Every so often, I’ll post a question on my Facebook page to capture the real thoughts of real people with AD(H)D. These are their thoughts.
What are some of your quirks that you had no idea were AD(H)D related?
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Michael Gallina – The inability to finish reading that entire paragraph.18 January at 10:06 · Like ·
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Sandra Studley D’Acci Cardoza – not sure if I should be posting here or on the blog at staceyturis.com, but here goes! ‘Not sure if this is a quirk but I never knew that being so bothered by the wind/breezes was ADD-related.18 January at 10:06 · Like · 3
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Beth Thorpe- Not being able to listen to music and talk to someone at the same time. That low blood sugar and ADD go hand in hand. That there is a ALWAYS a bummed out phase after a large project is over. Someone talking to me while I am on the phone means that I do not hear the person in front of me, or the person on the phone. Getting overwhelmed by too many choices in the grocery store. The more you know about ADD, the more you figure out some of those quirks are really common with this condition.18 January at 10:06 · Like · 9 -
Stuart Ctid Priestley – Leaving the house and forgetting to lock the door or re-entering loads of time before forgetting what I was going out for.18 January at 10:08 · Like · 5 -
ADHD – Tales of an Absent-Minded Superhero – Dammit, Michael Gallina, I KNOW! LOL! I should have just shut up at some point…sorry!
18 January at 10:08 · Like · 2 -
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Michael Gallina – I was being silly, but I’m serious about the issue. I lack the discipline and capacity to read an entire paragraph. I can’t even proofread the paragraphs I write.18 January at 10:11 · Like · 4
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Monica Ibarra- my quirk is listening to long conversations and thinking if I forgot to turn off the stove this morning or the curling iron! or if my boss tells me to get her agenda ready and 10 minutes later she reminds me “Yo ADD did you forget something ” smh! ritalin has lost its effect! lol18 January at 10:12 · Like · 2 -
Kiyoko DuLac - Putting things RIGHT by my keys or purse and forgetting them when I leave the house.
Making obvious mistakes at work because I didn’t write the instructions down.
It’s almost impossible to finish reading a book (except yours, Stacey.. I’m going to make an extra effort).
Procrastinating on anything until the VERY last minute.
Never being able to finish a project.18 January at 10:14 · Like · 4 -
Lala Loopylou FinchWasmills- The vacant look when some1 is telling u something, could be really serious but its water of a ducks back!!18 January at 10:18 · Like · 4 -
Kassandra Toney – The sheer & utter panic of having your carefully planned (and written) routine interrupted at work, and the hours (or days) that it takes to back on track.18 January at 10:19 · Like · 2 -
Cathy Mahar Ristow- Having Hypersensitive sense of smell, Hearing & touch on my skin18 January at 10:19 · Like · 4 -
Kassandra Toney- Omg, yes Cathy, that too!!18 January at 10:22 · Like
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Stacey Middleton-Dahdah- Daaaaaaaydreaming.18 January at 10:23 · Like · 3 -
Sarah Garner- for me the sensory issues that i have learned were related to adhd have been a real eye opener for me because i have struggled with them for most of my life as far back as i can remember,fights with my parents about prickly clothing and cutting the collars and tags out of all my clothes, sense of smell,sound,and hating to be randomly touched i thought i was just a weirdo,and i am !! but i feel alot better knowing im not the only one !!! even if i had to speak to people that are on the other side of the world,ocean,or whatever place they may be at to find out lol ps : sorry for the long script i also hate bulky text so dont you be skipping no lines lol reload………….and read again
xx
18 January at 10:25 · Like · 2 -
Liana Lisowski Boultbee – My quirk is my ability to take a thought and in less then 10.9 seconds transform it in to no less then 8 – 12 separate thoughts, with the last thought being the one I say out loud, leaving those around me bewildered, wondering where in the world that last statement arrived from as it (to them) had absolutely no relevance on our original conversation (but I could map it out for them if they really wanted me to… ..)
