HELP! Adult woman adhd Apps

[Nightnurse4ever]

I’m such a huge researcher when it comes to a choice I need to make. Problem is I get overwhelmed with too much info. Which ADHD apps are must have to aid in more efficient & productive LIFE? Thank you in advance!!!

[STEM_Dad]

Great question!

I still haven't found tools that work consistently for me.

I do the same sort of thing, where I'll research obsessively about all the sides of the situation, all the factors involved, and wind up in "analysis paralysis".

Sometimes, the only thing that works for me is to sit down with a notepad and a pen, and make a chart or table to try to organize my thoughts. I'll also ask myself the important relevant questions, such as: Who does this impact? What would be the impact on them? What would be the impact on me, my life, my family, my career, etc?

Even just a Pro/Con list, might be enough to help make a decision sometimes. (I've learned that the number of Pros or Cons don't matter to me, as much as how important they are to be. I could have a hundred Cons which are all outweighed by a single Pro, if the Pro is important enough...and vice versa.)

[ADDandMe in reply to STEM_Dad]

analysis paralysis lol - I like that phrase. Totally get it. Perpetual over thinker and researcher here… to the point I deplete all the joy and completely bore myself 😂

[FindingTheAnswers]

I can’t answer your post, but I’m the same as you. Too many choices and I usually drive myself crazy. Whether it’s choosing an app, or buying a new TV, I want someone to honestly tell me ‘this is the one for you.’

[Rakiura74]

I am totally the same, and it’s so time consuming and frustrating. Because it rarely brings me to the point where the answer is clear!

The problem is not us, it’s that there’s are too many choices out there, for literally EVERYTHING! From apps, food, books, clothes etc.

Ever been on vacation at a very small town where there is a local store that has 3 types of jam, 1 or two choices of milk, butter etc.?

Noticed how easy it was to make a decision?

I try to teach myself to stop researching at one point and just pick one choice, telling myself that it doesn’t matter, that probably all my favourites are just fine. But it’s a very long way to go still..

Goal would be to stop researching once you found something that fits your needs and not give in to the need to keep researching until you have absolutely seen everything and then chose the best one of it. Because that probably doesn’t exist, there are several choices that are good, there is always pros and cons.

[Hominid711 in reply to Rakiura74]

Haha, so true. I once, many years ago abd before cell phones, briefly lived on the outskirts of Leeds revising for two(!) of the many serious Royal Kingdom Exams and at times got so incredibly bored - already doing (yawn! Just the memory of it...) the weekend walks in the admittedly beautiful Yorkshire Dales with a blast from the past - I sometimes traveled to the local supermarket just to entertain myself with a couple of hours mulling over 25 types of tomato sauce, finally, after the most careful consideration, chosing one and mulling over that for a little before drifting over to the mayonnaise. I've said I was bored, haven't I? WAS.

Still....

[ShoesGalore]

I too can go into a deep dive on research and comparing and then loose interest, time and steam to get to a decision, which leads to yet another unchecked item on a list.

I haven’t tried any adhd apps, but I have tried many timer apps. I like the MultiTimer the best because I can set up 7 different timers, name them, have them be different colors and fun and different sounds for alarms. You can have them on auto repeat so it goes off say every 15 minutes without touching your phone to create time awareness. I can’t remember if it was free or or a few bucks.

[Keeks23]

Excellent post. In a world where many of us are attempting vigorously to remove distractions, unnecessary tasks, sensory overload, tech dependence... apps seem to be counterintuitive, at least to me.

Along with decisions, commitments, burdens, expenses ... you know the drill.

No judgement... I embrace options and for some it must be a lifeline ...however not me.

I personallt respond to affirmations, talk therapy, personal contact and real life help... problem is... that is harder to come by than apps.

Especially when one has dirt cheap, bottom of the barrel insurance which does not cover the 1 condition that I need covered.

I would definitely want to have a trial period on any of them and make notes, take scree shots etc of possible.

Pop-ups and reminders and progress bars and such for me: nope.

But good to follow.

[Hominid711 in reply to Keeks23]

Haha that rings familiar. I HATE being reminded of tasks and would soon project a very personal irrational hate onto the poor app. In comparison to my younger self I feel plenty organised with the diary function of my phone. As to the rest I much rather let it come naturally. There is a threshold of disgust - and I proudly live with it - which is my meter, or when friends or old aunties threaten to visit (mind, those are the most forgiving, at least if the cakes are good). Still plenty of time to deal with the worst. And if that fails there are restaurants. Or their place. Most people are in fact happy if YOU offer to visit and they can stay in their warm cosy home. They even gladly cook if you bring the bubble...

