ADHD & conversations

ADHD & Conversations

too many people talking

Group discussions demand constant shifts in focus and the ability to follow multiple threads of conversation simultaneously. Participating in group conversations can be really overwhelming for ADHD’ers due to unique challenges with attention, impulse control, and working memory.

The impulsivity associated with ADHD may result in interrupting others or struggling to wait for our turn to speak, leading to frustration or embarrassment.

The need to rapidly process and respond in such an environment can also place a heavy cognitive load on working memory, making it hard to organize thoughts and articulate responses.

too many people talking group ADHD

multitasking

We often doodle or fidget during conversations to help manage symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Engaging in these activities provides us a form of self-stimulation that keeps the brain occupied, which paradoxically enhances our ability to concentrate on the conversation.

These repetitive actions also offer an outlet for excess energy and emotional regulation, reducing anxiety and preventing the conversation from becoming overwhelming. 

what were we talking about?

ADHD’ers often experience forgetfulness in conversations due to difficulty with maintaining consistent attention and processing information efficiently. Our minds are frequently flooded with competing thoughts and distractions, making it challenging to focus on the present conversation.

This can lead to missing details or even whole parts of the conversation. This forgetfulness is not due to a lack of interest or attention to the speaker but is a reflection of the cognitive hurdles we face in managing and retaining information in real-time.

forgetfulness and adhd
ADHD thoughts too fast for my mouth

a hundred story lines

ADHD’ers often jump from topic to topic in conversations because our minds process thoughts at a rapid pace, faster than we can verbally articulate. Our cognitive pathways are highly active and constantly generating new ideas, associations, and interests. As a result, we frequently shift the conversation to keep up with the racing thoughts.

This can lead to a stream-of-consciousness style of speaking, where one idea quickly leads to another, sometimes only tangentially related to the initial topic.

going blank

While ADHD’ers often grapple with a rapid-fire stream of thoughts, there are also moments when our minds can abruptly go blank during conversations.

This phenomenon occurs when the cognitive load becomes overwhelming, causing thought processes to momentarily freeze. The constant mental juggling of tracking the conversation, managing distractions, and organizing responses can lead to a sudden mental block, making it difficult to retrieve relevant information or articulate thoughts.

During these instances, we might struggle to find the right words or ideas, appearing lost or unresponsive. 

brain going blank ADHD

ADHD coaching

ADHD coaching can be instrumental in helping ADHD’ers with various challenges:

  • Goal setting
  • Accountability
  • Understanding strengths and values
  • Building structures
  • Self-awareness
  • Skill building
  • Stress management
  • Building self-trust

 

 Reach out here. 💕

Get to know your adhd

If you’d like to get to know your ADHD brain, check out this workbook😊🧠

Found This Helpful?

Help raise ADHD awareness and share this post to your socials. Together we can make a change!

Related Posts

Want to continue reading? Check out these related posts.

Find even more here…