18 January at 10:29 · Like · 3 -
Julie Hall – Being a night owl & never really wanting to go to bed; from I was 10yrs old, I never liked going to bed. I’d always try & stay up past bedtime. My adhd symptoms have gotten a bit worse in the past few months partly because I need more sleep, but I HATE having to go to bed early–around 11. I’m a 1am kind of girl. Grrrrr. It’s been the hardest adaptation I’ve had to make…and I still don’t make it, LOL.18 January at 10:29 · Like · 3 -
Jessica Terry- Lol dissorderly knowing where I shoved something then when one of my kids somehow gets ahold of it I place it somewhere else and later freak out cause I can’t find it anymore in the spot I had origonally shoved it lol18 January at 10:32 · Like · 1 -
Jessica Terry – Oh and when I’m in a convo I am looking at everything else but the one I’m talkin to …18 January at 10:34 · Like · 3
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Sandra Studley D’Acci Cardoza- I once had to leave an online group because one of it’s members insisted on typing all in caps, each and every time she posted. It was very distracting and bothersome to me and I’m sure if I had to explain my reasons for leaving to some, they would have found them to be petty!18 January at 10:47 · Like · 1
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Pat Brady – Buying multiple calendars every year to stay organized, and then losing them somewhere in the pile on your desk
18 January at 10:54 · Like · 4 -
Simon Hart- Listening to someone so carefuly to make sure I hear what they say but being so intent on hearing that I completely forget what they’ve actually said! Couple that with my mind frequently wandering off to gawd knows where. People must think I’m a moron!18 January at 10:57 · Like · 5 -
Val Gruen – hyperfocus18 January at 11:05 · Like · 2 -
Ron Woodall- Reading and commenting in here while trying to follow a delicate recipe for breakfast. But I know this time I’ll be able to multi task just the right amount… Ah the kitchens on fire!18 January at 11:06 · Like · 2 -
Angelika Parker- after trying to read all the comments on here and “jumping” back and forth between the lair and this page and then totally forgetting what the question was….oh and starting in the middle of a sentence and never really ending it
18 January at 11:10 · Like · 1 -
Ron Woodall – I do better to pay attention to certain things when I have a bit of a distraction around me or keeping my hands busy.18 January at 11:11 · Like
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Kelly Bakiri- Getting overwhelmed by the mere thought of going to the grocery store.. Oh, And HATING unannounced visitors, ..I mean like to the point that I will shut off the tv and hide…then be irritated the rest of the day because I wish I could be the kind of person that opens the door with a big smile and says Come In!!18 January at 11:23 · Like · 6 -
Ron Woodall- Really? I live for crowds! My favorite day of the year is Black Friday to go out and battle crowds.18 January at 11:35 · Like
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Michelle Hanenberger – my real fun game of putting all license plates and phone n umbers in numerical order …..as they should be!!!!
18 January at 11:36 · Like -
Heather Hurst- The ability to go in a store and know where everything is in seconds. The fact that there are few tv shows I have a real interest in because I don’t have the attention span. The fact that in situations where quick decisions need to be made I do it. I can’t stand wafflers!!18 January at 11:42 · Like · 3 -
Tiffany Eisenman – My ups and downs of life and … how one minute i can be so insanely passionate about something, investing time, money, and energy (that is already scarce) only to feel nothing for it the next moment because something”better” piqued my interest! Oh and my self-hating guilt complex!18 January at 11:46 · Like · 4 -
Bec Hine – Sorry everyone but I’m cracking up here! I thought all of this stuff was ‘just me’. I was only dx in October 2011 and despite my son being ADHD, I’m a bit of an ADHD/ADD virgin when it comes to all the ‘ADD-ons’ it has!My biggest quirk…. Getting my super speed conversation up to rant level and then completely forgetting the point I was going to make. I must seem like a total muppet to most!18 January at 12:02 · Like · 5 -
Dave Turis- How about when I go outside and you continuously lock me out. Even if I go check for the mail and you know I am outside you have to lock the door. That has to be an ADHD/add trait.18 January at 12:04 · Like · 5 -
Tiffany Eisenman – add = (A)vid (D)ay (D)reamer! … never new all of my school daydreaming was ADD/ADHD … and my racing thoughts. People always viewed me as a thinker!18 January at 12:26 · Like · 2
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Lily D’Shrink Spry- Restless leg syndrome. Never realised it was part of ADHD :/18 January at 12:35 · Like · 1 -
Eric Graziano- Forgetting absolutely everything Dena tells me after the phrase, “Okay, now don’t forget, you have to…”18 January at 12:36 · Like -
Eric Graziano- The inability to block outside sounds, like the humming of florescent lights or crappy music or that mischievous voice in my head…18 January at 12:40 · Like · 6
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Eric Graziano – Having to get all three stars on Angry birds before advancing to the next levels18 January at 12:51 · Like · 1
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Crystal Powe – I didn’t know that my sensitivity to smell was ADD associated nor did I know that my intuition was associated either.18 January at 12:55 · Like · 5 -
Hal Lewis- Strong intuition about people and situations that usually end up being right : ability to hyperfocus or getting into “the zone” in SOME situations: the whole impulse control and act before thinking thing: and to a smaller degree the constant and never ending ability to misplace things like car keys, wallet, phone and at the worst possible time- papers and forms I need for work.18 January at 13:12 · Like · 3 -
Cajun CheshireHyper-focus, “the zone”, hyper-sensitivity (touch and taste for me), and the ability to catch micro-expressions in conversations that are happening across a room, on TV, or during a conversation. (though, I have heard that ADDers usually arent good at that!? Well I am.
