Reading

db0@lemmy.dbzer0.commod to ADHD memes@lemmy.dbzer0.com – 603 points –
21

Having to re-read the same sentence multiple times until you actually start paying attention to what it says is pain

For me it's never the sentence, it's always after a whole page that i realised that i just looked at words.

And then at the end, you think to yourself, "Ok, no, for real. I'm going pay attention," and repeat the cycle 👌

A few nights ago I was trying to read a book, and there was a dog across the road who wouldn't stop barking. I was reading a single page for 15 minutes until I was finally able to tune him out.

Headphones with white noise when it gets really bad

Haha, I actually had earbuds on with brown noise playing, but I could still hear the barking faintly. My brain just decided to hyper focus on it :/

I've been firmly diagnosed with ADHD, once when I wasn't even being tested for it, but ADHD markers were high enough that they asked if I was seeking treatment for it. That being said, I can read books just fine. I've read tons, and not just fiction. I have several nonfiction books about scientific topics I'm into. I'm currently reading a book about British royalty just because I like David Mitchell's comedy.

I cannot imagine that I'm special. I'm certain that there are other ADHD power readers. It's a way to hyper focus after all. I know sitting to read is a common problem area, but not always.

I have no issues reading in general but I still have this experience. Like I read the entire goblet of fire in one sitting without sleeping or eating (my mom still talks about how much this freaked her out to this day) but simultaneously I have this issue all the time now as an adult when reading technical white papers for my job. Halfway in I suddenly realize I didn’t actually read the last several paragraphs.

When I actually check comprehension after hyperfocusing on reading, I’ll realize I’ve picked up mostly vibes. That said, I’m pretty good at putting the pieces together, so for something simple or whose details aren’t vital, it doesn’t really matter. Technical or precise writing is different.

I read a ton, but this still happens to me. I'll read an interesting line, and then start thinking about the implications, and what I would do if I were the author, and then all the things that you could do with this information, and then I'm at the bottom of the page and realise I didn't pay attention to what I was reading because I got distracted by my own thoughts lol

Copy the assigned reading and paste it into Speechify.

TTS is a fucking godsend for this kind of shit.

I find audiobooks are better for me for this. It still happens, but it bothers me less unless I know something big was happening

I look at it as getting all the different meanings from the words