ADHD: Experience and Understand Working Memory
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- digcoaching.com. Jeff Copper is an ADHD coach and host of Attention Talk Video which is part of the Attention Talk Network, attentiontalknetwork.com.
ADHD coach Jeff Copper (www.digcoaching.com) often describes ADHD as a self-regulation issue with a working memory challenge. In this video he puts you in an attention exercise to experience the reality of working memory so you can witness the challenge, understand why you worry about it, and learn why it manifests as anxiety. The purpose of putting you in such an experience is to help you get the mindset to help problem-solve. If you find yourself anxious and stressed, watch this video to understand that sometimes the epicenter is your taxed working memory. Manage your working memory and you can manage your anxiety.
Attention Talk Video (attentiontalkvideo.com) is a part of the Attention Talk Network, which includes Attention Talk Radio... Your ADHD Information Station! (attentiontalkradio.com), Attention Talk News... Your ADHD News Source! (attentiontalknews.com), and Attention Talk Video... Your ADHD Talk Show Station! Follow us on Facebook at / attentiontalkradio .
Attention Talk Video is the leading video resource providing educational information and support for those with or impacted by Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Educational information is intended to help our targeted audience of adults and children to manage their symptoms to enable them to function at work, in school, at home, or in relationships. If you are frustrated, overwhelmed, or stuck or if you procrastinate, are not organized, or struggle with time management, consider subscribing to Attention Talk Video at attentiontalkvideo.com.
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For me this is the most frustrating issue for me with ADHD. Learning and working out complicated problems is very difficult when you spend so much time relearning all the stuff we have forgotten. Especially when we think we will remember and then find the information is just gone a few hours later. Notes are great but they have to be organized. I'm surrounded by little bits of paper! I have a note pad that I have labeled "Memory". It's around here somewhere ;)
Well put. I'm finding more and more as i study things... the issue under the focus issue is thinking... which is working memory if you are thinking in your mind. The more awareness and acceptance the more you are in a position to manage the underlying issue.
thanks for posting.
@@AttentionTalkVideo the relearning is also draining one's energy. what would be a good benchmark for working memory?
@@CloudNativeJanitor not sure i understand your question. Can you restate it?
I have to learn the same thing over and over until it commits to long term memory. It goes much faster if I'm interested in the thing, because I can hyper focus and learn about it until I know everything there is to know about the thing.
If I'm not interested in the thing, it never gets done. Because I'm so busy hyper learning about some other thing.
@@AttentionTalkVideo I completely understand Walid. I teach at a community college. I've been teaching the same material for many years. It's frustrating that I still have to go back and relearn (not just review) but ACTUALLY relearn some of the material. It's as if the info never made it into long-term memory.
I laughed at 3:32 because its so true. That effort of writing things down vs thinking "eh ill just remember " happens all of the time and its a challenge. Great content!
thank you. Glad it connected with you. Hoping others read you post and connect with it.
I try to explain to people how this feels and many treat it like I am just not trying hard enough. It is very frustrating. They think I do not struggle because I don’t miss deadlines. That’s only because I have worked for many years to find systems of writing down and remembering things. It takes so much effort though that I find I am often too drained to learn new things. I especially struggle with memorization for my classes. It causes me a lot of stress because other people assume it should be easy for me.
I'm hearing you. ADHD is an executive functioning impairment... thus, it is challenging and takes work. That said, you are clearly intelligent as you are figuring out ways to get by. I know it is a lot of work but keep the faith. Keep trying to figure things out..
Thanks for posting.
It feels like I have to rest more for less work. I want to do the remaining work and know how to get started. I just can't will myself to do so.
@@ModMINI ADHD is truly exhausting, I agree. Thankfully since my original comment, I have started medication and received academic accommodations, and I have also become better at advocating for and understanding my needs. I’m in a much better place, even if I still have my hard days. Here’s hoping that things improve for you as well
@@ModMINI also I wish you luck on your ADHD video binge you’ve had today lol. You also commented under another one of my recent comments on a different ADHD video. What a small world 😂.
I know for me, if I am worrying about something, I will not forget it. But if it's not critical and I do not feel any anxiety about a particular task, I may just forget it. Unless of course I write it down and put it right in front of my face or keyboard. I have to use a combination of paper and electronic notes to cure my forgetfulness.
Love the self awareness.
Hoping some feel validated... worry helps some remember. It takes up thinking time and there is maybe some anxiety but it can be effective. Again! Love the self awareness. Thanks for posting.
