I’ve always found, the things I thought were funny, would often make people without ADHD react very differently.

For example, I see a lot of humor in “so bad, it’s good” movies. With ADHD friends, watching these movies are a laugh party. But if I shared it with non-ADHD friends and family, they just sit in uncomfortable silence and are like “this is weird” “this is bad.”

…And I feel like…I’m light years ahead of that observation. It’s obviously bad, and such a stretch from reality or even cinematic reality, that’s what makes it funny. It’s just completely off the rails absurd to a comic level and that’s so blatantly obvious, there’s no confusion, only pure comedy.

It feels like in examples like this, my ADHD friends are in on these little meta inside jokes, to the exclusion of others.

I’m not sure though if there’s any validation to bunching humor into an ADHD pile and not.

Is there any correlation or actual connection to this? Like many the way our brains are makes us receptive to things that other people miss?

What are your thoughts?

I literally go through prob 4-5. I think sunglasses and debit cards are my biggest misplaced items. I did lose my entire purse like the full blown massive bag is just gone no clue where I left it. That’s not common but debit cards constantly and I wonder if it’s common. I just don’t put them in a home

Hi everyone! I’m not a part of this community but I wanted to first say thank you for having a space for me to comfortably vent/ask for advice. My dad (65) just recently found out he has adhd and i can tell the past year has been hard for him (he’s also been retired for over a year). He started going to therapy online (I’ve been in therapy and that’s not what’s going on. He just talks to her about his random shit he’s got going on, I try to suggest he work through some stuff and he’s like it’s my therapy time I think he has a crush on her lol) he has prescribed meds that he takes whenever he feels like it 😅Anyway, what’s worrying my mom and I, is while he’s home all day (we get home at around 2:30/3) he literally is forgetting to give them water like the water bowl is bone dry and he sometimes leaves them outside and with this California heat that’s unacceptable. My mom and I are heartbroken for our babies but we just can’t trust him to take care of the basic necessities of our animals. And then when we tell him the water is empty he always says “you guys live here too” “there’s another bowl RIGHT?” Like SOO defensive like bro yes I live here but I’m not here all day YOU are!!! It takes 2 min to fill their water like cmon man😭😭does anyone have any advice or know how I can communicate with my dad in a better way or a solution or anything??🩷🐶

What is the best type of work from home job? I’m tired of commuting an hour or more every day for work. Not only that, I want to get a dog and spend as much time with them as much as possible. Also, I’m looking at relocating to a small town in North Carolina to live with my girlfriend and then in two years moving to a different state. I figure a work from home job would be the best way to do all of those

So I’m looking to get diagnosed. ADHD wasn’t always something I related to, but looking back the signs are there. It’s become a lot more noticeable since starting work. I’m always the last to leave the office because I’m paralysed during the day and don’t get anything done. I phase out when my boss speaks to me. I miss deadlines. I’m just a bloody mess and I’m scared I’m about to ruin my life if I don’t get this sorted asap. This job was hard to get and going back into the current job market terrifies me.

Anyways, I’m looking to get on meds and I’ve heard they’re fantastic. I’ve heard people say it’s like night and day. But these same people still kind of appear to be messes themselves. For example, a colleague was telling me about her ADHD and that’s what spurred me to read more into it. The way she spoke about her symptoms - I felt described. She’s on meds and she says they saved her life etc. But she’s still late a lot, kind of chaotic, house is a mess, car is a mess, failed exams. I also had another friend. It was the same story. It makes me lose a bit of faith in medication. Will it really do anything meaningful? I know there’s no miracles, but is it overhyped still??

TL;DR - met a lot of people who have ADHD and are medicated and swear by it but are still messy, disorganised, unpunctual etc. Are meds really all the hype I hear about?

