So is taking a shit, but if you’re doing it 40 times a day you see a doctor.

ADHD doesn’t turn you into an alien. It’s a developmental disorder that makes everyday tasks harder.

I haven't been able to play video games for months, including a new game about subways ☠️

If I take more tylenol do you think the autism will beat the ADHD into submission? Asking for a public transit enthusiast.

Yes, the whole point is that executive dysfunction also stops you from doing the things you do want to do! (There is no «don’t» in the thought bubble)

It also stops you from doing things you don’t want to do more often than for most people.

Remember the first rule of this space!

Ya, so what is the caption "Executive dysfunction isn't just about things we don't want to do" about? Why does it assume the readers don't know that?

To counter the stereotypes that ADHD is a lack of willpower and is just laziness.

stereotypes that ADHD is a lack of willpower

...in year 2026?

You're reading too much into my comments. I was not making a statement about ADHD. I was just complaining that the caption “Executive dysfunction isn’t just about things we don’t want to do” is unnecessary because that is the assumed case, ADHD or not.

Yes, very much so! Or not even stereotypes, just the inability of «normal» people to understand how it can possibly be the case.

For most people it is (understandably) difficult to believe that it is hard to do things you want to do even when you have the opportunity to do them.

For most people it is (understandably) difficult to believe that it is hard to do things you want to do even when you have the opportunity to do them.

It's not. Most people couldn't finish books / games / etc they enjoy. The truly motivated are the rare ones.

Yes. If you don't experience that, I'm thrilled for you!

I'm currently off sick and despite having formal diagnosis for both ADHD and Autism, and having assessments done by primary care and occupational therapists, I still get told it's a skill issue.

Funny how before the diagnosis it was "just work less!" Now that I am asking for accommodations like meeting agendas and minutes I'm just not organized enough.

Comrade...are you finding these memes too relatable?

Ya. I think the comic is relatable enough and the caption is not necessary.

Everyday I wake up thinking about playing the guitar and every night I go to sleep thinking why I didn't do it and watched TV instead.

I have a graveyard for the things I enjoy doing but can’t motivate myself to do. The primary culprit for this is work. It’s boring and uninspiring but it pays well. The trade off is a paycheck in exchange for any semblance of motivation for life once the workday ends.

Yeah I have it and I still do that to myself... In the year of some Lord 2026

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like that will work. They'll just team up.

I have a set of dumbells I lift everyday, in a separate room of the house from my regular activities. The endorphins are great on an okay day, they help me get by on a bad one.
I meditate, in the shower. I wouldn't find the time otherwise, now showers are 'harder', but clean me more now and serve as an better anchor for the day.
Getting really good at my hobbies, knowing I can do the cool thing - really helps pull me back to them.
That trick worked for video games too, playing everything on the hardest difficulty and forcing myself to learn instead of taking the easy route.
I know I'm better off like this, but it doesn't feel like it. I'm too scared to lose all this work, so I keep going. It's not the best coping strat, but it's works. I'm not thriving or anything, but I'm a little closer.

Can you tell me about this game about subways

The meme is about not doing thing you like doing.

So the opposite of what you thought it was.

It's called Subway Builder. I have not even opened it so I can't tell you if it's any good or not, sorry.

ETA: I decided to just push through because I am at my computer anyways and promised myself I'd play as a treat for filling out some fuck ass insurance forms. By the time it updated in steam and then updated in the game (why both? who knows?) I'm too frazzled from the unexpected roadblocks/delays that I can't understand the tutorial. So I'm going to go sit in the dark instead 👍

Aren't those two things that could very well go together?

Laying on the couch with the guitar and just lazily plinking around sure seems like a vibe.

One the other hand doing things is exhausting.

I think once you already know how to play with any level of competence it would be great

I've been diagnosed with autism and inattentive ADHD, and it's increasingly looking like this kind of executive dysfunction is because of the autism in my case, because I'm currently going through titration and all the meds have achieved so far is that I'm not starting the thing more furiously than before.

You’re right. That would be great. Now tell me why I’m still not doing it.

One of the earliest signs I had that I was fucked up

For me the issue seems to be stress not work specifically, I’ve been unemployed for ~22 months and I still have the same problem.

Have you taken your meds today?

Another drink it is!

if you have tons of money in the bank, i'd probably seek a professional's help with that.

if you're broke as fuck like the rest of us, i imagine a lot of the negative emotions surrounding (pretty much anything) may be due to external factors and seeking the aforementioned professional's help may actually make it worse (therapists cost money!)

i say this as someone who has finally stitched together the perfect emulation setup across all my devices and still cannot finish final fantasy 9

yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo do it!!

i picked up the drum sticks for the first time in ~15 years! it is awesome!

