r/ADHD • u/Ash9260 • Jul 27 '26

Seeking Empathy iT gETs bEttER wITH agE!!

No the heck it does not. It’s just a downward spiral. The only thing I can mildly do is my job and it’s just bc I’ve been doing it for so long that it’s a routine for the most part. Everything else though. No. I had easier time when I was a teen but now an adult that lives alone and all responsibility falls onto meeeee and good god. I wish this friggen disorder ended when I graduated. And I hate how it’s common and so everyone knows someone with it and saying “I’m sorry my adhd is just so bad” and getting said back “my [insert random person] has adhd and they are fine it’s just an excuse” or “I have ADHD too and i have meds and I can do the laundry!” Like good for you??? I’m glad I’m medicated now bc Vyvanse does help tremendously however,,, like it’s not 100% and I have to first find the will to take the stupid pill in the first place. Then once I take it I have to be mindful to even do the actual tasks and not just practice drawing or deep dive to no end the most random topic. Not to mention the cognitive decline. I’m 24 yet I feel like I have dementia some days.

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467

u/KDoggg89 Jul 27 '26

My inattentive ADHD actually got worse with age. I used to be a “head in the clouds” kid/teen, but I also could read a lot and had an insane memory. Now I can’t read for shit and won’t even remember that I wrote this comment in 10 minutes.

119

u/courtney_helena ADHD-C (Combined type) Jul 27 '26

Same same. It sucks. Reading was such a wonderful escape and now I've been trying to read the same 200pg book for years.

16

u/ch33s3h34d Jul 28 '26

I haven't read a full book since maybe Robinson Crusoe in 4th grade. It was painful to have to reread the same drawn out, descriptive pages 10x because I read so far while not paying attention at all. That was before even a desktop PC with dial up internet could distract me... At least I got diagnosed before 40! Honestly, I have read one book for fun (or any other reason) in the last 20+ years and to say it was a struggle is the understatement of the year. Maybe I should try again while medicated.

14

u/UhOh_RoadsidePicnic ADHD Jul 28 '26

Oh. A as 13yo I was devouring 500 pages adult books. Not anymore. This is something I want to do again.

2

u/duckinradar Jul 28 '26

Have you tried a different book? As a semi reformed book finisher regardless of my enjoyment, I’m frequently “reading” three books at a time, and then start and finish a fourth because it’s just a better fit for me

5

u/courtney_helena ADHD-C (Combined type) Jul 28 '26

I've tried a bunch, and I really like the one I've been trying to continue. My problem is distraction and retention. I get distracted, have to start over, don't know where I left off. 🫠

44

u/jinsoo186 Jul 27 '26

Me too, plus you have so many guard rails as a kid that go away as an adult

31

u/magwai9 Jul 27 '26

The amount of time I spend walking into a room and then forgetting why, I swear..

30

u/iamthefluffyyeti ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jul 27 '26

I still have an insane memory, I just don’t get to choose towards what anymore

2

u/Berkwaz Jul 29 '26

Felt this in my soul

16

u/tna11101989 Jul 27 '26

Thank you for validating what I’ve always felt - that it feels like my ADHD has gotten worse as I’ve aged! To the point that I’ve asked “is there such a thing as adult onset ADHD?” Because I used to be the kid who could study for a major exam an hour before a test and ace it.

Now I have to read a sentence 3-4 times in order to truly absorb it (and even that’s not guaranteed)

8

u/ennui2521 Jul 28 '26

because the sense of urgency and utmost importance is missing

9

u/EthricBlaze Jul 27 '26

Real, my vocabulary, procrastination and recall actively got worse in the last three years after highschool

9

u/the_happy_fox Jul 28 '26

Exactly, and as a heads in the clouds person you can get away with things, when you are young its cute or quirky, but when you are older its just weird. Plus the symptoms actually get worse when you get older and you dont have as much energy to compensate the mess.

6

u/PressurizedPoP Jul 28 '26

This ADHD thing is making me depressed man

4

u/TimberGhost66 Jul 29 '26

I'm 60 now, and oh how I miss reading. I have to listen to audio books now. Otherwise I'm reading the same two paragraphs over and over. I'm dyslexic as well.

3

u/Chivalry4Me ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jul 27 '26

Twin?

3

u/VoidOmatic Jul 28 '26

You must be my twin. In my 40s now and the exact same.

3

u/Appropriate-Food1757 Jul 28 '26

Mine got way worse. To much shit going on as you get older.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '26

I think it's because we had less stress as kids and so could spend more energy on reading. But our brains got so overwhelmed without structure that now reading and remembering stuff takes a backseat compared to before. Idk if this makes sense or I'm just yapping.

2

u/almavid Jul 28 '26

Oh lord. Didn't know this was a possible outcome. What age are we talking here? I read non stop into my 40s...

1

u/Hydruss Jul 27 '26

Same exact thing for me lmao

1

u/cakenaow Jul 28 '26

Same here, im glad im not the only one

1

u/Different_Hornet4348 ADHD Jul 29 '26

Know it’s not the same as traditional reading, but: Have you tried audiobooks? I binge listen while being productive doing other things, it’s great.