I get up, determined to do something. I step into another room, but suddenly—blank.
“Wait… what was I just about to do?”
I stand there, scanning my surroundings, hoping something will remind me. Was I getting my phone? A drink? Answering a message? It’s like my brain wiped the entire thought the moment I moved.
This happens a lot.
People joke about “walking into a room and forgetting why”, but for me, it’s a daily struggle. It’s not just a funny moment—it’s frustrating. I know I had something important to do, yet it vanishes as if it never existed.
The ADHD “Memory Blackout”
ADHD isn’t just about attention—it also affects working memory. It’s like my brain is a whiteboard that someone keeps erasing before I get a chance to read what I wrote.
Thoughts pop in and out of my mind so fast that if I don’t act immediately, they’re gone. No trace. No backup file. Just… gone.
How I Deal With It? I’ve learned a few tricks to outsmart my own brain:
- Say the task out loud before I move: “I’m going to get my phone.”
- Keep visual reminders: Sticky notes, open apps, or leaving objects in sight.
- Use movement as an anchor: Tapping my pocket or holding an object helps link my brain to the task.
It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it feels like I’ve hacked my own mind.
Still, some thoughts vanish forever. Maybe they weren’t important. Or maybe I was about to discover the meaning of life, and I’ll never know.
Oh well. Time to retrace my steps… again.
ADHD Memory Blackout
Elias Carter 