Medicated Hopelessness: A Junior Narrative Illustration by Rebecca Walton (2012)

My story is of a girl who is diagnosed with ADD. She begins to take medicine and her grades improve tremendously. Once she realizes this change and receives high acclaim from her parents and teachers, she develops a reliance on the medication. Her reliance then results in self-doubt. She believes that without her medicine, she is useless and unable to succeed. This situation is similar to one I've experienced myself. I portrayed the character, or myself, as an elephant. Elephants' main habitat is in the wilderness but they are also seen in the circus, putting on a show for others and entertaining them. Between these two environments is a crutch, which is going to help the elephant get to the circus. The crutch is made up of prescribed drugs that will help control the ADD itself. Without the crutch, the elephant feels hopeless and incapable of pleasing her peers.