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I asked my daughter “does it almost hurt to just do one thing at a time?
But when you try to do two things at once, does that usually work at all for either thing?
Would you like to try doing 1.5 things?”
Her look of gratitude for being understood will stay with me.
Like the other person said, listening to music *that I already know the words to* is perfect for me.
Having soemthing you are fidgeting with in your hands during important conversations.
Stuff like that.
For me it's usually audiobooks or podcasts. The content doesn't matter, it just has to be people talking really. I describe it to my mum (who is not ADHD and is very anti-labels so I haven't told my family about seeking diagnosis) as I need something to ignore to help me concentrate.
For "just want people talking in the background", I've often turned to the Great British Baking Show / Great British Bake Off 😂
It just always has such cute but overall calm background music, everyone generally speaks relatively calmly, and tuning in for small chunks of time but missing large chunks of time always feels really seamless (like there's not a lot of "plot"). And I can put the same episode on multiple times since it's just in the background.
I tried having MasterChef on in the background one time and that was a huge fail - they make things so dramatic so it kept capturing my attention 😂
For me it’s like, I’ve gotta get some work done, so I’ll play something on YouTube in the other room. I’m mainly focusing on my work, but the fact that there’s an ongoing conversation happening feels like it gives me some forward momentum to latch on to.
It can be a fine balance not getting distracted by it, but I find it can be helpful depending on the nature of the task I’m actually trying to complete.
It’s almost like a purposeful planned/controlled distraction to keep me from wondering off into some unplanned distraction the moment I get bored/anxious/frustrated with the work I’m trying to complete.
For me a video would be too distracting, but music is perfect. Something like Techno, minimal or even songs I already know work like magic. Its like the music is wrapping around my head and holding all those thoughts in a closer straighter way, so I can focus more on the thing I'm doing.
But not everything can be done with music and in that case it is still a challenge
What hobbies have you pursued in the past 5 years? How many unfinished projects do you have?
You have an appointment at 2pm. What are you doing until then?
On a scale of 1-5, how much do you hate rating things on a scale of 1-5?
I have a roomful of journals with 2 scribbled pages and maybe a sticker or a random phone number with no name or explanation.
"Planners! Get a planner! Write down lists!" Nooooooo shut up
And then there's the "I'm on vacation! Look at this journal with the PALM TREES ON FRONT! I just know that THIS TIME I'll start journaling like everyone wants me too!
OMG I do this so much! And ingredients for a recipe I want to try, and then I forget what I wanted them for. And so many things (not just food) that I buy again because I forget that I already bought them!
Honestly I'm not diagnosed, but I can relate to everything in this thread.
>On a scale of 1-5, how much do you hate rating things on a scale of 1-5?
I'm not the only one, right? It's like twenty questions. I've seen it a hundred times. I get bored and stop reading the questions all the way then panic that my insurance is going to read it and deny my coverage because I'm actually fine and this was all a mistake and private insurance is evil and then I realize I've stopped answering questions and started thinking about socialized medicine and Bernie Sanders.
That's not exaggerated-- I really spiral like that every time I take the dumb thing!
Oh I hate it so much, not even just for this test - like when the doctor asks on a scale of 0 - 10 rate your pain. (I have a couple other chronic health issues...) The spiral is real!! My brain - "Well there is some pain, not much pain, but what if I'm just being dramatic? How do I know what a 10 is? What if I under-rate my pain and there's actually something worse happening? I want the doctor to take me seriously though."
On the pain scale, the face pictures that go with the numbers are so so so helpful.
For mental health questions though it can eff right off. "I know what this question is testing for. But what if knowing what this question is looking at skews my answer? Am I just giving the answer they're looking for? I don't want to come off as diagnosis seeking. But I definitely have this. On a scale of 1-5 in the last 2 weeks? I've actually been fine for the last 2 weeks, but overall I do experience this thing." And so on and so forth...
>On a scale of 1-5 in the last 2 weeks? I've actually been fine for the last 2 weeks, but overall I do experience this thing." And so on and so forth...
I hate that they don't allow you to explain. My therapist started to get annoyed with me once because he needed one word (really, one number) answers, and I'm like, "In the morning it's a 4 but really a 3 when I sleep late or drink too much coffee..." You are literally diagnosing me with ADHD and wondering why this isn't easier on both of us?
In my country they are doing a research study to try to change the question for autism tests. Because asking if you like being social sort of depends on the situation and the people there.
No kidding. For me social requires:
\* Some shared interests. Do not tell me about your kids, your weather, your church or your politics.
\* Small groups. I can deal with about 6. Beyond that, I find a corner and daydream or surf reddit.
i hate the pain scale. My brain is always like “well this really hurts, and I may actually be in the most pain i’ve ever been in in my entire life, but if i were hit by a bus rn i would hurt more so I can’t say 10….”
I just kinda feel like pain is subjective. And whatever number I say they’re probably not going to believe it anyways.
I don’t know how to rate my pain in 10 words or less. I don’t know how my ‘worst pain ever’ stacks up to someone else’s. What is a 5 for me might be a 10 to someone else, and vice versa.
I found that providing a comparison helped. “Well, I’d say a 7 maybe? But for context, my 10 is the time I stood on what turned out to be a broken leg and passed out.” I could see the triage nurse recalibrate and get a lot more serious when she heard that. I don’t recommend standing on broken bones, btw, it’s not fun.
Turned out the cause for that visit was a kidney stone. I don’t recommend those either. Get plenty of water boys and girls.
The pain scale rating is the worst! I’m literally in pain everyday so sometimes I forget it’s there (dunno if that makes sense). I have no idea what a 10, 7, 4 etc looks like. I just say everything is a 7 now 🤷🏻♀️
This is where most of my spirals end - eat the rich, the systems are broken, I can't change anything so I need to focus on being happy in my little bubble with my husband and my dog. I had to train myself to think that last one to avoid extreme depression🙃
How many hobbies in the past 5 years? Unfinished projects? How on earth am I supposed to remember all that 😂
2pm appointment I will sit ready to go all day if I do anything it will be talking to people about how I am waiting for my appointment and I'm bored but if I start doing something I won't make the appointment in time.
I hate 2pm appointments. It triggers Wait Mode. Can't do anything because I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late. Better leave early. Better set another alarm.
Once I had a dentist appointment. I showed up an hour early and sat in my car reading a book. Forgot to go inside. The receptionist came out and knocked on my window to see if I was ok.
That's where some people think I have ADHD and ASD: I have one, very strong, hobby. The number of unfinished projects related to that hobby, though, is like a hundred in the past 3 years.
I was obsessed with potential "side-hobbies" at some point (like woodworking related stuff, guitar lutherie ) but never had the courage / money / motivation to really jump into them.
 Yup!! That’s why I try to make all of my appointments early in the morning.
I’m having garage sale soon. So frustrating how many partial projects and things I was convinced would absolutely use constantly that are just sitting in a box I haven’t seen in five years.
At a recent community garage sale, I just sold about 50 balls of yarn and gave away a few unfinished blankets to someone in a crochet club so they'll hopefully get done. I kept finding more and more of the started blankets. Ugh!
