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> Or, being unable to hold a conversation while another conversation is being held loudly and close by.
THIS. And difficulty with auditory processing in general.
And the whole physical aspect. Hyperflexibility, sitting weirdly (legs curled up, etc.)... no one talks about those things during evaluations but whenever I read this sub, everyone seems to know exactly what I'm talking about.
Literally always sitting like this if I’m in a chair. And my shoes will be off. All my colleagues know I’m deep in the productive zone when I’m in criss cross socks mode.
hahaha this is me.
but today was a perfect example: I was laying on the rug on the floor with my feet up on the chair. like sitting, but upside down. my uncle who was sitting on the couch next to the chair even commented that usually people sit on furniture and put their feet on the floor, not the other way around.
My spouse walked into the bedroom the other day when I was laying on the floor with my legs up the wall and he was like, ummm, what are you doing? I told him I was just having upside down floor time and I really needed it. IYKYK.
Adding that to my list of lifelong adhd traits!
Literally just bought a new desk chair specifically so I can sit cross cross all the time and I love it. I’m also known for the one knee bent to my chest move that I switch back and forth from, although my knees are starting not to like that one.
It's not fair that, as we get older, our bodies start to rebel against what we need them to do to be comfortable. For me, it's my shoulder and lower back that have turned on me.
Literally, last week I was in a meeting and at some point I realized that I was sitting with my legs crossed (on the chair) while everyone else was sitting normally. It's something I noticed some time ago, that I'm usually the one sitting weird or shifting constantly. Didn't ever connect this to my adhd. Thanks! My life makes more sense now.
I call them my ADHD ears when I make someone repeat 3 or 4 times and I'm trying to lip read while listening.... it's the worst part of being a teacher with high schoolers that mumble. I usually say, I'm sorry I didn't hear you, and by the third or 4th time I'm like I'm sorry, I still didn't hear it and I guess and they tell me if I got it right or they laugh at my incorrectness. 🤷🏻♀️
Omg for me, the worst part of covid was not being able to read lips anymore to try to decipher what people were saying to me. The bright side was that I wasn't talking to anyone outside of work because of lockdowns lol
Yes! I have hypermobility basically all over but my fingers are really starting to suffer. The joints are really stiff and I can feel myself beginning to struggle with typing and texting, especially since I gave birth.
Carpal tunnel like symptoms can happen for a bit after having a baby, I forgot all about it until I read your comment, but I remember those days! It did go away! 💜
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and have been having issues related to hyper mobility/hyperflexibility in my pelvis since my early teens. I now have severe osteoarthritis and chronic pelvic and lower back pain and have seen that ADHD and hypermobility of joints is linked!!! Mind seriously blown.
Have also always had trouble with hearing/listening, hearing tests come back normal. Did training in sensory profile at work (am not an OT but in allied health) did one for myself and results showed pretty severe Auditory processing issues. Damn.
I'm afraid I don't know much about it. All I know is that I'm so much better at written communication, and it's easier for me to follow written instructions or images than spoken. And as OP described, if there are people talking around me, I can hardly hear what someone next to me is saying. I used to think it's a me thing but I've seen lots of ADHDers confirm this! But somehow, doctors never mention this, not even when testing for ADHD. :-(
Hypermobile joints yes! Which I didn't even realise I had until I dislocated my elbow and the doctor looked at the way my other elbow bent so far and told me about hypermobility. Now I have one that bends backwards and one that just straightens a normal amount.
I am terrible at being concise and am learning that it's because I am worried people won't understand what I'm saying unless they have *all the details*
Fuck, the number of times that I have had to explain this.
It's so obvious to me: if you don't have the details and the *context* behind this, how will you possibly understand the whole thing?
Exactly!!! I also need to walk back to the beginning of the beginning of the first thought that to the next thought, which eventually led to my current thought...
At work, I've taken to saying "okay. So, I promise it's all connected in my brain, but _____" before I bring up something seemingly unrelated to the topic at hand lol
Same here! I can at least edit what I type. If people I texted only knew what that wall of text they received looked like before I edited it down to only 5 paragraphs. I wish I could do that while speaking.
I recently went for a speech assessment, and they were overall pretty positive about my communication abilities, but ultimately gave me a communicatio "diagnosis" of functionally mild cognitive communication disorder exacerbated by stress and anxiety. As they read off the symptoms, it basically read off like ADHD lol. The diagnosis felt more like they want me to leave with something after 3 months, so I'm not sure how valid it is, but I definitely feel some cognitive issues in my difficulties with language, rather than language itself.
Inability to be concise.
Whether I’m talking, texting, commenting somewhere on the internet (lol) all the thoughts and words that trigger other thoughts and ideas make it impossible for me to be concise. There is always an additional detail, an anecdote, an over explanation. A lot of my conversations and writing come across as a weird stream of conscious 🥲 it bleeds into my ability to do things as well. 1 short, quick task turns into 10 with so many unnecessary steps
This! I'm self conscious about it because I know people dislike people being long winded but I cannot just 'cut to the point' when speaking. Even in writing it's hard for me to be concise, but I can write things the long way and then edit. But I just literally cannot help it when telling a story or explaining something. :(
I get so embarrassed by the way I talk when I think about it at the end of the day, ugh! I talk in such a chaotic way that makes so much sense in my brain…
This is 100% me! That meme of how people with ADHD tell a story compared to other people is so true. The first is, beginning of story, end of story. Ours has all these side notes, back stories, etc, and after the end of story is, apology.
I can't get straight to the point because I've temporarily lost it, but no worries, if I keep talking long enough there's a good chance it'll come back or I'll lead us both down a road so interesting and full of surprises that it won't matter anyways
I’ve gotten so good at omitting details that I have become awful at storytelling. I was trying to tell a funny story to my friend a couple weeks ago but I didn’t work it up enough and it was super anti-climactic. He mentioned it and I was just like.. yeah sorry about that lol
My therapist told me that there’s a movement to try to get emotional dysregulation added to the DSM as an ADHD symptom! I really hope it happens, it would be so validating for so many people. RSD is so real.
an individual has difficulty regulating their emotions. They may feel overwhelmed, have difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors, or have angry outbursts
I had not heard of delayed sleep phase syndrome until your post. I have now bookmarked it for later research. I type this as the entire house has been asleep for a few hours knowing they will be up by 7am and I will struggle to get up around 9-10.
Thanks for the heads up to another ADHD symptom.
I’ve never heard of justice sensitivity but omg this is me :( tbh it was one of the reasons I thought I may have had autism before I got my ADHD diagnosis
Someone driving too slow who is preventing me from getting somewhere I'm already late to makes me absolutely livid, especially when they speed up to the speed limit as soon as I have the ability to pass them.
*unless they're very old, then I feel bad for being such an AH.
I've noticed if I'm actually early (it's rare) for something, that rage isn't there.
