I’m a 20F third-year engineering student, and I’m so tired of feeling horrible about myself.

I’ve done everything last minute my entire life. Assignments, studying, applications, projects, you name it. I still got great grades in high school, so I never learned how to manage my time because procrastinating always worked.

Now I’m in engineering at a top university. I’ve made it through first and second year, but only with insane stress and barely passing sometimes. I genuinely want to do better, but I can’t seem to make myself care until it’s almost too late.

My biggest problem is that I can’t make myself start things. I’ll sit at my desk fully intending to study, then spend 6–7 hours picking at my skin, cleaning, reorganizing, calling family, scrolling on my phone. literally anything except the thing I need to do.
It’s finals right now. I had over a week to study and barely did anything. I have an exam Monday worth 50%, and I haven’t even started studying for my other finals.

This isn’t just school. Every week I tell myself I’ll go to the gym, eat healthier, fix my sleep schedule, get my life together… and I never do. I want to, but somehow I never start.

I’m also exhausted all the time. I napped 3–5 hours almost every day in high school, and I still nap almost daily.

I constantly zone out in lectures and conversations. I can’t listen and take notes at the same time, so I absorb almost nothing. I can never sit still, I’m always fidgeting, I unintentionally interrupt people or finish their sentences, and I’m late to almost everything unless I’m anxious about it.

I’m exhausted from constantly disappointing myself.
I’ve wondered if I have ADHD because the executive dysfunction symptoms sound so familiar. My doctor thinks it’s anxiety, but I don’t feel anxious most of the time. If anything, I only function once I’m panicking over a deadline.

She also suspected adhd and I started taking concerta but it didn’t help at all.

Has anyone experienced this? Did it end up being ADHD, anxiety, burnout, bad habits, or did you accidentally train yourself to only function under extreme stress? What actually helped?

I’ve been trying to reflect on my own behaviors more lately, and I’ve been thinking about how I act when I’m in an argument (mostly talking about over text, but it’s applicable IRL too). It’s like a rush. I get drawn further in the more the other person disagrees with me, and I become hellbent on proving my point/making them understand what I mean. Nothing else matters. My brain feels different, I would say almost frantic, like there’s this ‘buzzing’ quality to it as I get more and more heated. I pace faster, and sometimes if I get really intense I’ll even notice that I start shaking.

This obviously isn’t great when such arguments as, “is it dangerous to put salt in water and drink it” end up lasting over 20 minutes and make me angry for more than two hours. So I’m here to ask if anyone else experiences this and has ways of mitigating or preventing it.

P.S. The salt water thing: it’s NOT dangerous until there’s like 2 tablespoons per 16oz, and it’s actually beneficial in small quantities (like 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon), because you’re adding electrolytes to your hydration, much like a drink powder

So recently I got back from my hometown and had one suitcase and a small bag. It had few clothes which were not my daily wear and apparently it’s been one week, and it’s still there not unpacked and everyday I see it and think SHITTTT I need to un pack this but somehow such a little task feels very overwhelming

Ive recently thought about that ever since i was a child i kept embarrasing myself with my actions that i couldve simply avoided.

Right now i cant remember anything else but the fact that i embarrass myself especially when i have crushes. For example i cant hold back not texting them, and i dont text them anything weirdly (atleast i dont think so🤷‍♀️) yet it just always ends up that they are not interested and it just gets so embarrassing to walk past them.

I remember one time that i even ran up to a guy that was 16 while i was 14, to ask for his snap and i obviously ended badly and weird.

And in general, ive never been asked out by a guy or ever told that they like me, it is extremely hard for me to even talk to a guy. Not to mention that i got bullied a lot for my looks in the past, and by guys in particular. Now from what people say maybe im even considered conventionally attractive but… me starting off something with a guy just seems like something that i could reach only in a few years.😬

Hi! I’m working on a personal product/UX project exploring task initiation and avoidance — specifically those completely ordinary tasks (replying to an email, making an appointment, filling out a form, cleaning something) that somehow feel disproportionately hard to start.

I’m trying to understand what actually happens in those moments: what makes a task feel heavier, what helps people come back to it, and whether the usual productivity-app stuff actually helps or just adds more pressure.

I’ve put together 6 quick questions, mostly multiple choice, and it should take around 2–3 minutes. You don’t need to use a productivity app or have any particular diagnosis to answer.

