I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.

Too lazy to get up...what is WRONG with me? This can't possibly be ADD, this is pure lazy habit acting up! :D

I do the same thing!! I procrastinate using the bathroom, I procrastinate taking a shower, going to bed... nothing ever gets done with me! *nothing*

~Katy

lol

Ditto.

Ok I've procrastinating using the bathroom since I got home 40 minutes ago... I think I am going to get up and go now!!! Before I wet myself

~Katy

We can't see the value to us of doing something in the future, even having a pee, so we choose what we prefer (is more interesting) to do now instead. Until the need becomes immediate/urgent in which case we respond.

Our lovely executive functions are half asleep on looking after out future...

Yup, often I stay up procrastinating for hours because I don't feel I have the energy to get up, wash my face, brush my teeth, and get pajamas on. It's stupid.

Yup, often I stay up procrastinating for hours because I don't feel I have the energy to get up, wash my face, brush my teeth, and get pajamas on. It's stupid.

Haha oh dear. It really does turn into hours! 'I know if I just go have a shower now and get ready for bed then I can relax for a lot longer but instead I'll just sit here and think about/do/watch absolutely sweet fa until the very last minute then get really angry about having to do it then wonder why I didn't just do it in the first place then make mental note to remember all this tomorrow night then immediately forget mental note.'

There is no way to 'reasonably' explain to anyone just how much mental energy it takes to JUST DO IT!

It took 6 hours to get a drink of water once because thought would combine it with getting up to go to bathroom which turned into drink/bathroom/ciggie break combo which then meant 3x as much effort required!

Yep, I sometimes spend an hour planning to do something that takes about five minutes!

Yep, I sometimes spend an hour planning to do something that takes about five minutes!

Ditto. And more! I have noticed two types of circumstances when I find myself in such situations:

a) I am supposed to get ready and leave the house to catch the bus and go, for instance; instead of getting ready to leave on time--and maybe just sit down and wait in peace for a few minutes--I dawdle and dawdle, and when the "bus time" nears, I freak out and run around like crazy--creating stimulation for myself perhaps?

b) I know I need to go brush my teeth or take a shower or even go to the bathroom, and yet I stall for no apparent reason; as opposed to the previous example, this one does not create any stimulation in me, so what's the deal?

Unfortunately, the procrastination has spilled over all of the areas of my life, both those basic and those "bigger" ones, but what's even worse than that--if anything can be any worse at all--I can observe myself NOT doing what I am supposed to, and oftentimes I find no stimulating "alternatives," which ends up producing pure and simple anxiety. My professional and personal life, my emotions, and anything else I can think of has become highly affected by the PROCRASTINATION! Is there anyone out there who could teach me to "concrastinate" for a change, please :confused:

I am so glad that other people experience this. I view my inability to complete even the simplist, basic things a major problem for me. I procrastinate everything. I was serching to figure out what kind of mental problem might be behind this, I am so glad that other people do this too. Sence it might be the ADHD, what can we do to combat it?

I am so glad that other people experience this. I view my inability to complete even the simplist, basic things a major problem for me. I procrastinate everything. I was serching to figure out what kind of mental problem might be behind this, I am so glad that other people do this too. Sence it might be the ADHD, what can we do to combat it?

Crispy tasks. That's pretty much the only way I can deal with doing things:

1. Define what you want to do clearly, in a sentence
2. Decide on the next physical action you have to take

Clarity is the key to action for people with ADHD. We tend to gloss over what really needs to happen and then negate it on an emotional level. Talking yourself through the above steps forces the ADHD part of your brain to stare logic in the face, defeating the overly-simplistic emotional-response approach we are mentally programmed to take. You'll find that after you define clearly what it REALLY is that you want to do and decide on the very next physical action to make it happen, that will GIVE you motivation to do it. It's weird, but it's how we work. Try it :)

For example, my mental conversation on ADHD:

"I need to brush my teeth. Too hard. Ignore."

With a Crispy Task:

"I need to brush my teeth. Too hard. Ign- wait, I need to make this crispy to make it happen. Okay, I want to brush and floss my teeth in the bathroom so that my mouth is clean and I can get ready for bed. The very next physical action I need to take to make this happen is to walk to the bathroom. Wait, that's it?" *gets up and walks to the bathroom*

Your ADHD will control you unless you use a trick like this to manage it :)

I often put off going pee. Usually it's because I'm either to lazy or I'm in hardcore ADHD mode, where I'm thinking of everything but my bladder being full, therefore it isn't bothering me until my mind slows down. Then I do the pee-pee dance all the way to the bathroom.

With a Crispy Task:

"I need to brush my teeth. Too hard. Ign- wait, I need to make this crispy to make it happen. Okay, I want to brush and floss my teeth in the bathroom so that my mouth is clean and I can get ready for bed. The very next physical action I need to take to make this happen is to walk to the bathroom. Wait, that's it?" *gets up and walks to the bathroom*

Your ADHD will control you unless you use a trick like this to manage it :)

This works REALLY well sometimes, but still only either if hyperfocus kicks in, or if I start doing it on 'automatic' - that is, I mindlessly do it while I daydream.

But let's say brushing my teeth. It can take me twenty minutes or more because:

1. CRISPY TASK: I go to the bathroom.
2. I stare at the mirror for awhile.
3. CRISPY TASK: I pick up the toothpaste and toothbrush.
4. I put them down because I decide to fold a bath towel.
5. CRISPY TASK: I begin brushing my teeth. This is too boring, so
6. I walk to the kitchen, prepare myself a drink, and then walk back to the bathroom, still brushing.
7. CRISPY TASK: Rinse.
8. Smile at mirror.
9. Think about flossing.
10. CRISPY TASK: Take out floss.
11. Leave to get the drink I poured earlier.
12. Forget to floss.

I could go on and on... :D

I tend to walk around the house while brushing my teeth. Sometimes I can even do other things simultaneously. It's paranoid! Why not simply stand in the bathroom and brush my teeth? However, I've noticed an odd trick (please don't laugh here): If I plug my ears, I can brush my teeth in the bathroom without walking around doing other things. With my ears plugged, I somehow focus better as if that stopped the thought flow in my head. Bizarre! :eek:

It's been hot here since sunday - every night, I think, now if I took a cool shower around 10, relaxed by the open window and got to bed around 11:00 I may sleep fairly well...
so what have I done? taken the shower at 11:30/midnight which wakes me up and I have gotten only 5 hours sleep each night all week. I look and feel like an absolute wreck.