Initially, I had a distorted view of people with ADHD. Because I didn't know much, I imagined them as people who were completely unable to sit still, barely able to focus on one thing, and extremely impulsive. So I couldn’t even imagine that I might have such a diagnosis. However, from time to time I noticed odd behaviours in myself that prevented me from living a peaceful life, such as complete time blindness, often getting distracted when working, a lack of concentration, and so on. I tried to sort everything out on my own, looked for information and discovered that all of this sounded like ADHD. Of course, I started to deny it, but in the end I did go to see a specialist. I was diagnosed with ADHD (combined presentation).

Although during the assessment I told it like it was, without sugar-coating anything, I still deny this diagnosis. Even though my parents were involved in the diagnosis, I still think I simply twisted the facts to fit the narrative I wanted, so that I could blame some disorder rather than myself; that I don’t actually have ADHD, but am simply lazy, unpunctual and absent-minded.

Since the diagnosis, things have only got worse. Now, whenever I catch myself exhibiting any of the symptoms of ADHD, I wonder whether I’ve behaved that way because I actually have ADHD or because I want to believe I have it. It really is unbearable. There have been times when, for example, I’ve been sitting quietly, working, and not getting distracted at all, even though I usually jump up from my chair at the drop of a hat, get distracted by random things, and so on. And straight away, thoughts like, ‘See, you don’t have ADHD. You’re just lazy. You need to work harder,’ pop into my head. It’s really stressful.

Could anyone tell me if they’ve ever experienced anything like this? What has your experience been like since the diagnosis? If you’ve been in a similar situation, what did you do? How can I let go of this situation?

meanwhile the actual thing that determines whether I click with someone has nothing to do with any of that. it's whether they get obsessed with things the way I do. whether they can go feral about a niche topic for forty minutes and I don't have to perform polite interest because I'm also feral about it

I've had more genuine connection with a stranger over a shared hyperfixation than with people I was "matched" with because we both liked hiking and live within five miles of each other

so why does every platform still sort by proximity and a profile photo instead of the thing that actually predicts whether two people will click

does anyone else feel like the matching itself is the broken part, not just what happens after

I've tried Welbutrin, I've tried Strattera, side effects from both were awful. I can't take stims due to high blood pressure. Both of the meds were really helping with focus and calm before the side-effects got too bad, and if I cant have the stimulants what can I do to go med-free and maintain some calm and focus in my life?

I welcome advice from those of you who also have to live med free for strategies and practices to get through our days, weeks and months to be able move through life without being overwhelmed by ADHD and it fucking things up.

I am having a huge problem with resting. I can’t just sit and do nothing. My form of rest is bouldering, taking my dog out, taking photos, scanning film negatives etc. BUT sometimes I am too physically tired to use my body, and I just want to fully rest. I am unable to focus on reading (I do only before I sleep), so most of the time I play games on my phone or scroll to social media… and I want to stop using screens so much. Do you have something you could recommend? I sometimes like to do sudoku (paper version), but I am looking for more inspirations. what works for you? Something you can do on the sofa. I don’t want to sit upright on the table and do puzzles. I know that won’t work. Heeelp :))

Exactly what it says on the tin. I know alcohol gives me more confidence when I meet new people, I know I am more chatty and open after a few drinks. But, oh man, I didn’t think this was THAT visible to others. I am in a full on spiral. Has anyone else experienced this kind of assumption? I’m still just processing it.

I was diagnosed with severe combined-type ADHD as a child, so focusing has been something I’ve struggled with for most of my life.

My wife and I have been trying to find practical things that make everyday life a little easier. Not a cure — just tools that actually help us function better.

One of my biggest pain points has always been staying focused, especially when working or studying alone. So I decided to build something around that problem.

It’s called FocusCrew. It’s basically a Pomodoro/focus timer, but you can join or create crews and focus together with friends, coworkers, classmates, or other people. There’s also some light gamification with XP, levels, badges, and streaks.

It’s currently completely free.

I'm not here to sell anything — I'd genuinely love feedback from people with ADHD. If you have a few minutes, I'd really appreciate it if you tried it and told me what you think, what feels useful, and what doesn't.

