Adult ADHD and "Time Blindness": Dr. Russell Barkley's Tactics for Taming That Trickster, Time

Time.  That's one word that always makes the top of the list when I ask adults in our local CHADD discussion group to name their top ADHD-related challenges.

• Keeping track of time.
• Estimating the time it will take to complete a project.
• Planning for future time instead of getting totally wrapped up in present time.

Managing time is a constant challenge for most humans, especially in our speeded-up age. Yet, for people with ADHD, time can be a particularly shape-shifting trickster. 


No one knows this better than psychologist Russell Barkley, a preeminent researcher, lecturer, expert, and author in the field of ADHD. And no one better explains to the layperson why this is and what to do about it than does Dr. Barkley in his new book, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD. 

The following excerpt, from Chapter 10, offers tips for taking charge of your time. Earlier chapters build a strong foundation for understanding ADHD neurobiology and guidelines for medical treatment; remaining chapters offer straightforward but in-depth strategies for tackling your particular issues in various areas of life. 

The "Invisible Ropes" of Adult ADHD, And How A Special Type of Therapy Can Help Set You Free

Introduction:  When I'm asked about the best kind of therapy for Adult ADHD, I explain that the research thus far points to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in combination with medication.  Then I emphasize a critical point: not just any CBT but that with a special focus on ADHD. 

      Standard CBT that does not acknowledge the neurobiological role of ADHD can be counter-productive, at best.  How do I know this?  Because I listen to the top experts who make this study and practice their life's work. 

      I'm pleased to offer a guest essay this month from one of these top experts: J. Russell Ramsay, psychologist and co-director at the Adult ADHD Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania. (Please see bio at the end of this post).  In preparing my talk for the upcoming CHADD 22nd International Conference on ADHD ("Adult ADHD Symptoms or Poor Coping Skills?"), I relied heavily on the book he co-authored with Dr. Anthony Rostain (see below).  

      The conference will be held in Atlanta this year, Nov. 11-13.  I cannot overemphasize the wealth of knowledge, validation, and support to be gained at this conference. If there's a possibility that you can attend, try your hardest to get there!  Sign up by September 15, and receive the early-bird discount!   --Gina Pera

By J. Russell Ramsay, Ph.D.

Circus elephants are trained while secured with ropes until they are subdued. Trainers then teach them to perform tricks for audiences without the use of restraints. No less powerful than when they were in the wild, these elephants are held back by the invisible ropes of their training.

      Growing up with ADHD, particularly when it has gone undiagnosed until adulthood, makes it very likely that adults with ADHD have encountered their own “ropes” in life, such as academic trauma, ongoing troubles handling the demands of daily life, or hurtful criticisms made by others. Although their circumstances may change in their adult lives, these experiences may have trained them to hold negative attitudes about themselves and their future.

John and Abby: Solving the "Problem with No Name"

This July 4, my husband and I celebrated our 12th anniversary.  Compared to couples married 30, 40 or even the 50 years of my parents' marriage, 12 years is hardly remarkable unless you figure in unrecognized ADHD.

     As I joked to my friends on Facebook: "We can credit the fact that we're still married—and happily so—to equal parts brutal honesty, teeth-gnashing, affection, shared interests, sense of humor, and inertia."  

     Mostly, though, we can credit keen ADHD awareness. To see our wedding photo and read my interview with a reporter from Health.com, click here. (Notice in the photo that I am clearly in the dripline of the double-umbrella my new husband is holding; let's just say that is rather symbolic of the early days of our marriage, when his ADHD was flying well beneath the radar screen yet still having an impact.)

     In many ways, we are like the couple whose story I share below, John and Abby, excerpted from Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?:

Thirty years ago, at age 13, John set his sights on becoming a computer scientist. Despite almost flunking out of high school, he went on to earn his doctorate. It required Herculean effort, though, and tanks of ulcer-inducing coffee, not to mention a tunnel-vision focus that eclipsed a social life and other healthy habits. [Note: That's a caffeine IV in the illustration at left.]

      Sure, John noticed that other students, many less intelligent than he, didn’t suffer concentration problems like his. But he thought it was just his nature, something unchangeable. Upon finally leaving academia’s structure for the business environment, John found himself constantly on the outs with managers for missed deadlines, miscommunications, and an uncooperative attitude.   

Adult ADHD is Real: But How to Convince the Unconvinced?

Living with unrecognized ADHD, in a loved one or in oneself, can feel like being lost in the fog—often on a roller coaster.

      “I hope others can be spared from stumbling through the fog like my husband and I did,” Edith says. “For our first 25 years together, I thought Joe was lazy or selfish or both.”

     Edith also wondered if she was failing as a wife because she had so little success in motivating Joe to be more cooperative and thoughtful toward her and the children. At times she chalked it up to she and Joe marching to the beat of different drummers. “For years, I went back and forth in confusion, with no idea that adult ADHD existed,” she says. “Then he was diagnosed at age 55.”

     Adults with ADHD also use the fog metaphor, including this woman, who was diagnosed at age 52:

I don’t quite know how to describe my life to people who haven’t experienced ADHD the way I have. Imagine driving a car in heavy fog. You get tense, because you can’t see the edges of the road or what’s in front of you. In other words, you often can’t see how your actions will result in predictable consequences, which instead seem to come out of nowhere. 

So you inch along, gripping the wheel, anxious that you’re going to crash into something.That’s how my life was for a half century, until I figured out ADHD. Few people other than my family members would have guessed I had ADHD just by looking at me or talking to me. I worked hard to “pass for normal,” had earned some impressive college degrees, and had tons of plausible excuses for my goof-ups.

When I started taking the stimulant medication, though, the fog suddenly lifted and the road ahead was clear. I could relax my hold on the wheel and enjoy the drive. I could even appreciate the scenery without worrying that I’d get distracted and run off the road. The things most people take for granted, most people with ADHD struggle over for years until they figure out they have it.

Until now, perhaps you have been slogging through serious mental fog, not understanding how your life got so confusing. Even if you have learned about ADHD, maybe you harbor concerns or misconceptions about the validity of the diagnosis or the safety of the medication that help treat it. You are not alone. Everything about ADHD seems to cause confusion, including its name, until you get the facts.
      Below are five statements or questions I sometimes hear from skeptical partners of adults with newly diagnosed ADHD (and, phrased slightly differently, from some adults with ADHD themselves). So, let's take some time to debunk each one.