What do you think of when you hear the word ADHD? Do you think of a hyperactive child disrupting a classroom? Do you think of an overly impulsive child? Do you think of a kid who will inevitably turn to substance abuse? Do you think that kids with ADHD just want attention?

These are the types of thoughts many people have when they think of a person with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The misconceptions people have about ADHD tend to both downplay the seriousness of the disorder and erase the experience of it. Unfortunately, many people with the disorder get stigmatized as a result of these myths. I have seen this stigma from firsthand experience.

My older brother has ADHD and I remember watching him struggle. He was ridiculed by his classmates; they called him crazy. His teachers labeled him as a troublemaker and he became notorious for his behavior. Nobody ever took his disorder into consideration and he was either perceived as a “bad kid” or as having a learning disability. My mother had to fight the school system from placing him into special education. These constant struggles caused him to resent school. He felt like an unwanted  burden, so he stopped going.

Myth: ADHD is not a real disorder.

There are a lot of people who don’t think that ADHD is a real disorder. People with ADHD get marginalized because their disorder is not as easily diagnosable in the biomedical world. Since there is no single scientific test such as a blood or brain exam that can be used to diagnose ADHD, it gets reduced to a “fixable” behavioral problem. The problem is that ADHD does not fit a strict category and is still being understood by professionals, so it’s no wonder why many people misunderstand it. However, ADHD is a disorder just like any other. It may not have a single treatment or method of diagnosis, but that does not make it any less of a real impairment.

There is a tendency to associate ADHD with bad parenting. The logic is that these kids weren’t properly disciplined, it isn’t that they actually have a disorder. I remember my mother feeling inadequate and that it was her fault that my brother acted out so often. She did not understand that the disorder was the root cause of his behavioral problems. My mother was not at fault, but she and many other parents of children with ADHD get blamed for causing the disorder.

Even though the environment plays a role in the development of ADHD, it is not the sole cause. Therefore, parents and schools should not be blamed for the disorder. Parental and educational support are helpful, but it is a medical disorder and should be treated like one, and that may or may not include medication.

Myth: ADHD is a childhood disorder.

Another common misconception is that ADHD is only prevalent in childhood. Plenty of teens and adults deal with ADHD symptoms everyday. Teens often  exhibit symptoms from their early childhood, but are less likely to be excused because it seems “childish” to express hyperactivity, inattention or impulsivity. The symptoms in adults with ADHD are not as noticeable; however, many adults still struggle with organizational skills and forgetfulness. They tend to have difficulty keeping jobs and often have trouble maintaining relationships.

As an adult today, my brother still struggles with the symptoms listed above, and many other adults do too. ADHD is not a disorder that magically vanishes when you grow up. It still lingers and creates conflict in an individual’s everyday life.

Myth: Everybody has ADHD these days.

People tend to misinterpret the increased diagnosis of ADHD to be an over-diagnosis. I often hear people say that “everybody has ADHD these days.” This statement reduces the legitimacy of the disorder because it questions the rigidity of its diagnostic process. There are many reasons for the increase in diagnosis. Some studies indicate a correlation between the school accountability policy and ADHD diagnosis. This policy measures the amount of rewards given to schools based on academic test scores and graduation rates. To maximize their rewards, schools had more underachieving students diagnosed and treated for ADHD so they would be put on medications and/or receive testing accommodations.

However, this increase might not be so bad. There are still many individuals with ADHD who go through life undiagnosed and untreated. This is especially seen in people who come from minority groups or whose parents are not familiar with the disorder because they often don’t report any of the symptoms.

ADHD is a serious disorder and a painful reality for many individuals. Making seemingly harmless comments about ADHD adds to the stigma. The misconceptions are widespread and many people don’t look for any information other than what they hear or read, unless the disorder directly affects them or someone they know. Rethink the thoughts you have when you hear the word ADHD. Are they marginalizing? Are they generalizing? Do they reduce the legitimacy of the disorder?

Tiffany Marquez can be reached at tmmarquez@ucdavis.edu.

As those who know me know, nature isn’t my only interest: I’m also a big fan of music. Often when I go hiking in wild places, I like to put in my ear buds and find a soundtrack for my adventures on my iPod.  However, when hiking at Sunol Regional Wilderness with the Davis Hiking Club a few days ago, the only things filling my ears were the sounds of camaraderie, laughter, and birdsong.  Some people there I already knew; some of them I had just begun to know. But being in that moment there with them and sharing the bright sunshine in those familiar hills made me feel truly present and fully alive.

