It could be ADD or it could be a brain injury. Have you ever had any tests for brain damage? My son is dyslexic and had a terrible time with it. He thought he was stupid or "dopey" too but he isn't. He had low IQ scores but I don't like IQ tests for a number of reasons. It also sounds like you're depressed and that does effect the concentration.
hi arion ,.........do you think you can take in what im saying to you now ,......i wouldn't say it was anything to do with your birth ,........there are thousands of babys born that way ,.my son was one and he is ok that way ,........in fact he is 11 years old and thinks like a 16 year old boy ,.......please dont call yourself dopey ,.......there is nobody dopey on this earth ,.......you have wrote down a lot here does that not show you anything ,......i dont understand ,.you say your not stupid ,...and then you call yourself dopey ,........you should not drive if you cannot concentrate ,....you know that is so dangerous to you and someone else as you have put it ,......i think you should go and see your g,p, and talk to him he might be able to send you to see someone that deals in that field ,......do yo suffer with depression ,........because that is one of things that people have with depression ,.....its just a thought ,.......
You might Google "attention-deficit disorder".
The top two returns are:
Attention Deficit Disorder association -
http://www.add.org/
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
http://www.chadd.org/
I would bet that depression and anxiety also could play a big role in memory. And if both of those feed into insomnia, that too affects memory. Trust me- I KNOW! At the height of my depression and anxiety and insomnia (mostly due to work), I truly felt like a walking zombie with a memory span of 50 microseconds if I was lucky.
On the same day as my last day at work, the insomnia completely disappeared! (That says something about where I worked and with whom...) However, I still take Lexapro for depression and anxiety and also took several sessions with a psychologist that really helped to boost my self-esteem.
So, besides researching attention deficit disorder, you probably would be well-advised to get help for your anxiety and depression - for which I would highly recommend either Wellbutrin or Lexapro and maybe even some counseling session. Those are among the newest meds and also have a low occurrence of side effects.
Counseling sessions could also help with feelings of low self-confidence. But I would also recommend visiting a church congregation near you that has a group of people your own age. (You may need to visit several before you make a final choice.) Mixing with people who constantly show you care and concern would provide a big boost to your self-confidence. If there is one thing in my church, it is diversity. In one chair, you might have a forklift driver in a warehouse. In the next there might be a research engineer. And they both chat avidly to each other regardless of their financial income! At our church congregation we are all on equal footing. If this is aspect interesting to you, write to me and I will provide some suggestions!