ADHD Symptom Spotlight: Forgetfulness

Do you always seem to be misplacing items? Or perhaps you walk into a room and forget why you’re there? Many people struggle with forgetfulness, but people with ADHD have specific challenges with working memory. ADHD forgetfulness can impact your responsibilities, relationships, and overall day-to-day functioning.

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In this ADHD Symptom Spotlight, we will take a deeper dive into how ADHD affects memory, ADHD forgetfulness examples, and explore tools and tips for managing ADHD forgetfulness.

What Is ADHD?

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that influences how the brain functions and how impulses are regulated. While it is usually diagnosed during childhood, some people don’t receive a diagnosis until later in life. 

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The three types of ADHD are:

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• Inattentive ADHD: This form of ADHD is characterized by challenges with organization, instructions, and attention. People with inattentive ADHD may be easily distracted, seem absentminded, and lack follow-through on tasks.
• Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD: People with this form of ADHD often have trouble with self-control and staying still. They may talk excessively, interrupt others, and have difficulty waiting their turn.
• Combined ADHD: With combined ADHD, you exhibit symptoms of both inattentive ADHD and hyperactive-impulsive ADHD. 

Is Forgetfulness a Sign of ADHD?

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People often wonder if forgetfulness is a sign of ADHD. The quick answer is yes, forgetfulness is very common in people with ADHD due to working memory challenges. Working memory is the mental workspace where your brain stores small amounts of short-term information. This information can be retrieved quickly so you can problem solve, stay focused, and accomplish tasks.

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However, people with ADHD may have impaired functioning when it comes to processing, encoding, and retrieving information. Because the ADHD brain has a harder time focusing, it can be less efficient in separating relevant information from distracting information. 

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The following factors all contribute to ADHD forgetfulness and absent-mindedness:

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• Executive dysfunction: People with ADHD often have trouble organizing and managing tasks, which can seem like forgetfulness.
• Sleep: Sleep is necessary for processing and storing memories. People with ADHD often have challenges with sleep, which can impact memory and focus.
• Low dopamine levels: The imbalance of neurotransmitters in the ADHD brain can impact the regulation of working memory.
• Brain fog: Brain fog impairs your mental functioning, which can lead to difficulties with concentration and memory.

If you are struggling with memory problems, it’s important to talk to your doctor to determine whether it is caused by ADHD or another condition. There are many tests they can do, including neurological tests and imaging tests, to rule out other medical conditions.

ADHD Forgetfulness Examples

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ADHD forgetfulness and absent-mindedness can manifest in a lot of ways throughout your day. Here are a few examples of scenarios where forgetfulness may surface:

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• Forgetting to do household tasks or chores.
• Missing important deadlines, like work assignments or bill payments.
• Leaving the stove/water on or forgetting to lock the doors.
• Forgetting to take medication.

• Entering a room and forgetting why.
• Forgetting to reply to an important email‍ or text message.
• Misplacing important items, such as your wallet, keys, or phone.
• Trouble remembering important dates or special occasions like loved ones’ birthdays.

• Missing appointments or other plans.
• Losing track of a conversation midway through. 

Strategies for Managing ADHD Forgetfulness

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The stress and anxiety associated with forgetting important tasks and plans can be overwhelming. However, there are tools, tricks, and workarounds that can help you improve your working memory and better manage your day.

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Since ADHD can affect everyone differently, experiment with different methods to find what works for you. 

Organization Tips and Tools

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By staying organized, you can prioritize tasks, simplify your routine, and manage your time. Organization tools can provide structure and cues to help you manage forgetfulness.

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Tips to stay organized:

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• Focus on one task at a time. Break down complex activities into smaller tasks.
• Avoid multitasking and clear your workspace of distractions, including your phone and social media.

• Create reminders one day, one hour, and 10 minutes before appointments or commitments.

• Write everything down as soon as something comes up, even if it seems unimportant.
• Develop a daily routine to structure your day, which can help reduce ADHD paralysis. 

