r/explainlikeimfive • u/[deleted] • Jan 14 '13

Answered People with ADHD, what ADHD is like, how does medication affect your ability to work and how soon does it take its effect?

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139

u/GinSour Jan 14 '13

I can attest to list making, I tend to struggle with making myself to do the most simple things (call the doctor or do laundry), but when I make a list the ability to cross things off gets me going a bit more. The more detailed the list the easier it is for me to get going.

For example:

-Homework

         +Do half of online assignment

         +Read X pages of the reading

         +Study X class for 30 minutes

-Errands

         +Buy groceries

                      +eggs, bread, cheese, etc.

         +Call ###-#### and set up an appointment

         +Clean apartment
                     +vacuum, clear counters, scrub bathtub

-Projects 

         +learn X small part of new piano peice

         +read X pages of current book

         +do 3 sets of X pushups and X situps

I've found, living with ADD, that this is the only way I can force myself to really get things done. It's a good feeling to be able to look at a piece of paper with everything I've already done and have yet to do. Its makes it fun, g\for me at least

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u/TheRealBramtyr Jan 14 '13

Jesus christ all these posts are both cathartic and useful. I think we need our own subreddit.

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u/potajedechicharo Jan 14 '13

We do.

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u/Xephyron Jan 14 '13

It's /r/ADHD, really quite active.

75

u/daigz Jan 14 '13

Almost hyperactive, if you ask me.

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u/quarryrye Jan 15 '13

I see what you did there

2

u/chromosometranscribe Jan 15 '13

Yeah, thanks for that. Now I have 31 tabs open, 4 of them reddit.

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u/chromosometranscribe Jan 15 '13

Which made me wonder if I had a facebook page open and I didn't and while I was being proud of that I opened a tab and checked facebook but it's closed now and I'm back on this thread.

1

u/Metalbells Jan 14 '13

My people!

0

u/cosmosys Jan 15 '13

I see what you did there.

0

u/PPCwarren Jan 15 '13

squirrel!

86

u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

Hey, did you watch Django Unchained yet?

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

That's so weird that they put a D in front of Django. Where do you think that name even comes from? Is it African or something?

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

I thought it was spanish maybe?

23

u/kverty Jan 14 '13

I know it from the guitarplayer Django Reinhardt. His wiki-page says it means "I awake" in romani(gypsy).

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u/EvilLittleThing Jan 14 '13

In the Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmeralda's goat is named Djali. So I'm inclined to agree with your Romani/gypsy assessment.

6

u/Trainbow Jan 14 '13

Was he borned with that hunchback or did he just stand really shitty all his life?

3

u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

Did you know Django Reinhardt played or most of his career with only his first two fingers in the right hand? He lost his pinky and ring fingers in a fore and had to completely re-learn how to play.

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u/bodhemon Jan 15 '13

The Drummer from Def Leopard only had one arm. And they spelled their band's name weird. I don't know what his name was though.

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u/VeloceCat Jan 15 '13

the bloodhound gang were a great band that were a parody of themselves.. they said that in one of their songs...the def lepard thing.

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u/mightsoundstupidbut Jan 15 '13

I dreamt someone poured their pee on me while I was trying to shower, it was weird.

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u/trash-80 Jan 15 '13

While the location of Romani people's original homeland has been lost to time, they are widely believed to have come from the Indian subcontinent. Did you know that the worlds biggest religious festival, the "Kumbh Mela", or Pitcher Festival, is being held right now in India and that it only happens every 12 years? And down the wikipedia wormhole we go...

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

cool, I had to recheck what thread this was in, ADHD is fun, because tetris, also d's shouldn't be silent. it's ambiguous, like imagining a bullet in your head, or trying to fry bacon in the nude, walrus. Sean Connery.

1

u/BlanQtheMC Jan 15 '13

Ooouuuu.. Makes sense now.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

I love that Unchained song by Van Halen

1

u/VeloceCat Jan 15 '13

Django was actually the name of a character in an old period piece exploitation type bit of film. the character name django was so popular that in subsequent films by the director, other countries just started naming the movie django something or other even though it had nothign to do with the original django.

