r/readwithme • u/RedwoodtreeMonk • 2d ago
Question❔ Problem with book reading.
For some reason I just CANNOT read a book??? I have Buckland's complete book of witchcraft and i can barely finish a chapter! The weird thing is... I was reading a lot like a week ago, and now barely want to. Do other people have problems with this??? And if so, how do I get over it?
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u/grounddurries 2d ago
maybe try ‘immersive reading’. basically when you listen to the audiobook and read the physical at the same time. i have mild dyslexia and it helps me a lot
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u/Oaktown300 2d ago
This major change just happened in the space of one week? Last week you were reading a lot and this week you cannot finish a chapter? What else has happened in your life over the past 7 days? Under stress? Not sleeping?
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u/RedwoodtreeMonk 2d ago
I been I have severe depression and ADHD but I don't like telling that, it makes me feel like I'm blaming it on that. And it's a me problem.
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u/renoftheshadows 2d ago
It's not a you problem. I have both of those and more and it genuinely does make it harder to do things. It's possible that you were hyper focused on reading last week (because of the ADHD) and it has waned this week. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just the ebbs and flows of ADHD. And if your depression flared at all that would also dampen the drive to read.
If you haven't read a lot about ADHD (and even if you have) I suggest watching How to ADHD on YouTube. She has a lot of great videos that not only explain ADHD, but also strategies to work around and with it.
Those things effect you. It's okay to say so.
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u/Oaktown300 1d ago
I think you need to address the depression more than a one-week pause in reading. Working on the depression may help you more.
All the best to you.
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u/veryowngarden 1d ago
that mentality is internalized ableism
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u/RedwoodtreeMonk 1d ago
How??? Some people with ADHD struggle with reading it's just a the truth.
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u/veryowngarden 1d ago
“i don’t like telling that, it makes me feel like im blaming it on that. and it’s a me problem.”
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u/RedwoodtreeMonk 1d ago
No. I sort of have a perfectionist personality and my disorders makes me feel like I'm dumb. That's not me being "ableist", that's me stating my problems.
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u/keightychu 1d ago
Just so you know, that book is really hard to get through. The person that gave me my copy calls it “the big book of vcr instructions” because of this. My suggestion is A Grimoire of Shadows by Ed Fitch. Easier to get through and I similar subject matter. When you finally get back to Buckland, you can compare. That’s my advice based on the advice given to me. ;)
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u/RedwoodtreeMonk 1d ago
Ohhh okay! Thank you for the reply and advice. I will definitely be looking into that book.
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u/Embarrassed-Day-1373 2d ago
it's normal. these things come and go. both interest and ability. I was a voracious reader growing up, but through periods of depression and then school and exhaustion and whatnot I was barely reading at all. I think the most I read in college was 8 in a year and all of them were for class
but it always comes back. I'm on track to read 52 books this year. I've already hit 37, as many as I read last year
let yourself have a bit of a slump. they'll be waiting for you when you're ready again
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u/Artistic-Document735 1d ago
Burn out is real and totally normal. I find that if I’m not feeling a book I just DNF and pop it back on the shelf and try another one. My personal library is sitting at 430 books and all sorts of different genres so it’s not hard to switch gears. I like reading but I will not treat it like an obligation if that makes sense
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u/ContributingHelper 1d ago
A lot of people are bringing up learning and processing diagnoses into this chat, and although I've experienced similar, it may not help you to describe it.
I'll say that more so I'm in an unsafe situation that takes up my attention and tugs at my emotions, and I don't get grest sleep, so I don't feel safe to read and can't relax enough to give it attention.
What pragmatically helps me enough is I find books I can learn something from, so I have a reason to read. I found out crime fiction is based on real crimes, so I go looking for them. I post the info in character profiles on wikis, and I've recently considered blogging.
I'm also choosy about when I read and what books I read based on my composure. I focus on novels that aren't distressing, or I brave through distressing ones when I find them important enough. I focus on book size, text size, length of chapters. I sometimes even read novels with a lot of publicity and popularity to see why. I find different titles between libraries and stores, and I usually play something to fill the room with noise, or at least to distract my ears through my earbuds.
I'd say take time to figure out what reading means to you. You don't have to pick your own brains. You could just make a routine, when you read, where you read, what you read, why you read. If you read because you want to or you do something with the story.
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u/Longjumping-Lock-724 1d ago
You can try reading something short like short stories. For example, you can try Story Sanctum (www(dot)storysanctum(dot)org) which offers a multitude of stories that you can read online for free.
Another option would be to read a short play like the comedy, "The Witch's Night Out" from Big Dog Publishing.
At least with something short, you'd be able to knock it out quickly and get something completed and under your belt fast.
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u/linzeestyle 2d ago
Struggling to read in grad school is how I got diagnosed with ADHD. Though in my case I was trying to read Finnegan’s Wake unmedicated, which is a bad life choice for everyone, not just me.