I struggle with ADHD to the extent that I rely on the maximum allowable long-acting dosage of prescribed stimulants, yet I still find it hard to maintain daily functions. The pandemic has made managing ADHD even more complex, especially when the skills required for adulting are most needed. My behavior can be frustrating to others, and their actions can drive me up the wall. ADHD is often intertwined with anxiety—particularly among women—where one condition exacerbates the other. Caffeine has become my lifeline, yet it also prevents me from consuming enough water. My forgetfulness is constant; I can’t even recall simple things like the day or week.
An Illustrative Experience of ADHD in a Pandemic
As I write this piece at 3 a.m., a day after it was due, there’s a good reason for my tardiness. First off, I can’t seem to sleep. This is a common issue. According to ADDitude Magazine, roughly 75% of individuals with ADHD report an inability to quiet their minds at night. Now, during this pandemic, it’s even harder. You either fixate on the crisis or distract yourself with other obsessions. For me, I fall asleep quickly (thank you, modern medicine) but often wake up at 3 a.m. with racing thoughts, so I might as well use this time to write.
I also lost track of the date. No, seriously—I forgot what day it was. Jokes abound about how the lockdown has rendered time meaningless. For those of us with ADHD, time management was already a challenge, and without external prompts, it feels like a vast ocean instead of a flowing river. Even if I had remembered the date, I would have still needed to check whether my work was due that day. So there I was, singing “Substitute,” feeling frantic, and mindlessly scrolling through my phone—all at once. Those of us with ADHD are experts at multitasking.
Hobbies Turn Into Obsessions
As a dedicated writer, I often lose myself in my work. This is a common occurrence, even on a normal day. It’s known as hyperfocus—deep, intense concentration that many with ADHD experience, as noted by Healthline. The pandemic seems to amplify this tendency. Perhaps we need a mental escape, or maybe we just can’t handle the isolation. Whatever the reason, I find myself chewing my nails, wishing I could drive around and belt out “Under Pressure,” which is my usual method of calming down.
My partner, Liam, shares a similar struggle with ADHD. While I tap away on my laptop from the porch hammock, he’s busy constructing intricate projects in our carport. He’s built everything from tables to bookcases and is currently working on a complex UV sterilization box with an array of materials that I’ve stopped questioning.
Our children, who also possess ADHD, have developed an obsession with Metroid on our vintage Nintendo system. My oldest plays, my middle child navigates, and the youngest watches, completely captivated. So much so that my middle son once paid his brother to keep playing. ADHD during a pandemic brings about some peculiar behaviors.
The Connection Between Caffeine and My ADHD
My relationship with caffeine has reached a new level: I either embrace it as my sole companion or resent it, singing, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” I consume a lot of coffee, waking up to it and drinking it throughout the day. If I skip my afternoon Monster Energy drink, I crash. Regular beverages are often forgotten, leading me to rely on sugar-free Gatorade we buy in bulk from Amazon. When I’m immersed in writing or parenting, drinking water becomes an afterthought.
Misplacing Essential Items
It sounds ridiculous, but how can you lose your wallet or keys in your own home? Don’t use them for a week and see what happens. With fewer outings, I find myself misplacing essential items. I often lose my CBD vape pens, and my children have a habit of “borrowing” my pens, leaving me in a constant search for them.
Think You Had Distractions Before?
I can video chat with friends at any time, and we can talk for hours! Or I can decide that I need to show my kids an online meme, leading me down a rabbit hole of distractions. I started making T-shirts on canva.com, which only added to my procrastination. The internet is a treacherous place for someone with ADHD, and lockdown has stretched these distractions into hours of lost time. Don’t even get me started on TikTok—I had to uninstall that app to regain some focus.
In essence, living through a pandemic with ADHD is like turning everything up to eleven. And the house remains a mess because cleaning is just not engaging. If you have ADHD, whether during a pandemic or not, you tend to reserve your focus for more stimulating tasks—laundry is not one of them. Sorry kids, you’ll have to dig through the baskets again.
Summary
Managing adult ADHD has become even more complex during the pandemic, as time loses its meaning, distractions multiply, and routines are disrupted. The reliance on caffeine intensifies, while hobbies morph into obsessions, creating a whirlwind of challenges for those affected.
For further insights on this topic, check out related content on Home Insemination Kit, and explore Make a Mom for authoritative advice. You can also find valuable resources on Kindbody’s blog.