I have been procrastinating going to the toilet for about half an hour. Guess it is time to go:p

I have been procrastinating going to the toilet for about half an hour. Guess it is time to go:p

This is one of those awkward moments when commitment and asking others for help might create an issue :eek:

I love all of you.. I do this so much... I don't wear contacts because of the "hassle" of taking them out at night..

but I put off showering, cleaning, everything, emptying the trash.. it's awful because I'll wake up dirty, and say "ok, I need to go to the store" and realize it involves showering, washing & drying my hair, and general grooming and most of the time, before it's noon I know I'm not leaving this apartment. I put off peeing, although I do sometimes forget, but everything. once it seems like something I "have" to do, it's near impossible to get it done.

Then yesterday I showered, rented a car for grocery shopping (this takes 5 hours as I drive all over creation to several stores), took out the trash AND washed three loads of clothes. It's so sad, but I felt like Sparticus for getting everything done. Like, really.. for me, it was amazing.. I realize now I didn't think too much of it, I just did it.

I had never even thought about this until I read your post. I, too, tend to put off going to the bathroom until it is URGENT. Also, if I don't have anything important to do and am in the house all day, sometimes I'll even forget to brush my teeth. I mean to, but it doesn't seem important at the moment, so I forget.

Also, my house never gets cleaned very well until someone is coming over--then I go into panic mode... but I still have trouble cleaning and organizing because all I see is the filthy big picture, and have trouble breaking it into small tasks. In my mind I know how clean I want the apartment to look, but I have no idea of how to get it there.

I sometimes feel that I fail at life, but then I come here and realize, hey, these people do it too--I'm not the only one... I don't fail! (I don't necessarily win, but, you know...)

Yes, failure is a huge word, so it sounds rather serious, but truth of the matter is people do all sorts of weird things. The essential thing is not to let it control you. I know it can feel like a huge burden. I sometimes give in myself, but it is what it is. What can we do? The real relief comes when I become aware of its presence because then I can simply let that thought float away. In fact, I guess that's the biggest difference between people with specified, pronounced disorders and those others who don't necessarily have them: we tend to cling to the thought of being "possessed" by a higher power while others simply do silly things and don't even give a damn about it, just move on. Maybe the real deal is to learn to treat our mishaps with more compassion?

So... it's 10 at night... and I have not yet had dinner... I didn't know what I wanted... and then I forgot to figure it out... so I still haven't eaten yet! Oh well, figured it out now! Hot dog!

~Katy

Yes yes yes to everything in every post above.
I procrastinate peeing all day long until I walk in the door and head immediately to the bathroom because I can't hold it any more. My husband has asked me repeatedly if they don't have a bathroom where I work. He doesn't get it.

I procrastinate eating until I'm almost sick.
I procrastinate drinking until I'm dehydrated and starting to have leg cramps.
I procrastinate going to bed until I can't hold my eyelids open any more.
I can be hot or cold in a room and still procrastinate adjusting the thermostat.
I procrastinate putting my in contacts in the morning and taking them out at night.

But let's say brushing my teeth. It can take me twenty minutes or more because:

1. CRISPY TASK: I go to the bathroom.
2. I stare at the mirror for awhile.
3. CRISPY TASK: I pick up the toothpaste and toothbrush.
4. I put them down because I decide to fold a bath towel.
5. CRISPY TASK: I begin brushing my teeth. This is too boring, so
6. I walk to the kitchen, prepare myself a drink, and then walk back to the bathroom, still brushing.
7. CRISPY TASK: Rinse.
8. Smile at mirror.
9. Think about flossing.
10. CRISPY TASK: Take out floss.
11. Leave to get the drink I poured earlier.
12. Forget to floss.

I could go on and on... :D[/quote]

hahahahaha oh this made me lol and then lol a bit more since i'm trying ot do this right now and it's not working

i should so go to bed but it's so far away ...even though i live in a studio =/

This works REALLY well sometimes, but still only either if hyperfocus kicks in, or if I start doing it on 'automatic' - that is, I mindlessly do it while I daydream.

Ah, I can see two issues here:

1. If we allow ourselves to *think* about what we're doing, that opens the mind up for distraction. If we're doing it on *automatic*, we can either "just do it", or daydream. Hmm, an ADD plan for success - pick a task, start doing it, shift brain into automatic mode? :D

2. There's a depression aspect that is comorbid in a lot of people with ADD, including me. I sometimes start getting all existential and it halts progress - *why* should I brush my teeth? Does it even matter? Or if it's a heavy depression day, I just can't bring myself to do it. I can stand there with a toothbrush in my hand just fighting myself to work up the energy and willpower to make it happen. Terrible haha.

This works REALLY well sometimes, but still only either if hyperfocus kicks in, or if I start doing it on 'automatic' - that is, I mindlessly do it while I daydream.

But let's say brushing my teeth. It can take me twenty minutes or more because:

1. CRISPY TASK: I go to the bathroom.
2. I stare at the mirror for awhile.
3. CRISPY TASK: I pick up the toothpaste and toothbrush.
4. I put them down because I decide to fold a bath towel.
5. CRISPY TASK: I begin brushing my teeth. This is too boring, so
6. I walk to the kitchen, prepare myself a drink, and then walk back to the bathroom, still brushing.
7. CRISPY TASK: Rinse.
8. Smile at mirror.
9. Think about flossing.
10. CRISPY TASK: Take out floss.
11. Leave to get the drink I poured earlier.
12. Forget to floss.

I could go on and on... :D



I am cracking up over here! It's funny because that sounds like me at times. I notice it most when I'm trying to clean up my home. I never finish one task. I move from room to room doing little bits at a time. It usually goes like this........ I decide to clean up the livingroom. I pick up something that belongs in my baby's room, so I walk in there and put it away. Then I see some things that need attention in my son's room, so I stay in there for a good half hour and realize I was originally supposed to clean the livingroom. So I go back in there for a while and see something that belongs in the kitchen... and the process repeats itself. What should only take me 20-25 minutes to do, ends up taking hours.

