Letter to Mr. Denevi

Dear Mr. Denevi,

It was an honor reading Hyper: A Personal History of ADHD, and your work was inspiring and enlightening. I had read researches about ADHD before, but it was entirely different reading the experiences of someone living with the condition. I remember last fall break, I had volunteered as a teachers' aid at the Hawai'i Children's Discovery Center and we had a particular child in which the teachers had informed me that he has some special conditions. I recalled that he was often unable to concentrate, had a hard time completing a task, could not stay in a single-filed line and was often disturbing to other students during class activities. Since he required additional attention, I tried to always stay by his side and encourage him to do his work, and he soon grew a special attachment toward me. He would rather ask me for help instead of the other teachers and he began sticking closer to me, in which it soon grew tiresome for me to care for him. He tried very hard to be un-disturbing and showed signs of frustration whenever he failed to "control" himself. Your book revealed to me what the child might had been feeling while I was only able to feel my own irritation by his constant demand for attention. I realized how I had failed to see from his point of view and I only hoped that I had treated him well and had been able to encourage him. Reading the session on your teacher, Mrs. Kovalenko, I genuinely hope the little boy would never have to face a teacher like that, and the lovely boy would grow to appreciate his own differences.

Furthermore, I was captivated by all the researches you did because it not merely correlates to ADHD but also the history of psychology. As a psychology major, it was interesting reading about the researches of ADHD but also comparing how those researches had been applied to your life and changed you. Through your telling of your interactions with the psychologists and psychiatrists, it also taught me how to interact with my clients and their loved ones if I grow to be in such field. Near the ending of your book, your question of "Is survival the same as being healed?" had led to my pondering of the answer. It was a psychological, philosophical, and humanitarian question. I earnestly enjoyed reading your experiences and it broadened my ability to consider other people's perspectives. Thank you for sharing your stories and the researches you did.

Sincerely,
Arlene Chan
University of Hawaii at Manoa (Psychology BS Major)