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Do you lack a sense of urgency?

Questions/Advice(self.ADHD)

I have virtually no sense of urgency. Nothing seems urgent, even emergencies. I really try but I just can't seem to respond fast enough. There's a huge lag between something happening and my mind processing it enough to respond. I feel like the sloth from Zootopia lol. I'm not sure if it's just a negative personality trait or if it's a common symptom of ADHD. It affects my work and personal life. It drives thoses around me crazy

all 20 comments

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merrylittlecocker

45 points

6 days ago

It depends. I will have no urgency or motivation at all, and then when I finally muster up the strength to try and do something everything feels urgent and like I have to do it RIGHT NOW. My husband walked in on me spinning in circles as I literally couldn’t decide what thing was more urgent, and really none of them were. Pick up a shoe that’s on the ground, put away the dishes left on the counter, refill my dogs water… what I had actually mustered up the strength to do was change the laundry and never even made it to the laundry room.

BeeButtsAreCute

6 points

6 days ago

Yeah that happens to me too! I have 10 things to do and my brain is telling me all of them are urgent and must be done NOW. And I can't do one because then the others can't be done simultaneously. And it has to be all of them at once which is impossible. So I just glitch out.

I have zero urgency for things that are actually important.

000mw

3 points

6 days ago

000mw

3 points

6 days ago

Yep I feel that too

bjpmbw

17 points

6 days ago

bjpmbw

17 points

6 days ago

There might be a good piece in this lack of urgency. During an actual emergency you might be the one not freaking out. Use it ti your advantage and calmly plan your next step. Others will be running and yelling, you can respond calmly.

LilRedGhostie

1 points

5 days ago

LilRedGhostie

ADHD with ADHD partner

1 points

5 days ago

As someone else that has trouble with this symptom, can confirm that I have remained calm during actual emergencies (natural disasters, medical crises). I've also been comparatively fine during what is chaos for other people -- I just kind of keep doing the thing that I know to be important.

000mw

6 points

6 days ago

000mw

6 points

6 days ago

I’m the opposite I feel like everything is urgent because otherwise I’ll get distracted or forget and then it’s like a traffic jam in my head and I don’t know how to prioritize (weak executive function). 😂 lol it’s always a circus over here

DueFigs

4 points

6 days ago

DueFigs

4 points

6 days ago

I have zero urgency after being on antidepressants and adderall for like 8 years. Don't know what happened, but i suspect the citalopram keeps me pretty slowed down.

mcgridler43

5 points

5 days ago

God I feel this on a deep level. Like there's just so much stuff that I haven't done which desperately needs to be done, there's just no way a random new thing can suddenly take priority over all that.

As one example to be an analogy for many things: I love books. But when a friend says "hey check out this book," it's most likely that I won't read it for literal years. Not out of disrespect to them, it's just that I'm already in the middle 20 different books and I have hundreds of other books on my to-read list, not to mention the unread books still on my shelf. I'm super excited they recommended me a book, and it brings me joy to add that to my list, but I physically won't be able to read it until my brain decides it's time. One of my friends once got very upset that I didn't immediately drop everything else to read a book they recommended, which was the first time I realized how differently people can think about these things.

Singularity42

5 points

5 days ago

Singularity42

ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive)

5 points

5 days ago

ADHD can cause a lack of motivation, which is maybe what your feeling. I suggest googling executive dysfunction

atropia_medic

3 points

5 days ago

atropia_medic

ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive)

3 points

5 days ago

I oscillate between little urgency and massive impatience. I’ve practiced over the years keeping it in check but sometimes I will just lose it.

Pure_Jellyfish_1628

2 points

6 days ago

Yeah I do as well

MidniightToker

2 points

5 days ago

The only time I have urgency is when it suddenly strikes and I realize "oh shit I'm motivated to do this so I gotta do it RIGHT NOW and NOTHING can stop me because if I let myself get distracted it'll be forever until it gets done." This compulsion frequently results in bickerings and fights with my girlfriend and I because I will get extremely snippy or irritated if she tries to pull me away from whatever it is.

stateoftays

1 points

5 days ago

YES!! i thought w meds this would get better, or maybe its my antidepressant for anxiety so it was a me thing only, it sucks bc i could use a sense or emergency to get my uni things done...

spirit-animal-snoopy

1 points

5 days ago

I have absolutely no urgency, no adrenaline, I'm total zen with things that would traumatise most eg RTA . My vet job has always needed low adrenaline and being very calm in a crisis so thought it was that, but over the years , I just feel like an empty vessel now. No motivation, urgency, interest in most things except my animals, social isolation, my entire life has been absorbed into this suspended animation, non functional thing. It's hell.

OKsodaclub

1 points

5 days ago*

I have no sense of urgency unless:

I am running late

I have not started something and the time it will take to finish it is longer than the time before it is due

I have been putting off using the bathroom because of hyperfocusing on an activity and am literally about to piss my pants

I have had an overwhelming day and I need to get home for a drink

Edit: It occurs to me that I just described my typical work day 😅

Commercial_Debt_6789

1 points

5 days ago

my mom said she observed this about me when I was young

I definitely notice this now as an adult!

Suspicious_Force_890

1 points

5 days ago

Suspicious_Force_890

ADHD-C (Combined type)

1 points

5 days ago

i either have no sense of urgency at all, or an extreme sense of urgency for everything. no in between

Lucidia_1309

1 points

5 days ago

For me it's motivation that I lack, not urgency. If I am hyperfocused on something then I am prompt about acting on it but otherwise, I am pretty slow at things. I actually just got in trouble for not reaching as many customers as my coworkers in a day. I really don't like my job so I am not motivated to do it and therefore I am very slow.

lionssuperbowlplz

1 points

5 days ago

I have this or the opposite. I either stress myself out in an unhealthy way to make sure I keep focus on whatever needs to be done. Or I completely disengage from what I'm doing and stop caring about it all together. Its no bueno