher also helped her. She gave advice to those affected.

She still does that today.

«I supported mentally ill young people who took a break from their teaching. There were also many people with ADHD who became ill because they did not feel like they were in good hands,” says Frida. Because she wanted to do something about this, she decided to follow a coaching and advisory course and developed a concept that is applicable to those involved as part of AD(H)S coaching. “I organize meetings for people affected by AD(H)S in this country so that they can develop an appreciative approach to their diagnosis and exchange ideas with each other,” says Frida.

It is important for her to create a space where those affected feel in good hands and are aware that there are many like us.

*We have changed the name for privacy reasons.