Poor memory is one of the symptoms of ADHD. We get easily distracted and often have time blindness, meaning it’s hard for us to tell how much time has passed and estimate what time it is. I have to take my meds 3 times daily roughly 4 hours apart. If I don’t set alarms, I’m screwed.
One of my favorite sayings is people with ADHD have two time settings, “Now” and “Later.” When you come to us with a request, we think it must be done NOW unless you explain otherwise. Then, it gets puts into the “Later” pile, which ranges anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 years.
Holy shit. I need to explain this to my partner tomorrow when she’s up. I’ve been struggling so hard to find the words to explain how my timing mechanism for things she asks me to do works. Thank you!
We’re using a shared calendar with reminders which is really great. Until I dismiss the reminder, putting it in the later pile…
Time blindness and hyper focus are so prevalent! And that’s how you forget to eat lunch and you suddenly need to eat right now at 5:47. No time for a sandwich, just put the bread in the mouth and the jam after, it’ll mix up into a sandwich in your stomach.
Sounds like you’re on Ritalin? You might try name brand Concerta (NO GENERICS!!). It’s just extended release Ritalin in a fancy patented delivery mechanism that all the generics can’t copy. It lasts all day and I just have to remember to take it before noon once per day.
I’m on generic right now and it’s been alright for me. Maybe name brand would work better but it’s just unaffordable, for me it would have been almost 500$/mo
A bunch of generic Concerta drugs were removed from the market awhile back and several more sprung up. They’re nowhere near the same and the quality is garbage. I was on one in college while on state insurance. They use some older release mechanism from like the 80s using a pinhole on one side and half of my true generic pills didn’t even have a visible hole. I ended up in the ER because one released all at once at like 7pm, and I thought I was dying due to excessive adrenaline.
Same as Vyvanse (lisdexamphetamine, IIRC?)? There will likely be some generics in the US in a few months since their patent/exclusive rights are about to expire. Not sure if it might be similar in other parts of the world, but it may be worth looking into if you’re paying much out of pocket. With some pretty decent insurance I’m paying $50 each time I get a refill, without insurance here it’s something like $400
I have no clue what out of pocket is these days, but my insurance only charges me $12 for name brand Concerta. I know at one time there was an authorized generic sold by Janssen I believe was their name, but it’s still the same patented pill. That might be what my prescription is filled as.
PSA for anyone who cares: Authorized Generics are the name brand sold cheaper. True Generics are a completely different pill sold as “bio-identical”.
Don’t quote me on this last bit, but I believe bio identical only has to be like 80% similar, which is why so many generics cause so many problems for so many people
What insurance company do you go with, if you don’t mind my asking? I’m heading down the road towards trying medicine possibly if I get an official diagnosis and want as much info as I can get between now and then. Thanks in advance btw and for all the sharing of info in this thread in general. It’s really helpful.
Thanks for replying. I have BlueCross Blue Shield through ACA because I’m poor (lol) so maybe I can get ADHD medicine for cheap too if it comes down to it.
If insurance doesn’t get you a reasonable price, try Walmart. They always seem to have any goodrx or similar discounts applied automatically if you pay out of pocket. I was paying around $30/mo for generic Adderall XR, I think the non XR stuff was around $20/mo
Have you asked your doc for slow delivery pill? I switched to 2 pills per day to a single one in the morning and it’s so much better. Plus I don’t feel the spike like the regular one but more a steady feeling of clear brain throughout the day.
I wonder what other mental issues/ deficit disorders have the “time blindness” as a symptom? I have that and it is a very specific thing to have, and I’m currently trying to figure out if I have ADHD or what I have because there are definitely things about my behavior my whole life that have kept me behind everyone else, noticeably to myself anyway. Stuff I’ve had to just cope with, but still puts me at a disadvantage. Mathematics for instance. I can barely do algebra and I’m talking high-school level, no matter how hard I try, and my memory is shit, and it takes effort to stay on topic, or to stick with the same thing I’m doing. I hate routine and crave novelty but lack of routine ushers the chaos back in.
I think mood disorders can affect sense of time, for one, though it sounds like you have good reasons to wonder about having ADHD.
But don’t forget, it’s not necessarily “ADHD or what,” it could be “ADHD and what.” Some ADHD treatments are relevant to other conditions, and vice versa, but there are some overlaps that require a different approach from straight ADHD, so it’s best to keep an open mind.
I’m not sure what else has time blindness as such a prevalent issue. What you are describing could be ADHD (especially the “I hate routine and crave novelty but lack of routine ushers the chaos back in”), a learning disability, a something else. Only a professional can tell.
Poor memory is one of the symptoms of ADHD. We get easily distracted and often have time blindness, meaning it’s hard for us to tell how much time has passed and estimate what time it is. I have to take my meds 3 times daily roughly 4 hours apart. If I don’t set alarms, I’m screwed.