18 January at 13:38 · Like -
Eric Graziano- In business, I excel in pure mayhem and psychoticness but lack focus when it’s just me.18 January at 13:49 · Like
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Miguel Angel Anaya – The “day dreaming”, the 24/7 static noise in my head, and the impulsive side..among others..18 January at 15:14 · Like · 1 -
Jeannine Stanley – I’ve worn my socks inside out since I was a kid and gotten car sick when people have air fresheners and written everything down for years since I was younger…30 years old and only got diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive) last year!18 January at 15:45 · Like · 1 -
Lyn Morgan - I never realized my hermit type behavior and excessive talking were both an ADHD thing.I don’t dislike being around people, I enjoy their company, it’s just sooo much easier to do stuff on my own. There is way too much effort involved in actually “going out” to visit people and something as simple as taking turns in a conversation can become too much to deal with without appearing rude… even more when you really care about what the other person is saying!19 January at 02:30 · Like · 1 -
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Sandra Contreras- I have to say the sensitivity to touch and sounds and excessive daydreaming were the symptoms that possibly lead me to believe that I had adhd. After I was officially diagnosed, I now had my a-ha moment when I finally realized that I only liked to wear clothing made from certain material (polyester, nylon), clothing that felt soft to my skin, nothing too heavy, even in the winter I can’t stand layers and layers of clothing lol!19 January at 09:08 · Like · 1
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Sandra Contreras- Also, I don’t think I’m autistic, but I can relate to Temple Grandin when she says that she thinks in pictures. I am a very visual thinker, and even though I am more productive when I daydream as an adult vs when I was younger,I don’t think I would ever want to get “rid of” my creativity that has always helped me when I think in pictures. I don’t ever want to really grow up
19 January at 09:11 · Like · 1
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Amr Tyler - college failure
searching for my stuff for hours every day
low blood sugar
sleep walking ( i think its relavent somehow ! )
chaos chaos chaos
not having the normal ability of memorizing words or articles that i dont quite understand
always wanting to jump over anything that i think i can jump over
thinking in mathematics, chess and video games in a very different way than most of ppl do !
staying up for days ( non stop )
talkative lol !
having non ordinary solutions for anything that goes wrong for example i used a tin can of pepsi’s cap to fix my friend’s glasses arm and i put it in a way that can the same expanding function of the original arm
DRIVING LIKE CRAZY FAST .. and btw it was always relaxing for me to drive fast !19 January at 13:35 · Like · 1 -
Kiyoko DuLac – Not being able to sleep because you can’t shut your brain off!
-I can walk into a public restroom and have no idea whether to go right or left when I walk back out. I also get instantly nervous when I have to find the front door of a business/restaurant, etc. that I’ve never visited before. The push/pull issue comes up when I finally locate the door and head that way.
-Not being able to be on a schedule is super frustrating. After becoming a stay at home mom, I thought I’d get more done around the house. NOT SO. Even though as a general rule I don’t like meds, I’m thinking I want to try something.