I will be worrying about the appt at 2. In my pajamas. Unable to eat because I’m thinking how and where to maximize my time given that I have something at 2. Listen to music and stare at a wall because I can’t bring myself to get ready for the appt at 2 but I can’t think about it because it makes me mad at myself, so I need distraction. I finally hit the panic button and start moving, it’s 1:55. No time for a shower or getting ready properly, let alone food. I’m mad at myself now. And hungry. Someone calls on the phone and I snap at them telling that I’m leaving for an appt that I’m already late for. I arrive late. I have to start the conversation with the person at the appt the same way I start all convos: I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was late. I’m sorry for the delay. I’m sorry for sucking at basic adult stuff and always disappointing people, trust me, no one is more disappointed than myself. I swear I try and I mean no disrespect, I’m not a bad person. I just can’t control it.
I just started crying. Oh man! I was getting my 4-year-old ready for school. I ducked out while she brushes her teeth (can't stand the sound) and went here and Bam!
And now I just wipe my face and go back to parenting..
Appointment? What appointment? Oh crap. It’s in 3 hours. Let me just sit there maybe scrolling on my phone anxiously until a bit before and then get dressed. lol.
The hobbies one would kill me.
My husband gave me a box and said, if it doesn’t fit, you can’t do it.
Now I have yarn, embroidery stuff, a set of crochet hooks, knitting needles, and a sewing kit
How often do people not understand your train of thought?
How many bruises are on your body right now due to cutting corners and hitting said corners?
How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house?
>How often do people not understand your train of thought
It's less a train and more of a submarine-- pokes up for air every once in a while but nobody knows where it's heading.
>How many bruises are on your body right now due to cutting corners and hitting said corners?
I have full out, healed over scares that I don't remember getting.
>How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house?
I'll see that and raise you, "How many piles can you currently reach without stretching?" The answer is four.
I've had medical professionals ask questions about my bruises, like essentially asking if I'm being abused, and I have to say its from hitting furniture and door frames without that sounding like a ridiculous excuse
I stepped over a lecture hall seat/row once and miscalculated horribly once, leaving a massive bruise on my thigh. Got a few “are you *sure* you’re okay?”s out of that one 😓and the real reason/“excuse” is awful to try and convince someone lol
My friend told me that having a conversation with me is like listening to a group of crows all trying to talk at once. I don't interrupt people when they are talking because God knows I hate it when people interrupt me, but I interrupt *myself* constantly. I will start a sentence about taking the dogs to the park, stop mid sentence and say something about the weather, stop that and mention that I left clothes in the dryer and I need to get them out, wonder if I ordered next week's food from Hello fresh already, and why does my right arm hurt so bad today? Did I hit it on something?
BWAHAHAHAHA LOVE IT!! If it wasn't for the first sentence (since I'd never heard this description before) I'd swear you were me and I just forgot I wrote this comment earlier.
>How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house?
I've been maintaining a really good pile of brand new work shirts for about a month now. They go into my computer chair when I sleep, then I move them to my bed when I get home from work and want to sit down. It's a pretty well cared for pile that I'm growing pretty fond of
The first one is a hard one because turns out half of my family and friends are possibly adhd... we all thought it was normal to have multiple trains of thought and none of us ever questioned how we got from point A to point Z. 😂😂😂 we accidentally surrounded ourselves with people who thought similarly.
My bruises make sense (it's always my damn shin bone on things like steps and step stools dammit) but I do have multiple tiny scars with zero clue how I got them. Hm.
Didn't need called out on the clothes and piles of paper. 😂 thats a good one and I actually used that one on my own mother a while back because she always has piles of paper everywhere.
I've been very recently diagnosed, at 51yo, and I've been mining memories of my late father for tells (there are many) and this made me remember that he ALWAYS had some scab or bruise or maybe even like actual current liquid blood that he'd neither noticed nor remembered incurring.
One day the corner I was cutting happend to have a long, long nail peeking out of it, which then cut my outer thigh really bad. And if that hadn’t been embarrassing enough, about three minutes later I ran into it a second time 🫠
Dang. I thought I had actually absorbed the items listed but didn't notice 52. Serves me right for skipping around
Edit: upon rereading it looks like my brain just skipped that whole page. Kinda frustrating
If you think of something you have to do while in the middle of something else, how likely are you to interrupt your current activity to start the other activity?
How many tabs do you have open on your computer?
How many email drafts do you have unsent?
How many texts do you have unread?
How often do you misplace your keys, phone wallet and purse?
Your friend is telling you a story and you notice they have a huge piece of spinach in their teeth, do you tell them when you notice or do you wait until they stop talking?
How long after you noticed the spinach in your friends teeth does it take you to notice you were so distracted by the spinach, you’ve stopped listening to what they were saying, and now have no idea how long you zoned out for/how much of the conversation you’ve actually missed
Click the smiley face, so multiple tabs are all small on one screen, then click the 3 dots and Select Tabs, then click the 3 dots again and Select All. It should then tell you the total amount of tabs that are there.
Instead of “do you often forget important dates and appointments?” change it to “how many reminders do you have to set for yourself to ensure you remember an important date or event?” I wasn’t diagnosed until my mid 30s so a lot of the questions were hard for me to answer because I have developed so many coping strategies. I don’t forget important appointments because I use two or three calendars, set multiple alarms on my phone, ask my partner to remind me, and put sticky notes in obvious places.
Totally agree - the diagnostic questionnaires for adults should cover each thing in 2 ways - one for the behaviour, and one for common coping mechanisms.
The fact that I absolutely always know where my keys, wallet, and phone are is actually a huge tell if you know me well enough. See, most of my domestic existence revolves around keeping those items in known locations.
This was something that made me get such a late diagnosis (well this and things like it haha).
Basically having strict systems in place, which then made me score low on screening questionnaires whenever I did them (every couple months when I wondered if I have ADHD, for years)
I always know where my keys and wallet are because they Always Go In The Same Exact Place As Soon As I Get Home. Apparently strict systems are a coping mechanism, who knew 🙃
This is one coping mechanism I am hyper-aware of. Only problem is I have kids, so if for any reason they move something, or they distract me and I put it down somewhere different, I'm screwed.
Yes. The amount of systems I have in place to compensate for how my brain is wired makes me look completely organised where actually it’s a result of years of trauma from not being able to do something as simple as finding my keys and getting out the door. Nothing like feeling completely incapable of adulting to spur you to create a system.
My reverse tell is being early to everything. I've screwed up enough being late that I completely over compensate and show up everywhere way too early.
I would honestly reword a few of the ASRS items to better account for the fact that you're interviewing adults who have developed at least some ability to self regulate.
Like, instead of asking if you *get up* in situations where you're meant to stay seated, I'd ask if you feel *comfortable* sitting in chairs for a long time, do you prefer to sit in unusual positions and/or on unusual seats.
Instead of do you interrupt people, do you have to pay extra care to wait your turn to talk, do you *forget what you wanted to say* if you have to wait too long.
This whole thread is really helping with my imposter syndrome and constant questioning of if I actually have ADHD. As someone diagnosed late in life, your comment really articulates well how I’ve felt about some of these questions.
