I've managed my ADD fairly well most of my life but this recent week I've noticed I've been highly forgetful of simple things I never have before, basic common sense things have slipped my mind.
For example, forgetting what day of the week it is. People ask me to do things and i forget seconds later, going to the store with a list and still forgetting things on the list, getting distracted more easily, among some others.
I've always been a little forgetful due to my ADD but never like this. My diet is unchanged, the only major change I've made is working out regularly, nothing more than 20 minutes though...
I don't know if this is stress related or my body is deprived of something? Help?
I wish I could help, but I’m suffering through the same thing. I struggle to remember basic words at times (boat, house) and it is very frustrating. I’m not sure what to do or to go to either. I have a learning disability with ADD. I’ve taken different types of medication and even tried a lot of different herbs, but nothing seems to help. I just try not to blow it out of proportion like thinking I’m getting Alzheimer’s or something.
My immediate reaction—even to the subject—was also to ask about any new sources of stress: those definitely bring out my “absent-minded professor” tendencies—it's a wonder I don't reinvent flubber, some days.
I know that the ongoing stress of the social isolation associated with the current pandemic is one of the current aggravators, for me: I tend to rely heavily on social interaction as an energy source to aid my all too “manual”, emotional and mental management.
Obviously, “your mileage may vary”; but it's an easy factor for a lot of us to overlook—especially given the irony of how ADHD couples social awkwardness with the heightened need for social acceptance we have come to name “RSD”.
Please, share your insights as you ponder your current, “better forgetter” experience: doubtless some of us will gain from them!
Sometimes, there can be new stresses we are not even aware of and in touch with. I have long believed that ADD/ADHD may be because we have an attention span that wears out more quickly than average to high mentally acute people. So, it may be important to get more rest, keep focused on positive things, going for nature walks, meditation, keeping things simple, and exploring what and how these new stresses are effecting your attention span. I also think with my ADHD there is not some directly obvious effect. Sometimes I can be under clear and present stresses and few issues. Other times, everything calm and peaceful in life, and I am manic and get locked unto things that cause frustration, wearing myself out. Maybe, the peace and calm is the stress. Too much time to brood and get into a depressive and angry state of mind.
Hi Hidden . ADHD is consistently inconsistent, so it may just be that.
That being said, there could be a reason. Sometimes we can look back and see that something changed in regard to our physical health, as you alluded. Did something change for your physically? Are you sleeping well, have any of your habits changed, are you having digestion or processing issues? have you changed medication in the last few weeks? Does this correspond to hormonal shifts? Those are good places to start looking. Then, secondary questions - changes in structure, stress, or day to day activities, people you hang out with, habits, etc. And June 21st was a full moon.
The first thing I need to do in situations like yours (which do happen occasionally) is give myself compassionate space to be ok with the temporary hiccup. The best I can do in any given situation is the best I can do at the given moment (and maybe not the best I can do in general.) Getting comfortable knowing you're not at your best bares long-term interest.
Hiya noveltea,sounds like you're going through it right now.you are possibly more depressed at the mo,maybe without you even realising.its so easy to be hard on yourself when you're forgetful but it just makes you worse.ive found it at its worst when I've been at work and maybe had one or two brain fog moments that have become really embarrassing when they've caused hundreds of pounds becoming lost because of my ADHD.Then the rest of that day just gets worse and worse when the stress levels increase and my "errors" become more frequent.people who don't have it won't understand because you can appear so vacant and not all there but you can't do anything about it.I wish you all the best,you're exercising which is good and brain training games or puzzles that stretch you will sharpen your mind and hopefully clear some of those brain fog moments.youre not on your own noveltea.
I have a theory of why I am forgetful but it could be completely wrong or not accurate for some people.
If I am under stimulated I tend to space out and not absorb (comprehend) the information someone tells me. I’ve literally been the person who goes (wait what did you just say) (what were we talking about) can we start this conversation over??? Stuff like that on simple conversations. This was all before meds which is why I believe it to be caused by under stimulation. Now that I’m on meds, I tend to become forgetful of small details like someone’s name if I get over stimulated in a conversation. I get so wrapped up in talking deep or even just busy paced work environment with lots of projects that my brain almost decides that a name is not important or that the day of the week doesn’t matter because the cars, birds, wind, 4 customers, printers printing, computer emails coming in, and co-workers asking questions is just over stimulating me and I am at capacity so dump the rest.
You should take time to think back which wouldn’t be easy and really ask yourself what did you feel in those moments of forgetfulness? We’re you having a conversation in your head about other more important things? Or was your medication maybe not kicking in quite yet??
Maybe you were just distracted by a noise and poof off into la la land.
I feel like all of us deal with it and it’s just a matter of finding out what triggers these events and minimizing them or learning to deal with them.
Sorry U R going thru this now. However, since we are living in the "new reality " of the Corona virus, many of our lives have been turned upside down. My ADHD instances of
forgetting where I placed things or not attaching a cover letter to an indeed application for a new job have not been pleasant. Don't be so hard on yourself. Perhaps, try some meditation, breathing exercises, listening to music U enjoy and try to close your eyes and enjoy what U R listening to. Besides having ADHD, I have also been diagnosed as
bipolar with more of the depression than the mania. I really empathize with you. remember there are people in this group who support you and giving you a virtual fist bump and virtual hugs
I feel for your as I’m having same experience! I also just turn the big 6 0 and that didn’t help either. With being at home so much days are meshing into each other and I forget what day it is unless I specifically check or have an alarm go off for something on my cell calendar.
I’m off my normal sleeping schedule and that is possibly contributing or combining, making what level my brain was working at now worse.
I’m working at not being to hard on myself about it.
Same. Is there a difference between forgetting and not remembering? Forgetting is forgot, not remembering is 'do know, havent forgot, need reminding'.
Stimulation, heart beat, increased blood flow from exercising WILL cause medication to pump round your body more (if you're on meds of course) Exercise releases endorphins, meds increase dopamine, and those combined releases will do something to the brain and body. With ADHD/ADD, our brains are forgetful, will have been in the beginning, more so in the middle ages, and likely worse in the end years of life.
I think it's important, with ADHD/ADD, and stimulation to be able to talk about, and do things, we're interested in. If we try to expand our minds into subjects we dont really know about, of course we wont know the right words to use, things to say, and how to look at the topic at hand. When it comes to mind going blank and unreasonable explanations as to why it happens, it might be time to re-learn how to think about thinking?
I can only think mind blanks and thought wipe outs are the brain adapting to a new sense of surrounding. Entering into conversation when you're unsure, after assuming you can be more fluent and exact, down to earth and level headed, through whatever source (meds, exercise etc), the brain is adapting to that.
Meds, exercise, endorphins and dopamine, relax certain parts of the brain that are overworked with ADHD/ADD, also at the same time though, it's stimulates the body and mind.
When you look at a picture of a slide, it's a slide, you can see it's a slide, you know it's a slide, you've known it forever, but do you care it's a slide? Do you care you know it's a slide? If you're asked to comment on it, something you probably havent done before, you're going to stutter and your brain will try to think of something to say about it. When you think of something to say, our brains with ADHD/ADD flick through ALL the things it knows about what a slide is, it tries to remember when we went on a slide, have we ever been on one? All the things we took for granted believing we already know, when challenged or questioned, can cause blank outs.
Lack of interest in a subject will also cause these blank outs.
I can only think of suggesting to laugh it off. If you're half way through a sentence and your mind goes blank, just say 'ahh, sorry my mind's gone.... who stole my thoughts?!' you know something like that?
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