I love all of you.. I do this so much... I don't wear contacts because of the "hassle" of taking them out at night..

but I put off showering, cleaning, everything, emptying the trash.. it's awful because I'll wake up dirty, and say "ok, I need to go to the store" and realize it involves showering, washing & drying my hair, and general grooming and most of the time, before it's noon I know I'm not leaving this apartment. I put off peeing, although I do sometimes forget, but everything. once it seems like something I "have" to do, it's near impossible to get it done.

Then yesterday I showered, rented a car for grocery shopping (this takes 5 hours as I drive all over creation to several stores), took out the trash AND washed three loads of clothes. It's so sad, but I felt like Sparticus for getting everything done. Like, really.. for me, it was amazing.. I realize now I didn't think too much of it, I just did it.



Courtney, that's great!!! You SHOULD feel proud of yourself for accomplishing those things. They may seem like easy tasks for someone without ADD, but for people with ADD it's very difficult. Just changing garbage bags or sorting laundry can be a challenge. I can relate to you very well. I procrastinate ALL the time. I've done it all my life. I'm 24 and was just diagnosed with ADD. Turns out I've had it since I was a little girl, but was misdiagnosed with depression. When I read your post I thought it could have been something I had written myself. Though I don't procrastinate when I have to pee, I do when I have to shower and brush my teeth and all that jazz. And definitely relate to the statement about going to the store. I'm in that boat today.

But what a good job you did! That's more than I've been able to accomplish lately. I am doing better though! I'm finding out that just getting STARTED is the worst part. If I just DO IT when I think about it, I can usually get it done with very little problems. However, if I don't do it right away, I'll sit there and think about doing it... and think... and think... and the longer I think, the worse the task seems until I get so overwhelmed and stressed that I just don't do it at all.

I just read this thread, mostly because of the title, figuring it has to do with peeing .. I have done the same thing all my life! I'll procrastinate then I'll forget to go then mother nature yells at me and says GO NOW.

But reading through the entire thread made me feel less alone. I do all of these things ... some days are worse than others. I also suffer from depression and it's hitting me hard now, so I totally get Schroeder's "existential" comment.

So the procrastination goes from the less obvious things to the big projects ...
Here's a huge procrastination for me: bought a condo 12 years ago, walls are still white and I do not have "proper" (nice) window treatments. It's been on my list of things to do for .... a couple of years now. And the worst part is that I beat myself over not getting this stuff done.

How about taxes (April 15)? Anyone procrastinate with those?

*Thinks about raising hand to show sentiments of having something in common with you guys, but puts it off...*

Why bother...yes, I do feel that way...Schroedinger thoughts on comorbid depressive disorders fit me to a T...I've was treated in vain for this sometimes borderline, sometimes post borderline depressive pattern for over a decade before I got assessed for ADD.

One thing is my ADD, which is definately not making things easier, but I feel bonetired all the way in and have felt that way forever.
In good times, I'm able to kind of stay afloat and keep up the stubborn struggle against it. Fighting, fighting, fighting, turning my back on it, cover my ears and go LALALALALALALALALALALALALA! ...but it's draining...and I let go for a while, if not because of anything else, then to avoid the actual depression that inevitable starts to tower over me after a while of desperate, angry pushing and struggles and seemingly endless confrontations with my own inadequacy.

I haven't taken a bath in 4-5 days now. I brush my teeth maybe ten or twenty times a year. I put off eating, going to bed, getting up, not eating, bathroom visits...and especially getting out the door. Last fall I fell in my ever olympically cluttered appartment on the way to the toilet in the middle of the night, after putting off peeing for too long...now I have a hip injury that won't go away and puts a damp on one of my last pleasures, dancing...and I keep putting off getting it treated.
What good is this supposedly 'high IQ' I harbour, if it can't keep me from acting *******' retarded?

I am so tired, I feel nauseated by my own pathetic self.
Really; I'm supposed to be a reasonably intelligent human being 'on paper', but what good is my affinity with long words and cognitive analysis if I can't even pull my sorry *** to the grocery store when I'm hungry?

Meh and being bitter and stuff...

But sometimes, seemingly out of the blue, I have days like the one CourtneyLove describes...a day of actually getting a contunuous string of tasks done that other people would consider to be automatic 'living-grown-up-life-tasks' and I feel like you do, Courtney. SPARTA!! Because it's a big deal, it really is. It gives me that glimpse of a new beginning, makes me feel normal, validated, hopeful, ressourceful...

And then it's back to the cold mud and feeling like Sisyphos.

I feel retarted...whenever I venture outside I see people who are not booksmart at all and a lot of them seem like they feel a bit less worthy for not going to college or just finishing highschool, but they're working...they're doing their jobs, they have kids and take care of them with surplus and love, they help their neighbours, the walk their dogs...and while they're sometimes tired and feel overwhelmed when new stuff piles up on them unexpectedly, they go on.
Cooking food, getting groceries, going to the bathroom...it doesn't even seem to enter their minds, that those are tasks that CAN be put off...they're on autopilot!

Some find them to be mindless drones...I don't.
I know they're not. I know and love several of these types, and they're not.
They just "work properly"...I feel defective in comparison.
I live off their money. I envy them so much. Some of them admire what they call my creativity. My intelligence. My humor...so on...I like those sides of me, but I'd trade them in a heartbeat for the ability to pull my own weight.

Not brushing my teeth and feel angry and sorry and disgusted that I don't instead of just *******' doing it those two times a day. Seriously! What's my major malfunction???

[/rant]

Sorry guys, having one of those days.

Being out of meds obviously doesn't help either, hehe...I am still bonetired and feel indifferent deep down, I don't seem to have any genuine motivation in me at all and don't remember when I did, but the meds do shield me from my worst moments of instantaneous despair, self loathing and melodramatical bouts of cynisism.

I meant to call the psych for a new appointment and a new receit for meds, but guess what...yeah, I put it off...gawd, sometimes, no matter in what light I look at my behavioral patterns, I should be dragged behind the barn by some merciful and rational soul and shot... :P

Well, untill that day comes...or until I'm just ready to take up fighting my inner Eyore again again again...

