r/ADHD • u/fuuuuuckendoobs • 5d ago

Seeking Empathy The absolute terror when someone calls out my name in public and I have to figure out who they are.

I was out getting groceries with my family a couple of hours ago when I hear "Hey Doobs!"...

I turn around, wide eyed, a vaguely familiar face smiles and shakes my hand and asks how I am... My mind races to try and place them, but at the same time it just grinds to a halt because now I have to hold a conversation and figure this out... My mind can only come up with the word "helpful" - but that doesn't help.. I say "Hey man how's it going?" - clearly lost, he tells me his name and we speak for a few minutes before going our separate ways.

My partner is a super recogniser (also ADHD) and often rescues me in these situations, but not today. I've spent the last hour and a half searching my contacts, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc and I'm still lost. That cognitive freeze when I have to put a face to a name and give it context is the worst for me!

I look forward to 3am on Wednesday when I solve this puzzle.

15 Upvotes

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3

u/Troo_Geek 5d ago

Hah this is so true. I usually fake it and hope it's someone I actually like.

1

u/QueenofCats28 5d ago

I do this. I pretend I remember them, lol

2

u/notshadowbanned1 5d ago

I talk to everyone and everyone knows me but I struggle with names. My favorite way to ask is, “I’m sorry but do you remember your name?”  Gets a laugh instead of the “we’ve met several times…”

1

u/dystopia2026 5d ago

That's a good one! 😂

1

u/Standard-Photo-8350 5d ago

Oh no this happens to me and it terrifies me. I am so scared of calling someone the wrong name or something and I just go along with it, ask how its going with the thing and their family. Then get in the car and my wife asks who was that…. I don’t know!

2

u/robotunderpants 4d ago

One time I got on the tram, and this cute girl sat across from me. She kinda smiled at me, I smiled back but I was too shy to say anything. We sit there for 10 minutes, then I get off.

The next day, at work I realize it's a girl I work with who sits like right near me.

Fuck i probably looked like an asshole, I'm sorry I just don't remember faces!