[ADDandMe]

Not an app, but Screen Time in iPhone settings has helped me to not lose so much time online. Setting limits for particular apps helps my real world productivity.

Have read up a bit about Sensa on Facebook and not many appear to have tried it, though lots have seen the adverts. The cost and lack of free trial is the barrier I think.

[Slmndrs]

I've embraced the research thing. I realized I enjoy it the way some people enjoy planning vacations (which I HATE). I try to put guardrails around it the way other people need to do for watching tv or other habits that suck you in, but I've stopped fighting it.

In terms apps, there's not much I regularly use. The Notes app helps me not lose important stuff (try the scanning function!), Google Calendar helps me not miss important dates, and gmail is like a virtual memory bin with records of the last decade or so. I use the timer function on my Apple watch or Alexa ALL the time to help me start stuff or keep boundaries on stuff.

I have this paper planning pad (smile.amazon.com/gp/product... that I use every week or so, and it does help. I've accepted that I won't consistently use it in the most optimized way, and decided that partial use (usually on anxiety-filled Sunday nights) is still worthwhile to me.

Good luck! It's a lifelong journey for sure, and it seems like for me half of the battle is figuring out where 'adequate' is and embracing it

[kmdtx23]

I'm the same - and I'm actually a reference librarian...

Anyway, it's not actually an app, it's a website, but Focusmate is a lifesaver.

[ckv3]

I read about a research study several years ago that compared decision satisfaction with the amount of research done prior to making it. People who made spontaneous decisions with very little or no research were significantly more satisfied with their decisions than people who did extensive research. Apparently, people who don’t research focus almost exclusively on the pros of their choice and are often not even aware of the cons. In contrast, those of us who do exhaustive research understand what we give up with whatever choice we make. Even after we make a decision we continue to weigh the options and often lament the things we gave up or shortcomings we accepted. I only wish wish my knowledge of this study changed how I make decisions!

[STEM_Dad in reply to ckv3]

But I wonder how much that reflects on the person's personality. People who make spontaneous decisions might be happier in the short term, but they might not be happier in the long term (or they just might not care).

My decision of which washer to use at the laundromat is easy enough... one without an "out of order" sign.

But my decision of when to go back to school involves a lot of factors, including: what school, what major, do I have the time to commit, can I afford tuition and other school costs, how will it affect my family in the short term, how will it affect my family in the long term, will I be looking to change jobs once I have a degree, etc. Each factor might require research.

[ckv3 in reply to STEM_Dad]

I completely agree! Important decisions require lots of research. I should have clarified that the research was focused on the purchase of a particular item (I can’t remember what it was). I think the point is that ADHD might lead some of us to do research that is out of proportion to the decision. As mentioned earlier in the thread, that can lead to analysis paralysis.

[STEM_Dad in reply to ckv3]

It probably falls into the "hyperfocus" aspect of ADHD.

Before I started on ADHD meds, I often couldn't make big decisions, no matter how much information I had. It was like that part of my brain was half-asleep. I couldn't even decide what I wanted at McDonald's in a timely manner.

I think that I don't just have ADHD (predominantly Inattentive presentation), but also Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT). (Look up a video on it by Dr. Russell Barkley.) According to studies, conditions respond to the medication I take for ADHD, atomoxetine. (When I was on Adderall XR, I still had difficulty processing, even though I had better control of my attention.)

[skyblue-111 in reply to ckv3]

"I think the point is that ADHD might lead some of us to do research that is out of proportion to the decision." HOW TRUE THIS IS!!!

[skyblue-111 in reply to ckv3]

The research you referenced is really interesting! I can definitely believe it.

[NYCmom2]

A.I.-powered Bing once launched promises to cut down the time needed to research and make comparisons and decisions on purchases, meal planning, vacation planning etc . A NY Times article gave an overview on how it would work.

In the meantime I like to use note taking/check list and idea organizing apps like Trello or AirTable to keep track of my lists and research. That way you can go back and retrieve notes, websites, check lists.

[Wasted71years]

Our very nature as people with ADHD is to be attracted to shiny new objects such as apps and productivity systems then to rapidly get bored and drop them. Beware of the trap as you can spend a lot of time and money chasing these. Not to say that there aren't apps, tools and techniques that are helpful - there are - but finding them and avoiding the glitter is going to be hard.

[Lovepetal in reply to Wasted71years]

So true!!!

[LifeAfterDiagnosis]

I love research anyway, but I do force myself to research decisions to prevent an impulsive one, because I hate the feeling of regret. Worse yet, I'll drift off into rabbit holes when something unrelated catches my attention, and before I know it, I have about 72 tabs open on my browser and I don't want to close any of them! 🤪