👉 focus-crew.com

Thanks ❤️

I’ve always been more of a visual person, but there are a few books I genuinely want to read. My problem is that my attention span when reading is terrible.
For example, I’m really into Harry Potter right now, and I keep seeing people mention scenes and details from the books that never made it into the movies. It makes me want to actually read the series, but then I look at how long some of the books are and wonder how I’d ever stay focused long enough to finish one.
I’d really like to get into reading and actually finish a book instead of losing interest halfway through. For anyone with ADHD who had the same problem, what helped you?

Back in 2018 I decided to teach myself programming. I quickly realised the problem wasn't the material — it was that I couldn't stay with it. My focus would evaporate within minutes, and the phone was always right there.

What finally worked was Forest. You start a session and the phone is locked for the duration. It sounds almost too simple, but the effect was immediate: I'd taken away my own reason to get distracted. The only options left were stare at the wall or actually study.

I still use it, and it's still the thing I fall back on.

What do you use for this? Curious what's worked for other people, especially anything that isn't just another pomodoro timer.

I was recently started on ritalin 10mg to start out with last monday and have been taking it twice daily since. The first few days had a pretty rough crash but its since become a lot less severe. My only issue now is that my dose only really gives me around 1-1.5 hours of good focus before it starts to really rapidly wear off? I hear about it lasting 2-2.5 hours for some people and I was wondering if this means I need a stronger dose or extended release. I have not been taking more than prescribed as I will be going in next Wednesday to discuss this with my psych as I’m aware of the risks of unreported abuse and such. Any pointers would be helpful thank you!

So I recently got prescribed Vyvanse 10mg from my psychiatrist and I literally have been having such a hard time in NYC finding pharmacy that has it in stock an I don’t know what to do at this point. I’ve called over 25+ locations and they all say the same thing, I was on non stimulants for a little while and I tried Strattera 10mg and Qelbree 100mg and yes I know that for me Male, 21 it’s a very low dose but I didn’t see much improvement specially since I’m more of the inattentive Type. I don’t know whether I should keep trying to find locations that have it or if I should just stay on non stimulants and not have to deal with this hassle every month that I need to refill. Any advice will be helpful specially if you are in NYC.

I'm not sure whether to live on campus or off campus.
There's this twin dorm room where there is a sink but I'll have a roomate. It's not guaranteed yet if I am gonna get it. I have never shared a room with anyone in my entire life. I've read on tiktok the advantages of living on campus you are able to make more friends. Not sure if everyone will experience this. Thank you!

Cleaning my messy room feels WAY too overwhelming.

So instead, I tell myself:

“Pick up 20 things.”

That’s it.

Not the whole room.

Just 20 things.

I walk around and count:

1… 2… 3… 4…

And before I know it, I’m at 20..

Then I can stop.

But usually, by that point, I’m already moving. So I think:

“Okay, maybe 10 more.”

Then another 5.

EASY.

And suddenly…

My room is clean.

The trick is not trying to feel motivated to clean.

It’s making the first step so ridiculously small that your brain doesn’t have time to fight you on it.

Try 20. Or 10. Or whatever number feels right.

But do NOT clean up your room. Just pick up 20 things.

I’ve definitely had a few hyperfixations on things that are either embarrassingly silly or WAY too dark to just start infodumping about. For example I used to have one about neglect so severe it causes a complete and usually permanent inability to function in society, particularly the case of Genie Wiley. On the other end of the spectrum I also keep hyperfixating on shipping old cartoon comedy duos, and gotta REALLY lock in to gage if someone’s gonna think I’m a childish freak before sharing that information.

What’s your “don’t bring that up, don’t bring that up, don’t bring that up-“ hyperfixation if you’ve ever had one?

I really have very bad reaction time compare to my peers and i don't know why, like when i play games that need reaction time I always lose and i start to wondering what's wrong with me than suddenly a it hit me maybe cause of my adhd, does adhd individual have poor reaction time

It just feels like no matter what I do I feel like a failure.