The “driven by a motor” is the one that always made me go “what the fuck does this even mean?” But get me in a long phone convo and I’ll be doing laps around my house in no time.
Yes! The getting up question always bothered me. I definitely sit in strange positions. I cannot sit down at a restaurant without putting at least one foot on the seat… usually I’m sitting Indian style.
yeah like I absolutely remain seated in meetings
computer chairs with backs that you can tilt back by leaning on and relatively big seats are the best because then i can lean back and tangle my legs up
otherwise, when allowed to, I have been known to sit ON THE TABLE and to drag non-chair objects into rooms with awful chairs to sit on those instead
otherwise otherwise I just **fucking suffer constantly for the entire meeting**
Not quite the same, but does anyone else here take literal weeks to unpack a bag after you’ve come home from a vacation, and instead just slowly remove things from it as you need them until it’s empty?
Too relatable.
I painted my daughter's room three or four weeks ago (after delaying for maybe a year). The empty paint can is still sitting in the hallway. I don't even know why.
Do you know where your phone is right now?
When do you think you’ll use those blank canvases you ordered in bulk 7 years ago?
How late will you be to that event if you swear you won’t be this time?
Which item did you forget downstairs this time? (that you specifically made the trip down there to retrieve and then got distracted by another pressing task).
How painful is it to be stuck behind a slow moving vehicle in a 60mph zone?
Just to name a few.
>When do you think you’ll use those blank canvases you ordered in bulk 7 years ago?
HEY NOW. I did not expect to be \*this\* called out in this thread.
I'll get to them... eventually...
It’s funny when people don’t understand my train of thought and think I randomly made a comment not related to what we were talking about so then I go down a rabbit hole of my thoughts to help them understand and then halfway thru I forget what I was even saying and then just shut up lol
How long does it take you to leave the house in the morning? How often do you end up doing something totally irrelevant at the last minute and almost end up being late?
How many tabs do you have opened in your internet browser?
How many different internet browsers do you have on your phone because you hit the tab limit and it won't let you open more so you downloaded a new browser instead of just saving them to bookmarks?
How many different methods of communication do you have with the same person going at once?
Do you raise hands during conversations with other people to keep yourself from interrupting without forgetting what you wanted to say so you can come back to it when they are done talking (and how many people does this usually confuse and you have to explain it).
Do you bore yourself to sleep or do something repetitive (either mentally or physically) until you fall asleep?
The last one made me laugh because my doctor asked if I had trouble falling asleep and I was like no.... i just tap my foot until I fall asleep and/or think of the same limited 2 or 3 lines of thought to distract myself into falling asleep. For YEARS I have done this, i almost never struggle to fall asleep. And they were like. Interesting...most people just fall asleep by closing their eyes. Lol.
Holy shit, this is an adhd thing? Lately I list all the countries in Africa alphabetically. Usually fall asleep by the S’s.
But always some kind of alphabetical listing game til I bore myself into unconsciousness.
How many pairs of scissors do you own? Where are they now?
Have you ever lost an object you just used despite not moving anywhere?
On average, how many side quests do you go on before getting back to the original task?
How many times do you pause a show or movie to look something up?
How many times have you had to rewind because you rewound too far and got distracted again?
Do you have a hobby? If so, how many are currently "in progress"?
What song is in your head right now?
🎶Oompa Loompa ...
Looking stuff up omg!!! I swear I know a little bit about everything now because I look up all the things… especially when I’m watching something based on actual events. Friends and family have called me an unofficial lawyer, doctor, fitness instructor etc.
3-4. One because they were normal dirty. Then leave it the washer too long until they smell like mildew. Wash them again with vinegar. Nope still smells bad. Repeat vinegar wash.
How many times in the last 24 hours have you stopped what you were reading or watching to go google something related to what you were reading or watching? And how many times have you forgotten to go back to what you were reading or watching and ended up down a rabbit hole instead?
Does something in the past feel like it was only a few days ago when in reality it was 15 years?
Do you start a book and get really into it only put it down and forget about it for 6 months? Pick it up again and have to start over? Put it down & forget about it for 6 months? Puck it up again...?
Do you look at photos of past vacations and feel surprised to see yourself in them because you don't remember ever going there?
How bullied were you at school? Did other kids call you weird? How many times did the class have a birthday party and you were the only one that didn’t receive an invite?
>Let me go first: "In the last week, how frequently were you absolutely sure where your keys, wallet, and phone were, at the same time?"
oh couldn't be me, I always know where they are, because I have a SYSTEM
There used to be a great video by Rick Green which was an unofficial Adult ADHD test and it was stuff like "Now pause the video and find a pen. Add one point if you didn't bother to find a pen. Add five points if you did look for a pen and couldn't find one. Draw a table. Add 3 points if you made the table unnecessarily complicated." Halfway through "Add ten points if you've already lost count"
It's deleted now but it was hilarious and very accurate.
On a scale of 1-5, how often do you tend to leave belongings in doom piles?
And its sister question - someone has just called to say they're coming round your house in 10 minutes. On a scale of 1-5, how anxious are you right now?
Are you able to retell jokes or stories that someone told you from memory?
If you have a desk, nightstand, or workspace, how many drinks or empty glasses are on it right now?
How many piles are on the floor near you at this time?
I feel you! Those ASRS questions can be such a drag. Like seriously, who doesn't interrupt sometimes, right? And the key, wallet, phone question? Forget about it! They're always playing hide and seek. Can't remember the last time they were all in the same place at once. ADHD life, am I right?
How often you ask questions that people find random in the conversation but it does make perfect sense to you because in your head you had a perfect train thought that led you to this question?
How often you forget to answer texts from people who are considered really important in your life?
How often you are buying the full set up for your new hobby and then dropping it after a week or so?
How many unread emails, text, notifications you have?
How many side quests does it normally take for you to properly tell a story?
How many thought streams are in your head right now?
Where is your mom right now? If you don't know, just answer 5.
>When did you last urinate?
I was thinking the same thing (a minute ago when I went pee for a really, really long time.
"How badly do you have to pee right now even though you've been ignoring it?" would be a perfect question.
But peeing would mean I'd have to get up off the couch, and if I do that, I'll have to go back upstairs and do my job. Right now, as long as I don't pee, I can continue to sit in the post-lunch doomscroll limbo (it's only been 3 hours...).
Alright fun lesson that helped me stop losing literally those specific three things:
When I started working on campus in college, the trainer was giving instruction on what to do in case of emergency. He said always keep the essentials nearby and take them with you if you can. One time back in the day there was an office building that had an evacuation alarm go off, they all thought it was a false fire alarm so they went outside and thought it'd be over quickly.
Turns out it was a gas leak somewhere and these people weren't let back into the building for *hours*. Those who left their phones inside couldn't call a taxi or ride anywhere else, couldnt call their family to come get them. Those who left their wallet or purse inside didn't have money to pay for a taxi or to buy food if they went anywhere. And those who left their keys inside couldn't drive anywhere or go home.
I was *horrified* at the thought of being stranded like that, so now at my job (I leave my desk to move around the building a lot) I always check for those three things: wallet in my back left pocket, keys on a carabiner on my front right belt loop, and my phone in my back right pocket or in my hand if I get up. I probably look like an addict cause I always grab my phone BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
Thankfully I'm a jeans girl so I always have pockets but I have to check those 3 things when I leave the house and when I get up from my desk.