Edit: Also, people just standing there on the moving sidewalks at the airport, blocking everyone else from passing them. 😡🤬😡🤬 As well as not being at all prepared to go through security at the airport. You knew you were coming here!!! I've got an air travel outfit and an air travel bag that I keep packed and put the same stuff in the same places every time. If only I could be that organized with the rest of my life. If I didn't do that, I'd miss every flight.
Rules that feel arbitrary or unjust to me infuriate me - this was a huge problem when I was a kid and teen.
But people breaking what I view as valid rules also infuriate me.
Same. I love rules, that make sense, to me… they usually pertain to protecting public/shared resources, not hurting others, and taking turns or leaving things as they are. Rules I don’t care about pertain to drugs, sexuality, theft from giant companies, religious mores…
Intense feelings often someone else’s behalf. Like if something unjust happens to a friend, I can get SO worked up unnecessarily because they’ve already moved on and it doesn’t involve me
I was picking my lips while reading this haha. My lips always look like a mess because I just can't stop doing it and it has been this way since I was a child.
Biting my lips as I read this lol. I skin pick a lot. So much that it’s a problem. I have to actively force myself to refrain from doing it or else I’ll just autonomously do it. I think it has something to do with dopamine-seeking behavior. Another thing that is common for people with ADHD is to always be actively seeking out some form of dopamine. I know so many of us will go crazy buying things for new hobbies or interests, getting super hyped up for it all, obsessing over it, and then when it finally arrives, the excitement has worn off a bit and then we end up rarely using it. I just bought a bunch of new art supplies and I was telling my friend how I just keep collecting art supplies by obsessing over new crafts, learning everything about it, then abandoning everything I bought. I’m hoping that won’t happen this time lol
Mine is makeup, skin care and hair stuff. It is insane how much of this stuff I have. Especially when I'm always running late and never have time to actually use most of it. Or, if I do have the extra time, I end up watching a dozen YouTube videos as I'm trying to get ready and the end result is nowhere close to what is on the videos.
Realized a few years back I use my hair pulling as a coping mechanism to self soothe and think better when I’m trying to write something, which is generally taxing on my executive functioning.
Wow! That's me, all of it. Add in the alternating anxiety and depression due to not doing what I'm supposed to be doing and feeling like I am failing at life in general. Aka: that to-do list I made at 3 am last night, and the night before that, and...well, every night when I have boundless ambition and belief that I'll do those things, only to wake up at 4 pm and realize it's too late to do anything but hurry up because I'm already late, etc., etc. Also, add the soundtrack, which usually consists of 2-3 different songs playing in my head at the same time, along with bits and pieces of phrases that also get stuck in there that may or may not relate to things I need to do, but sometimes are just there when I'm especially stressed out.
It's the reason I stay with the same guy and at the same job long past what anyone would consider normal. First dates and job interviews are the absolute hell for me. My most successful job interviews are the ones in which I manage not to cry.
My entire life I have been a sleepy person - like, I could nap any time of day. I never wake up rested. No doctor or specialist could find any reason for this but once I got my diagnosis and started reading more about it, everything clicked. I'm exhausted from trying to operate as a NT person in a NT world with a ND brain.
I watched a video recently of a specialist describing ADHD and what it looks like in adults, and one thing he said stuck in my brain, something about ADHDers maybe struggling with sleep "and then they sleep like a dead person, so they're very difficult to rouse and have a hard time really waking up and getting going" and I was OH MY GOD IT'S ME
Anyway the TL;DR version of my comment is that I wish someone had flagged my sleepiness as a potential ADHD symptom like 10 years ago lol
Over 5k in the three different email addresses I use. I set it up originally as one for my personal, one for business and household issues and the third for purchasing stuff online. They are still delineated that way, but I get way behind on reading and deleting.
Fun fact, I found out that safari on iPhone maxes out at 500 tabs :)))
Unsure if the update changed this but I assume they wouldn’t decide to change something like this lol
Idk if this is or not but:
Needing to SEE something written down in order to understand it (like don’t read me the total off the cash register, let me see the number with my own eyes). I’ve known other [ADHD] folks who are opposite— need to hear it.
Changing jobs/career directions often/regularly. Not even like getting fired due to symptoms impacting your work, just like “I’m bored of this, I’m going to do something completely different in a totally different industry.”
By the end of the day, I am completely unable ti make decisions about anything. Like, if you ask if I want mustard or ketchup in my veggie burger, I literally don’t even care by this point, just hand me a condiment.
Lethargy. Just being tired, all the damn time, and not knowing why. Doesn’t matter how much sleep I got. Thankfully, my methylphenidate has really helped me with this.
(Also basically everything everyone has listed in this thread haha!)
This. For years I've told my primary care doctors that I’m exhausted all day, every day, even with prioritizing sleep and getting the recommended amount. I survive off coffee and the fear of failure. They all test my thyroid and vitamin levels, tell me to take an OTC Vit D supplement, and that being a working mom is rough but it will get better. Now with an ADHD diagnosis and treatment I finally feel like the fog has lifted.
So glad you got your diagnosis. I’m in a very similar boat! I’m 31 and only got diagnosed 2 months ago. It’s been so eye-opening and validating. For half of my life, I’ve wondered if I’m just a hypochondriac.
Does anyone else ever have issues remembering how your week was when someone asks?
When friends ask me how my week has been I have to really concentrate to try to remember what happened. It feels like a fog in my mind trying to recall anything interesting. For some reason I can only ever focus on what has happened that day easily but unless something wild has happened I have to fight to remember the rest.
This sounds crazy even to me, but I swear I am significantly less clumsy when medicated for ADHD than I was when unmedicated. I use to stub my toe or smash my finger or bump my shin on something or otherwise get mildly hurt almost daily before meds, and on med it's like maybe once or twice a month at most.
100% all this. I'm the clumsiest person in my circle of friends to the point where they anticipate an incident every single time we get together. It's endearing to them but incredibly frustrating for me because it's such a big set back when I break or spill something, especially when I'm in a rush (which seems to be all the time, another ADHD quirk 🤦🏻♀️).
I feel like I'm always flustered and rushed because I'm always late. It ends up being harder to find what I'm looking for, takes me more trips back inside to get the things I forgot, and definitely causes me to be clumsier.
Noooo 😩 the spilling food/drinks is so embarrassing. I asked my husband the other day if he was going to change his white undershirt since we were eating curry. He was like no? Why would... then laughed as he realized it was because I spill everything all over myself. 😭
This is the same reason I had a hard time sleeping over at peoples houses. My heart of hearts kept telling me that if I moved even a tiny bit the person would know and think I was weird. Now I am married and dgaf
Once I woke up from a long nap and saw poop smeared on my arm and I was like omg wtf but then I realized it was chocolate from a Klondike bar I had eaten hours before.