-I don’t mean to but, I cut people (mostly my husband & kids) off in mid conversation when talking. I don’t mean to answer the question before you are finished asking it. Now I work really hard at not doing it, but sometimes while taking to my husband I raise my hand and ask “can I say something please”. That’s better than cutting him off in my mind and I say it with a big cheesy smile
-Good note. I do that sometimes too. Or the other extreme where I can’t stay focused on what the other person is saying and change the subject completely
-I do that too!! Just get off track. Then I will add my comment sorry ADD moment there. Then there are those days my mind works faster and the words just come out. Or if someone asks me something sometimes I have to let the person know I need a minute to process the question. ….. Right now I am enjoying the nothing, no one home to talk to. Hubby at work, kids back to school. Not even getting the phone =
-Before I began taking medication, I suffered greatly from what a friend of mine calls “shotgun talking” — shotgun talking is when you have one things that you really want to say, but you end up saying a lot of other things along with it. Think about it — when you shoot a shotgun, you are likely to hit the target; but you usually end up hitting many other things as well.
-Thanks! Rabbit trails are my specialty!
May I ask which med helps you? I tried the old school amphetamine. But it was not good for me.
-I’m not sure if you’re asking XXX or myself, so I’ll just go ahead and answer! Haha. I currently take a newer medication called Vyvanse and it has helped me in more ways than I can currently think of! I was extremely opposed to medication for a very long time; however, after I began to really recognize the broad range of things that were being affected by my ADD, I decided I would try it for two weeks and then decide whether or not to continue taking it.
The first day I took it, I was supposed to pack because I was moving across town. Normally, this would have taken me anywhere from six hours to a few days, but, because of the medication, I was able to get it done in less than two hours.
As I said before, I was very opposed to being medicated for a long time; now I don’t leave my house unless I have taken my pill!
(This post is a perfect example of shotgun talking. Haha. I’m sorry!)
-Sensitivity to touch and smell. I wasn’t aware that that was part of ADD.
-I can nod and hmm-mmmm with every comment here from beginning to end! And yes, if I’m taking my meds all the time they aren’t nearly as good. I’ve chosen to take mine just when I really need them now – works great for me though non-med days can be a real mess 
OK so here’s something I noticed, though I’m having trouble finding the words for it – let’s say I’m sitting here at the computer and I think of something I have to do, I will get up and leave the room and either completely forget what it was, or actively chose something else to do – I hardly ever end up doing what I intended on doing. Might not sound like much but it means that the top priority things generally get put off.
I do it all the time too – even if it’s just getting up to make a cup of tea, I might even get as far as putting the kettle on but past that I’ve changed tracks and will be found folding washing or something. Most annoying if someone is waiting for me to get back to a movie or a conversation I was having with them…
-The worst for me is when I go to the kitchen to get something to drink, forget why I am there and end up doing something else and then end up super thirsty later! I hate that!!
-I must rely on a GPS even when driving to places that I go to frequently. I will forget what exit to take, and when going home I forget if I am supposed to go north, south, east or west to get home or back to my office. I will often not know which way to turn at the top of the exit ramp. I know my co-workers think I am weird for using a GPS just to get to the office every day!
-I can be really impulsive and emotional, even when I don’t intend to be. I’ve often been accused of acting immaturely, and it was somewhat of a relief to realize it had to do with my AD(H)D. I had an explanation! I’m not immature, dang it! haha.
-All of the above plus a few more. I love my GPS, can’t leave home without it.
-Wow! It is so good to not feel alone in my ADD. We all have similar quirks/issues. I’m only recently diagnosed and still a bit emotional about struggling through life for so long. Feeling like a failure. Being depressed.
-So what you are saying is I need to drink more and it will all be ok, will do LOL ! I was thinking that was the case with my meds. Just not a big fan upping the dose. I worry about the side effects and how it will react with me. A lot things seem to go hand in hand with AD(H)D. To me there is this yo-yo effect. Up days good a high that things get done. Down days bad. The list you wanted to get down, well you lost it. The high hope of finishing something go out the window and that feeling starts to take hold. And before you know it depression sets in….. I hear everything everyone is saying. I am the person at Walmart in the check out line that if you are to close to me my skin starts to crawl. If you know what I mean about personal space. I call it my bubble. There are times at Walmart I really need cereal but walk down the aisle to get it, way to many people. Noise is another one. I have to tune people out. Again Walmart is a good place for this. I really don’t want to hear your conversation. …I think I have your “shootgun taking” down very well here at this moment =) ADHD has so many factors, it is like a puzzle you have all the pieces you just can’t make them fit. One thing I am happy for is meeting other peole who can it from our point of view. We may not share all the quirks/issues but we understand each others’.