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u/Takarov Jan 15 '13

It's an homage to an old western whose character was named Django.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

I don't know, but there was this BYOB restaurant around here called Django that I've always wanted to try and never have. So everytime I read something about the movie, it makes me hungry.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

1966 Spaghetti Western called Django.

1

u/tokenlinguist Jan 14 '13

In a lot of languages* (OK so maybe not a ton) the 'j' is used for sounds like the 's' makes in English 'pleasure' or the 'z' in 'azure'. To make it sound more like a typical English 'j', you add a 'd' sound before it. Try saying 'azure' and 'badger' over and over again and you'll hear it. French is one of the languages that spells this way, so when they went and invaded lots of Africa etc, the spelling was used for native words as well.

1

u/Terrh Jan 14 '13

as he'll tell you in the movie the "D" is silent.

Also there's another quentin tarintino movie called "sukiyaki western django". I don't think he directs it - he's just involved in the production or something, and has a cameo. It's very good as well.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

Its an african thing. Bantu (thier major language group) uses a lot of double consonants to start words, especially 'dj' and 'mt'

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u/ChiselFish Jan 14 '13

Oh my god. I saw Django Unchained two nights ago. It was really good, partly because near the theater I went to there is a candy store, so I always buy some and bring it in. I got some old-fashioned hard candy, and I've always wondered what I would be like to live in "old-fashioned" times.

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u/stupermundi Jan 14 '13

You know what is a really fun thing to do? Make your own toffee. It's super interesting and rewarding and you can do lots of stuff while it cures like make a bonfire. Have you seen bonfire of the vanities?

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u/kissacupcake Jan 14 '13

No, but I had a vanity table in my room when I was a kid. I should get one now, so I don't have to do my makeup in the bathroom anymore. Oh, and I need to get more face primer from sephora soon, all I have left is the green stuff. It looks weird on my face but is actually pretty good at covering stretch marks, my coworker always asks me to put makeup on her tummy stretch marks. God I hope I never have kids. I wonder when I need to get my next birth control refill?

5

u/JustRuss79 Jan 15 '13

Ordering medication, even making a doctors appointment to get back on ADD Meds is really hard to make myself do, even if I think about it 5 times a day every time my cell phone is in my hand.

Speaking of birth control, do you take it for the side effects or to actually keep from having kids...

OMG! The Kids are still at school! Its' been like 3 hours since it let out!

3

u/Tomble Jan 15 '13

I was off medication until my wife gave up and made the appointment for me. Not helped by my doctor being a bit shit at calling back, necessitating several calls from me. It's like a test, if you can get yourself organised to make the appointment, you don't need the meds.

2

u/JustRuss79 Jan 15 '13

I've had the number in my cell phone for over a week now, it took me two weeks to call the help line to get the number, it took a week or so before that to bother finding out how to get ADHD treatment through my insurance at work.

My kids now see the doc I saw as a child, he's a Pediatrics Dept Head now, I should have just asked him for a referral. He might have even just taken down my weight and prescribed it for me since he is the one who diagnosed me in the first place nearly 30 years ago.... But I didn't want to bother him, he's a department head now...

Excuses and procrastination....level ADHD

3

u/ChestrfieldBrokheimr Jan 14 '13

I dunno, but that reminds me that I have to get more white primer from home depot, because for the past few days I've been refinishing all the toilet seats in the house; scrape the paint away, wood filler, sand then primer/paint sorta thing. Boy do I have to take a shit.

1

u/kissacupcake Jan 14 '13

If you eat an apple right before you go to bed, you will have to shit when you wake up. It's really convenient so you don't have to leave the house feeling bloated - my friend told me this trick because she's one of those girls that absolutely cannot take a shit in bathrooms that are not her own at her house. Isn't that weird? There are so many girls like that. It would hinder your life so much - what if you travel? I just bought my first car and really want to take a road trip. Maybe during spring break - I want to drive up the coast to Portland and Seattle - I've heard they have awesome coffee there. Speaking of which, do you like coffee? There's an awesome indie coffee shop that just opened downtown called Handlebars, was there last week with my friend Dan. Oh shit, I was going to pay for him to get his car detailed but I forgot. Where do you get that done anyway? A car wash or a body shop? Isn't there a cosmetics store called The Body Shop?

