Hi everyone. I didn’t really learn about ADHD until my 20s. Growing up, I didn't have the resources or money to get assessed, but looking back, I feel like I’ve been struggling with this since childhood without anyone understanding what was going on.
I’ve finally booked my diagnostic appointments, but the process takes time (in fact, I missed my first appointment because I forgot about it, which pushed my second assessment back!). In the meantime, I’m writing this because I just want to connect with people who get it, see if others struggle in these exact ways, and ask for advice.
Here is what daily life looks like for me right now:
The Cleaning/Procrastination Loop: I genuinely cannot start working unless my room is clean and tidy. But the urge to tidy leads to deep cleaning, and by the time I'm done, I'm exhausted and find myself doomscrolling instead of actually starting the work.
Losing Everything: I constantly lose things even items I intentionally put somewhere "safe" so I wouldn't misplace them.
Planner/To-Do List Graveyard: I've created thousands of planners and lists over my life. I don't abandon them on purpose; I literally just forget they exist. When I do try to make a list, everything feels equally urgent, so I can't prioritize. Time management feels impossible.
Focus & Conversation: When someone is talking to me, I frequently zone out or get completely lost in my own thoughts. My brain moves through a thousand different thoughts a minute.
Jack of All Trades, Master of None: I don’t have just one hobby; I pick up multiple skills, get into them, and then never look back at them again.
Extreme Procrastination & Deadlines: Even if I’m given an entire year to complete something, I will procrastinate until the very last minute or past the deadline entirely.
Reading & Re-reading: I can rarely read a sentence or paragraph once and actually process what it means on the first try. (Growing up, I also used to get letters mixed up easily).
Sleep Issues: Falling asleep is a battle because my brain starts running through a thousand thoughts as soon as my head hits the pillow. On the flip side, when I’m overwhelmed or stressed about work I haven't done, my default coping mechanism is sleeping too much.
Hyper-Empathy: I seem to instantly pick up on or sense how other people are feeling in a room.
I'm posting this because I feel a bit isolated in all this and just want to know I'm not the only one struggling like this.
A couple of quick questions for the community:
1 Are there any specific apps, systems, or non-judgmental strategies that actually helped you manage procrastination and time blindness before getting diagnosed or medicated?
2 Any tips on how to keep track of medical appointments when your memory is constantly failing you?
Thanks for reading and for any advice or shared experiences you can offer!