My Story

Hello there! I’m Jo and I would like to tell you a little bit about me and my family, first of all I am 1 of 2 children just me and my brother Robert. From an early age I realised something wasn't quite right with me especially at school, I was always getting into to trouble for one thing or another.

I remember the teacher giving us things to do but for some reason everybody else seemed to get it but as usual I didn't, that really got on my nerves because it was always me that didn't understand!, say for example he/she would say "I’m going to give you 5 instructions" 1st take out your ruler and put it on the left then take out your rubber and put it next to the ruler, the 3rd take out your pen and put it on your right, the next fold your paper in half and finally take out your sharpener and put it on top of the paper. Then she would say "will you do this now". Well I would go to do it and think, what the hell was the first one!!! lol, I can laugh now but it wasn't funny at the time, I used to think I was thick, I knew I was capable of doing the work it was just remembering! I used to get into trouble on purpose so they would give me lines. Also when I was younger I couldn't even go to the shop without a list even if it was for 2 or 3 items, information just didn't seem to stay in!

I was always getting into trouble for one thing or another and it didn't matter if it was Good or Bad attention ANY would do! Anyway I eventually left school with NOTHING, not an exam to my name.

The above is the memory from when I was about 5 yrs old; ever since then childhood and growing up from then has been 1 big struggle for me! I don't need to go into it because if you have a.d.h.d then you'll know exactly what I am talking about.

With the symptoms you have with a.d.h.d, I find it difficult to be in other people's company for the reason being I can be very hyperactive, I don't think before I speak sometimes, I can be very child like if I don't keep it under control.

That's not just if I’m round at friends or out socialising it can be in the supermarket, speeding down the aisle's on the trolley!! There's not many 32 yr olds about that do that kind of thing, so if you ever do see someone doing mad things don't always assume they are taking drugs.

Anyway I left school with nothing and went on a y.t.s, I choose car mechanic's not for the fact that I was a bit of a tomboy but I had to find something that would keep me interested because if I didn't find it interesting I didn't want to know!! there was no way could I go and sit at a checkout all day it wouldn't stimulate my brain as much learning about car mechanic's would. So that's what I tried to do. This didn't work because along the way I had picked up a criminal record and that just started my long road to destruction because I found a source of providing me with attention, I didn't know at this time that that is what was going on! I didn't get a lot of attention at home (I do not blame them 1 bit, I love my mum to bit's) and so a kid like me who was so misunderstood went off the rails. I was in and out of court or a police station nearly once a week or the hospital because I also self harmed, I’m not proud of it but it's a release. I still do it but not as often because trying to be an adult in an a.d.h.d world can be very difficult.

When I was 19 I gave birth to my eldest lad Billy who is now 13yrs old and that in itself has been one hell of a mission as Billy got diagnosed as having a.d.h.d when he was 9 yrs old. I noticed it in Billy from the age of 2yrs old he just wasn't like other children people say awwh it's the terrible two's NO it wasn't he was like a devil child. 2yrs later I gave birth to Kayleigh my second child who is now 11yrs old, she was just totally different compared to Billy in every way, Billy has just had so much trouble going through school compared to Kayleigh. As Billy grew up with Kayleigh he could be a nice little lad but the next he would be attacking her or me sometimes. The elder Billy got his anger grew with age, he would end up smashing his bedroom up and just be in a rage, but when he finished he always felt better! It was a kind of release I see it as now!!

Billy would also steal money, cigarettes, chocolate anything really he could get his hands on, One day we had an appointment at the hospital to get him assessed

I had given Billy money to buy some chocolate and he did, he still had change left we then went to the canteen to get a drink before the appointment, when I looked over at Billy he was trying to pinch more chocolate which I couldn't understand as he already had chocolate and money to buy more anyway, this to me was just not right!!

Another incidence was when a good friend of mine was looking after Billy, I was on my way home to pick him up and take him and his sister to a safari park! We were all looking forward to it; until I got a phone call of my friend who was looking after Billy she then continued to tell me that Billy had pinched some money off her. I couldn't believe it he had already stole from this friend of mine before, when we finally arrived at her home I said go on tell me how much he's taken, (thinking it will be a few pound coins), £700 she said!, Well my jaw hit the floor I couldn't believe it, I thought what the hell was he thinking, Thank god he hadn't spent any of it and we got it back, most kids would pinch say £20 so that it's not noticeable but NO not Billy he took the lot.

This is what I’m saying most kids steal at least once in there lives and usually there is a reason, a kid with adhd never usually has a reason why they do certain things, it seems they can't explain it because they don't really know why they do it!!

There was another time Billy put me through hell he was grounded and decided to climb out through the upstairs window, I was worried sick where he had gone, next thing I know he's climbed back in the house and he's telling me, he was going to run off!! But got as far as our corner when a car had pulled over and got him in the car and tied his hands and through a cover over him! And drove off, to then stop and sexually assault him. Well you can guess a part of me died inside; I couldn't believe what he was telling me. I had to phone the police.

Billy is also a very good liar and has cried wolf that many times that still sometimes I find it very hard to believe him.

Anyway I phoned the police who were absolutely brilliant with Billy, we re-traced tracks of where the car went, what he had managed to see in the car, he even managed to describe scratches on the wing mirror. I wanted to kill this guy, my whole estate got to hear about it and it was only for the fact the police had done door to door, like I said they were brilliant! I didn't sleep a wink and then the phone rang, it was my dad.

My dad had phoned to tell me that Billy was lying and had made the whole thing up!!!

I couldn't believe it, I listened because he works in mental health, the next morning I waited for Billy to wake up, I sat him on my bed and explained how important it was that he told me the truth and calmly asked him was he taken away in any car by any man, to which he replied "NO" oh my god I thought what the hell has he done. He'd made the whole thing up.

These are just a tip of the iceberg what I have been through with Billy, School has been a nightmare right from pre-school more or less, he's just been let back in to his main-stream school because they couldn't cope with his behaviour, kids like Billy need to be understood then I’m sure you wouldn't get as much bad behaviour, it's a shame really because I believe these are very clever children that need a totally different learning regime to enhance there abilities they have been gifted with.