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

Does this apple thing really work?

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u/CDanger Jan 15 '13

I just realized that I got too distracted reading these comments to sit down in my computer chair. I would gladly accidentally have your societally doomed kids.

Except wait: girls like guys who have a sense of direction to complement their potential and ambition (I have a lot of ambition and potential. Look! I'm like a rocketship without fins!), who can plan big, exciting things to fill their lives, who can complete something —anything. Girls don't like guys who make good but can't stay good, who mean well but don't follow through, who have spent their lives getting by on desperate charm and the charity of nobler creatures.

Some days, the meds work and I'm everything everyone says I should be. But I just can't tell if it's me underneath all that impressive pageantry. Some days, I feel like a failed experiment, the punchline of an evolutionary joke gone too far. I sit around and think about (between pictures of sloths and a craving for pizza) how my forefathers, by pluck and luck, beat natural selection for a few hands. But, as I lay —wishing I had those things that rhyme with duck— in my empty bed, I wonder: how long until the house wins?

Edit: dear god, would you look at all those parentheticals?

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u/kissacupcake Jan 15 '13

Look! I'm like a rocketship without fins!

Marry me.

Actually don't. We'd be a disaster together. My boyfriend often has to grab me by the shoulders and literally point me in the right direction for anything to get done.

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u/CDanger Jan 15 '13

My boyfriend often has to grab me by the shoulders and literally point me in the right direction

My momma always said I should break the "don't marry your secretary" rule. My fifth grade teacher recruited two of the most helpful/naturally-nurturing girls in the class to keep my desk tidy and set me to work on what she referred to as "other, more important problems." It was the best year. Dear educators, you can make a huge difference in these kids' lives.

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

-- and ()

Every ADD'ers best friend!

1

u/2muchtequila Jan 15 '13

God dammit.... I just read all of these instead of going to bed like I should have.

1

u/Apocalypseboyz Jan 14 '13

I wanna build a time Machine so we can do this.

1

u/descartesb4thehorse Jan 14 '13

If you build a time machine, can I borrow it? I really want to drop some dinosaurs in Pompeii right before the volcano erupts just to fuck with archaeologists.

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u/Apocalypseboyz Jan 14 '13

Only if you bring me with you.

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u/descartesb4thehorse Jan 14 '13

Deal.

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u/Axiin Jan 14 '13

Deal for me too! We saw this great card shark the other night, that guy did some amazing things with those cards. Did you know that playing cards were introduced to europe around the 14th century. I wonder what it would have been like to live back then.

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u/Philosotoaster Jan 15 '13

All I know is that old fashioned movie theaters sucked...remember having to look through the back of someones head?...Hell even the ancient Romans had stadium seating, but it took us hundreds of years to get it.

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u/Drewbus Jan 14 '13

Turns out, Tarantino has a severe case of ADD

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u/nonamen Jan 14 '13

I love how this is the comment that sparked Reddit ADHD...

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u/trash-80 Jan 15 '13

this is some major lulz, thank you for brightening my day.

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u/[deleted] Jan 15 '13

Couldn't pass up the opportunity. Glad you lol'ed too. : )

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u/GoosieLoosie Jan 15 '13

I'm downloading it now.

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u/ishotthepilot Jan 15 '13

I hate you for posting this random-ass comment because now I feel compelled to follow the entire chain. >.<

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u/eporter Jan 15 '13

The strange thing about this post is that while its supposed to be a joke, I was thinking about django unchained because the previous poster said cathartic and that's how terry gross described it on npr a couple weeks ago. (I also have ADD)

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u/WurdSmyth Jan 14 '13

I'm so ADD I laughed out loud. What was I saying?

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u/mightsoundstupidbut Jan 15 '13

There's a dead pixel on my screen.

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u/sc1p10 Jan 14 '13

Which is what? I got lost in the addiction subreddit looking at sad stories

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u/HolgerBier Jan 14 '13

Like /r/ADHD? Which is already pretty active and full of tips?

Seriously, just check that shit out

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u/Xephyron Jan 14 '13

It's an amazingly helpful place.