I'll be on the couch, watching Scrubs, Deadwood, True Blood, Carnivale, Bones, whatever marathon on DVDs, keeping away from fora and people, because right now my misery is obviously rancid and maybe infectious, and I really should learn to keep other ppl out of harms way when my bile starts to rise, it's the least I can do.

Yes, a bit late now, but back to procrastinating basic functions for me. ;)

I am the same way, but I have a different take on why I put off doing things like going to the bathroom. When I am doing something at work or at home, I have trains of thought about what I'm doing. If I get interrupted or stop to do something, chances are I will forget that train of thought, get distracted or see something that needs my attention. Either way, when I finally get back to what I am doing I can't get back on that train of thought and sometimes can't even remember why I was doing it the way I was and have to start all over.

I guess it's a long explanation to say that I put off those things so I don't lose my place in my work. Does that fit you?

Yes, inpiper, that makes lots of sense to me. I think that's true of me too, my mind is just to preoccupied to think of my 'basic functions'.
Maybe instead of "holding it in" we should have paper and pen in the bathroom handy! LOL



I am the same way, but I have a different take on why I put off doing things like going to the bathroom. When I am doing something at work or at home, I have trains of thought about what I'm doing. If I get interrupted or stop to do something, chances are I will forget that train of thought, get distracted or see something that needs my attention. Either way, when I finally get back to what I am doing I can't get back on that train of thought and sometimes can't even remember why I was doing it the way I was and have to start all over.

I guess it's a long explanation to say that I put off those things so I don't lose my place in my work. Does that fit you?

I am so very, very glad to be here at these forums, for about the billionth time. It's nice to feel like not quite such a freak every now and then. ;) All of the above is soooo me. My mom used to get SO mad at me about the bathroom thing, back when I was young enough that it'd lead to problems...she never understood why I couldn't be troubled to go when I first felt the need. Actually, neither did I, till I became aware of ADD.

It's a really good thing that my kids are all finally old enough to bathe themselves--even the 5 y/o can do everything herself now and doesn't need any assistance. Because I hated bathing them myself. Honestly I think they averaged 2 baths a week for years, unless something happened (playing hard, got muddy) to make them NEED a bath. Now I can just tell them to go do it and they do it. They don't have the inclination to do it unless I tell them to, though, so I imagine things'll get difficult when they hit the rebellious stage.

I am so very, very glad to be here at these forums, for about the billionth time. It's nice to feel like not quite such a freak every now and then. ;) All of the above is soooo me. My mom used to get SO mad at me about the bathroom thing, back when I was young enough that it'd lead to problems...she never understood why I couldn't be troubled to go when I first felt the need. Actually, neither did I, till I became aware of ADD.

It's a really good thing that my kids are all finally old enough to bathe themselves--even the 5 y/o can do everything herself now and doesn't need any assistance. Because I hated bathing them myself. Honestly I think they averaged 2 baths a week for years, unless something happened (playing hard, got muddy) to make them NEED a bath. Now I can just tell them to go do it and they do it. They don't have the inclination to do it unless I tell them to, though, so I imagine things'll get difficult when they hit the rebellious stage.
That's another thing that I wonder if I'm the only one. Bathing. I don't dislike it and certainly feel better afterwards, but taking a shower is really low on my list of things to do. Fortunately I don't smell bad if I haven't had a shower in two days, (My wife told me so) so it's not a problem. But what the heck, a shower takes all of 10 minutes and yet it seems like there are so many other things I need to be doing.

Me too!!! Some days I just can't be bothered w/showering, but fortunately I don't smell either.

The worst things for me about showering is shampooing my hair and shaving my legs/pits. Sometimes I just can't be bothered -- the hair won't get shampooed (I'll just pull it back into a pony tail) and I'll wear pants...even if it's really too hot out.

There have been times I have seriously considered getting a crew cut & having my legs & pits lasered for hair removal, just so I won't have to bother. :D

Finally got diagnosed last Monday, but so far the med isn't helping -- darnit, gotta be out in public today and I'm sitting here procrastinating about showering & shampooing!! But it's very comforting to know I'm not a freak, so thank you, everyone.

That's another thing that I wonder if I'm the only one. Bathing. I don't dislike it and certainly feel better afterwards, but taking a shower is really low on my list of things to do. Fortunately I don't smell bad if I haven't had a shower in two days, (My wife told me so) so it's not a problem. But what the heck, a shower takes all of 10 minutes and yet it seems like there are so many other things I need to be doing.

those of you that put off going to the bathroom-did you have accidents when you were in school? like kindergarden/first grade? I have a theory that kids with adhd are more likely to 'train' later simply because there are much more interesting things to do then to go to the potty.....

on shaving. screw it. I don't shave anymore. I wax my armpits (lasts longer and only takes a minute more) and use the spray on melting stuff on my legs (also lasts longer and takes about the same amount of time). What I hate most about washing my hair is how insanely long it takes to dry. using a hair dryer is soooo boring (ah the one place where I won't get "get over that and just blow dry it" as a response :D ) and it will take 6-9 hours to air dry. drives me nuts.

on bathing kids. my 3yo does it herself now. I only have to help her with her hair. and she is great at reminding me at night. she really is a big help. she reminds me that she wants 'warm water and bubbles' and then she tells me she needs a story and pajamas and all I have to really remember is to make her sit on the potty before the pajamas :D

and remember Einstein had a high iq and all of that and he coudln't brush his hair....

using a hair dryer is soooo boring

Ahh I totally relate to that! I can reduce my hair from dripping-wet to only damp-wet within ten minutes of using the hair dryer, but I rather just wash my hair before I go to sleep and let it dry overnight.

When I do force myself to use the hair dryer, I'm very twitchy, finding it ridiculously hard to sit still and do nothing else besides dry my hair. I have to walk around, read a book, surf the net, etc. And even though that makes it take longer to dry my hair, it also makes it bearable.

I find if I have someone wake me up a few hours early in the morning I am actually ready to leave about 1/2 an hour ahead of time and then find myself really bored because I am not running around like crazy last minute trying to get out of the house so I am not late, so I just leave and wind up showing up for my class 1/2 an hour early lol Which I suppose is better than the 1/2 hour late I usually am.

It's good to know -- I guess -- that I have company here on the far side of the apathy curve.