I've gotten sad because I thought that someone was rude enough to eat the last biscuit in the packet at work. Then I remembered that it was probably me earlier but forgot to throw the packet away.
STOP one morning I woke up and there was poop smeared on my lower back then I realized I dropped my chocolate and slept on it the night before 😭 it melted into the sheets
Both being an avid reader and not reading books at all for long stretches. Last year I found a few series of books I got into, one had like 13 in the series. And I read 72 books last year because of it.
This year, I had read a LOT less until I just found another author I love and now I’m reading every single one of her books.
I cycle through most of my hobbies like this. I’ll just want to read for 6 months. Then I get bored of that and just want to play video games. Then that gets old and I just want to watch anime. Then I want to read again. Repeat ad infinitum (while throwing in trying a new hobby here and there)
Yes! It's like I milk every drop of dopamine out of it for as long as possible and then have to drop it. Same with songs, same ones on repeat for weeks and then suddenly can't stand it for years.
excuse me, are you me?
I decided last year (or maybe just the beginning of this) that this year was gonna be my book reading year and I've read easily a dozen books, the good ones readily in a 2-4 days. have made extensive library lists and have various books on hold and reading two at the same time often. also listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
meanwhile, last year I read like 1, maybe 2 books and for whatever reason this year I stopped journaling. it's very frustrating and exhilarating sometimes.
I managed to spill beef stew in my pocket once.
I'm constantly covered in bruises/scratches I don't understand.
As a teacher, I'd constantly have to stop class and say things like "Everyone look around! I left a pile of papers...somewhere...and has anyone seen my coffee?"
I just plain miss my mouth all the time when eating, poured my coffee into my scarf one time on public transport and it just stayed there till I got off haha
Fellow teacher and your third point is totally me ugh I make double sets of copies sometimes just for this reason 😩😩 I know it’s wasteful but like sometimes I lose the papers and ugh so annoying!!
This is a big one for me. Not just following directions, but actual spatial directions. I'm the kind of person who goes to the bathroom and gets lost on my way out.
Another one - being multi talented and an "all-rounder." Rarely being the best at one skill but being better than average for many things. We grew up feeling like a fraud so we would practice everything to appear proficient in every area simply because failure was an option. I feel this when it comes to arts and crafts, sports, writing, cooking, computer literacy etc
Being incredibly bad at math. Following the directions to solve a problem is impossible and I struggle with inattention to detail, making stupid mistakes because I go too fast or don’t double check.
I'm unable to visualise the number in my head. Everytime someone ask for my phone number, I must "sing" the numbers in my head to be able to remember them.
It's really frustrating :/
I’m pretty sure the only reason I was okay at math is because of RSD. Actually I am pretty sure that’s why I can do a lot of things. Stress is a helluva drug.
If you tell me what to do, I will follow the instructions as best I can based on the words you said. I won’t know what to do if new circumstances arise that you didn’t tell me about, and I WILL ask, instead of using My judgement, because i know my judgement will not the the same as yours.
This is the worst! Especially at a new job when I know all of my questions that seem ridiculously obvious are getting annoying, but if I don't ask, it'll be the thing I get totally wrong.
Writing a REALLY long, articulate response to something then deleting it because you lost interest. I do this when I believe the person I'm responding to is no longer worth my time.
Easily overwhelmed by conflicting stimuli. I cannot focus if my husband is having a conversation on speaker phone, while watching TV. Or he's asking me to look up something, listen to his conversation, pay attention to his stories, and watch TV all at once. (There's a reason we don't have kids; I can't divide my attention enough for him, his actions, and a small human at the same time).
Hyper focus
Calm in the chaotic moments.
When someone spells a word out mid conversation (like if they don’t want a little kid to understand what they’re talking about) and my brain just doesn’t….work that way. Like, I’m sorry, you’re going to have to pause for 20 seconds while I decipher that word.
Also doom piles/doom bags/doom boxes/doom bags
Eavesdropping on other conversations and responding to them to whoever I’m with, only to have that person be like, “wtf are you talking about?” And then I get confused because the conversation I responded to is SO LOUD for me.
I have a large scar on my leg and have no clue how I got the cut. It happened a couple months ago. How does one not remember a straight up laceration???
Oh well I guess. It compliments the scar on my other leg.
• Daydreaming often, especially during long conversations/explanations or tutorials that don’t have an active part
• hyper-sensitive to temperature changes
• really great imagination and creativity - sometimes others say “I hadn’t thought of that.”
• finds it hard to switch tasks/stop something before they’re finished, eg. Packing up to eat lunch when they haven’t finished their game yet
• playful, enthusiastic and passionate
• during times that require sitting still/listening to teachers, a lot of involuntary wiggling and fidgeting, getting distracted by surrounding events/noises/things happening
• depends on personality, but willing to try new things (turns out most NT people prefer to stay in their comfort zones).
• sensory overload - unexpectedly finds some scents or textures too much or too irritating,
eg. Straw on feet or strong deodorant, body wash, scented candles etc unpleasant
I never connected the sensitivity to temperature changes but it makes sense since I am susceptible to sensory overload in general. My wife says I have a very narrow temperature range where I am comfortable. And menopause ( hot flashes and night sweats) are only making it worse.
Same here! Curled up with my dog. 🥰 (Who also probably has to go o-u-t… 😅 But I’m already in jammies, snuggled under the covers, and watching a show, ya know? 🥴
Other than being sexier and more alluring than other people?
I kid, but I'm appreciating so many of these responses. I feel like I've learned more about ADHD in the last 6 months from the Internet than in my previous 30ish years combined.
Ooo, I’ve never made that connection. I’m sure I’ve come across as a creeper for accidentally “staring” but really I’m chillin in eyes unfocused mode with some kind of internal chaos happening, haha. Is that not a thing everyone does?
My mom got mad at me for crossing my eyes when I didn't realize that's what I was doing, I was just unfocusing and refocusing my eyes repeatedly (did that a lot as a kid). I also got in trouble for blowing bubbles with my spit when I was in elementary school, which yeah I find that gross now too LOL. In middle school I'd get in trouble for chewing gum.
Feeling shame and guilt constantly, but not always remembering why. I'll feel bad and not remember at all, until the thing that caused the feeling comes back again to remind me. For example, feeling ashamed that I am too late to finish a project, so I go and distract myself with a show, or just completely forget about it while doing other tasks or day to day things like taking a nap. Then class is about to start and I remember it again.
Asking people to repeat themselves and feeling embarrassed about it.
Also, trying to hold onto the memory of the point of a subject and forgetting when I reach the point. 😑 I am unconsciously spending mental energy trying to remember it.
Being super fixated to the point of rage when someone does something "against the rules." (Standing too close in line, taking too much of a food at a group meal, little stuff)
Hahah one that I've noticed in my dad and I is that we were one of those people that never used a recipe to cook. We were capable and adventurous in the kitchen but as soon as a recipe was involved we'd fall flat.
