One of the biggest issues – if not “the issue” – we struggle with, due to our ADHD, is time blindness. Nothing is more important than what we’re doing “now”. Hence, it’s hard for us to plan; to organize our lives thinking about what’s coming and according to our goals.
In the following clip, Dr. Barkley explains what time blindness is. He goes as far as saying that, “ADHD is, to summarize it in a single phrase, time blindness.”
ADHD and Time Blindness: Dealing With Time
Defining time blindness as a “nearsightedness to the future,” Dr. Barkley shares a hilarious anecdote from the adults clinic. He teaches us about the purpose of the frontal lobe and, also, how the front and back part of our brains matter in the understanding of ADHD.
“People with ADHD cannot deal with time; and that includes: looking back, to look ahead to get ready for what’s coming at you. (…) The now is more compelling than the information you’re holding in mind.”Dr. Russel A. Barkley PHD
Children With ADHD
Dr. Barkley also addresses parents of children with ADHD. He hopes that they can comprehend that the issue is not about lack of knowledge.
“ADHD is a disorder of doing what you know. It is not a disorder of knowing what to do. (…) So you can get the smartest person on this planet, and you’re still gonna do some pretty stupid things. Because it’s not what you know. It’s doing it.” Dr. Russel A. Barkley PHD
I hope you enjoy it!