Playing or practicing. There is room to zone out and practice but more often than not practice is hard work. Which is why I don't do it 😭

Dunno if OP just means playing, I struggle with being able to just pick up the guitar and make sounds with no structure so I can't relate

Me trying to finally launch that game I really wanted to play for three days straight.

I'll hop on that as soon as i catch up on TikTok

There’s a lot of emotional drain with that kind of weight, so that totally makes sense. I’m honestly shocked I haven’t been laid off (again) yet.

Practice takes commitment. Guitar is rough because you need to keep your fingers limber and calloused. Even if you manage to memorize the chords, pick up enough music theory to understand progression, or just copy an existing song, you have to keep at it for a long time to get good.

The best weapon i've seen for this is rocksmith, which gameifies learning.

but, if you re' like me, and well we're here right? you'll buy it, commit enough to start making progress the forget to unsubscribe.

I don't want to reply to people directly because I don't want them to feel singled out, but I wanted to share a few things. Anyone who wants to respond is welcome 😊

1. Your drugs give you executive function?!?! Which ones are you taking and have you tired others/other doses so that you know it's the type/dose that impacts it? The primary benefit I get from lisdexamfetamine 60 mg is my brain is slightly quieter and I have better emotional regulation.

2. For me not being able to do things is from one of two reasons. Persistent Demand for Autonomy is when my mind/body refuses to let me do something because it takes any demand as a threat. Like a fainting goat if the fainting goat screamed FUCK YOU (internally) instead of fainting. Demands include me thinking "Gee, I should play that video game I bought and have been looking forward to, that would be nice and relaxing." No, you are going to sit still for a few hours instead.

When it's executive disfunction I literally cannot figure out how to do it and it becomes overwhelming. Executive function consists of three parts (taken from https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-executive-functioning/ )

• Inhibition control: the ability to think before acting.
• Working memory: the ability to hold and juggle a small amount of information while performing another task.
• Cognitive flexibility: the ability to adjust your thinking or approach when situations change, so you can find new ways to solve problems or respond.

I started typing an example of why it can take me like 2 hours to shower on a bad day but that got really long so I will cut to the point: breaking things into smaller tasks and planning ahead requires executive function. I get the idea is that that you should do this when you feel like your executives are functioning, but remembering to add hobbies and including the permutations that come from doing them "in your spare time" make that really, really hard. So, "I want to play video games" becomes "Initiating the playing of the video game take every last bit of function leaving me with no time to play them and feeling extremely stressed out".

If it's built into a routine then I can typically manage. When I wasn't off work showering maybe took a bit longer some times but I knew I did it at a certain time every day and I had a hair washing schedule so I didn't need to think about that either. The moment that routine is interrupted (i.e I don't need to be at work at a certain time each day?) each little decision and step becomes overwhelming. Try and push through it? I've forgotten to see if there are any towels in the bathroom? Wore the wrong slippers? I am going to fucking crash out about being wet and uncomfortable and not going to be able to do anything for a few hours. Harder to build video games into a routine especially if you don't have time to play every day.

Yeah same. My jobs OK and pays well. Boring as hell to spend 45 hours a week doing it, but I like money. While all my hobbies rust and gather dust. I'll be old or dead before I can enjoy them. Weekends are far too short to ever to anything meaningful.

Because you haven’t set any deadlines or short term goals with a date attached. You should learn a song for us and report back in October.

Sorry, I don't have anything valuable to add/respond except: wtf, how did you get in my head?

In moments like these, don’t think, just do. Think about what you want to do and then stop thinking altogether and start going to do what you want to do just repeating “don’t think just do” to yourself the whole time you are walking to do what it is. Don’t think about anything while you are walking to do said thing. If your brain says stop, do not listen to that shit. You already did all the thinking before you started walking. Don’t start thinking again until you have already started doing said thing. This shit works for me at least

Every fucking time.

Then I spend a solid 12 hours turning a slay the spire 2 boss into a spaghetti monster. There's no in-between.

My employer is generous on PTO, so I push the limits. Life has been a lot for all of us this year.

I think your mom has to take the tylenol for it to work

Yeah drumming is THE ADHD instrument (just be careful about Tendonitis, I'm continuously suffering from it...).

This comment cured my ADHD.

Gee, thank you.

While I don't think it's related to ADHD, I currently haven't drawn for fun in little over a year. Used to draw everyday and it makes me so happy and relaxed when I do it. Same with writing stories. I would write daily. But I just can't, right now. It's like I'm entirely blocked from it.

In my case I think it's currently related to stress/being burnt out, but yeah. Relatable.