Thought I'd mention this and see if I have this in common with anyone...

Well basically, most of the time I don't WANT to do anything.

And sometimes, even if I do force myself to do it (example, clean the house) and if I don't hyperfocus, it is extremely hard. I feel as if everything I do is in slow motion. Everything requires conscious thought and effort. Doing one load of laundry can take me four times as long as it takes other people.

I slog through the day knowing that things HAVE to get done, so I do them, but usually, it's hard for me to do them.

After all is done, oh THEN I feel wonderful, and accomplished. Ha. But while I'm struggling through the work, I just cannot visualize that happy feeling I'll get when it's all completed. I just don't care.

(I'd say this is what I feel like 70% of the time, the rest I trick myself into hyperfocusing or working on automatic or I find some motivation buried deep inside and then I get stuff done happily.)

I take a post-it note and write down the reward on it, then focus on that the whole time I'm doing the boring task.

No one would WANT to do something that's unnecessarily hard, and a lot of times for us even simple things are that way. For me, when I'm in "the fog" everything is overwhelming and hard- even the stuff I enjoy. So even if I want to do things, I don't simply because of the massive amounts of focus and energy it takes, often just to mess it up (forgot wallet when running to store, spilled food all over the place, forgot what I was doing in the middle of what I was doing and proceed to stare off into space....)

You're right, it does feel great once it finally gets done!

Thought I'd mention this and see if I have this in common with anyone...

Well basically, most of the time I don't WANT to do anything.

And sometimes, even if I do force myself to do it (example, clean the house) and if I don't hyperfocus, it is extremely hard. I feel as if everything I do is in slow motion. Everything requires conscious thought and effort. Doing one load of laundry can take me four times as long as it takes other people.

I slog through the day knowing that things HAVE to get done, so I do them, but usually, it's hard for me to do them.

After all is done, oh THEN I feel wonderful, and accomplished. Ha. But while I'm struggling through the work, I just cannot visualize that happy feeling I'll get when it's all completed. I just don't care.

(I'd say this is what I feel like 70% of the time, the rest I trick myself into hyperfocusing or working on automatic or I find some motivation buried deep inside and then I get stuff done happily.)

I used to feel like that pretty much all the time.
Medication and therapy have helped a great deal to help me feel motivated without intrusive and distracting thoughts.

Yep, I'm the same way. This morning, for instance, I needed to do my 20 min on the elliptical--I'm trying to transform it back from a waste of money. ;) It took me 10 min to convince myself to even get on, and then every minute on it seemed to take an hour--it was torture, even with the tv on. When I was done, it felt great--I did it!--but there was nothing at all but horrendous boredom the whole time I was on there.

Now if I could just fold my mountain of laundry and finish washing the dishes in the sink, sigh.

That is how I feel right now. i don't want to be productive. I want to hide in the couch and watch re-runs on Hallmark channel. My is caused by depression mostly though I think. And PMDD at the moment. It's lovely!!!

I take a post-it note and write down the reward on it, then focus on that the whole time I'm doing the boring task.

Oooooh, I like that! :D

There is so much trouble. I hope the best for all of you! Keep on truckin!

Yep, I'm the same way. This morning, for instance, I needed to do my 20 min on the elliptical--I'm trying to transform it back from a waste of money. ;) It took me 10 min to convince myself to even get on, and then every minute on it seemed to take an hour--it was torture, even with the tv on. When I was done, it felt great--I did it!--but there was nothing at all but horrendous boredom the whole time I was on there.

Now if I could just fold my mountain of laundry and finish washing the dishes in the sink, sigh.

What are you talking about...coathangers aren't a waste of money :p

I, too, am a card-carrying member of the Slow Motion Housework Society. Unless I find something to be extremely interesting, I'm molasses.

Classic symptom of the disorder. There are several potential reasons for this, but one of the more interesting findings over the last few years has been that folks with ADHD are working harder neurologically than those without ADHD. It would potentially explain part of why we're so incredibly averse to doing unstimulating tasks- our brains are simply expending more energy and with less activation of our rewards center.

I remember being a child and actually wondering if everyone felt boredom the same way. Even back then (long before diagnosis), I recognized that boredom had a very different effect on me than it did on those around me.

don't you get tired of this after all, it is always hard to convince our self of doing any thing.

sometimes I just can't find the reason why we must keep fighting especially when I see normal people who just don't appreciate there normality.

Sigh, I think that title pretty much sums up my problems :p

It all boils down to motivation :(

Your post sums me up perfectly. The energy to empty the dishwasher is overwhelming- I'd rather do anything else. I do hate that everyday tasks are SO much harder for me than most people, and they don't understand, especially DH :(

Oh wow. It makes me feel better that you guys know what I'm talking about. :D

I, too, am a card-carrying member of the Slow Motion Housework Society. Unless I find something to be extremely interesting, I'm molasses.
Reminds me of what my mom would always tell me..."You're slower than molasses in January!"

this is really me as well ........the MAIL UGH!!,all the domestics are so hard to get up and do....( i did mop the kitchen floor for the first time in a year)this is a pretty knew behavior.i also lost all motivation for the activities i love to do.

This is interesting hearing terms I've been using for years, describing how I feel about a typical day I experience. Perhaps I can feel a sense of hope, finally. :)

Ron.
( ;-} >

don't you get tired of this after all, it is always hard to convince our self of doing any thing.

sometimes I just can't find the reason why we must keep fighting especially when I see normal people who just don't appreciate there normality.

I get tired of it everyday.