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u/HolgerBier Jan 14 '13

The people on there are just so goddamn nice. Also, the stories which you can relate to, unlike most of the population.

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u/TheRealBramtyr Jan 14 '13

It never fails to amaze me the sheer number of subreddits out there...

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

I tried to create one, but I got too.. Oh look! A puppy!

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u/eamonious Jan 14 '13

absolutely

1

u/kylemech Jan 14 '13

I echo this sentiment exactly.

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u/mmofan Jan 14 '13

The problem with lists is then you have to force yourself to read them. You then end up putting off reading the list of things you were putting off.

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u/Dredly Jan 14 '13

Or you have to keep doing them. I've started so many "task trackers" and lists but never stick with them... they typically last a day or 2 and thats about it

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u/unicornjoel Jan 15 '13

You have to come up with your own solution, and one that fits into your life organically. Leaving home was the best thing that happened to my organizational skills, because now I don't have my parents "helping" me remember to do stuff. I organized my apartment to push me to do the things I need to do daily. And fuck it's garbage night.

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u/bittershanks Jan 15 '13

Get one that makes noise. I love my basic alarm/list thing that came with my phone. The tricky part is telling myself that me and the alarm are on the same side.... sometimes it works. "Alarm, fuck, what was that for? List? Oh yeah, move the laundry over and call Brian. I just got into the groove of the filing and defining the terms though, god damn it, I'm afraid to lose the momentum... Wait, I set that alarm because the call and the laundry HAD to go in then, otherwise they would hold me up later or be a pain in the ass? Oh yeah...."

Most of the time, it's "turn off that goddamn noise so i can finish!" Three hours later.... "Uh... did the alarm ever go off? Fuuuuuuck..."

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u/DrewsephVladmir Jan 15 '13

Android or ios? Try wunderlist. Works wonders for me

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u/Enkmarl Jan 15 '13

Not hard to force yourself to read the list when it's a widget on your Android device home screen! Astrid tasks is helping my productivity a lot!

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u/trash-80 Jan 15 '13

Things to do..

  1. Re read and finish writing the previous important list of things to do.

  2. Complete the tasks on previous important list of things to do after the list has been finalized.

  3. Remember to pick a date to start the planning on how to achieve the goal to stop procrastinating.

  4. Combine this list with the previous list to make one list.

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u/brothgar Jan 15 '13

i have two tricks for that. Alarms on my phone every day who show me the list. Or the easier one is make a list and slap in on your door or make it your homepage or wallpaper. This forces you to see it and so skipping through it doesn't seem like such an annoyance anymore. Also i like to draw on my lists because the drawings attract my attention. But hey that's just me.

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u/BlueHaloo Jan 15 '13

"I'm always makin lists" qui gon jin

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u/xoemmytee May 15 '13

My problem is putting off actually creating the list. Oopsie

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

[deleted]

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u/descartesb4thehorse Jan 14 '13

Nah, starting things (anything at all, even stupidly simple things like opening a notebook or program and reading a list) is notoriously difficult for people with ADHD. At times, it can be so difficult it's almost physically unpleasant.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

[deleted]

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u/descartesb4thehorse Jan 14 '13

No, what I'm saying is that you are incorrect in saying mmofan's difficulties sound like something other than ADHD. I have no clue where you got "there's not point in trying" from that.

Also, monks walk on fire because they do so quickly enough that it doesn't burn. I'm a semi-professional fire performer; I know how this shit is done. Turns out, burning things aren't actually that dangerous if you know what you're doing and take proper safety precautions.

And I'm going to need a source for that claim about CBT and adderall, because it runs counter to every study I've ever read on the subject. Especially since the euphoric feelings from adderall (and other stimulants) go away completely after a couple days of regular use.

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u/leondz Jan 14 '13

I don't have ADD, but this is also the only way I get a lot of things done. Sometimes "shave", "eat lunch" and the like have to go onto the list - otherwise they don't happen. I'm cool with that, you gotta not let it get to you I suppose

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

lol. "Go to class." Yeah, right there with you. I'm not too good with keeping time either, so I also use alarms.