It’s my first time hearing of the term “time blindness” and it fits so well.
One of my favorite sayings is people with ADHD have two time settings, “Now” and “Later.” When you come to us with a request, we think it must be done NOW unless you explain otherwise. Then, it gets puts into the “Later” pile, which ranges anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 years.
LOL. This resonates with me so strongly and I don’t know whether to laugh out loud or break down crying…
Holy shit. I need to explain this to my partner tomorrow when she’s up. I’ve been struggling so hard to find the words to explain how my timing mechanism for things she asks me to do works. Thank you!
We’re using a shared calendar with reminders which is really great. Until I dismiss the reminder, putting it in the later pile…
Time blindness and hyper focus are so prevalent! And that’s how you forget to eat lunch and you suddenly need to eat right now at 5:47. No time for a sandwich, just put the bread in the mouth and the jam after, it’ll mix up into a sandwich in your stomach.
I see, thanks! This community helps me understand
You’re very welcome, thank you for being curious and asking!
Sounds like you’re on Ritalin? You might try name brand Concerta (NO GENERICS!!). It’s just extended release Ritalin in a fancy patented delivery mechanism that all the generics can’t copy. It lasts all day and I just have to remember to take it before noon once per day.
I’m on generic right now and it’s been alright for me. Maybe name brand would work better but it’s just unaffordable, for me it would have been almost 500$/mo
A bunch of generic Concerta drugs were removed from the market awhile back and several more sprung up. They’re nowhere near the same and the quality is garbage. I was on one in college while on state insurance. They use some older release mechanism from like the 80s using a pinhole on one side and half of my true generic pills didn’t even have a visible hole. I ended up in the ER because one released all at once at like 7pm, and I thought I was dying due to excessive adrenaline.
Same as Vyvanse (lisdexamphetamine, IIRC?)? There will likely be some generics in the US in a few months since their patent/exclusive rights are about to expire. Not sure if it might be similar in other parts of the world, but it may be worth looking into if you’re paying much out of pocket. With some pretty decent insurance I’m paying $50 each time I get a refill, without insurance here it’s something like $400
I have no clue what out of pocket is these days, but my insurance only charges me $12 for name brand Concerta. I know at one time there was an authorized generic sold by Janssen I believe was their name, but it’s still the same patented pill. That might be what my prescription is filled as.
PSA for anyone who cares: Authorized Generics are the name brand sold cheaper. True Generics are a completely different pill sold as “bio-identical”.
Don’t quote me on this last bit, but I believe bio identical only has to be like 80% similar, which is why so many generics cause so many problems for so many people
What insurance company do you go with, if you don’t mind my asking? I’m heading down the road towards trying medicine possibly if I get an official diagnosis and want as much info as I can get between now and then. Thanks in advance btw and for all the sharing of info in this thread in general. It’s really helpful.
Cigna
Thanks for replying. I have BlueCross Blue Shield through ACA because I’m poor (lol) so maybe I can get ADHD medicine for cheap too if it comes down to it.
If insurance doesn’t get you a reasonable price, try Walmart. They always seem to have any goodrx or similar discounts applied automatically if you pay out of pocket. I was paying around $30/mo for generic Adderall XR, I think the non XR stuff was around $20/mo
If you make less than a certain amount per year, Vyvanse is free.
I wish we could get Concerrta in Taiwan. It’s only Ritalin.
Have you asked your doc for slow delivery pill? I switched to 2 pills per day to a single one in the morning and it’s so much better. Plus I don’t feel the spike like the regular one but more a steady feeling of clear brain throughout the day.
I’m thinking about switching to extended release, might be easier.
Night and day. Worth it!
I wonder what other mental issues/ deficit disorders have the “time blindness” as a symptom? I have that and it is a very specific thing to have, and I’m currently trying to figure out if I have ADHD or what I have because there are definitely things about my behavior my whole life that have kept me behind everyone else, noticeably to myself anyway. Stuff I’ve had to just cope with, but still puts me at a disadvantage. Mathematics for instance. I can barely do algebra and I’m talking high-school level, no matter how hard I try, and my memory is shit, and it takes effort to stay on topic, or to stick with the same thing I’m doing. I hate routine and crave novelty but lack of routine ushers the chaos back in.
I think mood disorders can affect sense of time, for one, though it sounds like you have good reasons to wonder about having ADHD.
But don’t forget, it’s not necessarily “ADHD or what,” it could be “ADHD and what.” Some ADHD treatments are relevant to other conditions, and vice versa, but there are some overlaps that require a different approach from straight ADHD, so it’s best to keep an open mind.
I’m not sure what else has time blindness as such a prevalent issue. What you are describing could be ADHD (especially the “I hate routine and crave novelty but lack of routine ushers the chaos back in”), a learning disability, a something else. Only a professional can tell.