I am waiting for technology to finally be able to read our thoughts. I can visualize what I need to do. I just can't summon the energy to overcome my inertia and do it. Often I find the visualization itself tiring. I experience that quite often with any kind of commuting. Just the thought of a bus ride is enough to stop me in my tracks...

*Thinks about raising hand to show sentiments of having something in common with you guys, but puts it off...*

Why bother...yes, I do feel that way...Schroedinger thoughts on comorbid depressive disorders fit me to a T...I've was treated in vain for this sometimes borderline, sometimes post borderline depressive pattern for over a decade before I got assessed for ADD.

One thing is my ADD, which is definately not making things easier, but I feel bonetired all the way in and have felt that way forever.
In good times, I'm able to kind of stay afloat and keep up the stubborn struggle against it. Fighting, fighting, fighting, turning my back on it, cover my ears and go LALALALALALALALALALALALALA! ...but it's draining...and I let go for a while, if not because of anything else, then to avoid the actual depression that inevitable starts to tower over me after a while of desperate, angry pushing and struggles and seemingly endless confrontations with my own inadequacy.

I haven't taken a bath in 4-5 days now. I brush my teeth maybe ten or twenty times a year. I put off eating, going to bed, getting up, not eating, bathroom visits...and especially getting out the door. Last fall I fell in my ever olympically cluttered appartment on the way to the toilet in the middle of the night, after putting off peeing for too long...now I have a hip injury that won't go away and puts a damp on one of my last pleasures, dancing...and I keep putting off getting it treated.
What good is this supposedly 'high IQ' I harbour, if it can't keep me from acting *******' retarded?

I am so tired, I feel nauseated by my own pathetic self.
Really; I'm supposed to be a reasonably intelligent human being 'on paper', but what good is my affinity with long words and cognitive analysis if I can't even pull my sorry *** to the grocery store when I'm hungry?

Meh and being bitter and stuff...

But sometimes, seemingly out of the blue, I have days like the one CourtneyLove describes...a day of actually getting a contunuous string of tasks done that other people would consider to be automatic 'living-grown-up-life-tasks' and I feel like you do, Courtney. SPARTA!! Because it's a big deal, it really is. It gives me that glimpse of a new beginning, makes me feel normal, validated, hopeful, ressourceful...

And then it's back to the cold mud and feeling like Sisyphos.

I feel retarted...whenever I venture outside I see people who are not booksmart at all and a lot of them seem like they feel a bit less worthy for not going to college or just finishing highschool, but they're working...they're doing their jobs, they have kids and take care of them with surplus and love, they help their neighbours, the walk their dogs...and while they're sometimes tired and feel overwhelmed when new stuff piles up on them unexpectedly, they go on.
Cooking food, getting groceries, going to the bathroom...it doesn't even seem to enter their minds, that those are tasks that CAN be put off...they're on autopilot!

Some find them to be mindless drones...I don't.
I know they're not. I know and love several of these types, and they're not.
They just "work properly"...I feel defective in comparison.
I live off their money. I envy them so much. Some of them admire what they call my creativity. My intelligence. My humor...so on...I like those sides of me, but I'd trade them in a heartbeat for the ability to pull my own weight.

Not brushing my teeth and feel angry and sorry and disgusted that I don't instead of just *******' doing it those two times a day. Seriously! What's my major malfunction???

[/rant]

Sorry guys, having one of those days.

Being out of meds obviously doesn't help either, hehe...I am still bonetired and feel indifferent deep down, I don't seem to have any genuine motivation in me at all and don't remember when I did, but the meds do shield me from my worst moments of instantaneous despair, self loathing and melodramatical bouts of cynisism.

I meant to call the psych for a new appointment and a new receit for meds, but guess what...yeah, I put it off...gawd, sometimes, no matter in what light I look at my behavioral patterns, I should be dragged behind the barn by some merciful and rational soul and shot... :P

Well, untill that day comes...or until I'm just ready to take up fighting my inner Eyore again again again...

I'll be on the couch, watching Scrubs, Deadwood, True Blood, Carnivale, Bones, whatever marathon on DVDs, keeping away from fora and people, because right now my misery is obviously rancid and maybe infectious, and I really should learn to keep other ppl out of harms way when my bile starts to rise, it's the least I can do.

Yes, a bit late now, but back to procrastinating basic functions for me. ;)

i can relate

I just can't summon the energy to overcome my inertia and do it.

Man, I think this sums me up most of the time real nicely. Can't take that first step because it requires too much energy, haha.

Lol. I'm hot. Being hot makes me sluggish. I'm sitting in a room with an air conditioner in it. All I have to do is get up, walk ten steps, and turn it on. Sooo devastatingly simple.

But for the last 45 minutes, I've just been sitting here thinking, I'm hot. *sigh*

I find if I have someone wake me up a few hours early in the morning I am actually ready to leave about 1/2 an hour ahead of time and then find myself really bored because I am not running around like crazy last minute trying to get out of the house so I am not late, so I just leave and wind up showing up for my class 1/2 an hour early lol Which I suppose is better than the 1/2 hour late I usually am.
I was 1/2 hour early for a drs appointment the other day. I am normally late and the receptionist looked at me funny and said "you know your appt isn't until 10:30 right? I said "yeah, but I am either going to be early or late so here I am" :lol:

I have been forgetting brushing my teeth so often that I am supposed to pay $1600 for the root canal of two teeth and that is after insurance. I feel at home... oops.. I replied to a different post.

Oh Jeez! Now I have nothing to post because there's 42 posts already written all about me. I never realized there are so many people that have the same issues as I have.

Being late or early is something I can relate to as well. I was in the military for nearly 20 years and being late was seriously frowned upon. So now I always try to time it so that I will be at least 15 minutes early. But then the ADD kicks in. Either I forget where I left my wallet, forget to take my meds until I'm out the door or just generally lose track of time. So when I plan to be 15 minutes early, I'm usually right on time or five minutes late and usually without one thing or the other that I needed for the day.:)

That's the point of a self-help forums...

Celebrate Dysfunction!

Oh Jeez! Now I have nothing to post because there's 42 posts already written all about me. I never realized there are so many people that have the same issues as I have.

haha it would prolly take a nuclear war threat to make me get up from bed.

I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.