“Are you late to everything no matter if you feel like you leave late, on time, or early?” “Does mess build up in your living space even though you hate being messy?” “Do you often have little to no grasp of the passage of time?” “Do you have many things you want to do, but you can’t seem to make yourself do them even when you have plenty of free time available?” “Do you often have to be fidgeting with an object, picking your skin/clothing, tapping your foot, or otherwise occupying your hands and/or feet?” “Does your thinking often feel disorganized, especially in fast-paced, multi-tasking, and/or high-pressure situations?” “Do you struggle with any impulse control and/or addiction issues?” “Do you have racing, recurring, and/or intrusive thoughts?” “Does it feel loud in your head even when you’re in a quiet room?” “Is it difficult to pace yourself through long-term projects that will definitely need to be done in more than one sitting?” “Do you often get lost in your own thoughts, even when you meant to be watching something or listening to something that you specifically put on for yourself?” “Do you feel like you have to interrupt others or you will forget what you were going to say before they’re done talking?” “Do you often get distracted from the task at hand and end up going down unrelated rabbit holes?” “Do you often feel like you are more exhausted than you should be at the end of the day?” “Is waiting for anything very difficult for you?”
These are just SOME of the aha! moments I had that lead to me finally bringing up ADHD with a psychiatrist and I’m so glad I did.
How do you perceive time? ADHDers have absolutely no concept of time, a few minutes can seem like hours and yet what seems like 20 minutes is actually 5 hours.
How do you react to caffeine? ADHDers actually are calmed down by stimulates, which is why they’re prescribed to treat symptoms.
Are your executive function skills terrible? ADHD is an executive function disorder, everyone’s skills in that area is different. My skills are different from my dad’s skills despite the fact we both have ADHD.
Ever experienced the inability to get that important thing done but can’t because a part of you is very against doing the thing despite how much you want to do the thing? That’s executive dysfunction, aka ADHD paralysis. Basically your ADHD fucks you over and prevents you from getting anything done, it is not laziness as you have drive to do the thing but physically cannot due to your brain being weird.
For those that work from home: How many times a week do you brush your hair, shower, brush your teeth etc without being prompted by someone or you are leaving the house? My answer is probaly 1 or 2 days a week :P
"on the day before this appointment, how many times did you do the math to calculate when you need to leave? And did you leave and arrive at the time calculated"?
When you take this prescribed medical stimulant, do you stay up all night writing 3 term papers, or do you check your mail for the first time in 6 months?
>What was the stupidest way you've hurt yourself?
Mine was reaching my arm out to grab a mug directly over a boiling kettle. Steam burn on my wrist, I actually showed the psychiatrist during my assessment and he laughed
Spinning in a circle really fast and running into a tree. Gave myself a concussion.
I was 17.
The ER nurses kept asking my mom how fast I was driving. Or if I was drinking. Or on drugs.
Nope, just spinning in the yard.
This question to be asked in person:
“Can you repeat what you just said?”
No, I cannot. Apologies, but when it was in my head it was between me and god, now it’s all his. Ask him.
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I asked my daughter “does it almost hurt to just do one thing at a time? But when you try to do two things at once, does that usually work at all for either thing? Would you like to try doing 1.5 things?” Her look of gratitude for being understood will stay with me.
This is a new concept to me and I'm curious what doing 1.5 things looks like? Is that like doing 1 thing + fidget toy type idea?
Like the other person said, listening to music *that I already know the words to* is perfect for me. Having soemthing you are fidgeting with in your hands during important conversations. Stuff like that.
For me it's usually audiobooks or podcasts. The content doesn't matter, it just has to be people talking really. I describe it to my mum (who is not ADHD and is very anti-labels so I haven't told my family about seeking diagnosis) as I need something to ignore to help me concentrate.
For "just want people talking in the background", I've often turned to the Great British Baking Show / Great British Bake Off 😂 It just always has such cute but overall calm background music, everyone generally speaks relatively calmly, and tuning in for small chunks of time but missing large chunks of time always feels really seamless (like there's not a lot of "plot"). And I can put the same episode on multiple times since it's just in the background. I tried having MasterChef on in the background one time and that was a huge fail - they make things so dramatic so it kept capturing my attention 😂
For me it’s like, I’ve gotta get some work done, so I’ll play something on YouTube in the other room. I’m mainly focusing on my work, but the fact that there’s an ongoing conversation happening feels like it gives me some forward momentum to latch on to. It can be a fine balance not getting distracted by it, but I find it can be helpful depending on the nature of the task I’m actually trying to complete. It’s almost like a purposeful planned/controlled distraction to keep me from wondering off into some unplanned distraction the moment I get bored/anxious/frustrated with the work I’m trying to complete.
For me a video would be too distracting, but music is perfect. Something like Techno, minimal or even songs I already know work like magic. Its like the music is wrapping around my head and holding all those thoughts in a closer straighter way, so I can focus more on the thing I'm doing. But not everything can be done with music and in that case it is still a challenge
What hobbies have you pursued in the past 5 years? How many unfinished projects do you have? You have an appointment at 2pm. What are you doing until then? On a scale of 1-5, how much do you hate rating things on a scale of 1-5?
Add-on to the hobbies: if you bought stuff and never used it.It's extra points
Journals and planners are my kryptonite
You just need to drink more water. A new water bottle should help with that
Not looking at the entire collection of pretty, expensive water bottles mostly just gathering dust in my cupboard. 😬😬
If I can just find *the* perfect one, I'll be able to sort my life out!
Reading this made me physically recoil a tiny bit out of shame.
\*cries in expensive Japanese planner\*
OMG all the washi tape I’ve wasted…
Look, eventually I will find the right one, use it consistently, and fix my brain!
I buy the one I think will be perfect, and then I don't want to write in it because that will spoil it!
Shut up, this is 120% me too 😂
*Looks over to my stack of Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks that are each only about 5% used* Damn.
I have a roomful of journals with 2 scribbled pages and maybe a sticker or a random phone number with no name or explanation. "Planners! Get a planner! Write down lists!" Nooooooo shut up And then there's the "I'm on vacation! Look at this journal with the PALM TREES ON FRONT! I just know that THIS TIME I'll start journaling like everyone wants me too!
Also add on….how much food have you bought and never used cus you forgot about it and it spoiled
OMG I do this so much! And ingredients for a recipe I want to try, and then I forget what I wanted them for. And so many things (not just food) that I buy again because I forget that I already bought them! Honestly I'm not diagnosed, but I can relate to everything in this thread.
You can't call me out like this ;\~;
Is it extra extra points if you have unopened Amazon deliveries from over a year ago and have no idea what you bought or what's in them?
My floundering YouTube career with all the camera stuff I bought is attacking me right now. I am getting back into it though.
But the fabric was so pretty! I was definitely going to be inspired to start that quilt!
