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An ADHD rant...
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this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2023
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Neurodivergence
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I was diagnosed in 2019, at the age of 39. So I have a lot of work to do to unravel all the 'coping' mechanisms I've taught myself over the years. But what's been most eye-opening is my shift in perception of what ADHD is from something that naughty boys at school are told they have, to this thing that afflicts my brain which causes me to forget everything all the damn time.
And the best part is when I complain about this, and some well-meaning person will say "Have you tried using X.app?" and I'll go to download X.app ONLY TO FIND I ALREADY FUCKING HAVE IT, THAT I USED IT THREE TIMES THEN FORGOT IT EXISTED.
And it's all just so fucking exhausting.
Yeah, diagnosed at 31 here. So many coping mechanisms that do or don't work.
Unfortunately during the summer I have to choose. My meds or decongestants to at least reduce the misery from bad seasonal allergies.
Can't make doctor appointments, can't remember to call a contractor to fix the porch, forget to call people on their birthdays, forget to cancel subscriptions, can't remember to do simple task, or return things under warranty....etc I always remember things in the middle of the night, when you can't call any of the businesses or people you need to call, or drop anything off.
Work is my hyperfocus time, so all the other tasks and todos I have vanish from my brain till after, even with meds.
It's frustrating man, I feel ya, shit sucks.
At the risk of being the "But have you tried this app" Guy, for the problem you've outlined here, I use Brain Toss. Literally all it does is email your own ramblings back at you, so if you remember something in the night, tap out a message on Brain Toss, then when you check your emails the next day there will be a reminder.
When I remember I have it, it's a brilliant little app.
I find that most of my 'coping' mechanisms are actually 'tools' that could have been developed with a therapist to help fit into society... So they're usually a good thing, as long as it's not just ignoring problem 🫣
When things go bad, it usually help to take a short vacation from work, take some rest and take care of my personal life.
Mistakes happen, but such it live for everybody in some way or another!
That does sound exhausting, sorry you are going through that OP.
One possible option is physical lists like taping a list to your desk. Especially for things like a daily routine. You can also tape a list to your bathroom mirror for morning and night routines.
I've tried sticky notes on my monitor.
Know what I found the other day? A sticky node that's hiding the start menu on my work monitor, with a task from a YEAR AGO (That was never done).
Turns out I just stopped using the start menu and just haven't noticed till now, a bloody year later. How, really, how TF did I not notice it for that long.
It's really weird how various tools and mechanism can break down in seemingly asinine ways. From OPs replies, they suffer quite similarly 🤔