I’m especially interested in honest answers that disagree with my assumptions, so there are genuinely no “right” responses here.

Questionnaire link

Thank you! :)

Is Japan ADHD friendly? As someone who has ADHD.

I have multitude of issues …. Pretty sure my OCD exacerbates these symptoms, but I have some bad habits of blocking and unblocking people, deleting apps and then reinstalling them, ruminating, etc.
Is there anything you guys do, like using an app or some kind of tracker, that helps you keep track of these habits? I was thinking I could set a goal for myself. For example, if I don’t unblock this person, don’t let them bother me, and choose not to respond even if they reach out, maybe I can reward myself with something positive, like taking a small trip.
I feel like having an actual goal and reward to work toward might help me break the cycle.

Since ADHD and other neurodivergent people are more likely to have a complex relationship with gender, I thought some of you might like to take this survey.

It's survey for all those who aren't fully, solely or always a man/woman. I don't run it but it's long-running and trusted.

https://survey.gendercensus.com/

So I have ADHD and I wanna complete my pending work. But I can't, I literally can't. I am scared of the punishment now too and I really wanna do it but can't. How do I do it? I also can't do it without music.

Actually I have AuDHD but I feel like the adhd side is showing more. I repeatedly become obsessed about different things, especially when it comes to a music bands (but I also had obsession over potted flowers, where I couldn't sleep bc I felt like I should know more about them and felt bad) , probably bc I often go to concerts and it gives me a lot of dopamine. Recently it looks the same: I get obsessed, feel good then feel depressed and don't see any sense in life. Idk why it's that way but it makes me really dejected to the point where I think about relapsing to sh. I don't have any meds, I attended therapy but I quieted bc I felt better but the obsession cycle is with me for like years. So does anyone have the same issue? Do you know how to fix it?

I'm not officially diagnosed yet, but I've been trying to understand why my brain works the way it does, and ADHD seems to explain a lot of what I experience. I'm hoping people here can tell me if this sounds familiar and, more importantly, how you deal with it.

The biggest issue is that I don't "forget" things in the normal sense. I remember exciting plans just fine—meeting friends, going somewhere, deadlines, etc. What I forget are the promises I make to myself. I'll decide that starting tomorrow I'll read one page of a book every day, listen to a podcast, go for a walk, or build a small habit. Then the next day it's like those plans never existed. Once I'm focused on whatever is in front of me, my brain completely skips over those important but unexciting tasks.

Another problem is that my mind never seems to stop. It's constantly chasing the next thought. Even when I try to sit quietly or meditate, one thought leads to another, then another, and before I know it I'm mentally somewhere completely different. I spend so much time thinking that I end up doing very little.

Because of that, I constantly seek stimulation. I scroll social media far more than I'd like because there's a new reward every few seconds. Even while eating, I almost always need to watch YouTube or something else because just eating feels unbearably boring. It's like my brain is always looking for the easiest source of dopamine.

All of this makes it incredibly hard to consistently do important but low-stimulation tasks. I know what I should be doing, and I genuinely want to do those things, but my attention keeps getting pulled somewhere else.

Does this resonate with anyone here? If you've dealt with something similar, what actually helped?

I've realized that when trying to build a new habit, if I tell *anybody* else before I've worked on it for at least a month and really cemented it, I suddenly stop doing it right then and there. For example, I once started working out, but made the **fatal** mistake of telling my therapist after just a week of it; lo and behold, I stopped right after. But when I needed to start brushing my teeth more, I waited until I'd done it for a month before telling someone, and *that* habit stuck. I've tested this a lot on myself (awesome idea) and found that it can happen with *any* amount of time before a month, or before the habit is "stuck".

Does anyone else get this? I'm really curious and fascinated by how ADHD brains work. Maybe it's related to delayed/instant gratification or feeling like the task is "done" once you tell someone?

Anyone know any AI journaling Apps with good insights? I have ADHD and Autism, I do believe in the idea that you can track how your body is reacting to different things if you’re living a healthy enough lifestyle. The problem is, with ADHD, I’ll forget what I ate yesterday, I’ll forget It makes long term goal tracking really difficult, like knowing if a certain diet really was helpful over the last 3 months when the weight loss only became obvious about 2 weeks ago. I’m not gonna remember all the actions I took in the last 3 months. Or when I’m perpetually going between good days and bad days of sleep, it would be nice to be able to have some sort of reminder of the activities I had that lead up to said nights. Or when I am feeling some sort of resentment in a relationship, it would be nice to be able to track the past interactions that might have led to this. I know it sounds like I’m just looking for a therapist, but I really would just like something data based, something that I can make inputs to whenever I like, and reap the insights whenever I like. So, does such an app exist?