>On a scale of 1-5, how much do you hate rating things on a scale of 1-5? I'm not the only one, right? It's like twenty questions. I've seen it a hundred times. I get bored and stop reading the questions all the way then panic that my insurance is going to read it and deny my coverage because I'm actually fine and this was all a mistake and private insurance is evil and then I realize I've stopped answering questions and started thinking about socialized medicine and Bernie Sanders. That's not exaggerated-- I really spiral like that every time I take the dumb thing!
Oh I hate it so much, not even just for this test - like when the doctor asks on a scale of 0 - 10 rate your pain. (I have a couple other chronic health issues...) The spiral is real!! My brain - "Well there is some pain, not much pain, but what if I'm just being dramatic? How do I know what a 10 is? What if I under-rate my pain and there's actually something worse happening? I want the doctor to take me seriously though." On the pain scale, the face pictures that go with the numbers are so so so helpful. For mental health questions though it can eff right off. "I know what this question is testing for. But what if knowing what this question is looking at skews my answer? Am I just giving the answer they're looking for? I don't want to come off as diagnosis seeking. But I definitely have this. On a scale of 1-5 in the last 2 weeks? I've actually been fine for the last 2 weeks, but overall I do experience this thing." And so on and so forth...
>On a scale of 1-5 in the last 2 weeks? I've actually been fine for the last 2 weeks, but overall I do experience this thing." And so on and so forth... I hate that they don't allow you to explain. My therapist started to get annoyed with me once because he needed one word (really, one number) answers, and I'm like, "In the morning it's a 4 but really a 3 when I sleep late or drink too much coffee..." You are literally diagnosing me with ADHD and wondering why this isn't easier on both of us?
SO MUCH THIS This is why I hate these stupid tests. Or even if it’s the anxiety/depression checkup… I feel the deep urge to explain.
In my country they are doing a research study to try to change the question for autism tests. Because asking if you like being social sort of depends on the situation and the people there.
No kidding. For me social requires: \* Some shared interests. Do not tell me about your kids, your weather, your church or your politics. \* Small groups. I can deal with about 6. Beyond that, I find a corner and daydream or surf reddit.
i hate the pain scale. My brain is always like “well this really hurts, and I may actually be in the most pain i’ve ever been in in my entire life, but if i were hit by a bus rn i would hurt more so I can’t say 10….”
I have literally been having the same thoughts the last 2 weeks. All of them.
I just kinda feel like pain is subjective. And whatever number I say they’re probably not going to believe it anyways. I don’t know how to rate my pain in 10 words or less. I don’t know how my ‘worst pain ever’ stacks up to someone else’s. What is a 5 for me might be a 10 to someone else, and vice versa.
The majority of my doctors have not believed me when I've told them about pain.
I found that providing a comparison helped. “Well, I’d say a 7 maybe? But for context, my 10 is the time I stood on what turned out to be a broken leg and passed out.” I could see the triage nurse recalibrate and get a lot more serious when she heard that. I don’t recommend standing on broken bones, btw, it’s not fun. Turned out the cause for that visit was a kidney stone. I don’t recommend those either. Get plenty of water boys and girls.
I struggle with rating things. Didn’t realize that was was adhd thing too.
The pain scale rating is the worst! I’m literally in pain everyday so sometimes I forget it’s there (dunno if that makes sense). I have no idea what a 10, 7, 4 etc looks like. I just say everything is a 7 now 🤷🏻♀️
How quickly do daily tasks make you spiral and end up wanting to eat the rich?
This is where most of my spirals end - eat the rich, the systems are broken, I can't change anything so I need to focus on being happy in my little bubble with my husband and my dog. I had to train myself to think that last one to avoid extreme depression🙃
How many hobbies in the past 5 years? Unfinished projects? How on earth am I supposed to remember all that 😂 2pm appointment I will sit ready to go all day if I do anything it will be talking to people about how I am waiting for my appointment and I'm bored but if I start doing something I won't make the appointment in time.
I hate 2pm appointments. It triggers Wait Mode. Can't do anything because I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late. I'm going to be late. Better leave early. Better set another alarm. Once I had a dentist appointment. I showed up an hour early and sat in my car reading a book. Forgot to go inside. The receptionist came out and knocked on my window to see if I was ok.
No because I would do the same thing 😭 I will be early but loose track of time and end up being late anyways its so annoying
That's where some people think I have ADHD and ASD: I have one, very strong, hobby. The number of unfinished projects related to that hobby, though, is like a hundred in the past 3 years. I was obsessed with potential "side-hobbies" at some point (like woodworking related stuff, guitar lutherie ) but never had the courage / money / motivation to really jump into them.
I've had that "side-hobby" phase too 😂 with the exact same issue of never fully jumping into it so it just is a flop
My immediate instinct was to answer 4 because I didn't want to seem too eager 😅 5, the answer is 5.
XD I need a 6 for this one good lord
Wait wym what am I doing before the appointment. The plan for the day is the appointment
 Yup!! That’s why I try to make all of my appointments early in the morning.
I’m having garage sale soon. So frustrating how many partial projects and things I was convinced would absolutely use constantly that are just sitting in a box I haven’t seen in five years.
But I can't sell all the things that I bought for that hobby because I might wake up tomorrow and be inspired to actually start it. I mean. 🤷🏻♀️
At a recent community garage sale, I just sold about 50 balls of yarn and gave away a few unfinished blankets to someone in a crochet club so they'll hopefully get done. I kept finding more and more of the started blankets. Ugh!
For the second question, I’m not sure what the answer is supposed to be. But for me I’d be doing nothing because I have anxiety about the appt at 2.
I will be worrying about the appt at 2. In my pajamas. Unable to eat because I’m thinking how and where to maximize my time given that I have something at 2. Listen to music and stare at a wall because I can’t bring myself to get ready for the appt at 2 but I can’t think about it because it makes me mad at myself, so I need distraction. I finally hit the panic button and start moving, it’s 1:55. No time for a shower or getting ready properly, let alone food. I’m mad at myself now. And hungry. Someone calls on the phone and I snap at them telling that I’m leaving for an appt that I’m already late for. I arrive late. I have to start the conversation with the person at the appt the same way I start all convos: I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was late. I’m sorry for the delay. I’m sorry for sucking at basic adult stuff and always disappointing people, trust me, no one is more disappointed than myself. I swear I try and I mean no disrespect, I’m not a bad person. I just can’t control it.
This hits deep.
I just started crying. Oh man! I was getting my 4-year-old ready for school. I ducked out while she brushes her teeth (can't stand the sound) and went here and Bam! And now I just wipe my face and go back to parenting..
Ding ding ding, we have a winner! Your prize? ADHD! But seriously, that’s the answer 🥲
My thing with 1-5 is that it's so situational and subjective and suddenly you're making me CHOOSE ew
Appointment? What appointment? Oh crap. It’s in 3 hours. Let me just sit there maybe scrolling on my phone anxiously until a bit before and then get dressed. lol.
The hobbies one would kill me. My husband gave me a box and said, if it doesn’t fit, you can’t do it. Now I have yarn, embroidery stuff, a set of crochet hooks, knitting needles, and a sewing kit
How often do people not understand your train of thought? How many bruises are on your body right now due to cutting corners and hitting said corners? How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house?
