• The Mom Version Of ADD

    My symptoms include:

    “Zoning out” in the middle of a conversation.  My boyfriend has complained about this more than once.  In the middle of a sentence, I’ll have a thought about something else entirely, and my sentence will abruptly end.  My mind is always working overtime. He’ll look at me and say “And……..?”   And even if the interruptive thought is not as important or relevant as what I was previously talking about, it takes me a while to circle back around to what I was talking about before.  If ever.  

    Extreme distractibility or “Look!  There’s a deer!”    It is not just conversations.  In the middle of laundry or rinsing the dishes, I’ll suddenly think of another task that needs to be done. Right now.  Before I forget.  Again.  Or my daughter will interrupt me, because whatever she needs is 10 times more important than what I’m currently doing.  In her mind, anyway.  

    Difficulty paying attention.  While zoning out and thinking deep thoughts often comes in handy, like during boring meetings, it can be a hindrance to work life.  

    Hyperfocus. The opposite of being incredibly distracted, I can be so focused on something, if someone asks me a question, I’ll blink at them like an owl.  It can take me a while to 1) compute what they’ve said, 2) answer their question, or 3) get the blank stare off of my face.  

    Poor organizational skills.  My office is one cluttered mess, to the inexperienced.  Ask me to find one piece of paper in all of the mounds on my desk and I can usually locate it in 30 seconds…..okay, minutes, or less.  

    Racing thoughts.  See Point #1 above.

    Doing a million things at once.  If I’m at home, I’m usually never sitting still (unless playing Farmville).  Laundry, sweeping, loading/unloading the dishwasher, taking the dog out.  It all has to get done somehow, very quickly. So I can get back to Farmville.

    Frequently interrupting people.  Now, I really don’t think this is an issue.  When I have a thought, people need to know about it.  Unless I get distracted halfway through. 

    I blame all of this on my pregnancy and my child.  My brain has never been the same.  And unfortunately probably never will.  

    Written by: Allyson Johns



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