Too lazy to get up...what is WRONG with me? This can't possibly be ADD, this is pure lazy habit acting up! :D

You know, I don't know if there is such a thing as lazy. I think there are factors that contribute to perceived laziness, but I've met very few people who I've come to know personally as actually "lazy". I think a lot of it has to do with how good you feel...and if you're tired, it's just plain hard to motivate yourself to do things. I procrastinate using the bathroom, brushing my teeth, taking a shower (big one...I can flush a whole day down the toilet because I never take a shower and "get started" with my day).

I think most of us just live under a haze of sleep deficit for so long that we don't even notice it anymore - we just wonder why we fight ourselves to do basic things like simply "go to the bathroom". I can tell when I'm tired because my mind starts going down rabbit holes, like wondering why I should go to the bathroom now, or contemplating why I'm thinking about doing it, instead of just going and getting it over with like a normal person. I don't have a problem with it when I have the energy, otherwise, it's a fight.

Someone really needs to make magic energy pills.

I've met NT's who were genuinely lazy.

On another note, I must also say that the whole conversation about laziness is itself such an odd construct in the industrial world. I've studied, worked, and lived in a number of countries and continents around the world, but nowhere have I heard more talk about laziness, productivity, and similar issues than in the USA. Don't get me wrong, though; I do believe there are lazy people--I myself sometimes feel super lazy, too--but it's one thing when you spot a lazy person and another when there's excessive cultural debate around this issue. Just my long devalued 2¢ from a slightly different perspective ;)

Not at all surprising. Welcome to America where we apparently are willing to work longer for less -- and when we inevitably stumble we are kicked in the face and told to start marching again. Incredibly we then say "Thank you, I deserved that!"

My $US 0.02

Merry freakin' Christmas.

On another note, I must also say that the whole conversation about laziness is itself such an odd construct in the industrial world. I've studied, worked, and lived in a number of countries and continents around the world, but nowhere have I heard more talk about laziness, productivity, and similar issues than in the USA. Don't get me wrong, though; I do believe there are lazy people--I myself sometimes feel super lazy, too--but it's one thing when you spot a lazy person and another when there's excessive cultural debate around this issue. Just my long devalued 2¢ from a slightly different perspective ;)

I have done probably everything described in this thread to the letter lol. My mail box is in my garage and it usually takes me 2-3 weeks before I check my mail. Today I went into the garage for some other reason and noticed the mail was piling up pretty high. I took one step towards the mail and then changed my mind and got out of there. Now I cant remember why I went into the garage either :)

This why God created high capacity shredders. Just insert the unopened letter from the creditor into the shredder slot. Problem solved!

I have done probably everything described in this thread to the letter lol. My mail box is in my garage and it usually takes me 2-3 weeks before I check my mail. Today I went into the garage for some other reason and noticed the mail was piling up pretty high. I took one step towards the mail and then changed my mind and got out of there. Now I cant remember why I went into the garage either :)

This why God created high capacity shredders. Just insert the unopened letter from the creditor into the shredder slot. Problem solved!

Sounds like how I clean lol. If it doesn't look expensive or important, just throw it away!

I do this all the time. Can't tell you the number of times I've been parked on the couch for HOURS watching TV, and I'm so absorbed in the channel surfing (because we have basic cable, so there is almost NEVER anything good on) that I don't get up to pee. By the time that I finally do I'm so uncomfortable that I walk sort of hunched over.

If that's not Exhibit A in the "Sandy has ADHD" motion, I'd like to know what is!!! :eek:

I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.

Too lazy to get up...what is WRONG with me? This can't possibly be ADD, this is pure lazy habit acting up! :D

I do the exact same thing. Sometimes I'm too lazy to cook dinner, or even get up off the couch to get a bowl and some milk for cereal. :p

Some days I don't even feel like getting in the shower. How's that for lazy?

Bro, I've been putting off cleaning my room for weeks.

I ended up paying my sister 5 dollars to do it. FML haha

Oh my gosh, YES.

Ever since I was a kid. My mom constantly told me, "If you keep holding it you're going to get a bladder infection." My whole extended family still comments on how I would "hold it" for so long. *embarrassed* Haha. For the record, I never got a UTI.

I will put off eating, peeing, etc. for HOURS. It doesn't help that I have really poor "internal awareness" from SPD, so I don't know I have to go to the bathroom until I REALLY REALLY have to go, and I often can't tell if I'm hungry or not. I'll tell my husband, "I gotta [eat/pee/etc.]" and then realize fifteen minutes after I said that I still haven't done so because I IMMEDIATELY got distracted by something. Then I say it again, and ... another fifteen minutes I realize I haven't done so.

And putting off getting ready for bed? FOR HOURS. I just can't muster the motivation/focus to brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. so even though I'm EXHAUSTED, I'll just sit there for hours doing something else. Same with going out, if I have errands. Getting ready, showering, etc. so I'll often leave hours later than I intended. (Rarely late for appointments though, I'm good with deadlines.)

Maybe we should start a competition for the stupidest way to waste time. Here's mine (and I hope to win!):
Yesterday I spent four hours straight trying to figure out how to customize the Reader mode in the browser Safari in my Mac. Since I'm such a crazy perfectionist and aesthetician, I like to have things my way, so I wanted the Reader wider and larger and covering completely the background and bla bla bla (I'll spare you the endless list of my aesthetic expectations), but the only way to change things in it is to open this one file that is written in some IT gibberish (deep apologies to IT folks here). As a result, I started experimenting and changing and shifting things, and at the end of that fourth hour I ended up feeling exhausted and realized that four hours had passed, but the result was far below my expectation, so... (and here's the best part)... I got back to the original settings! Yes! And did I even have to do it all in the first place? Big fat NO because 98% of the time I use Google Chrome anyway, and its Reader is actually very easily customizable. I already customized it the proper (meaning *my*) way a loooong time ago.
Who can beat this? And what's the prize? :)

Bro, I've been putting off cleaning my room for weeks.

I ended up paying my sister 5 dollars to do it. FML haha

Just weeks? I've not cleaned my room for years. My mom will still vacuum where you see carpet, though.