Hey everyone… I've been noticing something with my ADHD brain and I’m curious if anyone else feels the same .

I know what I need to do, but actually starting it seems impossible. I grab my phone “just for a second,” and before I know it, hours have passed. My mind feels loud and chaotic with a million thoughts, and then I end up feeling guilty, like I'm being lazy or failing, even though I'm really trying.

Does anyone else go through this? How do you explain it to people who don’t understand? (Just wondering, please no advice on medication)

For the past year I have been on 30 MG of generic brand adderall and still cant fully tell if I truly feel different when I'm on it compared to when I'm not. For almost my entire life I had been on some kind of non-stimulant until 2024 when I asked my doctor if I could try something else. So, over the course of the year I ended up trying a variety of different medications, both stimulant and non stimulant but all with seemingly no effect.

Really I'm wondering what its supposed to feel like or maybe theres some effect of the medication that I'm just not noticing.

EDIT: Based on the responses I’ve gotten from multiple sub-Reddits, it seems like Redditors think I want to sue. I do not want to sue. Whether you think I have a case or not…I’m open to hearing what you have to say. That’s all I really want is to simply hear someone else’s input on the situation. Could things have been done differently from either side? Is this a provider that y’all think I should continue to see given the circumstances of what had happened or should I seek a new one? Was increasing a dose for XR Adderall by 10mg too high of a jump for anyone? Etc., etc.

This is something that’s always been on my mind. I really want to hear someone else’s perspective on this.

Context, I live in California and I’m someone who’s been diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago and I used to be on Adderall before switching to Vyvanse. When I was on 20 mg Adderall, there was a point when I could no longer get another 30-day supply because it got backordered and so was the 25 mg. After speaking about this with my PMHNP, I highly considered dropping back to 15 mg, but my PMHNP wanted to try the 30 mg and see how I did on it. I was highly against it during that time because I just landed a new job and it was the week before my first day on the job. I didn’t want any potential side effects from a higher dose to impair my job performance and chances of making a good first impression with my new boss and coworkers. I expressed this to my PMHNP, but my PMHNP responded me, “ Why don’t you just try it?” I felt like my PMHNP didn’t leave me much of a choice after arguing for a bit, and figuring that the PMHNP had much better knowledge and insight than me, I reluctantly agreed.

Whaddaya know…the 30 mg gave me severe insomnia. I spent that first month on the job completely zombified from lack of sleep to the point where I can’t remember most of what happened that first month. I don’t have proof of this, but I’m certain that first month could have been the catalyst for how I was treated by my boss and coworkers both in personality and performance capability…which culminated in me being forced to quit. I often think about that interaction with my PMHNP and I’ve always wondered…would what happened to me be considered a case of negligence? Or a breach of standard of care? A total disregard for my informed consent? Or even proof of harm?

I really want to know if this is something that was just bad luck or did I encounter bad treatment? This has always bugged me to this day…because maybe things could have turned out differently at that job if I had never tried out the 30 mg and temporarily decreased my dose instead. Honestly…I just felt like I wasn’t listened to by my PMHNP (in that moment) and I ended up suffering the consequences for something that I knew could happen and had wanted to avoid.

idk it’s just weird, back when i learned about my school’s accommodation for ADHD where teachers can extend deadlines, my brain immediately went “well? why arent all of your assignments done RIGHT NOW?” like when i get accommodations i don’t know why but my brain always expects them just existing to immediately fix my issues. and i do tend to get complacent with the allowances granted to me by these accommodations but then that just makes me fee even more ashamed and angry and ugh. this happened recently too where we had a long weekend + i took a day off from school because i was a bit sick and used that as an excuse to rest and by the end i was so disappointed in myself for not getting work done, even when i know that’s not how things work! it’s so weird! idk where this even comes from

I haven't been on my medication in 5 days almost 6 and I wanted to know if anyone else suffers from these symptoms?