Growing up, my parents told me I was very smart but lazy. At some point in elementary school, I learned about ADHD and thought I might have it. I told my parents, and they told me I was just looking for excuses. Having ADHD caused me to act out, and other kids called me annoying. Constant criticism at an early age can cause children to become extremely self-conscious and develop social anxiety, which I definitely did. I struggled through school, both academically and socially. In college, I saw that the grad students wanted to experiment on someone who suspects they have undiagnosed ADHD. I signed up, and they told me I had a moderate to extreme case. Convincing myself I could ignore it as I had most of my life, I didn't seek real treatment or start addressing it until my 30s. I had many unresolved feelings of anger about my childhood, but I have since come to terms with it, and reading about it, as well as having therapy and medication, helped me with the symptoms to love myself.