I have done probably everything described in this thread to the letter lol. My mail box is in my garage and it usually takes me 2-3 weeks before I check my mail. Today I went into the garage for some other reason and noticed the mail was piling up pretty high. I took one step towards the mail and then changed my mind and got out of there. Now I cant remember why I went into the garage either :)

Oh my gosh you just reminded me! My new card I ordered because the old one is trashed is in that big pile of mail I just picked up after two months!

i think for me, I procrastinate things like going to the bathroom or even getting food because:

1) I am focusing (or hyper-focusing) on something and so I don't even notice that I need the loo or am hungry because I am focusing so much on what I am doing. This focus level is the hyper-focusing that people talk about and that people with ADHD do because other wise they would just get distracted.

2) I don't want to leave what I am currently doing if I am in the middle of something because it will be an effeort for me to get back into the flow and remember where I left off.

3) ADHD people need stimulation. Things like going to the loo or eating are quite boring and so we put off doing them until we have to.

Jonny

I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.

Too lazy to get up...what is WRONG with me? This can't possibly be ADD, this is pure lazy habit acting up! :D

I totally feel you! I used to be like this.

Ever since I changed my diet, this has been 100 times better. Now, I have to try to get up to clean my room and even that is easier these days. Simple things like checking the mail, bathroom, eating, etc. Things I used to for some reason not be able to do... a synch. When I eat bad diet, it gets very hard again.

- Multivitamins
- LOADS of fiber. Just a high fiber diet! I don't have any research to share about why this is helpful, but it is!
- Increase vegetables. I don't know if it is because I'm eating more vegetables or if it is because I'm eating more fiber.
- Gluten free as much as possible (but if the thing with gluten contains lots of fiber, the fiber requirement trumps the gluten free requirement for me)
- Omega 3s (flaxseed or something)

Just try it. I dare you. Just increase your fiber. I'm talking at least 30g per day.

i think for me, I procrastinate things like going to the bathroom or even getting food because:

1) I am focusing (or hyper-focusing) on something and so I don't even notice that I need the loo or am hungry because I am focusing so much on what I am doing. This focus level is the hyper-focusing that people talk about and that people with ADHD do because other wise they would just get distracted.

2) I don't want to leave what I am currently doing if I am in the middle of something because it will be an effeort for me to get back into the flow and remember where I left off.

3) ADHD people need stimulation. Things like going to the loo or eating are quite boring and so we put off doing them until we have to.

Jonny

1) Happens to me all the time. Heh :)
2) Here's the problem! Once you're DONE with what you're doing... you don't get up to go to the loo. You sit there and continue to the next thing you really wanted to do!! AHH! >_<
3) What I started doing was bringing in my work with me to the loo or having a book I'm HIGHLY interested in. I take with me every time I go. I don't know if that makes me sound weird, but its been highly effective, esp. with my diet goal of 32g of fiber daily.

As for eating, I always stand when I eat. Or walk around as I eat. Its a habit. Maybe its ADD related. The thought of sitting down and eating is like doing yoga to me. I don't want to do it when I think about it, but once I'm actually doing it, I feel calm and peaceful.

I am so happy to discover that these things are not just my personal problems, but related to a disorder.

Thanks, everyone for sharing and making me feel less crazy and "bad" because just taking a shower, getting dressed and putting make-up on (yes, make-up is a must, I can't leave the house without it) is a several-hour long ordeal.

It shouldn't be, but it always turns out that way.

Putting off everything is a life-long pattern. It's hard to break such patterns. Thanks to this forum, all of you, and your insights. I take comfort in them.

I remember when I first got diagnosed, I didn't want to leave the library. *LOL* It just felt so good to be able to focus and retain the information. I almost felt that if I left, I'd never get it back again. Yeah, I'll go so far as to admit it annoyed me to get up to go to the bathroom. Even today when I have my 'good stretches' of focus and concentration, I just don't want to leave.

i am addicted to mt. dew. i will be sitting down and think wow im thirsty i should get something to drink. then i will be annoyed at myself that im not getting up. then finally like an hour or 2 later i will get up and pour myself a cup. i dont know if this is more of the whole hyperfocus thing or just procrastinating, but i wont even get up to feul my addictions!

i am addicted to mt. dew. i will be sitting down and think wow im thirsty i should get something to drink. then i will be annoyed at myself that im not getting up. then finally like an hour or 2 later i will get up and pour myself a cup. i dont know if this is more of the whole hyperfocus thing or just procrastinating, but i wont even get up to feul my addictions!

Sounds to me like maybe in this case your *hyperfocus* is a good thing because it *trumps* your addiction, right? :)

Things I tend to just not do: get out of bed, go to the bathroom, eat/fix meals, shower, change clothes/get dressed, clean, study, respond to messages, go places I planned to.
Because: usually there's no actual reason for it (I just don't do it). Also, a lot of times whatever I'm supposed to be doing doesn't seem very interesting or rewarding to me.

Things I tend to just not do: get out of bed, go to the bathroom, eat/fix meals, shower, change clothes/get dressed, clean, study, respond to messages, go places I planned to.
Because: usually there's no actual reason for it (I just don't do it). Also, a lot of times whatever I'm supposed to be doing doesn't seem very interesting or rewarding to me.

hahaha, couldn't have said it any better myself.

I never thought other people did these as adults until I found this forum. I feel like a little kid when someone asks me if I have to go to the bathroom.

1) Happens to me all the time. Heh :)
2) Here's the problem! Once you're DONE with what you're doing... you don't get up to go to the loo. You sit there and continue to the next thing you really wanted to do!! AHH! >_<
3) What I started doing was bringing in my work with me to the loo or having a book I'm HIGHLY interested in. I take with me every time I go. I don't know if that makes me sound weird, but its been highly effective, esp. with my diet goal of 32g of fiber daily.

As for eating, I always stand when I eat. Or walk around as I eat. Its a habit. Maybe its ADD related. The thought of sitting down and eating is like doing yoga to me. I don't want to do it when I think about it, but once I'm actually doing it, I feel calm and peaceful.

If I'm at home, I will take a book or my laptop in with me to the bathroom and I may only be in there 1 minute but it's something to do.

Eating and standing... hahahaha, I don't know how many times (maybe 50) that people say I'm weird cause I get a plate of food and just start eating wherever I'm standing instead of sitting. Two other ADD relatives of mine do the same thing. People are always telling me to sit down.