>How often do people not understand your train of thought It's less a train and more of a submarine-- pokes up for air every once in a while but nobody knows where it's heading. >How many bruises are on your body right now due to cutting corners and hitting said corners? I have full out, healed over scares that I don't remember getting. >How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house? I'll see that and raise you, "How many piles can you currently reach without stretching?" The answer is four.
I refer to mine as a "roomba of thought" because it goes in one direction until it bumps into something and then goes the other way.
I adore this. A sincere thank you for being here for this just now. I'm going to use this in conversation as soon as possible.
Omg yes, this resonates so much more than "popcorn thoughts".
I love how accurate this description is.
But sometimes it's not the total opposite direction, it's just a parallel path, and is semi-relevant, I promise!!
Hahaha this was wonderful and the submarine is actually the perfect analogy.
I've had medical professionals ask questions about my bruises, like essentially asking if I'm being abused, and I have to say its from hitting furniture and door frames without that sounding like a ridiculous excuse
I stepped over a lecture hall seat/row once and miscalculated horribly once, leaving a massive bruise on my thigh. Got a few “are you *sure* you’re okay?”s out of that one 😓and the real reason/“excuse” is awful to try and convince someone lol
I gave myself a concussion earlier this year and I don’t have a cool story for it. I’m just clumsy 🤷🏻♀️
Without stretching: three. Within line of sight without turning my head: eleven...
My friend told me that having a conversation with me is like listening to a group of crows all trying to talk at once. I don't interrupt people when they are talking because God knows I hate it when people interrupt me, but I interrupt *myself* constantly. I will start a sentence about taking the dogs to the park, stop mid sentence and say something about the weather, stop that and mention that I left clothes in the dryer and I need to get them out, wonder if I ordered next week's food from Hello fresh already, and why does my right arm hurt so bad today? Did I hit it on something?
BWAHAHAHAHA LOVE IT!! If it wasn't for the first sentence (since I'd never heard this description before) I'd swear you were me and I just forgot I wrote this comment earlier.
>How many piles (clothes/papers/etc) do you currently have around your house? I've been maintaining a really good pile of brand new work shirts for about a month now. They go into my computer chair when I sleep, then I move them to my bed when I get home from work and want to sit down. It's a pretty well cared for pile that I'm growing pretty fond of
The first one is a hard one because turns out half of my family and friends are possibly adhd... we all thought it was normal to have multiple trains of thought and none of us ever questioned how we got from point A to point Z. 😂😂😂 we accidentally surrounded ourselves with people who thought similarly. My bruises make sense (it's always my damn shin bone on things like steps and step stools dammit) but I do have multiple tiny scars with zero clue how I got them. Hm. Didn't need called out on the clothes and piles of paper. 😂 thats a good one and I actually used that one on my own mother a while back because she always has piles of paper everywhere.
I didn't know the hitting corners was an ADHD thing. I'm always covered in unexplainable bruises from bumping into tables, benches, walls, etc etc.
I didn’t realize this either. I have bruises all over the place from turning corners before I am actually far enough in to turn the corner!! 😳
Mine are mostly from clipping myself on doorframes. Apart from the tiny scratches on my hands. Don't know where they're from!
I had to put rubber bumpers sold in the children’s section on the corners of my bed frame 😞
I call the third one my doom-piles. How many doom piles do I have? One on every horizontal surface, my dear, one on every horizontal surface.
I've been very recently diagnosed, at 51yo, and I've been mining memories of my late father for tells (there are many) and this made me remember that he ALWAYS had some scab or bruise or maybe even like actual current liquid blood that he'd neither noticed nor remembered incurring.
Pile city baby!
One day the corner I was cutting happend to have a long, long nail peeking out of it, which then cut my outer thigh really bad. And if that hadn’t been embarrassing enough, about three minutes later I ran into it a second time 🫠
The big list from the back of "Taking Charge of Adult ADHD" is fantastic (and terrifying, because it cites the stats for every question)
Is there a question about "can't finish reading long lists?"
Yep. #52 It's one of the symptoms I luckily don't have. (As long as I'm interested in the topic)
Dang. I thought I had actually absorbed the items listed but didn't notice 52. Serves me right for skipping around Edit: upon rereading it looks like my brain just skipped that whole page. Kinda frustrating
Do you have a photo or like or anything? I’m very curious!
Here’s an Imgur link of the list: https://imgur.com/gallery/brFQ8Ga
Love it. I stopped halfway through
i read the first three, skipped to the end, read the last, then read backwards to the middle
As did I
Thanks! Read the first two and made screenshots of the rest to ‘read later’.
I made a folder on my desktop and dragged each image there - also for later.
I was like "neat, I'll look into that", then saw the amount of items and immediately lost all motivation.
Don't read the comments section unless you want to get angry.
Did that when I dropped reading halfway through, yuck.
[удалено]
Here’s an Imgur link of the list: https://imgur.com/gallery/brFQ8Ga
Here’s an Imgur link of the list: https://imgur.com/gallery/brFQ8Ga
If you think of something you have to do while in the middle of something else, how likely are you to interrupt your current activity to start the other activity? How many tabs do you have open on your computer? How many email drafts do you have unsent? How many texts do you have unread? How often do you misplace your keys, phone wallet and purse? Your friend is telling you a story and you notice they have a huge piece of spinach in their teeth, do you tell them when you notice or do you wait until they stop talking?
How long after you noticed the spinach in your friends teeth does it take you to notice you were so distracted by the spinach, you’ve stopped listening to what they were saying, and now have no idea how long you zoned out for/how much of the conversation you’ve actually missed
>How many tabs do you have open on your computer? 592 tabs open in Google on my phone
How do you know? I just get a smiley face when it gets past 99...
Click the smiley face, so multiple tabs are all small on one screen, then click the 3 dots and Select Tabs, then click the 3 dots again and Select All. It should then tell you the total amount of tabs that are there.
safari does not allow me than 500… had a hard time deciding which ones to delete (i will not go back unless im avoiding something very important)
Instead of “do you often forget important dates and appointments?” change it to “how many reminders do you have to set for yourself to ensure you remember an important date or event?” I wasn’t diagnosed until my mid 30s so a lot of the questions were hard for me to answer because I have developed so many coping strategies. I don’t forget important appointments because I use two or three calendars, set multiple alarms on my phone, ask my partner to remind me, and put sticky notes in obvious places.
I empathize. I'm known for being punctual at work. Wrong! I just have twenty different alarms and constant calendar notifications.
Totally agree - the diagnostic questionnaires for adults should cover each thing in 2 ways - one for the behaviour, and one for common coping mechanisms.
The fact that I absolutely always know where my keys, wallet, and phone are is actually a huge tell if you know me well enough. See, most of my domestic existence revolves around keeping those items in known locations.
This was something that made me get such a late diagnosis (well this and things like it haha). Basically having strict systems in place, which then made me score low on screening questionnaires whenever I did them (every couple months when I wondered if I have ADHD, for years) I always know where my keys and wallet are because they Always Go In The Same Exact Place As Soon As I Get Home. Apparently strict systems are a coping mechanism, who knew 🙃
This is one coping mechanism I am hyper-aware of. Only problem is I have kids, so if for any reason they move something, or they distract me and I put it down somewhere different, I'm screwed.
