I forgot to turn something in at work and am afraid because of my forgotfulness I might be in big trouble :(. Is forgetfulness a symptom of add/adhd??????????????????

Johna,

Being able to hold only a short stack of things in one's head at a time is a sign of ADD. For me, on GOOD days, that's about three things. When I'm alone. ADDers learn to make lists. And one of the three things in my mental list is to jot down on my list (to-do, shopping, to-email-someone, etc) anything that pops into my mind (or is assigned to me by someone else) on my list THE MOMENT I think of it. Otherwise, it's gone. Until I realize I've forgotten to turn something in. I'm looking at a book on my desk that I promised to return a couple of weeks ago. I've been meaning to return it. I keep forgetting to put it on my list. (Thanks for reminding me -- I'll put "return book" on my list right now!)

Learn to make lists. And learn where the lists are kept. And learn to bring the lists with you when you leave your house. Or your desk.

Welcome to the club!

--Rheanna

Even before I considered having ADD, I found I made lists because it drove me crazy trying to remember all the things that I wanted to remember. This includes remembering to fix the door knob or to buy vitamins. I make seperate lists for the house, the garden, for the pets etc.

At work, I make lists. And I jot things on sticky notes. I even put sticky notes in places so that I remember to do something.

I was having real problems at work. Forgetting small but important details. I often try to do things too quickly and forget to check my work. I received several (at least) warnings that I would need to improve my performance. I was very afraid of losing my job.

It seemed as if I was losing it. I thought it was because I was getting older or that I was post-menopausal. My fogginess and forgetfulness seemed to be getting worse.

Now I make sure I read all correspondence three times before sending it out. I make a deliberate effort to slow down. I check and re-check.

My performance has improved. When I feel myself getting stressed I make an effort to tell myself to slow down and calm down.

I have not yet tried any medications but am considering the possibility.

However, I have found that I was using coping techniques to improve my performance without realizing I was ADD.

In retrospect, I realized that even when I was younger, I was not always the fastest learner. I didn't always absorb instructions completely. It took a while for me to understand the process. I think that this is typically ADD as we often don't follow verbal instructions very well because our minds are always racing with thoughts.

In my case, I realize it is something I can work at, now that I am concious of my limitations.

Thank you for replying to my posts...now I don't feel so all alone. I can lists but than can't remember where I put them. Going to buy a not***** and keep it in my pocket,
Has ADD ever lost you a job?

Johna,

Yes, I lost a job as a clerk in a stationery store shortly after I was hired. I customer asked about a prticular product as I was about to ring it up at the cashier station. I blurted out that this product had disadvantages and wasn't nearly as good as another one. Unfortunately, the owner was standing right there, and was just a teensy bit concerned that I was trying to talk a customer out of a purchase, and shortly afterwards let me go. It was only afterwards that I had a clue -- uh, my purpose in the store is to encourage people to leave their money behind in exchange for goods, and my personal opinions on a product are irrelevant -- it took me years to figure out that a product that seems less than wonderful to me might be a perfect match for someone else.

Blurting things out without being able to foresee the consequences is also classic ADD, not just the forgetfulness. Although, it's all related -- if you're hyper-focused on the merits of a product AND trying to pull your thoughts together into coherent sentences, you'll forget about the social side of things and therefore not notice until afterwards that you've put your foot in your mouth YET AGAIN! As I said in my earlier post, it's about having only a short stack of things in memory at a time, and if someone askes a question, social graces often fall off the stack in an effort to answer the question.

If you wind up losing your job (I really hope you don't!), you certainly won't be the first ADDer who finds out that this particular job wasn't suited to his/her particular talents. And it'll give you entertaining stories to tell -- some of us have lost more than one job. And some of us stayed in jobs for years when our co-workers wished we wouldn't! We really need a sense of humor while we're trying to find some kind of job that suits us.

--Rheanna