This really sank in for me a few weeks ago when I had to call the police for something and then the next day I was upset/anxious and couldn’t remember why until I worked through what had happened up until that moment. It took half an hour of journaling before I went “OH right that was yesterday”
Spent most of my childhood being applauded for my academic memory (gifted, which everyone knew) and shamed for not caring enough to remember personal things (adhd, which no one knew til I was 30).
Hope the video helped or validated what you.
As far as remembering personal things... i'm confident it isn't a matter of caring. It is like more just a working memory challenge. Keep the faith!
@@AttentionTalkVideo To expand on this - it's like being unable to remember the uninteresting things because they don't lay down a memory as easily as the interesting things. ADHD person seems to overspend energy on the interesting things and the uninteresting (but important) things get forgotten.
I’ve been doing this for the last few years and had no idea that I could be because of my adhd! Another amazing insight! Thank you!
Interesting how we instinctively do things...
Thrilled you find value in our content.
So true...this is exactly what happens. So clearly you have put it. So I received is clarity n validation too which in turn helps divert in helpful solution oriented directions rather than swirling around trapped in confusion n the emotions...specially anxity as you have so rightly put. Thanks so much Jeff!😊
You are so welcome. Grateful you find our content helpful.
thanks for tuing in.
Thank you for the quick videos!
I thought trusting my memory and pushing it will improve it, but I agree with the point you made about leaving less to remember so I can worry less and alleviate anxiety
Glad you like them!
often easier to work with ADHD than against it.
These videos are so helpful. I was just diagnoses at 25. All my life, I've had these notions of what does and doesn't work for me, but I never knew how to put them into words, and I certainly never suspected that they were normal.
Thanks for watching my channel. Grateful you find value in what we do.
i find this concept applicable to helping with sleep and a busy mind. when i am trying to sleep but remember a number of things that i need to remember to do the next day, or just things that are on my mind, it's incredibly helpful for me to write them down (even if i just scribble it & can't read the writing the next morning). i think it's because i'm relieving my working memory of having to recall that future "to do" item, when i know that my working memory is historically unreliable. the irony is that when i've written the thoughts down, not only am i able to then get back to sleep more easily, but i'm also WAY more likely to remember that item the next day, whether i actually looked at my scribbles that morning or not. such a helpful strategy & this video helped me understand why. thanks, jeff.
Love how you articulated things. Spot on! You are welcome.
If only I could remember to remember to write things down! If paper isn't nearby it just gets forgotten
Awesome Explanation !! And spot on !! my doc told me I have anxiety …but that its all derived from the ADD and working memory issue … and it surely is !!
thank you. i'm thrilled you identify with it.
Thanks for tuning into my channel.
One of my constant issues. Thankfully I have access to pen and paper immediately at work, and I've gotten in the habit of having pen and paper (with space to write on it) at myhome computer.
Thank you for explaining this, I've subscribed to learn more about my condition
Yea! Thanks for subscribing. Hoping you get a lot out of our channel.
Looking forward to seeing more comments.
Absolutely 💯
Booya
This video gave me some great insight! Have you ever done a video on Expressive Writing for anxiety with ADD? I would be interested to hear your comments on that. It's a concept I am studying in the book: Back in Control by David Hanscom. That book is on handling anxiety from chronic pain.
Thrilled our video helped. I have not done a vide on expressive writing. I'm not sure i know exactly what you mean when you say expressive writing. That said, writing out loud (i.e. journaling)... putting your thoughts on paper is less taxing to your working memory and can be very helpful for those who struggle with anxiety.
thanks for posting.
Helpful conversation ...thanks
I was just diagnosed with inattentive Adhd.. will hopefully start medication soon.. I’m sad because honestly I have no idea what profession could accommodate this , make me happy, and pay the bills… I feel a wide range of emotions. Happy because I finally have an answer , sad because there is something wrong with me.. I’m 32 and it took this long to be diagnosed because my parents just thought I was dumb, never thought I might actually have a disability.. I’ve been depressed since I was 5.. I’m so overwhelmed and emotional..
Love Dr. Ned Hallowell's quote... if you are diagnosed and properly treated with ADHD you can live a very fulfilling life. He himself is an example. There are countless others.
With 15 years of coaching those with ADHD i have found this to be true. Don't fight your ADHD. Work with it. There are jobs that will work. There are ways of getting support. I my self has six virtual assistants. I write each you tube post. if you read them you'll see my grammar sucks. Read anything else i do and either Jan, Lisa, or wendy edited it... or rewrote it. You see my dyslexia makes it very hard for me to read and write. That said i'm a published author. I have great ideas however others help me... alot! I mean a lot.
I encourage you to focus on what you can do. As Laura McNivens once wrote you can't treat ADHD through the lens of blame and shame.