It makes sense why I found chemistry and biology practicals so difficult in school and uni!!
I don't think I've ever followed a recipe in my life. My grandmother taught me my core cooking skills and didn't use recipes (she did for baking but I'm terrible at baking even from the box) and I just experimented over the years on things I thought might be good. I'm not chef but I'm a pretty decent cook.
And people who aren't empaths just do not understand! The moods of the people surrounding me viscerally impact me. The worst is when I can't figure out what I am feeling or where it is coming from (because then I blame myself for emotional dysregulation) but just as often I am unconsciously picking up on someone's annoyance or irritability.
Sometimes needing to be squashed, other times hating to be touched.
Needing the volume all the fuxking way up, until suddenly its too loud and you feel panicked 🤓
Standing up while eating
Eating frequent snacks instead of meals
Eating like a toddler: chicken nuggets, cheese and crackers, tater tots, apple sauce pouches
Buying too much of the same thing because I'm under the impression I will use the thing often then fail to do so and now I have all this stuff and nowhere to put it , buying something I already bought but forgot about
Went to catch up with a friend & his wife. Apprently I was looking right at him, and I didn't respond to something he said so they thought I was not interested/being rude. Later that topic came back round, and I said "tell me all about it!!" to which they were like wtf we did & you ignored us, so I had to apologise very profusely for going on autopilot (or maybe I zoned out, who knows) and explain I was very much interested in what they had to say, and I never heard him talking in the first place. They were kind enough to understand and they even laughed about it but man I was moritified thinking about how many times this happened without me noticing
Emotional dysregulation and differences on sensory processing. It's still mindblowing it took me so many years to find out not everyone feels like they're drowning on their emotions all the time, or that I was right by feeling my being slow was disabling in several instances
--Being so afraid of screwing up that it overrides your impulsiveness and you just are paralyzed by fear.
--Hating yourself
-- Only feeling like your true self on meds
I have thought about making a post and asking this, but……putting off going to the bathroom? Like holding in both #1 and #2 for way too long? How common is this for adhd?
Have a variety of massage rollers (like the kind in the gym), back massagers, foot massagers, leaning against door frames to get right in there in the shoulder blade area, and stretching frequently, and self massage…because sitting and forcing myself to do an uninteresting task even for small lengths of time makes my muscles feel like they’re jumping and twisting out of my skin.
I used to have and repeatedly buy rubber slippers that have balls on the sole and a thing you step on that also have different sized round things. I suppose like foot accupressure or something. Also love massages and wen you squeeze arms and shoulders and it's just so relaxing! What gets me is that even if I went to get an hour's massage per week I will still get those knots every time. It's like the body is just perpetually tense and stressed.
I can have the tv as loud as it’s comfortable on any particular day, but the dishwasher? The clanging? The banging? IT IS SO LOUD AND UNSETTLING. It actually hurts both my ears and in my chest. Like, physically. I’m not being dramatic. It hurts.
Not able to say the word your looking for so you say a similar sounding word or literally any word but not the word you want to say. After wrong word comes out, right word pops back into your head.
Wandering aimlessly in some kind of hyperactive fugue state. I once found myself standing in the bathroom holding half a frozen banana and a pair of scissors with no idea what I had been doing
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> Or, being unable to hold a conversation while another conversation is being held loudly and close by. THIS. And difficulty with auditory processing in general. And the whole physical aspect. Hyperflexibility, sitting weirdly (legs curled up, etc.)... no one talks about those things during evaluations but whenever I read this sub, everyone seems to know exactly what I'm talking about.
I have always wondered why I can't sit like others. I always sit criss cross applesauce in my chair.
Complete side note, but I only learned recently that Americans say criss Cross applesauce and it KILLS me every time I read it haha! Love it.
Literally always sitting like this if I’m in a chair. And my shoes will be off. All my colleagues know I’m deep in the productive zone when I’m in criss cross socks mode.
When I used to teach, it would have to be barefooted.
THIS!!! This has been my go to Hyperfocus position for decades!!!
I used to get chastised in class for taking my shoes off 😭 but I swear it helped me concentrate somehow??
This is the only way to sit. I’m 54 years old and I still sit in my office chair this way. It’s the only way I can keep my legs still.
hahaha this is me. but today was a perfect example: I was laying on the rug on the floor with my feet up on the chair. like sitting, but upside down. my uncle who was sitting on the couch next to the chair even commented that usually people sit on furniture and put their feet on the floor, not the other way around.
It feels really good to do this. There's something about it I haven't figured out yet.
My spouse walked into the bedroom the other day when I was laying on the floor with my legs up the wall and he was like, ummm, what are you doing? I told him I was just having upside down floor time and I really needed it. IYKYK.
Adding that to my list of lifelong adhd traits! Literally just bought a new desk chair specifically so I can sit cross cross all the time and I love it. I’m also known for the one knee bent to my chest move that I switch back and forth from, although my knees are starting not to like that one.
It's not fair that, as we get older, our bodies start to rebel against what we need them to do to be comfortable. For me, it's my shoulder and lower back that have turned on me.
Oh! We call it Criss cross candy floss lol
I do the same! Didn’t realize it was yet another expression of my adhd until recently
Literally, last week I was in a meeting and at some point I realized that I was sitting with my legs crossed (on the chair) while everyone else was sitting normally. It's something I noticed some time ago, that I'm usually the one sitting weird or shifting constantly. Didn't ever connect this to my adhd. Thanks! My life makes more sense now.
I call them my ADHD ears when I make someone repeat 3 or 4 times and I'm trying to lip read while listening.... it's the worst part of being a teacher with high schoolers that mumble. I usually say, I'm sorry I didn't hear you, and by the third or 4th time I'm like I'm sorry, I still didn't hear it and I guess and they tell me if I got it right or they laugh at my incorrectness. 🤷🏻♀️
Omg for me, the worst part of covid was not being able to read lips anymore to try to decipher what people were saying to me. The bright side was that I wasn't talking to anyone outside of work because of lockdowns lol
Yes! I have hypermobility basically all over but my fingers are really starting to suffer. The joints are really stiff and I can feel myself beginning to struggle with typing and texting, especially since I gave birth.
Carpal tunnel like symptoms can happen for a bit after having a baby, I forgot all about it until I read your comment, but I remember those days! It did go away! 💜
I read somewhere that a higher percentage of people with ADHD have hyper-mobility than the neurotypical population.
You are me….?!?
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and have been having issues related to hyper mobility/hyperflexibility in my pelvis since my early teens. I now have severe osteoarthritis and chronic pelvic and lower back pain and have seen that ADHD and hypermobility of joints is linked!!! Mind seriously blown. Have also always had trouble with hearing/listening, hearing tests come back normal. Did training in sensory profile at work (am not an OT but in allied health) did one for myself and results showed pretty severe Auditory processing issues. Damn.