I didn’t miss my iPod one bit. I didn’t need it to feel like I was really connected. There wasn’t even service where we were, and it’s easy to see where people get the idea that we have a “better connection without wi-fi.” Anyone who’s been out in the woods and has spent quality time with friends there will find it an attractive notion. I have a friend who chooses to use a flip phone instead of a smartphone in order to try to be more in touch with the moment and the people around him, and another who elects not to have a phone at all for that same reason. Yet another ] always shushes me when we’re out there and I’m playing guitar, because he wants to hear what the true natural scene is singing.

These are attitudes and lifestyles I’ve always admired. To forego the attractive distractions of modern consumer culture for the deep essence of the moment is a noble endeavor. In fact, it is my belief that for the preservation and health of our souls, it is absolutely necessary that we find time to unplug and detach ourselves from our artificial materialism. Never having a chance to unplug would drive me crazy.

Now, what my friends have drawn from this idea is that it’s better to go without these artifices altogether. As an avid fan and user of Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and a host of other apps and social sites, I must confess I’ve never been fully comfortable with their conclusion. This discomfort has forced me to examine my motivations closely. Is it that I prefer everything in moderation, or is it that I am more enthralled to consumer society than I realize? Maybe an exception can be made for listening to music? Or could they simply be wrong?

I’ve come to the conclusion that none of the above is the case. I’m not a slave to my materialistic ways, I’m not a particular fan of moderation, and my friends aren’t entirely wrong. But to think that connection can only come with detachment from material things is to miss many elements of what connection can mean. Sure, you can be connected in and with yourself if you feel the moment, but there are so many others ways that we humans connect. We connect through friendship, we connect through familiarity with the ecology around us and we connect through the internet.

What I’m trying to say is this: technology doesn’t have to stunt our spiritual growth or separate us from each other and from the present. In some cases, technology can do the opposite. Maybe listening to the right music on my iPod when I’m out in the forest will help me connect emotionally with the scene on a deeper level than I could otherwise experience. Maybe playing my mass-produced Yamaha guitar through the deep stillness of an open field can lend peace to my soul that I can instill into my music and let others feel when they listen to it. Maybe that Instagram or snap I send from the top of a mountain will allow me to share in a joyful connection with whoever’s on the other side, or better yet will cause them to seek out the connection of the mountain for themselves.

In short, although we have a basic need to occasionally unplug, there’s also nothing wrong with plugging in sometimes when we’re in nature because it may help us experience a kind of connection that we would otherwise miss. That’s why as I took pictures on this past weekend’s hike, I knew I wouldn’t regret spending that time behind the camera. The pictures captured my friendships, and the memories they preserved are connections deep and wonderful in their own right, no matter how dull and artificial my little Apple phone may be in comparison to the awesomeness of the world around us.

So don’t worry about what the nature hipsters may say. Sharing your memories and tuning into your music are an integral part of what connection is all about.

Look up, look out, look around – connection is in our nature.

Nick Jensen can be reached at njensen@ucdavis.edu.

Forum held today to begin discussions

The UC Davis women’s lacrosse team faced heavy backlash from the campus community this week after a Facebook photo of eight players dressed in culturally insensitive attire resurfaced after its initial posting in October.

Originally taken during a Halloween-themed team practice, the photo specifically targeted the Chicana/o and Latina/o community, and received negative reactions from a variety of students. UC Davis Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Adela de la Torre immediately responded to these concerns in an email sent last Friday, in which she called upon the student community to practice “cultural humility” and ensured that UC Davis Athletics would take the appropriate steps to prevent similar offenses in the future.

The photo is just one of many incidences of blatant racial discrimination at the university this year, as outlined last Monday in an open letter drafted and signed by undergraduate students, campus organizations, ASUCD officials and community members.

The letter, addressed to UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi and senior UC Davis administration, expressed disappointment in how little the university’s Principles of Community are enforced. Specifically, it stated that the university has failed to prevent several incidents of racial insensitivity, and thus has contributed to the lack of a safe and respectful space for students of color on campus.

Recognizing that many issues of cultural discrimination on campus often go unnoticed without appropriate action, The California Aggie Editorial Board commends the rapid and effective student response in regards to this incident. We understand how wide the scope of this problem is on the university level and believe that strong student activism is key to making successful change.