-We use chairs, dressers and curtain rods as our closets. We need our stuff to be visible and real closets just don’t cut it. They’re better used as storage for things we never look at.
-We like to make piles instead of files. We need to be able to see what we have. Out of sight out of mind.
-I read all of the comments above, and see myself in pretty much all of them, except the clutter issue. I also have OCD, which my doc tells me is actually a result of ADHD, so my house is either a full-on disaster (because if I let it go it becomes overwhelming to get started), or I am assy about clearing counters, tables, floors, dressers, etc. I don’t like a lot of knick-knacks because it overwhelms my senses. I like my environment streamlined, so that I feel like I have some kind of control over something.
I was not aware that my don’t-get-too-close-to-me thing was an ADD issue. As much as I love my mom and my stepson, I don’t want to sit next to them on the couch to watch TV. It makes me nervous. I thought I was just a bitch. The only person I want to touch me or be physically close to me is my husband.
I am a stay at home mom and housewife now. Which means I have no structure that isn’t self-imposed, which is a big laugh. I get defensive at my husband’s efforts to help keep me on track, because it feels like I’m being treated like a child. I cannot take Adderall anymore because of high blood pressure, and it was contributing to my anxiety, anyway.
For the most part, we laugh about it, but it has been an issue in our marriage a couple of times because of my inability to focus on and finish anything, and becoming overwhelmed. Not because my husband doesn’t understand, but because he thinks it’s really as simple as making charts and lists and using willpower to overcome it. I get depressed a lot because I feel directionless and purposeless. When I was working, I was very good at what I did because ADHD was a beneficial quality in a workplace where you must multitask, and where you are contained in a small space (cubicle), and you have STRUCTURE. You have specific hours to follow, you have rules, less distraction, etc. At home, there’s no one here with me, the house is quiet, and procrastination is my WORST enemy. I know if I would just get started…well, any of you can finish that sentence.
I don’t feel cute and quirky a lot of the time. I feel like a spastic airhead that is rude and monopolizes conversations and makes me and the people around me feel frustrated a great deal of the time. I get accused of being depressed, or lazy, or wasting time, or poor time management…of course I have poor time management! Hello? I always seem to feel like I am letting someone down. And it doesn’t help that I don’t even like to do housework. I hate cleaning. I realize this is probably somewhat normal, but most people who hate cleaning still manage to get it done without it being a big production or having to make a gosh-damn CHORE CHART for the fridge, for God’s sake!
And then there’s the baby thing. I tell my husband I am undecided. The truth is, I’m terrified that I would be this crazy, emotional, forgetful, obsessive-compulsive person that would probably be completely overwhelmed trying to take care of a baby, a home, and a husband. And it scares me to death.
So, I love reading this site. Because when I read about all of your and the other ADHDers out there and their misadventures, for a brief time it makes me feel better. It makes me laugh about my quirks. And for a little while I don’t want to cry.
-And then I second-guessed myself for posting such a long post. And deleted it. And then put it
-I relate to almost everything you posted. Life is too freaking hard sometimes. And I totally understand about the baby indecision. My son is 8 and was diagnosed last year. What do kids with add need? STRUCTURE. What do I not have? Structure. I’m so frustrated right now with home and school. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband. That’s probably because he has some issues too. He just hasn’t been tested. He has anxiety, introversion, ocd and possibly aspbergers syndrome. He’s very mellow which offsets my bouts of bitchiness. Although sometimes I’ve even pissed him off. I’m rambling but hopefully on this we are gracious with each other. I have another question re meds. Has anyone reading this tried herbal remedies? Dr. Amen has some and of course there are a bazillion others to choose from. Then I’m overwhelmed again. And moody when non add people think this is funny. I’m trying to be patient with them but it’s becoming a struggle. I thought about redoing this note but don’t have the energy.
-Rambling is my middle name. It’s funny, isn’t it, that we are ramblers.
I’m afraid to mess with herbal remedies, they are not regulated by doctors or the FDA, and some of them can have truly harmful side effects, especially if you are taking other medicine. Not that there is inherently anything wrong with it, but look at marijuana…it is just a plant, too, you know?