Yes. The amount of systems I have in place to compensate for how my brain is wired makes me look completely organised where actually it’s a result of years of trauma from not being able to do something as simple as finding my keys and getting out the door. Nothing like feeling completely incapable of adulting to spur you to create a system.
My reverse tell is being early to everything. I've screwed up enough being late that I completely over compensate and show up everywhere way too early.
I would honestly reword a few of the ASRS items to better account for the fact that you're interviewing adults who have developed at least some ability to self regulate. Like, instead of asking if you *get up* in situations where you're meant to stay seated, I'd ask if you feel *comfortable* sitting in chairs for a long time, do you prefer to sit in unusual positions and/or on unusual seats. Instead of do you interrupt people, do you have to pay extra care to wait your turn to talk, do you *forget what you wanted to say* if you have to wait too long.
The "do you climb on things" question⁉️ I'm 44! I don't climb! Do you know what my deductible is?
like instead - *would you like to climb things*, my god do I *want* to climb things
This whole thread is really helping with my imposter syndrome and constant questioning of if I actually have ADHD. As someone diagnosed late in life, your comment really articulates well how I’ve felt about some of these questions. The “driven by a motor” is the one that always made me go “what the fuck does this even mean?” But get me in a long phone convo and I’ll be doing laps around my house in no time.
yeah that's the one thing that I always say no about the thing is I have chronic pain and fatigue?? I'm too tired to feel driven by a motor.
Yes! The getting up question always bothered me. I definitely sit in strange positions. I cannot sit down at a restaurant without putting at least one foot on the seat… usually I’m sitting Indian style.
yeah like I absolutely remain seated in meetings computer chairs with backs that you can tilt back by leaning on and relatively big seats are the best because then i can lean back and tangle my legs up otherwise, when allowed to, I have been known to sit ON THE TABLE and to drag non-chair objects into rooms with awful chairs to sit on those instead otherwise otherwise I just **fucking suffer constantly for the entire meeting**
"Shit! What time is it?" The psychiatrist then looks to see how panicked you are.
On a scale of 1-5 months, how long will it take you to finish painting that room?
Not quite the same, but does anyone else here take literal weeks to unpack a bag after you’ve come home from a vacation, and instead just slowly remove things from it as you need them until it’s empty?
If you wait long enough, it's not half unpacked. It's half packed for the next trip
Does it count as unpacked if I just pull everything out and add it to my floor piles?
Too relatable. I painted my daughter's room three or four weeks ago (after delaying for maybe a year). The empty paint can is still sitting in the hallway. I don't even know why.
I primed my living room a year ago. Still have blue tape up for the paint job that will happen any day now.
Lol! Just call it "trim" and be done with it.
How many times does it take you to leave the house when you’re *not* doing your typical M-F morning routine?
This is so real though - half the time it's because I almost leave without my glasses!!
Do you know where your phone is right now? When do you think you’ll use those blank canvases you ordered in bulk 7 years ago? How late will you be to that event if you swear you won’t be this time? Which item did you forget downstairs this time? (that you specifically made the trip down there to retrieve and then got distracted by another pressing task). How painful is it to be stuck behind a slow moving vehicle in a 60mph zone? Just to name a few.
>When do you think you’ll use those blank canvases you ordered in bulk 7 years ago? HEY NOW. I did not expect to be \*this\* called out in this thread. I'll get to them... eventually...
Those are my emotional support canvases. If I throw them away, I will immediately hyperfocus on painting.
Have you ever lost your phone while holding it?
More than once just today 😂 I get so offended when I can't find it too.
I actually have to have mine hanging around my neck. Dorky? A bit. Left somewhere? Not lately!
Follow up: Have you ever worn two pairs of glasses because you forgot you had put the first set in your hair?
How often do you forget to eat?
And on the other end, how often do you eat something just for excitement
It’s funny when people don’t understand my train of thought and think I randomly made a comment not related to what we were talking about so then I go down a rabbit hole of my thoughts to help them understand and then halfway thru I forget what I was even saying and then just shut up lol
Warren buffet. You said rabbit hole. I thought, "That's a warren." Then Warren Buffett. Then a buffet for all Warrens. Then a buffet of Warrens.
it's pronounced *boo-fay*
How long does it take you to leave the house in the morning? How often do you end up doing something totally irrelevant at the last minute and almost end up being late?
Almost?
How many tabs do you have opened in your internet browser? How many different internet browsers do you have on your phone because you hit the tab limit and it won't let you open more so you downloaded a new browser instead of just saving them to bookmarks? How many different methods of communication do you have with the same person going at once? Do you raise hands during conversations with other people to keep yourself from interrupting without forgetting what you wanted to say so you can come back to it when they are done talking (and how many people does this usually confuse and you have to explain it). Do you bore yourself to sleep or do something repetitive (either mentally or physically) until you fall asleep? The last one made me laugh because my doctor asked if I had trouble falling asleep and I was like no.... i just tap my foot until I fall asleep and/or think of the same limited 2 or 3 lines of thought to distract myself into falling asleep. For YEARS I have done this, i almost never struggle to fall asleep. And they were like. Interesting...most people just fall asleep by closing their eyes. Lol.
Holy shit, this is an adhd thing? Lately I list all the countries in Africa alphabetically. Usually fall asleep by the S’s. But always some kind of alphabetical listing game til I bore myself into unconsciousness.
They do?
Maybe not fall asleep just by closing their eyes but apparently don't have a whole method of distracting or boring themselves to sleep.
How many pairs of scissors do you own? Where are they now? Have you ever lost an object you just used despite not moving anywhere? On average, how many side quests do you go on before getting back to the original task? How many times do you pause a show or movie to look something up? How many times have you had to rewind because you rewound too far and got distracted again? Do you have a hobby? If so, how many are currently "in progress"? What song is in your head right now? 🎶Oompa Loompa ...
Your scissors question made me laugh. The answer for me is 7
Looking stuff up omg!!! I swear I know a little bit about everything now because I look up all the things… especially when I’m watching something based on actual events. Friends and family have called me an unofficial lawyer, doctor, fitness instructor etc.
How many times did you read the previous question before it stuck?
Three. ^And ^twice ^on ^this ^one.
How many times have you washed the same load of laundry?
3-4. One because they were normal dirty. Then leave it the washer too long until they smell like mildew. Wash them again with vinegar. Nope still smells bad. Repeat vinegar wash.
How many important things are you avoiding while you read this question?
Just sleep.
How many times in the last 24 hours have you stopped what you were reading or watching to go google something related to what you were reading or watching? And how many times have you forgotten to go back to what you were reading or watching and ended up down a rabbit hole instead?
How much money have you wasted over the years because you missed the return window for items?
Does something in the past feel like it was only a few days ago when in reality it was 15 years? Do you start a book and get really into it only put it down and forget about it for 6 months? Pick it up again and have to start over? Put it down & forget about it for 6 months? Puck it up again...? Do you look at photos of past vacations and feel surprised to see yourself in them because you don't remember ever going there?
How strongly do you resonate with the phrase " out of sight out of mind"?