One final insight. ADHD looks like a focus problem. It is but more ofthe than not it isn't the root cause. The root cause in impared working memory (thinking inside your head). Think outside your head and things are a lot easier. Consider googling attention talk radio gps and listen to my interview with Dr. Russell Barkley. Thanks for posting.
Slow processing, here. Your rate is just above what I can capture, but writing notes could help me catch the key words. Listening a second time allows details to be retained. Or, Reading pertinent text before your lecture would let me pre-learn material, so in-class notes could secure details. Not becoming overwhelmed or confused is of great benefit to the ADHD mind, so preparation beforehand is important in order to experience normal learning. Even as an older person, I can experience success if I prepare beforehand.
I function best in a collaborative team, where we all have individual strengths, each offers insight, and we respect others' abilities. More fun to work things out in that space, where one is inspired to do further research, and more researchers yields more ideas to consider.
It is confounding, as if we need to start from the beginning many times as we don't necessarily remember fixed categories. But we aren't limited by those categories. Always a mixed blessing, needing to work harder to process ideas.
Great post!!! Note we are all different. I prefer to go to a lecture first and then read the material. For me the lecture helps me identify the key point and thus when i go through the material i'm able to efficiently focus.
I like posts like this as it gives me the opportunity to illustrae how we a do things differently.
Thanks for watching my channel
This is timely for me. When I'm stressed/overloaded, I do dangerous things like leaving the door unlocked or--worse--leaving the stove on. Or I forget to set up the coffee or make the overnight oats my husband relies on. When I get back to work after the weekend, I literally cannot remember what I'm supposed to do or where I recorded that information.
I've been toying with the idea of having a way to keep a list so that when I see a task that needs doing while I'm in the middle of another task, I can just add it to the list so I won't divert from my current task.
The problem is that this would necessitate keeping my list with me, which is another thing to remember.
I'm not sure what to do about that.
i like the way you are going about problem solving. It will take time to figure something out but keep plugging.
Thanks for posting
are there any research concerned with how working memory can be improved? maybe with exercise and such? great video by theway
I believe there are things you can do that help (mostly practice i'm guessing). That said, consider this. If you are preforming at the 20% and you double your performance you at at 40%. That is a lot of improvement but you are still below average. Question is, what you happen if you put that kind of energy into something you are good at. Maybe something where you are at the 90%. If you got to 99% that is only 10% improvement but not you went from good to almost Olympic gold.
The point is, we often focus with fixing weaknesses over exploiting strengths. It's important to look at the cost and benefits of both before you invest in them.
In Alzheimer's patients, a study by Dr. Stephen Cunnane shows that exercise helps improve cognition as an adjunct treatment, and it's safe to assume that exercise does in fact help with working memory. Exercise increases BDNF, a protein that helps neurons grow, which helps memory formation too. Another thing that would do something similar would be intermittent fasting.
It affects my job so much and I cause lots of unwanted consequences because of something I know to do but forget one day and remember something else. It’s embarrassing! I have to compensate with my determination and willingness and positive attitude. It can be exhausting!
it does take extra energy... most of my life things take me longer to do.
Hang in there... keep remembering it is a challenge and do what you need to do to get by. Keep the faith and thanks for posting.
This was helpful and interesting.
Can people who don't have ADD hold 15 different tasks in their memory all day?
I suppose some can. Note the point of the video wasn't if you could hold 15 things in your mind but rather to understand the process of thoughts coming and going and over time you worry about what you are forgetting and that leads to anxiety. The idea is to gain self awareness that if you are feeling anxiety it could be because your working memory is taxed and the key is to get things out of your head in some external form so you can "see" them to manage them.
My poor working memory leads to not being able to anticipate problems, and therefore being constantly frustrated by problems that come up. I find if I am focused on what I need to be doing, I don't see what is also happening concurrently, bc my brain can't see both things, and then I end up with an issue that stops me. Very frustrating, and I know I have dealt with this since childhood. Can anyone else identify? I wish there was a solution for this, as this seems to one of the major ways poor working memory affects me.
Have you ever noticed problems occur daily? Many plan as if there will not be a problem. Maybe consider planning things expecting a problem. You wont' know what the problem is but if you expect one you may have added extra time to deal with it and not be so surprised when one occurs.
thanks for posting.
@@AttentionTalkVideo Thank you! This is good advice. Something I often forget is to expect problems, and wise to , as well as anticipate, to make time for these issues.
@@sharonhelleman7378 Life's challenges are often not about what you expect but what you didn't expect. Their is a saying i love. When ever you least expect it, expect it!
