Uh. You all are seriously making me think I should get tested. This:

you mean other people have been aware of the passage of time all along

was the clincher. Hours just... disappear. Days, months, even. I often find myself saying, my god, has it been that long since I did that? I finally found an anti-depression med that worked for me (Welbutrin; SSRIs make me worse) and I'm not depressed anymore, I just can't get anything done. I have a hard time focusing even at work, and there I think it's the rigid schedule that keeps me going.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just lazy, or more depressed than I think. We can't ALL be ADD, can we?

I finally found an anti-depression med that worked for me (Welbutrin; SSRIs make me worse) and I'm not depressed anymore, I just can't get anything done. I have a hard time focusing even at work, and there I think it's the rigid schedule that keeps me going.

Zenkitty is me exactly, including the Welbutrin, except that, working for myself, I don't have the rigid schedule.

That business about the passage of time really hits home. I've always had a hard time getting places on time because I just don't realize how much time I'm spending doing something else. Plus, I can't just leave things undone if I'm in the middle of something to go somewhere else. If I've got one dish left to wash and washing it will make me 5 minutes late, I will still wash it. I either don't start things because they'll take enough time that I can't finish it in one sitting, or I do it and everything else just goes away until I'm done. Even though I know I do it, I'm always surprised when it happens.

The more you talk about ADHD, the more I think I should be tested too. I've always had a terrible time focusing on just one thing and getting it done, and when something has to be done, I usually have to ingest massive doses of caffeine to sit down and to it. When I get enough caffeine, I can sit down and focus.

Me too, except I often hyper-focus on one thing to the exclusion of others. I've gotten annoyed at the kids when they've asked me a question out of the blue, while I was doing something simple like making sandwiches. That said, it mostly doesn't hinder my life, so if anything, I think it's mild. I've been less focused (on ANYTHING) since I started the SSRI, though.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just lazy, or more depressed than I think. We can't ALL be ADD, can we?

Hee. I know. I think it's possible a lot of us are and that others (Hi, my name is Cindy) are suggestible.

Hours just... disappear. Days, months, even. I often find myself saying, my god, has it been that long since I did that?

This is me - it's not the hours disappearing so much as the weeks and months. And not disappearing, exactly. Task wise, I can go months without getting to some small thing. But even with people - "Why haven't you called me?" "What do you mean, it's only been three weeks?" - or six months. It just doesn't feel like a long time to me. It's like my experience of the passage of is on a slower scale than normal people.

Plus, I can't just leave things undone if I'm in the middle of something to go somewhere else.

I, on the other hand, am the queen of leaving things undone.

I, on the other hand, am the queen of leaving things undone.

Looks over at pile of fabric for projects and thinks about all the fabric I bought for new projects yesterday. Oh, yes. This is me.

Plus, I can't just leave things undone if I'm in the middle of something to go somewhere else.

I, on the other hand, am the queen of leaving things undone.

Time drives me crazy. I can never accurately estimate how long something is going to take, so if I have to leave the house in a half hour, I usually won't do *anything* while I'm waiting because I can't tell if I'll be able to finish it.

And whenever I have a long day with nothing to do (usually only when Stephen is away with the kids), I imagine all the things I'll be able to do, and then do maybe a quarter of them before I realize half the day has passed with me, apparently, staring into space.

Hallowell says it's purely a matter of extent and duration that separates true ADHD from what he calls the American ADHD culture. In fact, he wrote another book for people who don't have ADHD technically but suffer from our cultural obsessions of multitasking, caffeinating and overwhelming ourselves.

Yeah, I know, Hallowell likes carrots.

Hallowell says it's purely a matter of extent and duration that separates true ADHD from what he calls the American ADHD culture.in fact, he wrote another book for people who don't have ADHD technically but suffer from our cultural obsessions of multitasking, caffeinating and overwhelming ourselves.

Ha! Dad was just telling me about that one today.