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Tools to stay organized:

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• Calendar apps: Schedule and organize appointments, due dates, and events.
• To-do list apps: Set, prioritize, and check off tasks, and create reminders about upcoming due dates.
• Smart assistants: Ask voice assistants to set reminders for you.
• Alarms: Set and label alarms for daily activities, like taking medication, eating, or going for a walk.

Mnemonic Devices

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There are lots of different memorization techniques that use associations or shortcuts. These helpful tricks can help you better learn and retain new information.

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• Chunking: Break down large pieces of information into smaller, manageable chunks to reduce cognitive overload. For example, you could organize your grocery list into subcategories, like fruits/vegetables, protein, and snacks.
• Rhymes and songs: Set information to a tune you know or create a rhyme.
• Acrostics: Create a word or sentence using the first letter of each item you want to remember. For example, you could use the acronym PICK to remember to grab your phone, ID, credit card, and keys every time you leave the house.

• Visual connections: Create a mental image when trying to remember new information. For example, if you’re trying to remember a new person’s name, connect it with a picture in your head (such as a welcome mat for the name ‘Matt’).

Lifestyle Changes

Maintaining a healthy mind and body can help sharpen your memory and may also help reduce other symptoms of ADHD. Some healthy habits to build are:

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• Practice good sleep hygiene: Adequate sleep is crucial for memory and cognitive function. Maintain a comfortable sleep environment, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and try to keep a consistent sleep schedule. 
• Add in daily movement: Exercise can boost brain health and enhance memory and cognition.
• Focus on nutrition: Try to eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats. ADHD can often lead to unhealthy eating patterns, so be mindful of what and how you’re eating.

Support Network

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Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask others to remind you about tasks or activities. Trusted friends, family members, or colleagues can all offer support for remembering important information.

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Be clear about why you need support and what kind of reminders would be most helpful. For example, you can ask your roommate to remind you when your laundry is finished, your close friends to remind you about the birthdays of your other friends, or colleagues to remind you when it’s time to head to a meeting.

Visual Reminders

Visual cues can be extremely helpful for remembering tasks or responsibilities. For example, if you have trouble remembering what you need to take with you when you leave the house, create a designated space near your door. Get in the habit of putting everything back when you get home.

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You can also put visual reminders in obvious places, like the trash next to the door or a work document on top of your computer. Putting up sticky notes about upcoming appointments or to-dos can also help.

Professional Support

Perhaps you’ve tried all the tips and strategies for improving memory but still have trouble managing forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. ADHD mental health professionals can offer invaluable support for managing symptoms. 

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one form of treatment for ADHD. Through CBT, you can learn to identify patterns and behaviours contributing to forgetfulness and develop skills to enhance working memory, organization, and time management. 

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Many find a combination of therapy and medication can help. While ADHD medication doesn’t directly target memory, it may improve your attention and focus, which can help with forgetfulness.

Find Tailored Support for ADHD

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Everyone processes information in different ways. Strategies that help some brains learn and remember information may not be the right fit for you. Experiment with different routines, techniques, and lifestyle habits to see what helps you most.

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Ultimately, a tailored treatment plan will best help you manage ADHD symptoms that may be impacting your life. A therapist can also help you address the frustration that can develop from ADHD forgetfulness.

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At Phare Counselling, our ADHD counsellors can offer guidance and help you build strategies to navigate life with confidence. Whatever your unique needs and budget, we’ll help find the right counsellor for you. Match with an ADHD Counsellor today!

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Author Bio:

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Wendy Chan is a writer and editor who is passionate about health, wellness, and self-care. She has worked in marketing and communications for nearly a decade, creating educational content for brands and companies across Canada. Since 2020, she has been a writer and researcher for Phare Counselling.

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Wendy specializes in authoring informative and accessible content on mental health, wellbeing, higher education, and technology. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. You can find her in Vancouver or Toronto, depending on the weather.

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