We hope that in cooperation with the student body, the UC Davis administration will  take steps to combat acts of cultural and religious insensitivity. We recognize that some of these efforts have already been made. Chancellor Katehi’s prompt and timely response to the open letter via email not only demonstrates that she is prioritizing campus climate-related issues, but also that she has concrete plans set in place moving forward.

The Editorial Board appreciates that the administration understands the magnitude of the problem and is taking active steps to combat it, starting with the open forum held today at 12 p.m. with de la Torre. Given the large number of discriminatory incidents by UC Davis students and campus leaders this year, it is crucial that these discussions between students and administrators continue in order to foster sustained dialogue.

Graphic by Jennifer Wu.

Reporting rape is important. Super important. We need to report because 88 percent of rapists will rape more than once. And, like, why would we knowingly let someone get away with that?

Even with these statistics, rape is the least reported of all crimes. On college campuses, only 11 percent of victims report their experience. But, why? Could it really be that bad?

Let’s take a closer look:

Picture it. You’ve just experienced some form of sexual assault. You’re completely shaken up, and although all you want to do is lie on the floor and never move, you can’t ignore your mother’s nagging voice in your head telling you to take action.

So you desperately try to remember that one phone number everybody seems to think is so important: 9-9-1, was it? Wait no, 9-1-1. You dial the number and in seconds there’s a herd of scary policemen in your room aggressively asking you really simple questions that suddenly seem daunting.

“Do you spell your name with an I or an E? When was your birthday?”

And you have absolutely no idea because all you can think about is the terror creeping through your bones.

The police officers proceed to take everything in your room that could be used as evidence. They take the hand-stitched blanket on your bed. They take the teddy bear from your desk on the grounds that Bear-y observed the entire event first-hand and must be brought into the station for questioning. They take the 20 bucks from the floor – because come on, it’s 20 bucks.

Then the police shove you in the back of the police car. “Wait a minute,” you think. “Am I the criminal?” You’re sitting there on a seat equivalent in comfort to a cement floor, and think to yourself, “What kind of people have sat in this same exact spot?” That thought sends chills down your spine.

When you get to the station, or the Center for Advocacy, Resources & Education at UC Davis (CARE) office, the questioning continues. Only this time the questions are actually difficult and you haven’t the slightest clue how to answer them. Detective Jim looks you dead straight in the eyes, past your eyes and into your soul and says in complete seriousness, “I want you to tell me… during the assault… was your left pinky positioned at a 90 degree angle, or was it more like a 95 degree angle? ”

You silently criticize yourself for not paying closer attention to your pinky while you were getting raped, and proceed to do nothing but sit there – with a blank stare and a suspicious-looking pinky resting on your lap.

Next, they graciously give you a victim’s advocate. Finally, someone who gets how horrible this is. So, you and your advocate set out on a whirlwind adventure to the sexual assault clinic far far away (there is no clinic anywhere close to UC Davis).

Upon arrival, you find out you’ll be getting 87 shots to prevent against every STD ever.  The names sound so unfamiliar you’re pretty sure the doctor just made them up on the spot so he could stab you with the maximum number of needles. Once the stabbing is done, you get to have the deluxe PAP smear special. Does that sound like fun? Because it means a stranger sticking a gigantic tube up your butt.

Congratulations! You’ve just had the most horrible night of your life. But hey, at least the worst of it is over, right? Well, not exactly. Plot twist…that was the easy part. The hard part is everything that follows.

The hard part is going through with the University and criminal justice reporting process with the constant reminder from others that you are “Ruining somebody’s life.”  Or when everyone around you loves your rapist way too much to think of him as the monster you know him to be. Or when your friends come up with ways you could have prevented it, or reasons why you should get over it. Or when the University pretends like they have all this power, but they leave you living next door to your rapist for two months. Or when you testify in court and actually pass out from a panic attack. Or hearing, from his attorney, that your story is full of lies, when you know so deeply in your heart the reality of what happened to you. The hard part – is knowing that while your friends may struggle with feeling homesick or passing Chemistry, you have to struggle every single day, knowing that this process is excruciating. And  eternal.

Everyone wants victims to report their experience. I want victims to report their experience. But if it’s going to be this painful to report sexual assault, then we can’t really expect very many people to willingly rip that duct tape off their mouths.

Like her bluntness? Contact Maddy Pettit at mepettit@ucdavis.edu

Graphic by Jennifer Wu.