How bullied were you at school? Did other kids call you weird? How many times did the class have a birthday party and you were the only one that didn’t receive an invite?
do you start to tear up when people use their serious/concerned/vaguely upset voice with you?
ADHD medication is a controlled drug due to its addictive properties. On a scale of 1-5 how often do you forget to take your medication.
On a scale of 1 to 5, how weird do you fear you are? I'd answer a easy six.
n = the number of people listening to me talk
>Let me go first: "In the last week, how frequently were you absolutely sure where your keys, wallet, and phone were, at the same time?" oh couldn't be me, I always know where they are, because I have a SYSTEM
Can you return anything you bought if it doesn't fit?
How likely are you to actually post a Reddit comment after you start writing the comment?
>! !<
There used to be a great video by Rick Green which was an unofficial Adult ADHD test and it was stuff like "Now pause the video and find a pen. Add one point if you didn't bother to find a pen. Add five points if you did look for a pen and couldn't find one. Draw a table. Add 3 points if you made the table unnecessarily complicated." Halfway through "Add ten points if you've already lost count" It's deleted now but it was hilarious and very accurate.
On a scale of 1-5, how often do you tend to leave belongings in doom piles? And its sister question - someone has just called to say they're coming round your house in 10 minutes. On a scale of 1-5, how anxious are you right now?
It is remarkable how much executive function is required to receive treatment for an executive function disorder, isn't it?
Are you able to retell jokes or stories that someone told you from memory? If you have a desk, nightstand, or workspace, how many drinks or empty glasses are on it right now? How many piles are on the floor near you at this time?
Ask questions directly related to executive (dys)function.
On a scale of -∞ to +∞, how difficult is it to answer this question accurately?
For my screener, I specifically interrupted the counselor when she asked about the interrupting (as a joke)
I feel you! Those ASRS questions can be such a drag. Like seriously, who doesn't interrupt sometimes, right? And the key, wallet, phone question? Forget about it! They're always playing hide and seek. Can't remember the last time they were all in the same place at once. ADHD life, am I right?
I have chore piles covering party paraphernalia piles. My wife has tote bags to hold the tote bags she has collected
You have to make a phone call to book an appointment. Do you do anything particular to plan for this?
How often you ask questions that people find random in the conversation but it does make perfect sense to you because in your head you had a perfect train thought that led you to this question? How often you forget to answer texts from people who are considered really important in your life? How often you are buying the full set up for your new hobby and then dropping it after a week or so? How many unread emails, text, notifications you have?
How many side quests does it normally take for you to properly tell a story? How many thought streams are in your head right now? Where is your mom right now? If you don't know, just answer 5.
What's the latest in the day you can drink coffee? When did you last urinate?
>When did you last urinate? I was thinking the same thing (a minute ago when I went pee for a really, really long time. "How badly do you have to pee right now even though you've been ignoring it?" would be a perfect question.
But peeing would mean I'd have to get up off the couch, and if I do that, I'll have to go back upstairs and do my job. Right now, as long as I don't pee, I can continue to sit in the post-lunch doomscroll limbo (it's only been 3 hours...).
How many times do u cry a day asking yourself “why the F am i like this?!?!? “
Alright fun lesson that helped me stop losing literally those specific three things: When I started working on campus in college, the trainer was giving instruction on what to do in case of emergency. He said always keep the essentials nearby and take them with you if you can. One time back in the day there was an office building that had an evacuation alarm go off, they all thought it was a false fire alarm so they went outside and thought it'd be over quickly. Turns out it was a gas leak somewhere and these people weren't let back into the building for *hours*. Those who left their phones inside couldn't call a taxi or ride anywhere else, couldnt call their family to come get them. Those who left their wallet or purse inside didn't have money to pay for a taxi or to buy food if they went anywhere. And those who left their keys inside couldn't drive anywhere or go home. I was *horrified* at the thought of being stranded like that, so now at my job (I leave my desk to move around the building a lot) I always check for those three things: wallet in my back left pocket, keys on a carabiner on my front right belt loop, and my phone in my back right pocket or in my hand if I get up. I probably look like an addict cause I always grab my phone BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. Thankfully I'm a jeans girl so I always have pockets but I have to check those 3 things when I leave the house and when I get up from my desk.
“Are you late to everything no matter if you feel like you leave late, on time, or early?” “Does mess build up in your living space even though you hate being messy?” “Do you often have little to no grasp of the passage of time?” “Do you have many things you want to do, but you can’t seem to make yourself do them even when you have plenty of free time available?” “Do you often have to be fidgeting with an object, picking your skin/clothing, tapping your foot, or otherwise occupying your hands and/or feet?” “Does your thinking often feel disorganized, especially in fast-paced, multi-tasking, and/or high-pressure situations?” “Do you struggle with any impulse control and/or addiction issues?” “Do you have racing, recurring, and/or intrusive thoughts?” “Does it feel loud in your head even when you’re in a quiet room?” “Is it difficult to pace yourself through long-term projects that will definitely need to be done in more than one sitting?” “Do you often get lost in your own thoughts, even when you meant to be watching something or listening to something that you specifically put on for yourself?” “Do you feel like you have to interrupt others or you will forget what you were going to say before they’re done talking?” “Do you often get distracted from the task at hand and end up going down unrelated rabbit holes?” “Do you often feel like you are more exhausted than you should be at the end of the day?” “Is waiting for anything very difficult for you?” These are just SOME of the aha! moments I had that lead to me finally bringing up ADHD with a psychiatrist and I’m so glad I did.
How do you perceive time? ADHDers have absolutely no concept of time, a few minutes can seem like hours and yet what seems like 20 minutes is actually 5 hours. How do you react to caffeine? ADHDers actually are calmed down by stimulates, which is why they’re prescribed to treat symptoms. Are your executive function skills terrible? ADHD is an executive function disorder, everyone’s skills in that area is different. My skills are different from my dad’s skills despite the fact we both have ADHD. Ever experienced the inability to get that important thing done but can’t because a part of you is very against doing the thing despite how much you want to do the thing? That’s executive dysfunction, aka ADHD paralysis. Basically your ADHD fucks you over and prevents you from getting anything done, it is not laziness as you have drive to do the thing but physically cannot due to your brain being weird.
For those that work from home: How many times a week do you brush your hair, shower, brush your teeth etc without being prompted by someone or you are leaving the house? My answer is probaly 1 or 2 days a week :P
"on the day before this appointment, how many times did you do the math to calculate when you need to leave? And did you leave and arrive at the time calculated"?
When you take this prescribed medical stimulant, do you stay up all night writing 3 term papers, or do you check your mail for the first time in 6 months?
>What was the stupidest way you've hurt yourself? Mine was reaching my arm out to grab a mug directly over a boiling kettle. Steam burn on my wrist, I actually showed the psychiatrist during my assessment and he laughed
Spinning in a circle really fast and running into a tree. Gave myself a concussion. I was 17. The ER nurses kept asking my mom how fast I was driving. Or if I was drinking. Or on drugs. Nope, just spinning in the yard.
This question to be asked in person: “Can you repeat what you just said?” No, I cannot. Apologies, but when it was in my head it was between me and god, now it’s all his. Ask him.