I (a woman) was diagnosed at 16 and took meds through high school. It made it possible for me to get my grades up and get into BYU. I didn't take meds at college and during my mission. My mission gave me a lot of momentum with structure and motivation and I continued to not need meds.

With some life challenges over the last few years, I decided to get back on medication, and it has seriously improved my life. It not only helps me focus to get things done, but it also helps with my emotional regulation. A lot of my friends have ADHD (we seem to be drawn to each other), and all of us take some of the medication. It has seriously been a big blessing and I feel so much better and can tell the difference between when I take my meds and when I don't.

While meds have been so helpful for me, for a long time I didn't take them and I was able to function and manage my ADHD without my meds. There are other options as to how to manage it, explore those as well. Managing ADHD is not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Everyone is different in how they manage it. But like I said before, don't be afraid of medication. It can really help with mood regulation, and for me, that makes a huge difference.