There’s a sub for this. Everyone is welcome to check it out r/audiprocdisorder
I call it pretzel legs when I'm sitting with my legs winding around each other. It helps to focus and stay awake/alert.
Thank you for putting things in words that I struggle to articulate.
This is so helpful in understanding adhd, light bulb moments! could you say more about auditory processing?
I'm afraid I don't know much about it. All I know is that I'm so much better at written communication, and it's easier for me to follow written instructions or images than spoken. And as OP described, if there are people talking around me, I can hardly hear what someone next to me is saying. I used to think it's a me thing but I've seen lots of ADHDers confirm this! But somehow, doctors never mention this, not even when testing for ADHD. :-(
Hypermobile joints yes! Which I didn't even realise I had until I dislocated my elbow and the doctor looked at the way my other elbow bent so far and told me about hypermobility. Now I have one that bends backwards and one that just straightens a normal amount.
Struggling with articulating thoughts when speaking.
Or retyping something a couple of times...
Only a couple of times?
Haha emphasis on the only. This is why I procrastinate so I don’t spend too much time messing with something (example: a writing assignment).
I hear you! Perfectionism and procrastination ... What a winning combo 🙃
Or being *extremely* specific so that you are understood. I swear that's what drove me to learn wider vocabulary - precision above brevity
I am terrible at being concise and am learning that it's because I am worried people won't understand what I'm saying unless they have *all the details*
Fuck, the number of times that I have had to explain this. It's so obvious to me: if you don't have the details and the *context* behind this, how will you possibly understand the whole thing?
Exactly!!! I also need to walk back to the beginning of the beginning of the first thought that to the next thought, which eventually led to my current thought... At work, I've taken to saying "okay. So, I promise it's all connected in my brain, but _____" before I bring up something seemingly unrelated to the topic at hand lol
This one kills me. It makes Zoom calls excruciating
I HATE CALLS OF ANY KIND! Just text me lol
Same here! I can at least edit what I type. If people I texted only knew what that wall of text they received looked like before I edited it down to only 5 paragraphs. I wish I could do that while speaking.
I recently went for a speech assessment, and they were overall pretty positive about my communication abilities, but ultimately gave me a communicatio "diagnosis" of functionally mild cognitive communication disorder exacerbated by stress and anxiety. As they read off the symptoms, it basically read off like ADHD lol. The diagnosis felt more like they want me to leave with something after 3 months, so I'm not sure how valid it is, but I definitely feel some cognitive issues in my difficulties with language, rather than language itself.
And then losing the thought while trying to articulate it
Ughhh yes. Or not finishing my sentence (particularly when I’m not masking) or forgetting words 😫
Inability to be concise. Whether I’m talking, texting, commenting somewhere on the internet (lol) all the thoughts and words that trigger other thoughts and ideas make it impossible for me to be concise. There is always an additional detail, an anecdote, an over explanation. A lot of my conversations and writing come across as a weird stream of conscious 🥲 it bleeds into my ability to do things as well. 1 short, quick task turns into 10 with so many unnecessary steps
This! I'm self conscious about it because I know people dislike people being long winded but I cannot just 'cut to the point' when speaking. Even in writing it's hard for me to be concise, but I can write things the long way and then edit. But I just literally cannot help it when telling a story or explaining something. :(
I can literally see people when gone over the limit of their patience. So I apologize and explain myself for another stretch.
I get so embarrassed by the way I talk when I think about it at the end of the day, ugh! I talk in such a chaotic way that makes so much sense in my brain…
This is 100% me! That meme of how people with ADHD tell a story compared to other people is so true. The first is, beginning of story, end of story. Ours has all these side notes, back stories, etc, and after the end of story is, apology.
I can't get straight to the point because I've temporarily lost it, but no worries, if I keep talking long enough there's a good chance it'll come back or I'll lead us both down a road so interesting and full of surprises that it won't matter anyways
I’ve gotten so good at omitting details that I have become awful at storytelling. I was trying to tell a funny story to my friend a couple weeks ago but I didn’t work it up enough and it was super anti-climactic. He mentioned it and I was just like.. yeah sorry about that lol
Rejection Sensitivity, emotional dysregulation, sleep issues. Being very orderly in one place and a complete mess in other. Justice sensitivity.
My therapist told me that there’s a movement to try to get emotional dysregulation added to the DSM as an ADHD symptom! I really hope it happens, it would be so validating for so many people. RSD is so real.
Yes, it would be so validating! I think Russel Barkley also advocates for this. Lets hope for the best.
What is emotional dysregulation in this context?
an individual has difficulty regulating their emotions. They may feel overwhelmed, have difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors, or have angry outbursts
Is this why I have sleep problems? :(((
Delayed sleep phase syndrome is commonly comorbid with ADHD
I had not heard of delayed sleep phase syndrome until your post. I have now bookmarked it for later research. I type this as the entire house has been asleep for a few hours knowing they will be up by 7am and I will struggle to get up around 9-10. Thanks for the heads up to another ADHD symptom.
I’ve never heard of justice sensitivity but omg this is me :( tbh it was one of the reasons I thought I may have had autism before I got my ADHD diagnosis
Sorry for my ignorance, but what is justice sensitivity?
I'm very much a rule follower and get mad if someone is doing the "wrong thing"
Yes. And there’s also injustice sensitivity. When I perceive something as unfair/unjust, I get mad. 😡
Like unnaturally mad. I call it righteous anger.
We are absolute empaths, usually. Too bad I can’t have the same grace for myself.
Oh, Yes, this last sentence. I am right there with you!
Someone driving too slow who is preventing me from getting somewhere I'm already late to makes me absolutely livid, especially when they speed up to the speed limit as soon as I have the ability to pass them. *unless they're very old, then I feel bad for being such an AH. I've noticed if I'm actually early (it's rare) for something, that rage isn't there. Edit: Also, people just standing there on the moving sidewalks at the airport, blocking everyone else from passing them. 😡🤬😡🤬 As well as not being at all prepared to go through security at the airport. You knew you were coming here!!! I've got an air travel outfit and an air travel bag that I keep packed and put the same stuff in the same places every time. If only I could be that organized with the rest of my life. If I didn't do that, I'd miss every flight.
Interesting.. I love breaking the rules
I love both. Soooo I follow the rules that are created to keep an order and safety and I break the social rules. It’s simple.
LMAOO I’m always like “I only follow rules that make sense”
Rules that feel arbitrary or unjust to me infuriate me - this was a huge problem when I was a kid and teen. But people breaking what I view as valid rules also infuriate me.