I thought for the longest time that I was "defective" because I just couldn't understand how everyone else could get up and do the typical things they don't want to do, like cleaning the house or whatever... but not me.

I get tired of it everyday.

I thought for the longest time that I was "defective" because I just couldn't understand how everyone else could get up and do the typical things they don't want to do, like cleaning the house or whatever... but not me.

Man I hear you there. Couldn't figure out what was wrong with me...not lazy...just low motivation :(

Oh don't forget the 25minutes I spend arguing with myself that I "HAVE" to do it! I just would love to be able to just get up and do something without having to sit and think it out for an hour (or in some cases all day) before forcing myself to get it done! Blah!!!

I really like the intial post...However I WANTT to clean up the apartment, but It'll take an Act of God to get me in motion...The First few times I get in motion I'm like great I'm doing it, and then every ******* minute after that all I can think of, is about 200 things a minute of what I could be doing. Then when I get to do the things I want, I want to do something else...Nothing ever satisfying, and I can always sum up a situation in about 10 seconds, goto movie, laugh at movie, go home and then what about work tomorrow, what about this weekend, hrrmmm how come nobody every calls me, hmmm wonder what my parents are doing, wonder if they wonder what I'm doing, oh yea back to should I see a movie LOLOL

Try meds, they worked on me the first two days, now I'm back to unproductive hyper boy :(

Oh don't forget the 25minutes I spend arguing with myself that I "HAVE" to do it! I just would love to be able to just get up and do something without having to sit and think it out for an hour (or in some cases all day) before forcing myself to get it done! Blah!!!

hahaha, this is me too!

Hey, are any of you Masters of Planning like me? I'll spend so much time just thinking about doing something that it will never get done, lol. It's fun to think about and plan, but the energy it takes to simply *start* is just too much...

Thought I'd mention this and see if I have this in common with anyone...

Well basically, most of the time I don't WANT to do anything.

And sometimes, even if I do force myself to do it (example, clean the house) and if I don't hyperfocus, it is extremely hard. I feel as if everything I do is in slow motion. Everything requires conscious thought and effort. Doing one load of laundry can take me four times as long as it takes other people.

I slog through the day knowing that things HAVE to get done, so I do them, but usually, it's hard for me to do them.

After all is done, oh THEN I feel wonderful, and accomplished. Ha. But while I'm struggling through the work, I just cannot visualize that happy feeling I'll get when it's all completed. I just don't care.

(I'd say this is what I feel like 70% of the time, the rest I trick myself into hyperfocusing or working on automatic or I find some motivation buried deep inside and then I get stuff done happily.)

Did I write this? Oh wait nevermind... it's just that it described me so well that I thought I wrote it myself lol.

Yeah man I more than know what you're talking about. I'm in college and making myself do my homework takes an overwhelming amount of effort. When I do it and am able to participate in class because I understand what's going on, I feel GREAT! But making myself get started on it and not quit halfway through takes a tremendous amount of effort. The fact that I can't concentrate while I'm doing it makes it all the more difficult. Same thing with household chores and work. It's like I hate the boredom of what I'm doing so much that my brain wants to wander and stay unfocused as a form of escape.

And of course, once I get on started these tasks it takes me an ungodly amount of time to perform them. Growing up, my parents haggled me about how long I would take to get things done. They would always say things like, "Come on! Hurry up and get it done! Look at the things you could be doing instead of this!" Thinking of the things I could have been doing just made me depressed and move even slower as my brain would focus on that instead of my work. I was always so jealous of my normal siblings who could get their chores done in a fraction of the time it took me. Whenever they (or any normal person for that matter) says things like "Ugh, I'm so ADHD right now", I'm thinking "You have no idea. Try taking four hours to do homework that took everyone else in the class 20 minutes".

Life like this is frustrating as hell!

hahaha, this is me too!

Hey, are any of you Masters of Planning like me? I'll spend so much time just thinking about doing something that it will never get done, lol. It's fun to think about and plan, but the energy it takes to simply *start* is just too much...


A tip on planning:

I've been using google calendar for two years now and its organized my life increadibly. I can access my calendar anywhere anytime via my iphone. I synched icalendar to it so that now I get alerts too! Everytime I schedule something in google calendar i get an alert on my phone. I've become instantaneously anal. In fact I can't go a day with out having to refer to the schedule. Its increadibly effeciant and has changed my life.

You do become an internet ***** tho.

One thing I've found helpful is putting on moderate tempo music that I like -- it has to be music that elicits a good, positive, happy feeling. If I've got that on, I can often manage to get through household chores, get started on homework (I'm a returning college student), etc. I've made a few playlists on my iPod of "happy tunes" that I use.

They are doing lots of interesting research these days on the effect of music on the brain -- it can change cerebral blood flow, as well as have other positive physiological effects. I definitely notice a difference when I do something to music I like vs. when I don't.

Of course, right now I'm sitting here typing, THINKING about turning on the music so I can get my disaster of a kitchen under control. O.k., I will do that now...really.... ;)

I find that I am just getting tired of it all. Nothing is of any interest to me. All I do is feel like a dullard and a lazy ***. There's all sorts of things I would want to do, and even those I never do. Sucks man. What a BS excuse for a life. What's the point if I have no interest or energy to do anything? All I want to do is avoid everything in life. Even just trying to figure out what I so wanted to get across in this post feels like too much. God how pathetic and lonely I feel most of the time. Meds now only seem a requirement to get my butt out of bed, which is about the most I get from them now. Oh yeah, and they can keep me from having anxiety from anything and everything. This seriously sucks. Living the rest of my life like this seems worthless.