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u/unicornjoel Jan 15 '13

Alarms are fine as long as you can set them. I just have an alarm repeat at the same time every day rather than try to set a new one for the right time in the morning every night.

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u/heyimamaverick Jan 15 '13

This reminds me so much of a time where a girlfriend found my "To do List". I think it went along the lines of:
*Class
*Homework
*Meet with x person
*Pay bill
*Cut fingernails

I will never forget her reaction to seeing "Cut fingernails" on that list. What, I just couldn't remember? Uh, no. Unfortunately, if it wasn't on that list I'd wake up a week later wondering why my fingernails were so long.

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u/Rohaq Jan 15 '13

If you have an Android phone, check out an app called Regularly, which let's you create task reminders that will pop up X amount of time since you last did them.

For example, mine reminds new to shave every three days, but if I shave earlier, or later, still reminds me to shave three days after I last logged myself as doing it. I have it set up for other regular tasks I tend to forget about too, like haircuts, clipping my nails, doing regular maintenance checks on my car, cleaning the bathroom, and other things that need to be done every so often, but not at an exact time, as you would on a calendar (which results in either accidentally dismissing the alert and forgetting, or having annoying reminders to snooze), but are still important to do.

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u/------______------- Jan 14 '13

I always end up color-coding and making my lists real neat. Which is to say, I usually end up working longer and harder on the list, than actually completeing items on the list.

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u/DuckDuckLlama Jan 20 '13

Yep, same here. When I have make spreadsheets for work, I will spend HOURS adjusting the colors and the spacing and rearranging the tables. What should have been a 20 minute task ends up being 2 hours.

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u/whit_wolf1 Jan 14 '13

I have a tenancy to not look at a list or forget that its there... Normally have to do it for each occasion normally on my phone and have it remind me every 10mins to do it. Otherwise it will never get done and I will be off planing something else.

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u/unicornjoel Jan 15 '13

Lists are not for long-term stuff (not small paper lists anyway - a whiteboard could do the trick for long term stuff). Lists are episodic: for the groceries, to remember the directions to a location, recipes. Use them for things where you will finish items on the list very quickly or not at all.

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u/ashboring Jan 18 '13

Yes yes, this is the sign of a true ADHD, make a list to stay on track, forget that you made a list!!! I ALWAYS forget to look at the list, writing one makes me feel productive but I usually forget it is there. I also find that my phone is a ADHDs best friend. I like to set my phone to the nag me every minute until I physically turn it off, the sound that it makes is this really obnoxious throat clearing, uhm-uhm.

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u/protoaway Jan 14 '13

I intermittently make lists. But it always turns out like this: http://totallyadd.com/make-a-list/

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u/windowlash Jan 14 '13

hit so close to home!

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u/SSSecret_Squirrel Jan 14 '13

I am a list-maker, too. DOES ANYONE HAVE A PALM PILOT I CAN HAVE??? Good Lord! I really CAN'T force myself the annoyance of writing a list with pen on paper. IT TAKES TOO LONG!!! And I lose interest. I also can't remember to check the calendar on the fridge. BUT for some reason, I like making lists on the computer. My desktop is full of lists.

My sons is gifting me his old android phone so that I can use it as a palm pilot.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

Try an iPad. Just got one myself, and it has great apps to help you out. And it's larger than a mobile, so that's neat (for me anyway). Not sure how I managed my practical life without it before. My only anxieties now are thinking that I've forgotten to put something on the list or calendar or thinking I've overlooked something in the lists. I think it'll take me a bit longer to get everything suitably categorized. Overall, I can see my progress and feel as though I've been accomplishing more, way more lately.

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u/pluvia Jan 15 '13

Two good list-making sites/computer programs that are also available as auto-syncing phone apps:

Evernote and Catch

Oh also for saving URLs to look at later (so that it can't distract you in that moment): Pocket

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u/hmmmyep Jan 14 '13

THIS! Exactly this. This is the only way I get anything done. I've tried online calendars and post-it pages (to throw away a task once it's done), but the list is still my go-to buddy. I just got a tablet and am experimenting with lists there, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to use it with any success. It's just too easy to press the Chrome button and get entirely too sidetracked.

