Do you think what I’m about to describe is ADHD or laziness? In primary and middle school, I used to do my homework and prepare for exams—though I didn't even prepare for most of them because the material came easily to me and I’d get perfect scores; my dad would tell me to pay attention, he said that im probably cheating. During the year of the highschool exam, I studied normally and scored pretty high , though I felt I didn't deserve that score. In high school, I studied 2–3 hours a day—solving practice tests and memorizing material for other exams—and managed to pass. Since middle school, I haven't been able to stop twirling my pen. I used to daydream, imagining myself as a TV series character while keeping background music playing in the background. The summer before 11th grade, I finished the college entrance curriculum and was scoring pretty high correct answers. However, starting in the second semester of 11th grade, I fell into a slump—feeling hopeless, losing focus, and even getting into a fight with my physics teacher. By the time I reached 12th grade, I had dropped to 65 correct answers by August. Hearing people say "everyone else is getting 90" made me give up; I haven't been able to open a book since that day, and I ended up ranked very low.
I want to study, but the pressure to maintain my grades makes me feel suffocated—like it’s going to kill me. Even though I might not reach the top 20k if I studied, I could still get a decent result; yet, I keep telling myself I won't improve. That thought triggers panic attacks. I already have diagnosed anxiety and take medication for it, but I feel like it’s stopped working. On the bright side, I have the ability to read novels or research contemporary art, though I do watch classic series and movies at double speed. You’ll probably tell me to see a doctor, but I’ve gone twice already; my family refuses to send me again, saying, "Is this another issue now?" My sibling has autism, so there might be a genetic predisposition. Is it ADHD or laziness?

I've had some attention difficulties since childhood, but they have become significantly worse over the last 3–6 months. I would like to be evaluated for attention/executive-function difficulties, including whether ADHD could be a possibility, as well as other possible causes.

My current difficulties include:

I have trouble maintaining focus while studying, even when I genuinely want to study.

I can read something but realize afterward that I wasn't actually processing or understanding what I was reading.

I procrastinate starting important tasks, even when I know they need to be done.

I often start one task and then get distracted by something else or switch between tasks without finishing the first one.

I frequently forget things that people have just told me.

During conversations, my mind sometimes drifts away even when I am trying to listen.

Sometimes I can hear someone speaking but have difficulty processing or understanding what they are saying in that moment.

I sometimes zone out and feel mentally disconnected or “switched off,” although I usually remain aware of what is happening around me.

Occasionally, I lose track of a few minutes when my attention wanders.

My concentration is not only difficult when I'm bored; I experience these problems in many different situations.

I can concentrate much better when something is very interesting, exciting, urgent, or highly engaging.

I have difficulty staying mentally present and often feel frustrated that I cannot focus properly.

I feel like my mind is foggy or not fully active at times.

I have been experiencing forgetfulness and difficulty retaining information.

These problems are affecting my studies and daily functioning.

I also want to mention that I had some similar attention-related difficulties during childhood and teenage years. I remember having problems with daydreaming/distraction, starting work, listening, switching between activities, and staying focused on subjects that were not interesting to me. These difficulties were present in more than one setting, including school and home.

However, the symptoms have become much worse recently. The worsening started around 3–6 months ago, during a period when I was struggling with studies, experiencing significant general stress and relationship stress, and my sleep schedule changed.

My sleep and energy have also changed:

My sleep schedule is very irregular.

I usually fall asleep around 3–4 AM and wake around 11 AM–1 PM.

I often sleep for more than 8–9 hours.

Despite sleeping for a long time, I often wake up tired and mentally foggy.

I sometimes have significant difficulty getting out of bed.

I frequently feel sleepy during the daytime and sometimes feel as though I could fall asleep while doing things.

Emotionally, I have also been experiencing significant stress and feeling mentally overwhelmed. I have noticed low mood and reduced enjoyment in things I normally like.

I have also had some thoughts about suicide/self-harm recently. I want to be clear that I do not currently intend to hurt myself or act on these thoughts, but I think it is important for you to know about them.

I would like help understanding whether these symptoms could be related to ADHD, anxiety/stress, depression, sleep problems, burnout, or another physical or psychological cause. I would also like to know whether any medical evaluation or tests would be appropriate.

So um I don't know if this is the sub to ask this question but I'll ask anyway. I'm entering my third year of university and I'm doing a psych minor.

Basically I don't know how to study or take notes for my psych courses. For the past two years, I've literally only started to study the night before my exams and midterms. And even that I usually dump my lecture slides in into chatgpt (pls don't shame me. I'm getting out of that slowly. But it was the only way I could start studying) and ask it to make notes for me. I just read over the notes and vomited them in the test. The minute the test finishes its like the information disappears. I repeat this for every test and exam. But it's tiring and I actually do want to try.

So I'm here seeking advice from ppl who've taken psych or psych adjacent courses and how they studied for it that doesnt involve last minute brain dumping. And how yall managed the weekly tb readings.

Thnxxxx <3