How an ADHD diagnosis marked a step forward for this graduate student

In the ghostly quiet of the Queen Elizabeth II Library in St. John's, a young man sits alone next to a bare concrete pillar in the cavernous reading room, gazing into his laptop screen and struggling to stay on task.

Ahmed Hassanin, 25, is a graduate student at Memorial University, working toward a master's degree in computer engineering.

Though he has managed to succeed so far within a difficult discipline, Hassanin is encumbered by something beyond his control: a neurodevelopmental disorder that until fairly recently he did not know he had. 

Like roughly three to five per cent of Canadians, he lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. 

"It's not something you can just power through," he said.

Hassanin describes some days as better than others, and the worst ones he calls bad ADHD days. On a bad day, his focus becomes like a loose cannon that he cannot control. He says no amount of mental effort is enough on these kinds of days.

The condition makes low-stimulation tasks like reading completely onerous for Hassanin. As a grad student, that can be a problem.

"I keep losing focus every few words," he said. "I end up totally losing track of what I was reading."

He prefers instead to work on the more practical parts of his studies, where concentration isn't quite as much of an issue as with reading. At home, domestic chores like sweeping the floor or doing the dishes can also become unduly tricky for Hassanin to complete.

"All the small tasks you can't do keep piling up," he said. "You can't work when you can't take care of all those little tasks."

Hassanin's diagnosis came only last fall. After months of doctor's appointments, pre-screenings and a referral to a psychologist, he was diagnosed with ADHD in October. He was 24 at the time.

According to a counsellor specializing in ADHD management, a diagnosis can be life changing.

Janet McDonald, a Canadian certified counsellor, has for the past two years been focusing on helping people manage their ADHD. 

"Getting a diagnosis can be like finding a missing piece of the puzzle," she said. "People can start to understand why things are so difficult for them."