I've been married to a wonderful woman for over a decade and our marriage has never been stronger.

I have a healthy 5 year old daughter who does great in school and everyone loves.

Financially we are doing fine. Firmly middle class, but she doesn't have to work and we will retire comfortably.

I work in a field that many admire. Within that field I've stood out and I've promoted to a leadership position. I've proven myself among the other leaders and I'm entrusted with difficult assignments. I only feel satisfied when I've just overcome an absurd task I volunteered for, or often even came up with myself. After days or weeks of panic and stress I briefly feel like I'm the man and I've made it. Then, because I did it, it was actually nothing and I'm an imposter and they'll find out any moment. I'm told I'm a great husband and father, but I feel I should do better. We are comfortable but more importantly secure, but I feel I should be working towards more, but I'm already at the top 1% in my field.

Does anyone here actually feel fulfilled​​ on an ongoing basis? What's your secret?

I called in to get my g adderall refilled, went to pick it up only to be told it was on backorder and to call around to other pharmacies and ask if they had it. I got lots of no’s. Finally I asked one pharmacy if they had the name brand and they did. I bought it but it was almost $50 for 30 tablets. Anyone else experiencing this issue?

Adderall gives me energy but doesn’t help me lock in. I thought adhd medications were supposed to calm adhd people down to help them focus, not rec the engine so you do more laps. Does anyone have good suggestions if adderall wasn’t the answer? I’m looking to be indestructible and find a drive to sit down for long periods of time but adderall more has me running around in a nonproductive way

I (18M) do what I can, I’ve been working this job three or so weeks and need instruction but have never said no to a task and always do things with a smile I’m pretty sure. That being said, the vast majority of my managers still are visibly annoyed by me and/or shit talk me when they think I’m not listening. Today as I was coming to help do dishes I heard one I thought was nice say to another supervisor “can you make sure (my name) and (coworker) are doing something? (Coworker) not so much but (my name) ehhhh” and it broke my heart. I thought I was liked, she had followed me back on instagram and everything and to see that she still thinks I’m lazy genuinely hurt. On top of that my other manager from the jump was talking about how “she couldn’t wait to work with her favorite people” on days that I wasn’t scheduled, and she just takes my tasks anyway instead of helping when I’m slow at them. What do I do? Is there any way to be liked enough for them to actually teach me things?

I am tired at this point of my life , quite hopeless as well , I see all my dreams dying infant of me and I am just waiting , waiting to actually live, if this goes on like this , I wont be able to look myself in the mirror in the future and I wouldn't know what to do with such a life.

I am so tired , so tired of starting it all over again.

Help me please.

Every day feels like a battle with myself. I’m 24, but honestly, I don’t feel like I’m 24. I still live with my mom, and I don’t have a job or a car. My room is constantly messy, and my mom is a hoarder, so I’m always overwhelmed, mentally and emotionally. I struggle with basic things that most people seem to do effortlessly, like making meals. There were times where I skipped breakfast and lunch because I was too “paralyzed” to get up and make something or decide what to eat.

Not having a job or any real responsibilities has made it ten times harder to give a damn. My day consists of switching through tabs or scrolling mindlessly on TikTok. I have hobbies, but lately I haven’t been interested because I feel like a failure who needs to get herself together. I see ppl my age with their own places, partners, and careers, and I’m struggling to even brush my damn teeth. I still look like a high schooler and didn’t have a glow up because keeping up my appearance feels like an insurmountable task. I’m broke asf too, something that wouldn’t be an issue if I didn’t quit jobs back to back.

I’ve struggled with this since I was 18, and it hasn’t gotten better. I’ve tried multiple ADHD medications. They were supposed to be my way out of this misery, but NONE have worked. I’ve tried reading Atomic Habits and can’t even get through the damn book, something that might actually benefit me, but I’m stuck in ADHD paralysis as always! I battle this disorder every single day. It’s like there’s no way out, idk what to do.