My husband is a wonderful man, and tries really hard to be understanding. But unless you are in another person’s head and feeling what they are feeling or thinking what they are thinking, it’s hard to really, really get it. I love him for trying so hard to help, though.
-Oh, and the chore chart has helped…I just wish I didn’t need it.
- I have to laugh because as I was reading your post and working very hard to read through it and not have my mind go some place else I yelled at my daughter as she kept on talking and talking and talking and she still is. Did I mention she is 15 ADD and not on meds OH YA love that kid. Put the two of us in an room and you have a world wind. But beside all that I love how you put it out there, nothing wrong with that at all. I get alot of what you are saying. The in’s the out’s the up’s and down’s only we can get it. As one of my doctors put it what I (we) have is invisible. It would be different if we had a cast on our arm and could explain why we can’t do something. But with ADHD it is very different. Our stuff does not show that way. It shows with the mail that I cant be put away or the fact I am never on time and a clock means nothing to me. It shows in the way I think and act. Structure what is that? Funny thing is I have to teach it to my kids and I can’t do it myself, and my kids know that. I get the stay at home mom part but my kids are 15 and 12 so why am I still at home. I will tell you when we moved 4 years ago we moved to a place where there are not a lot of jobs or I will have to drive 45 for one and not worth the pay… So here I am just about most days. Yoga pants are my best friend now and days. Where as a few years back I did get dress for work and felt cute. My life ran better because of the structure I had but leave me to myself and watch out you never know what can happen. …. My husband gets it and at time does not get it… yes love if only you telling me to do something worked I would have done that a long time ago or really why didn’t I think of that, really if you use a pot for cooking you should wash it right away and it will get clean who the hell knew… Like I ment to leave the pot there and let something fuzzy grow in it, even though I see it every day and walk by it every day. As for being depressed I already know that part about me and I can feel it coming on. So I ride with the highs and try not to get to upset with the low’s. Stefanie you are right if only it was that easy. I used to have tolerance but it is all gone now. Tired of working to “mask” what I am about or tired of trying to be normal, my tolerance is gone…..Like at Dunkin Donuts today, the noise of this person who would not blow their nose was just getting to me. I gave them a tissue and told them to blow their nose. Thank goodness my friend knows me very well and as we walked out we both laughed and she made the comment ” only you” and we laughed harder. ……. Like my doctor put it, it is invisible. … to all the other on this site we see each others invisible.
-Thanks for the response. I felt weird at first that I was posting a “pity party,” but that’s not really it. I don’t want to lean on ADHD as an excuse not to try, I just wish that things that should be simple weren’t so hard sometimes. I desperately want to be one of those women whose houses sparkle, because truly, I have plenty of time to do it.
I will probably be going back to work after the first of the year, if I can find a job in this economy. In the meantime, me and my newly created chore list, along with my other lists, will work together to try to keep it all straight.
yes….why is it so hard for them to understand that I NEED the ENTIRE house to myself…LOL….not just a room and shut the door…like I guess an unshiney chicken could do!
I am a much better, happier, pleasant person to be around when I get enough of me time. Being a military wife for 25 years I have had many different friends and none of them could understand how I enjoyed my alone/quiet time. Why I didn’t want to go and hang out at their house or the mall. I think that is why I have been able to be married as long as I have with all of my husbands deployment, I am very self sufficient!~
April 1st, 2012 at 10:25 am
Amr Tyler, I have always done mathematical equations different from everyone else, when I was younger I always scored vey high, top 99% in all the state exams, (let me add this was only in math, I was abovve average for everything else with the exception of comprehension which was well below average) despite this I always had problems in math classes because I never used to accepted methods taught by my teachers, I would get the answer right and show my work, and because my teachers couldn’t understand or follow my work it was counted wrong and I was frequently accused of cheating.
I never realized sensory processing had anything to do with ADHD, tags and sock seems have always been my enemies. And I have an overdeveloped sense of smell, the smell of broccoli and kale amke me want to vomit and I am always the first to know when somebody cuts the cheese, left a lot of room for teasing growing up, the smellers the feller and all. LOL
My mood tends to change to match the mood of my present company, frequently it is a drastic change, I seem to be able to feel my companies emotions and take them on myself. I always thought that was one of my pesonal oddities, that I was just too emotional. Never knew that could be attibuted to ADHD, maybe I am not a drama queen after all