I can’t work on maths problems: by the time I key a calculation into my calculator I’ve forgotten what I was actually calculating.
When I open my phone to write an email, by the time I have the ‘new email’ screen open I’ve forgotten what I wanted to write and to whom.
When I go off looking for something in another room, I forget what I was looking for by the time I’ve entered it. I constantly mutter ‘What was I doing? What was I doing?’
This is so debilitating – I can’t live like this. What can I do?
Different medications at different dosages and ever more elaborate coping strategies until you find one that works.
What kind of meds help with this? I know that stimulants help to calm an under-stimulated brain, but memory has nothing to do with this right?
It’s difficult (and potentially irresponsible) to answer this over social media, so if you can you should discuss this with doctors and specialists.
If you’re finding that you fill your working memory up with things for Task A, then get distracted by Task B, then come back to Task A only to find the working memory is gone and you need to start over from scratch then yes, stimulants can potentially help there by both reducing distractions and making that working memory less volatile.
Ultimately the only way is to know is through a continuous process of trial and error with a good doctor.
I assumed your post was somewhat hyperbolic but if not (or the symptoms have been getting worse), you should find that doctor right now. Write it on your hand in Sharpie if that’s what it takes to remember the next step.
Looking at your other comments though, I can relate and so could many people I know, all of whom have been put on stimulants. Context switches can be brutal with ADD, especially if they’re involuntary.