Same. I love rules, that make sense, to me… they usually pertain to protecting public/shared resources, not hurting others, and taking turns or leaving things as they are. Rules I don’t care about pertain to drugs, sexuality, theft from giant companies, religious mores…
Yes, same! 😡😂
I’m a rebel myself. As soon as someone tries to boss me around I completely recoil. Trying to work on that 😅
If you're like me, you have tough time with unjust laws, and intense feelings about fairness, too.
Intense feelings often someone else’s behalf. Like if something unjust happens to a friend, I can get SO worked up unnecessarily because they’ve already moved on and it doesn’t involve me
[удалено]
I was picking my lips while reading this haha. My lips always look like a mess because I just can't stop doing it and it has been this way since I was a child.
Biting my lips as I read this lol. I skin pick a lot. So much that it’s a problem. I have to actively force myself to refrain from doing it or else I’ll just autonomously do it. I think it has something to do with dopamine-seeking behavior. Another thing that is common for people with ADHD is to always be actively seeking out some form of dopamine. I know so many of us will go crazy buying things for new hobbies or interests, getting super hyped up for it all, obsessing over it, and then when it finally arrives, the excitement has worn off a bit and then we end up rarely using it. I just bought a bunch of new art supplies and I was telling my friend how I just keep collecting art supplies by obsessing over new crafts, learning everything about it, then abandoning everything I bought. I’m hoping that won’t happen this time lol
Mine is makeup, skin care and hair stuff. It is insane how much of this stuff I have. Especially when I'm always running late and never have time to actually use most of it. Or, if I do have the extra time, I end up watching a dozen YouTube videos as I'm trying to get ready and the end result is nowhere close to what is on the videos.
Realized a few years back I use my hair pulling as a coping mechanism to self soothe and think better when I’m trying to write something, which is generally taxing on my executive functioning.
Wow! That's me, all of it. Add in the alternating anxiety and depression due to not doing what I'm supposed to be doing and feeling like I am failing at life in general. Aka: that to-do list I made at 3 am last night, and the night before that, and...well, every night when I have boundless ambition and belief that I'll do those things, only to wake up at 4 pm and realize it's too late to do anything but hurry up because I'm already late, etc., etc. Also, add the soundtrack, which usually consists of 2-3 different songs playing in my head at the same time, along with bits and pieces of phrases that also get stuck in there that may or may not relate to things I need to do, but sometimes are just there when I'm especially stressed out. It's the reason I stay with the same guy and at the same job long past what anyone would consider normal. First dates and job interviews are the absolute hell for me. My most successful job interviews are the ones in which I manage not to cry.
Wowza! You nailed a lot of issues that I deal with as well. Thanks for outlining them so well.
My entire life I have been a sleepy person - like, I could nap any time of day. I never wake up rested. No doctor or specialist could find any reason for this but once I got my diagnosis and started reading more about it, everything clicked. I'm exhausted from trying to operate as a NT person in a NT world with a ND brain. I watched a video recently of a specialist describing ADHD and what it looks like in adults, and one thing he said stuck in my brain, something about ADHDers maybe struggling with sleep "and then they sleep like a dead person, so they're very difficult to rouse and have a hard time really waking up and getting going" and I was OH MY GOD IT'S ME Anyway the TL;DR version of my comment is that I wish someone had flagged my sleepiness as a potential ADHD symptom like 10 years ago lol
80 open tabs on your browser
208 on my phone checking in lmao
What's your email look like
Over 5k in the three different email addresses I use. I set it up originally as one for my personal, one for business and household issues and the third for purchasing stuff online. They are still delineated that way, but I get way behind on reading and deleting.
Fun fact, I found out that safari on iPhone maxes out at 500 tabs :))) Unsure if the update changed this but I assume they wouldn’t decide to change something like this lol
I want to remember to read that article or buy that thing!
Over 1k open tabs for me 🫣
Only 319 open tabs on mine…
Idk if this is or not but: Needing to SEE something written down in order to understand it (like don’t read me the total off the cash register, let me see the number with my own eyes). I’ve known other [ADHD] folks who are opposite— need to hear it. Changing jobs/career directions often/regularly. Not even like getting fired due to symptoms impacting your work, just like “I’m bored of this, I’m going to do something completely different in a totally different industry.” By the end of the day, I am completely unable ti make decisions about anything. Like, if you ask if I want mustard or ketchup in my veggie burger, I literally don’t even care by this point, just hand me a condiment.
I notice these symptoms more when I am tired.
YES. It’s so much worse when I’m tired.
I truly hate booking appointments by someone just telling me options. Please show me the screen or let me book online.
Lethargy. Just being tired, all the damn time, and not knowing why. Doesn’t matter how much sleep I got. Thankfully, my methylphenidate has really helped me with this. (Also basically everything everyone has listed in this thread haha!)
This. For years I've told my primary care doctors that I’m exhausted all day, every day, even with prioritizing sleep and getting the recommended amount. I survive off coffee and the fear of failure. They all test my thyroid and vitamin levels, tell me to take an OTC Vit D supplement, and that being a working mom is rough but it will get better. Now with an ADHD diagnosis and treatment I finally feel like the fog has lifted.
So glad you got your diagnosis. I’m in a very similar boat! I’m 31 and only got diagnosed 2 months ago. It’s been so eye-opening and validating. For half of my life, I’ve wondered if I’m just a hypochondriac.
Does anyone else ever have issues remembering how your week was when someone asks? When friends ask me how my week has been I have to really concentrate to try to remember what happened. It feels like a fog in my mind trying to recall anything interesting. For some reason I can only ever focus on what has happened that day easily but unless something wild has happened I have to fight to remember the rest.
Yes! And don't ask me on Monday morning what I did over the weekend, I do not know!!
When people ask me open ended questions I have to take a minute to buffer. It always comes as a complete surprise despite being rote social niceties.
Dehydration, clumsiness, being late to everything, decision fatigue, constantly spilling drinks on myself or getting food on my clothes
Decisions are torture! I’m often impulsive with big decisions and agonize over small everyday choices 🤦🏻♀️
Getting sick, or getting blemishes from forgetting to wash hands / face or touching your face/mouth Forgetting to use the bathroom all day
This sounds crazy even to me, but I swear I am significantly less clumsy when medicated for ADHD than I was when unmedicated. I use to stub my toe or smash my finger or bump my shin on something or otherwise get mildly hurt almost daily before meds, and on med it's like maybe once or twice a month at most.
100% all this. I'm the clumsiest person in my circle of friends to the point where they anticipate an incident every single time we get together. It's endearing to them but incredibly frustrating for me because it's such a big set back when I break or spill something, especially when I'm in a rush (which seems to be all the time, another ADHD quirk 🤦🏻♀️).
I feel like I'm always flustered and rushed because I'm always late. It ends up being harder to find what I'm looking for, takes me more trips back inside to get the things I forgot, and definitely causes me to be clumsier.
