Many people have no issues managing emotions, they don’t even need to think about it. What is it like with people who need it? One example is Percy Jackson, an ADHD demigod from the Greek Mythology series created by Rick Riordan. I think he needs some tips and maybe a look in another perspective to solve problems caused by emotions, such as being put on probation and changing schools way too often. You can tell that Percy is quick to anger easily, he once said in the book, “I tried to stay cool, the school counselor had told me a million times”. He probably needs some guidance since he has talked to the counselor about this a lot of times. From an article called “New Ways to Think About ADHD”, they mentioned, “ADHD looks different from the lens of neurodiversity.” Maybe if people change the way of seeing him, he might show a better side. I believe it can influence him since it can make people grumpy and perhaps angrier. Another thing that Percy had mentioned was that “I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs. I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class”(pg 17). You can tell immediately that he was cranky, it affected his grades a lot, if he can get his emotions under control, it would be easy to stop unwanted emotions affecting you in a negative way. To add more awareness to his problem about ADHD to Percy, a sentence from “New Ways to Think About ADHD” helps, “In many American classrooms, frequent distraction earns a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.” Although it is a disorder and may not help Percy feel ‘normal’ it can help through gaining conscience about distractions.
I am sure that Percy’s problem can be improved, both by taking in the advice and using them. “Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot. I wasn’t even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.”(pg 17). You can tell that he angers really fast just by a tiny thing and that he cannot control his emotions from bursting and also doesn’t think about consequences. He can improve on confidence towards learning if he improves on managing emotions. Percy can also improve his ADHD if he chooses to take this advice from “New Ways to Think About ADHD”, “Behavioral therapy is another option. This approach aims to replace unwanted behavior with positive behavior.” This can help with managing his emotions and with distractions categorized in the “unwanted behavior”. Another example of rash behavior is, “No, no,” Mr. Brunner said. “Oh, confound it all. What I’m trying to say…you’re not normal, Percy. That’s nothing to be—”“Thanks,” I blurted. “Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me.”“Percy—” But I was already gone.” (pg 22). Maybe if Percy was calmer, he could’ve thought about what Mr. Brunner truly meant, but no, he didn’t. It kind of ruined a positive relationship with Percy that way. There is advice about how to manage emotions, here is one I’ve used before, “ These types of strong feelings are all indicators that you might be close to flipping your lid, if you feel that start to happen, it’s a good idea to walk away, take some deep breaths, and look at an adult to talk to before you flip your lid.” This is from “Why Do We Lose Control of Our Emotions” I have tried taking deep breathes and it works, maybe Percy can try to communicate with Mr. Brunner to find out what he really means instead of what Percy thinks. Or he can take a walk and calm down but then also come back and communicate once he is calm. I believe that if Percy manages his emotions better and if he can stay calm, he can improve on almost everything, self-confidence, positive relationships, and attitudes towards things.
