1
00:01:22,909 --> 99:59:59,999
Hello brains!

2
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I say that to you because...
if you think about it.

3
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It wasn't really you
that decided to come here today.

4
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It was your brain.

5
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And whether you decided 
to walk or drive, take a taxi, ride a bike

6
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That decision was decided
by your brain.

7
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Behavior, all behavior,
is affected by your brain.

8
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
This is a story about my brain.

9
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So, I was a smart kid. By 18 months I
was speaking in full sentences.

10
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
By third grade I was scoring 
post high school on standardized tests.

11
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I had as all my teacher's agreed,
so much potential.

12
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999


13
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I was also struggling.
I didn't have many... any friends.

14
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Outside of books.
I was easily overwhelmed.

15
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I spaced out in class.
I lost things, constantly.

16
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And trying to get my brain to focus on 
something I wasn't excited about...

17
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
was like trying to nail Jell-O
to the wall.

18
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But I was smart.
So nobody was worried.

19
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
It wasn't until middle school 
when I was responsible for

20
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
getting myself to classes on time,
and remembering to bring my own homework.

21
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
That being smart wasn't enough anymore,
and my grades started to suffer.

22
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
My mom took me to the doctor
and after a comprehensive evaluation.

23
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
I was diagnosed with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

24
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
ADHD.

25
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
If you're not familiar with ADHD 
it has three primary characteristics.

26
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Inattention, impulsivity, 
and hyperactivity.

27
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Some people with ADHD 
have more of the inattentive presentation.

28
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Those are the daydreamers,
the space cadets.

29
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Some have more of 
the hyperactive/impulsive presentation.

30
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Those are the kids that usually
get diagnosed early.

31
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
But, the most common presentation
is a combination of both.

32
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
My doctor and my parents decided 
that given my shiny new diagnosis.

33
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
Maybe stimulant medication would succeed,
where spankings and lectures had failed.

34
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
So I tried it.
And it worked.

35
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
The first time I took my medication 
it was like putting on glasses.

36
99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999
And realizing I could see, 
without squinting.