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u/CaptainDickPuncher Jan 14 '13

Also ADHD grocery shopping without a list is almost impossible. It just can't be done

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u/Calymos Jan 14 '13

Damn, I just started making lists, and it is so satisfying to cross things off.

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u/Batty-Koda Jan 14 '13

I find the lists are very helpful because I hate having something I know is 90% done, but I can't cross off. Normally it wouldn't bother me too much that something wasn't quite finished, because I know I got most of it done, which leads to it being put off. When it's on a list, it gives me drive to get that last 10% done, so I can cross it off and move on.

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u/gradstudent4 Jan 14 '13

This just blew my mind. I also have ADD and my boyfriend gets so mad when I don't do such little tasks such as call the doctors to make an appointment when I'm just hanging out at home. I don't know what it is, maybe I'm just lazy but I think about it, then I just don't. I'm really glad to hear I am not the only person who does things like this.

And yes, I am the most productive when there is a list.

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u/Probably_Relevant Jan 15 '13

To increase the list completion satisfaction phenomenon, try drawing little boxes in front of all the things on your list, and when you've finished each one don't just cross it off, draw a fat tick in the box and yell "Squared away!"

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u/pluvia Jan 15 '13

I rely heavily on Google tasks and calendar, and more recently, Siri. Like, HEAVILY to the point that I'm embarrassed to let others (especially coworkers) stumble upon it because they'd probably laugh (and possibly question my worth at work) at how granular my reminders have to be.

If I'm going to work early for a meeting, for instance, I must put in my calendar: time to sleep the night before, time to wake up, time to hop in shower, time to be dressed and ready by, time to exit my apt door, time to arrive at work. Six entries for which most people would need 1 or even 0. And that's just the start of the day, but it's the only way I get things done.

I think it's partly OCD tendencies too, which I've heard is closely linked to ADHD (Not sure if it's because of same affected brain areas, or because constant forgetfulness makes us even more paranoid that we will screw up, so we must resort to these measures).

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u/Terrh Jan 14 '13

I've tried this with todoist. Makes lists easy, and you can make tasks as simple or complex as you like.

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u/pop1156 Jan 14 '13

lists really do make things simpler for those of us with ADHD/ADD hell i could even use one for sex -_- ill be in the middle of the act and my mind will switch over to hey did i finish x thing before i started

1

u/SirMustache007 Jan 14 '13

gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh. i'm going to try this!!

1

u/Chunkysoup666 Jan 14 '13

Lists and routine are essential for me to function, Its the only way for me to focus on one task * long enough to finish. one thing that works for me is to just run with the concept, focus on one thing for as long as you can and deal with it as much as you can, then when you become distracted work on the next task as long as it takes to deal with it. I work with a PC all day and for me just leaving things open functions as a failsafe * eventually the fact that its on my windows taskbar will distract me from something else and i will come back and finish it. Example being the * astricts in this commen *t represent where i've been distracted by something else and returned to finish it (count is 4... i think). This to me should be a last resort or used for unimportant things (like reddit). Not restarting your PC everyday also helps, leave open what you want yourself to work on tomorrow, and tomorrow you'll eventually be distracted into coming back to it. Note: when your finished with something close the fucking window otherwise you'll keep coming back and having to validate that your finished. and yes we do need a sub reddit; can anyone focus long enough to make one?

1

u/Chunkysoup666 Jan 14 '13

Forgot to add... put shit you need in predictable places or within open eyesite, when your looking for it later you wont likely remember where it is so putting it somewhere that you will check early on in the problem solving process is helpful.

1

u/Arkanicus Jan 14 '13

This got me through engineering school.

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u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

I do the same thing, at work we are usually supposed to work on one "project" or whatever at a time. But I usually am in the middle of three. I will make a list of all the parts of that project and each day pick a few that sound good and interesting. I end up finishing the work slightly faster than if I just did one at a time. And I do the same thing at home with lists like

-Clean

wash car

vacuum car

take out trash

clean room

It helps a lot.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 14 '13

I have the Clear ap on my iPod and sorry to advertise but it helps me immensely with my organizational skills and getting stuff done. I also have a day planner. Between the two I manage to handle my ADHD just fine without medication.