Also, I use to choke every day from drinking too fast. Now, it's maybe twice a week.

but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.


I thought I was unique in doing that until a few days ago on a different thread! I guess its normal-ish with us? Or maybe everyone does it but doesn't notice and talk about it like we do.


For me, I'm usually too involved in something else. ie, these forums.

I do the same thing!! I procrastinate using the bathroom, I procrastinate taking a shower, going to bed... nothing ever gets done with me! *nothing*

~Katy

So do I!! I'm laughing and crying at same time..I thought this was only me that does stuff like this!

I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom?? I've needed to use the ladies room for more than an hour now and I just keep putting it off.

Too lazy to get up...what is WRONG with me? This can't possibly be ADD, this is pure lazy habit acting up! :D


So funny reading this! :D I procrastinate using the ladies room so bad that I had cystitis. Some times I almost pee my pants :o

OMG! I had to pee but was so absorbed in reading these forums that I put it off. Finally my drink was empty so I went upstairs to fill it. Decided since I was already up I may as well go to the bathroom. Went to the bathroom and then came back downstairs to my room.... only to realize I left my drink on the kitchen counter.... so back upstairs I went.

Why is that I will go all the way upstairs to get a drink of coffee (decaf at this time of night) but wouldn't get up to go to the bathroom (there is one right next to my bedroom!!).

Like someone else said.... I will spend an hour planning to do something that takes 5 minutes. Is this a sign of ADD or just laziness? I have not been formerly diagnosed as ADD but told I have a "high likelihood" by the psych.

I am cracking up over here! It's funny because that sounds like me at times. I notice it most when I'm trying to clean up my home. I never finish one task. I move from room to room doing little bits at a time. It usually goes like this........ I decide to clean up the livingroom. I pick up something that belongs in my baby's room, so I walk in there and put it away. Then I see some things that need attention in my son's room, so I stay in there for a good half hour and realize I was originally supposed to clean the livingroom. So I go back in there for a while and see something that belongs in the kitchen... and the process repeats itself. What should only take me 20-25 minutes to do, ends up taking hours.

Sorry for the double post but had to comment on this one! I am terrible for this especially since I tend to set things down all over the house. I start cleaning, say the coffee table, and find something that belongs in the bathroom so I go and then start cleaning something in there only to find a glass that belongs in the kitchen sink. So I take that to the kitchen and see my keys on the counter so I take them to the porch etc. etc.

I now have a way that helps deal with this (when I remember to do it). Going back to the "cleaning the coffee table", I make just make piles. Rather than immediately taking the, lets say hairbrush, to the bathroom, I just make a pile of all the things for the bathroom, a pile for anything that goes in the kitchen etc. Once the coffee table is clean, then I take all the "piles" and dump them somewhere in the appropriate room. It does nothing toward getting all the other rooms any cleaner, but hey, at least I finished the coffee table! LOL.

I am cracking up over here! It's funny because that sounds like me at times. I notice it most when I'm trying to clean up my home. I never finish one task. I move from room to room doing little bits at a time. It usually goes like this........ I decide to clean up the livingroom. I pick up something that belongs in my baby's room, so I walk in there and put it away. Then I see some things that need attention in my son's room, so I stay in there for a good half hour and realize I was originally supposed to clean the livingroom. So I go back in there for a while and see something that belongs in the kitchen... and the process repeats itself. What should only take me 20-25 minutes to do, ends up taking hours.

I'm justed stunned...again :p I do exactly the same thing! I'm quite good at cleaning up - but one small project alway grows into big ones. I can't stay on just one task...and so it takes hours :cool: (And that's also why I'm always cranky when I clean the house :o)

I mean, putting off finishing a worksheet is one thing, but putting off going to the bathroom??

I do that daily with self talk... "I'll get this project done first and then I'll go."

It seems completely acceptable to me to exchange my relieving of the fluids for doing something else that does not require me to move the far distance (10 feet lol) to the bathroom.

I do that daily with self talk... "I'll get this project done first and then I'll go."

It seems completely acceptable to me to exchange my relieving of the fluids for doing something else that does not require me to move the far distance (10 feet lol) to the bathroom.


I've turned this into a game. It doesn't help that I have incredible bladder control - I can essentially put off these bodily functions for almost the entire day, which sounds impressive but really impacts my ability to focus after a while. And yet I keep doing it.

Ummmm, sometimes I take my phone (has internet) with me. I use to take my laptop. And if all else fails and I can't grab it - there is magazines.

God forbid I just GO to the bathroom and do nothing else.

Finally! Someone else does the same things! I put off everything, just to do nothing! I even put off taking my Adderall. Sheeesh, thats what its for !!!! UGHHHH

Finally! Someone else does the same things! I put off everything, just to do nothing! I even put off taking my Adderall. Sheeesh, thats what its for !!!! UGHHHH

:)I find myself putting things off for no reason.I have no bladder control & I still will wait to go sometimes I tend to wait until it's almost too late!It's really good to know that I am not the only one who does this.

buddy:)

I've turned this into a game. It doesn't help that I have incredible bladder control - I can essentially put off these bodily functions for almost the entire day, which sounds impressive but really impacts my ability to focus after a while. And yet I keep doing it.

It's scary to know that I'm pretty similar. At a certain point though if you got a car that's not too smooth, it turns into a time sensitive issue otherwise there will be a point where I can no longer hold it. I've never truly experimented to know the limits, but enough to where it gets painful.

It's scary to know that I'm pretty similar. At a certain point though if you got a car that's not too smooth, it turns into a time sensitive issue otherwise there will be a point where I can no longer hold it. I've never truly experimented to know the limits, but enough to where it gets painful.

It's kind of scary when you get past the pain point. The pressure doesn't really go away, but the pain disappears and you kind of forget all about your need to expel waste. Problem is, when the pain comes back, it's because your bladder's literally cramping, so it's intense and you better be near a bathroom. I don't recommend it. hahahaha

I just thought I was lazy on the weekends when I wouldn't shower or brush my teeth.

It seems there is something to it. However, I try to not to be one of those people on the forum that pawns off every single negative life event on AD(H)D.

I find that if I fall into that (what I perceive) flawed logic, it is too easy for me to NOT take responsibility for my actions. Life can fall to $hit when you don't take responsibility for what YOU do.