Dr. Alex George

My parents were like, he's pretty bright.

He's our firstborn child, but he seems quite intelligent.

Like, why are we pulling this kid out of class all the time?

Not to support him, just to remove him.

And for context as well, I wasn't a naughty kid as in rude or anything like that.

I just couldn't concentrate.

And respectfully, I was very smart.

So I learned things very quickly.

And once I knew it, I wasn't interested in the rest of the activity, which I understand can be problematic.

But I was literally like a seven or eight year old child.

I need to help and guidance not to be kind of like right because you're not interested in this thing we're going to drag you out so you know I feel at that time I had to make a decision do I continue as I am and end up being removed from the system or do I force myself to be normal

and push through it.

And the results of that were utter exhaustion after school every day, frequently feeling incredibly anxious, feeling often physically almost ill, kind of forcing myself in class to focus and sit still.

And I just

became a different person.

I learned all these ways to kind of fit in and appear normal that would please my teachers.

And if I pleased my teachers and they were happy, it meant I could stay in class and continue and be treated like a normal kid.

And I think the consequences of that

were huge.

And as an adult, I didn't really know who I was.