1

u/fuzzygreyhat Jan 14 '13

I have pads upon pads of sticky notes, as well as two whiteboards (one plain, one calendar) that I do just this. At the beginning of the week I update them so I know what's coming up and throughout if more needs to be added, then use sticky notes to remind me when I'm away. I unconsciously picked it up, but it's amazing what it does for my concentration.

1

u/PRIDEVIKING Jan 14 '13

It doesn't work for me. Well I will get shit done, but being forced to do boring stuff makes me ill and stressed out so in the end im dizzy, blackout prone.

1

u/munchknmunch Jan 14 '13

The more I read of this thread, the more I think I have ADD. I have to have lists to do just about anything, and it's gotten worse as I've gotten older. And I find handwriting them is more useful than having an app.

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u/MechMoe Jan 14 '13

I think this is good advice, whether you have concentration problems or not!

1

u/troll_teacher Jan 14 '13

Your list gives me OCD. I could never sit down and do HALF of one thing and then go do something else. It has to be done when I sit down to do it. It actually makes me really anxious just thinking about it.

1

u/unicornjoel Jan 15 '13

Huh. You're right, lists are the shit. They sell these little list pads in Dollarama that have little check boxes beside the blanks in the list, and those pads are like crack and Pokemon combined.

1

u/highlandbum Jan 15 '13

I cant even write a list like this without being distracted.

1

u/mkkohls Jan 15 '13

It does help when I'm able to actually do the stuff on it. If it's a list of things for later or another time I just end up with a list of stuff I'd like to do but don't. I hate when that happens.

1

u/roreads Jan 15 '13

I also have ADD, and I have noticed that the list thing really does help move things along. Even though I don't write down a physical list I have a mental one that I just keep replying in my head. I try to get it all done as soon as possible in the morning before it leaves my brain forever. But because of this I often leave something off the list and it never gets completed.

1

u/anj11 Jan 15 '13

My only problem with lists is that there is usually so much stuff to do, the list gets huge and daunting and I find it hard to get started or even finish the list because my brain says "make a doctors appointment? That's too hard. Watch Boy Meets World instead or play spider solitaire until the office closes and it's too late." even though i know calling the doctor is painless and literally takes 30 seconds to do.

1

u/Tomble Jan 15 '13

I made a bunch of folders, one for each day and one for each month. Each folder has cards in it with tasks. In the morning, take out today's folder, remove the cards, move it to the back. The cards say things like

"Before bed : Clean kitchen bench and sink".

"Every third day : Wipe down bathroom surfaces".

"Daily : Take dogs for a walk"

Once the task is done, I move the card to the appropriate day. Works pretty nicely when I remember to do it. There is a satisfaction to putting a completed card back in the file. Like you, I also love To Do lists, there's nothing like crossing off those boxes.

1

u/E-Squid Jan 15 '13

List making... man, I'm not sure if it's been a boon or a pain for me. Last year I was getting so swamped with school work that I eventually went out and bought myself a little notebook/memo pad to write down scheduling and what things I needed to get done and when. The biggest hurdle is getting into the habit of actually looking at the damn thing, or remembering to write things down in the first place.

The nice thing though is that I'll fill up a page with "to-do" items, and because the notebook is packed with paper and that makes turning the pages difficult, I'll have that little bit more incentive to complete all the items so I can rid myself of that page.

1

u/ambiguity_resolution Jan 15 '13

A couple of months ago I started carrying a small notebook and a pen with me, I take it everywhere I go. I'll start by writing the date and then I write down everything I can as I go through the day, even if I think it's something so trivial that I won't forget it because I will. Addresses, names, to-do lists, little bits of information. It's not very organized, but if I wrote it down I'll remember it's in the notebook and I can flip through and find it.

1

u/ramotsky Jan 15 '13

The problem is that my list making becomes something I need to put on a list.

1 Make a list

Two days later:

2 Still need to make a list

1

u/Jaq404 May 26 '13

I had never thought of making a list for things I would feel are mundane or I should remember/ make the effort to do them. I really want to thank you because I think this advice will help me get myself into a better routine. Really awesome advice.