ADHD ADD School Shame Poem

This poem captures a moment from my own life, one that so many of us with ADHD / ADD, diagnosed or undiagnosed, can relate to. I remember being at school, under the spotlight, when the fear and shame felt unbearable. Freezing under pressure, unable to perform in the way expected, felt like a personal failure.

I wrote this as a way of naming the quiet pain of those moments, the heavy weight of shame, and the way they shaped how I saw myself for years. But it’s also a poem of reclaiming. Looking back now with compassion, I can see it was never my fault.

If you are neurodiverse and carry school-related shame, if you’ve been called lazy, slow, or told you “just weren’t trying hard enough,” I want you to know you are not alone. Those moments don’t define your worth or your intelligence. This poem is both my story and, I hope, a reminder for you too: you are more than enough, exactly as you are.

Transcript

ADHD School Shame This poem captures a moment that's how many of us with ADHD,

Whether that be diagnosed or undiagnosed,

Can relate to.

A moment at school where the spotlight felt unbearable,

Where shame and fear took over,

And where being unable to perform in the way expected felt like a personal failure.

It's about freezing under pressure.

But it is also a poem of reclaiming,

Of looking back with compassion,

And realising it was never your fault.

Year six,

My teacher stood at school,

Holding a clock in front of us all.

Your turn to stand up,

She firmly said,

As she lifted the clock high above her head.

No tell the time what do you see,

But fear took hold,

Imprisoning me.

My mind went blank,

My heart beat fast,

A moment stretched,

That wouldn't pass.

A sea of eyes all fixed on me,

Judging,

Waiting,

How could this be?

With shame,

I felt I wanted to hide,

To curl in a ball and stay inside.

I felt so sick,

My skin alive,

Like crawling insects trapped inside.

All I wanted to do was flee,

To shrink,

To hide,

No one to see.

Like an armadillo curled up tight,

Rolling away,

And I was left to die.

And out of sight.

She asked me again,

But still I froze,

My head dropped low,

And my stomach rose.

I remember it still,

The burning pain of feeling so lost and wrapped up in shame.

The shame was heavy and hard to bear,

A silent weight I couldn't share.

But now I know,

And now I see,

The fault was never really me.

I wasn't lazy,

I wasn't slow,

And if you feel the same,

No,

You are not alone.

So many of us with ADHD or neurodivergent traits carry hidden wounds from school.

A place that was meant to nurture growth,

But often left us feeling broken,

Behind,

Or too much.

No,

You are resilient,

You are creative,

You were just in a place that didn't understand you.

And we learn differently.

It's not your fault,

It's the system that didn't know how to see your brilliance.

Today,

May this poem be a step toward releasing that old shame,

And honoring the strong,

Sensitive,

Capable person you've always been.