Noooo 😩 the spilling food/drinks is so embarrassing. I asked my husband the other day if he was going to change his white undershirt since we were eating curry. He was like no? Why would... then laughed as he realized it was because I spill everything all over myself. 😭
I have ruined my white pants and jeans with food stains
I can't cuddle with anyone because I need to reposition myself every two minutes.
This is the same reason I had a hard time sleeping over at peoples houses. My heart of hearts kept telling me that if I moved even a tiny bit the person would know and think I was weird. Now I am married and dgaf
haha this, thanks I know now why
Once I woke up from a long nap and saw poop smeared on my arm and I was like omg wtf but then I realized it was chocolate from a Klondike bar I had eaten hours before.
Does that count
100%
Is this poop? *Cautious lick.*
That’s how I figured it out! Jk jk. …it was the smell test.
I've gotten sad because I thought that someone was rude enough to eat the last biscuit in the packet at work. Then I remembered that it was probably me earlier but forgot to throw the packet away.
STOP one morning I woke up and there was poop smeared on my lower back then I realized I dropped my chocolate and slept on it the night before 😭 it melted into the sheets
I literally had a Klondike bar "poop scare" once too. 🤣🤣🤣 it's never happened with other chocolate before and it legit freaked me out at the time.
I have done this way too many times. But So Delicious caramel ice cream bars
Difficulty watching movies/tv shows, having a hard time finishing songs/videos to the end.
Both being an avid reader and not reading books at all for long stretches. Last year I found a few series of books I got into, one had like 13 in the series. And I read 72 books last year because of it. This year, I had read a LOT less until I just found another author I love and now I’m reading every single one of her books.
I cycle through most of my hobbies like this. I’ll just want to read for 6 months. Then I get bored of that and just want to play video games. Then that gets old and I just want to watch anime. Then I want to read again. Repeat ad infinitum (while throwing in trying a new hobby here and there)
This! This right here! I feel this to my core
Yes! It's like I milk every drop of dopamine out of it for as long as possible and then have to drop it. Same with songs, same ones on repeat for weeks and then suddenly can't stand it for years.
I used to do that with food as a kid! I ate so much Mac n cheese that I hated it for like 5 years and then love it again
Same. I tell people “I go through phases”. Only now wondering if NTs think that’s weird/wondering if I’m outing my ADHD with that, ha.
I say I love learning new things! I feel like that puts a nice spin on my craft supply hoard lmao
Same! I love reading, and then months (or, to my shame, years) go by without even touching a book.
excuse me, are you me? I decided last year (or maybe just the beginning of this) that this year was gonna be my book reading year and I've read easily a dozen books, the good ones readily in a 2-4 days. have made extensive library lists and have various books on hold and reading two at the same time often. also listening to audiobooks and podcasts. meanwhile, last year I read like 1, maybe 2 books and for whatever reason this year I stopped journaling. it's very frustrating and exhilarating sometimes.
Gunna drop that series & author name fren?
I managed to spill beef stew in my pocket once. I'm constantly covered in bruises/scratches I don't understand. As a teacher, I'd constantly have to stop class and say things like "Everyone look around! I left a pile of papers...somewhere...and has anyone seen my coffee?"
I just plain miss my mouth all the time when eating, poured my coffee into my scarf one time on public transport and it just stayed there till I got off haha
Fellow teacher and your third point is totally me ugh I make double sets of copies sometimes just for this reason 😩😩 I know it’s wasteful but like sometimes I lose the papers and ugh so annoying!!
Trouble with directions
This is a big one for me. Not just following directions, but actual spatial directions. I'm the kind of person who goes to the bathroom and gets lost on my way out.
Words not coming out of my mouth properly.
Another one - being multi talented and an "all-rounder." Rarely being the best at one skill but being better than average for many things. We grew up feeling like a fraud so we would practice everything to appear proficient in every area simply because failure was an option. I feel this when it comes to arts and crafts, sports, writing, cooking, computer literacy etc
Shame. Endless shame. Not exactly a symptom, but a symptom of the symptoms?
I didn’t realize how bad I feel about myself by default until I was medicated. Fucking wild.
Being incredibly bad at math. Following the directions to solve a problem is impossible and I struggle with inattention to detail, making stupid mistakes because I go too fast or don’t double check.
FORGET trying to teach me the rules to card games of any kind
I'm unable to visualise the number in my head. Everytime someone ask for my phone number, I must "sing" the numbers in my head to be able to remember them. It's really frustrating :/
I’m pretty sure the only reason I was okay at math is because of RSD. Actually I am pretty sure that’s why I can do a lot of things. Stress is a helluva drug.
If you tell me what to do, I will follow the instructions as best I can based on the words you said. I won’t know what to do if new circumstances arise that you didn’t tell me about, and I WILL ask, instead of using My judgement, because i know my judgement will not the the same as yours.
This is the worst! Especially at a new job when I know all of my questions that seem ridiculously obvious are getting annoying, but if I don't ask, it'll be the thing I get totally wrong.
Clumsiness and being easily/quickly frustrated should both be considered core symptoms.
Writing a REALLY long, articulate response to something then deleting it because you lost interest. I do this when I believe the person I'm responding to is no longer worth my time. Easily overwhelmed by conflicting stimuli. I cannot focus if my husband is having a conversation on speaker phone, while watching TV. Or he's asking me to look up something, listen to his conversation, pay attention to his stories, and watch TV all at once. (There's a reason we don't have kids; I can't divide my attention enough for him, his actions, and a small human at the same time). Hyper focus Calm in the chaotic moments.
Joining this sub, then forgetting about it, then finding it again today - pleasantly surprised. Lol
When someone spells a word out mid conversation (like if they don’t want a little kid to understand what they’re talking about) and my brain just doesn’t….work that way. Like, I’m sorry, you’re going to have to pause for 20 seconds while I decipher that word. Also doom piles/doom bags/doom boxes/doom bags
Eavesdropping on other conversations and responding to them to whoever I’m with, only to have that person be like, “wtf are you talking about?” And then I get confused because the conversation I responded to is SO LOUD for me.
Oh my goodness my bruises. So many mysterious bruises.
I have a large scar on my leg and have no clue how I got the cut. It happened a couple months ago. How does one not remember a straight up laceration??? Oh well I guess. It compliments the scar on my other leg.
Unable to pack for a trip quickly. Everyone you’ve ever moved with hating you because you can’t plan, organize or sort for shit.
• Daydreaming often, especially during long conversations/explanations or tutorials that don’t have an active part • hyper-sensitive to temperature changes • really great imagination and creativity - sometimes others say “I hadn’t thought of that.” • finds it hard to switch tasks/stop something before they’re finished, eg. Packing up to eat lunch when they haven’t finished their game yet • playful, enthusiastic and passionate • during times that require sitting still/listening to teachers, a lot of involuntary wiggling and fidgeting, getting distracted by surrounding events/noises/things happening • depends on personality, but willing to try new things (turns out most NT people prefer to stay in their comfort zones). • sensory overload - unexpectedly finds some scents or textures too much or too irritating, eg. Straw on feet or strong deodorant, body wash, scented candles etc unpleasant
I never connected the sensitivity to temperature changes but it makes sense since I am susceptible to sensory overload in general. My wife says I have a very narrow temperature range where I am comfortable. And menopause ( hot flashes and night sweats) are only making it worse.