Please i am grade 11 student i was top of my class but after time i changed my scholl then meet alot of clever students more of them are better than me then i knew that i need to start working harder but eventually i get stressed and alot of anxiety i lose my confidence on my self then i begun to forget things alot when teacher teaches i listen but i forget alot what it said i did research on my self but no answer please any answer
you statement is basic... managing it a bit complex. One of the things that would be helpful is to understand your natural learning modalities, then look at the tools and apps you are using. Often the tools and apps are make things more challenging (often paper is high tech for those with ADHD). Once you understand that, adjust your study habits and tools to make it easier to digest information.
Next, understand our challenges and accept them to the extent you figure out work arounds. For me that is dictating things instead of writing them out first. This way i get things out of my head first and then edit it.
Finally, be who you are (easy for me to say). Writing is a challenge for me. When i got into coach the norm was to write a book or do a blog. Writing is painfully difficult for me. I starte my podcast and this channel. I didn't do it the way i was supposed to do it... i did what works for me. It is more mainstream now but 10 years ago it was foregin to most.
best of luck... keep the faith.
I have GAD, daughter’s dad has anxiety, daughter is being assessed for educational struggles and working memory is very prominent. ADHD is in her dad’s side of the family. However I wonder if I have it too
One way to find out... find a good physician.
so in our early childhood, we are anxious at the idea of not being able to answer the teachers' questions due to forgetfulness and ultimately being punished or accused of dunces?
ADHD is an execuative functioning impairment. At time different EF are in conflict. Working memory requires you to retrieve knowledge and is impaired. Emotional regulation is an EF. When emotions are dysregulated attention is dysregulated... thus, emotions from past experiences often inhibit your ability to manage emotions and thus dysregulating attention. This is why self-awarness (another EF) is so important. One must be present to down regulate emotions in order to think. EASY for me to say... difficult to execute... but it is possible. Thanks for posting.
Ffs, I wish I'd seen this when you posted it. I've been doing a programming course and all the advice is not to write notes, so I've been trying to do it with minimal notes, and it's impossible.
I'm so sorry. If you have ADHD that must have been a nightmare. Hope this understanding helps you as you move forward. Thanks for posting.
Yep. I forget everything
Get an idea... need to externalize it... or it will evaporate.
So how do I increase my working memory besides writing it down because I really struggle with it
I've got a blog post coming out soon that relates to this. I'm not an expert at improving WM. ADHD is and executive functioning impairment (i.e. WM impairment). My focus in working with people is to manage it as an impairment not to overcome it.
A Clydesdale has a speed impairment. I'm sure you can help it run a little faster but it isn't going to run in the Kentucky derby if you know what i mean.
thanks for posting.
Brain wave therapy.
So, who's the culprit: overactive anxiety or underperforming working memory? Does the former cause the latter or vice versa?
Anxiety can resonate from different places. Dr. Sharon Saline shared with me often anxiety is the physical manifestation of worry. When you working memory is impaired and over taxed there is often worry of what you are forgetting and thus anexiety. Get help with working memory via externalizing things can thus reduce anxiety (in this context).
thanks for posting
Been living paralyzed unable to barely function since losing everything due to lockdown & seeing my 8yr old lil girl n me get verbally abused by only person who took us in. I can't even.
I'm so so sorry to hear. My hope is you have gotten out of that situation...
100% me
it's a BIG challenge to those with ADHD... most don't realize it.
Great content. The tongue clicking is ticking me off tho 😥
sorry i'll work on that
One word:
the todoist app - for todo lists in the future
The UpHabit app - for keeping in contact with people
LastPass - for passwords
thanks
Lost working memory after vaccinations
Had high function memory
Within hours lost ability to write. Concentrate from one paragraph to another.
Can adhd be acquired from poisoning by vaccinations
Many things manifest as ADHD like symptoms. Sleep apnea is one. I'm not sure you can acquire ADHD from vaccinatoins. I'm GUESSING if your body has a reaction to it then it could manifest as ADHD like behavior.
Understand I'm not a researcher or mental health professional. This is just my thoughts.
Thanks for posting.
@AttentionTalkVideo it seems to me like brain damage. The vaccinations caused the working memory loss.
I can not do things because I forget my train of thought. As I move on to the next part of the thought process.
Like the sums you mention.
I thought it may be added when younger.
But it was another illness.
We have to be careful not to assign diagnosis of adhd without ruling out alternative diagnoses.
Though your videos are v helpful re working memory
You really are fantastic at explaining it.
Lots of working memory problems with co vid vaccination sufferers
So much in endocrinology can cause these problems, too
Thanks for yr channel. You are a v dedicated kind man.
@@Threadbow I'm trilled you find value from our content.
I'm not a doctor but it seems plausable if your body had a reactioin to the vaccine it could do some damage. Hoping you are trying to find help.