r/ADHD • u/MadamdeSade • 1d ago

Questions/Advice Cannot start doing anything

I have an issue with pressure and it has severely impacted my life negatively. I read a lot here about time-blindedness but for me, I perceive time like a hawk. If anything I am aware of each and every passing second especially if I have an assignment to submit or a deadline for a project. And then I dont do it. I simply watch the opportunity slip out of my hands. Everytime. I am tired. I have no idea what this is. I simply cannot just start. If anyone has any advice, I would be genuinely grateful. Thank you.

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24

u/Cyllya ADHD-PI 1d ago

It's a deficit of the "initiation of actions" aspect of executive functioning. Sometimes people call it task paralysis or ADHD paralysis.

Don't get your hopes up about it being very good, but here's my sad list of coping techniques.

This problem really sucks.

13

u/Subspaceisgoodspace 1d ago

I wear a watch with no visible time unless I tap it. I have no clocks in my office or home. Instead before I go to bed I set alarms for every event the next day, including
When to get up and shower
When to leave for work
Every appointment (include travel time)
When to go to bed that night.
This has really helped me.

1

u/distancedandaway 14h ago

This is such a good idea omg

7

u/Future-Bag-4392 1d ago

Its executive dysfunction and part of why meds become helpful to us. Although it takes some practice to develop the advantage of task handling. I relate kind of the same, as i dont relate much with time blindness or forgetfulness, like most others. But i think its because I developed masking strategies while growing up. I was diagnosed in late adulthood. So you can imagine the maskings i have mastered. But all that causes fatigue and burnout. 

2

u/rosyretrospect 1d ago

I don’t know, let me know when you find out!

2

u/Thee_Rotten_One 22h ago

Sounds like you need to talk to your doctor about switching up your medication, because it doesn't seem to be doing what it's supposed to.

1

u/MadamdeSade 21h ago

I dont have medication. It caused terrible panic attacks.

1

u/Thee_Rotten_One 16h ago

Ah. Got it.

Not going to be much help. I'm permanently worthless without my medication.

1

u/BalayApp 1d ago

Watching the clock and still not starting is not time blindness. It is a different problem, and it is worse.

Time blindness means the deadline is invisible until it is on top of you. Yours is the opposite. You can see every second, so every second is also evidence that you are failing, and the task has quietly stopped being an assignment and become a referendum on you as a person. Our brains do not start jobs that size. They freeze in front of them.

Which is why more awareness of the clock has never helped you. You already have too much of it.

Next time, do not open the assignment. Open a blank document and write the worst possible first sentence for it. Deliberately bad, one you fully intend to delete.

It works because you cannot fail at writing something you already agreed was rubbish. The size of the task is the thing stopping you, so shrink what you are being judged on, not the time you have left.