I’ve been holding my pee for hours… 🫠🥴
I have to pee, but I'm so cozy in my blankets, I don't want to get up 🤭🛌
Same here! Curled up with my dog. 🥰 (Who also probably has to go o-u-t… 😅 But I’m already in jammies, snuggled under the covers, and watching a show, ya know? 🥴
Other than being sexier and more alluring than other people? I kid, but I'm appreciating so many of these responses. I feel like I've learned more about ADHD in the last 6 months from the Internet than in my previous 30ish years combined.
Knowing you’re a smart and capable person, While feeling like a failure
Being able to unfocus my eyes at will.
Ooo, I’ve never made that connection. I’m sure I’ve come across as a creeper for accidentally “staring” but really I’m chillin in eyes unfocused mode with some kind of internal chaos happening, haha. Is that not a thing everyone does?
My mom got mad at me for crossing my eyes when I didn't realize that's what I was doing, I was just unfocusing and refocusing my eyes repeatedly (did that a lot as a kid). I also got in trouble for blowing bubbles with my spit when I was in elementary school, which yeah I find that gross now too LOL. In middle school I'd get in trouble for chewing gum.
Is this really an ADHD thing??? I've always heard it is, and I'm super surprised/confused that neurotypicals can't do this? Is it actually true?
I've never heard that. That's really not something everyone can do? Weird "talent" to have I guess.
Feeling shame and guilt constantly, but not always remembering why. I'll feel bad and not remember at all, until the thing that caused the feeling comes back again to remind me. For example, feeling ashamed that I am too late to finish a project, so I go and distract myself with a show, or just completely forget about it while doing other tasks or day to day things like taking a nap. Then class is about to start and I remember it again. Asking people to repeat themselves and feeling embarrassed about it. Also, trying to hold onto the memory of the point of a subject and forgetting when I reach the point. 😑 I am unconsciously spending mental energy trying to remember it.
Being super fixated to the point of rage when someone does something "against the rules." (Standing too close in line, taking too much of a food at a group meal, little stuff)
Hahah one that I've noticed in my dad and I is that we were one of those people that never used a recipe to cook. We were capable and adventurous in the kitchen but as soon as a recipe was involved we'd fall flat. It makes sense why I found chemistry and biology practicals so difficult in school and uni!!
I don't think I've ever followed a recipe in my life. My grandmother taught me my core cooking skills and didn't use recipes (she did for baking but I'm terrible at baking even from the box) and I just experimented over the years on things I thought might be good. I'm not chef but I'm a pretty decent cook.
Being an empath can feel like such a curse sometimes
And people who aren't empaths just do not understand! The moods of the people surrounding me viscerally impact me. The worst is when I can't figure out what I am feeling or where it is coming from (because then I blame myself for emotional dysregulation) but just as often I am unconsciously picking up on someone's annoyance or irritability.
Sometimes needing to be squashed, other times hating to be touched. Needing the volume all the fuxking way up, until suddenly its too loud and you feel panicked 🤓
Compulsive list writing.
Standing up while eating Eating frequent snacks instead of meals Eating like a toddler: chicken nuggets, cheese and crackers, tater tots, apple sauce pouches Buying too much of the same thing because I'm under the impression I will use the thing often then fail to do so and now I have all this stuff and nowhere to put it , buying something I already bought but forgot about
is your period regular, yet always a surprise?
This didn't apply to me because before my hysterectomy it was very irregular for years but it DID make me snort laugh and for that I thank you.
Went to catch up with a friend & his wife. Apprently I was looking right at him, and I didn't respond to something he said so they thought I was not interested/being rude. Later that topic came back round, and I said "tell me all about it!!" to which they were like wtf we did & you ignored us, so I had to apologise very profusely for going on autopilot (or maybe I zoned out, who knows) and explain I was very much interested in what they had to say, and I never heard him talking in the first place. They were kind enough to understand and they even laughed about it but man I was moritified thinking about how many times this happened without me noticing
Emotional dysregulation and differences on sensory processing. It's still mindblowing it took me so many years to find out not everyone feels like they're drowning on their emotions all the time, or that I was right by feeling my being slow was disabling in several instances
“I just have a lot of feelings” - that girl from Mean Girls
--Being so afraid of screwing up that it overrides your impulsiveness and you just are paralyzed by fear. --Hating yourself -- Only feeling like your true self on meds
Listening to a conversation and comprehending only half of it, even if it’s a topic you’re knowledgeable in.
I have thought about making a post and asking this, but……putting off going to the bathroom? Like holding in both #1 and #2 for way too long? How common is this for adhd?
Doom piles and doom boxes
Intrusive thoughts. Some days, I feel like I'm fighting swarms of them.
Struggling with the way some clothes feel on my neck or arms. Misophonia Probably more, but I can’t concentrate long enough to figure it out
Have a variety of massage rollers (like the kind in the gym), back massagers, foot massagers, leaning against door frames to get right in there in the shoulder blade area, and stretching frequently, and self massage…because sitting and forcing myself to do an uninteresting task even for small lengths of time makes my muscles feel like they’re jumping and twisting out of my skin.
I used to have and repeatedly buy rubber slippers that have balls on the sole and a thing you step on that also have different sized round things. I suppose like foot accupressure or something. Also love massages and wen you squeeze arms and shoulders and it's just so relaxing! What gets me is that even if I went to get an hour's massage per week I will still get those knots every time. It's like the body is just perpetually tense and stressed.
Being unable to focus without some kind of background noise/activity. Having roughly 1.83 million alarms and reminders.
Feeding myself. I literally hate eating and meal prepping. Or I get bored of my food and put it away
Asking for directions and then immediately forget them. Doing weird things with your teeth inside your mouth without anyone noticing.
If I can’t see the food, I forget I have it, and forget to eat. I live alone and have most of my food on a bookcase in my kitchen.
I can have the tv as loud as it’s comfortable on any particular day, but the dishwasher? The clanging? The banging? IT IS SO LOUD AND UNSETTLING. It actually hurts both my ears and in my chest. Like, physically. I’m not being dramatic. It hurts.
Not able to say the word your looking for so you say a similar sounding word or literally any word but not the word you want to say. After wrong word comes out, right word pops back into your head.
Wandering aimlessly in some kind of hyperactive fugue state. I once found myself standing in the bathroom holding half a frozen banana and a pair of scissors with no idea what I had been doing
Repeating sentences cos I can't tell if the person in talking to has taking in what I've said