ADHD and the First Noble Truth: Life is Suffering

For anyone trying to make their way through life with undiagnosed ADHD life can indeed be suffering! I think a better term might be struggle. The easy, every day things people are expected to be able to handle are very difficult. Students are reprimanded for poor study habits, lack of organization, inconsistent academic performance, and for not "trying". Adults can find themselves slogging through jobs with great difficulty or changing jobs multiple times due to boredom, restlessness, or a lack of performance. Managing finances, relationships, and self care is very difficult. Those of us with ADHD are remarkably inconsistent and probably very frustrating to deal with.

So it is clear: Life with untreated ADHD is a great struggle. This struggle, this unseen force is what has held us back and troubled us all our lives. "What is the matter with me?" is a very common phrase I used to ask myself, along with "Why am I such an idiot?". It doesn't take long before self esteem takes a big hit. Depression and anxiety are very common among people with ADHD, and this only increases suffering. The next noble truth deals with the cause of our suffering, and we will look at it through the lens of science as well as the lens of traditional "moral" definitions.