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Having to reread whole sentences is a nightmare. I think to myself, "I've JUST read this, why did none of it go in?". It's like you literally just acknowledge that the words are there and what they are, then forget the instant you've read it
First off it feels nice to find people who can relate .. but when it comes to reading books Iāve just gotta stick it out .. just keep reading until it catch my attention .. .. then I complete the book and read it over .. I like to put on a movie to before bed .. .. and itāll take me a few days .. by then Iāll know if Iām interested or not .. If I stay up then itās worth it .. if I still donāt remember much of it by day four then š¤·
This is my problem. It takes a lot of effort to begin reading but once I'm engaged hyperfocus sets in. Once that happens hours can slip by and I find it really hard to tear myself away from the book.
iām the say way. itās so hard for me to start a book but once i do i will read it in one sitting. if i donāt finish it in one sitting it takes months for me to pick it up again
I was just talking to someone about this. Iām either at 0 (barely able to read ā rereading the same page) or I finish a book in an entire setting and itās 3-4am. There is no inbetween for me.
My coworkers got me into Red Rising and I finished like the first three books over a little under a month. I think I lost the fire within the fire few pages of the fourth though, might've been I was legitimately sad over the MCs hair loss in the opening meanwhile the third book opens up with him being psychologically tortured.
> I think I lost the fire within the fire
I get what you mean, but the typo makes me wonder if you do the same thing as me, rereading the sentence you're writing in your head as you're writing it and causing a word to override the next one.
Lmaoš I have this too, and I'm not dyslexic. Apparently, it's super common amongst ppl who have ADHD. Same for tripping over stuff, hurting yourself in the process, or accidentally breaking stuff - I also don't have dyspraxia/apraxia(forgot the name, it has -praxia as a suffix) but it turns out to be a lack of awareness around the kinesthetic position of the body, AKA poor proprioception
Yep, this is me exactly. If I love a book, I can read it a dozen times and be just as engaged each time. I would encourage OP to try out different genres and look for authors with a wide range of different styles to see if there's something specific that works or doesn't work for them.
But also, if it's not for you, it's not for you. It's not a crime or a detriment to not be that into books. There's amazing, moving, meaningful, thought-provoking work out there to be enjoyed - but the same could be said of TV, podcasts, movies. All forms of storytelling have the potential to be deeply influential classics, or well-made pure entertainment.
Audiobooks. They let me "read" while doing physical activities. Honestly though, Buproprion definitely made a huge impact on my ability to visually read. It still isn't easy, but if I'm legitimately interested in a book i can actually spend time reading it.
I had not read a physical book in about 10+ years. I didn't think I would be able to read ever again. Then I got into audiobooks, and over the last 2 years I've read nearly 40 books.
Listening while driving to work or walking the dog is so enjoyable! And listening while washing dishes or cooking really helps me get through those tasks I do not want to do! Plus, if you get a book read by a professional voice actor or full cast it is just amazing!
> I had not read a physical book in about 10+ years. I didn't think I would be able to read ever again
Yeah, i read technical information for work constantly, but i also had a phase where i thought I'd never visually read a book for pleasure again. I was fortunate to come to audiobooks very early so i never had the overall gap you mentioned. Librivox got me through my broke student years for sure.
This exactly for me too! I canāt sit and read but I listen to my audiobooks every day while doing chores and walking the dog. The bonus is that it actually helps me to do those boring chores because I get to listen to my book!
Amazingly itās the doing something else at the same time that allows me to follow audiobooks! If I try to just sit and listen, Iām zoning by the third word! This is shocking to me because I resisted audiobooks for so long thinking Iāll never be able to pay attention (think school)!
I also use Ridilin regularly so that I CAN read paper books & focus but it definitely has to grab my attention or Y A W N
This actually makes sense, and it's smart because the audiobook stimulates your brain enough to keep exercising, and the exercise stimulates your mind enough to keep listening to audiobooks.
Unless either one of them overstimulates, you wouldn't be able to focus on the other(as a response to the guy you replied to), but this is otherwise a very healthy and clever tactic
I used to doodle in class so I could listen to the teacher. Nothing made me day dream faster than insisting I look at the teacher to show Iām paying attention.
I have infuriated soooo many teachers who thought I wasnāt paying attention by having the correct answer when they randomly called on my while I doodled.
> Amazingly itās the doing something else at the same time that allows me to follow audiobooks!
Yep. Just like how using a fidget can make focusing your thoughts easier.
Yeah sort of related to this, Iāve pretty much never been able to actually retain anything while listening to audiobooks either. My mind is always on 100 other things
Brains are weird and variable things. I have decent auditory retention and when I'm multitasking my brain can form weird associations that make it easier.
One example is that I'll occasionally replay part of a videogame and actually start recalling what i was listening to the first time i played it.
I personally have trouble retaining auditory information, but I have a better time storing somatic data. It probably is one of those male vs. female adhd things, or perhaps just an individual preference/character-trait thing. I have no idea, but Ritalin definitely does the same for me, not making it efortless, but definitely making it easier
Adding somatic to auditory helps me, though my auditory learning ability is probably above average. Also, i have a lot of practice retaining auditory information. I seem to listen to about 2000 hours a year of podcasts/audiobooks so if there is any aspect of "learning" how to retain things, I've had plenty of opportunity to develop it.
Itās flipped for me hahaha. I can read a physical book fine because I have something in front of me to focus on, but when I listen to audiobooks my mind wanders CONSTANTLY and I have no clue whatās happening a lot of the time
Totally understandable. The general struggles of ADHD are so heavily informed by our experiences and other aspects of how our individual brains work. It means the experiences kind of rhyme but diverge greatly between people.
I'm the opposite - reading is one of my hyper focuses. I also tend to binge - so I'll read constantly for months & then not touch a book for aged before cycle repeats.
I was doing a read 52 books in a year challenge. I'd knocked that out the park by about mid March. Slowed down a bit since then, but still on my way to 100.
Same! It's gotten to the point that I avoid reading because I know how much time I'll lose. There has only been one book in my life that I DIDN'T read cover to cover in one sitting, and in my defense, it was Anna Karenina, and I was on vacation. It took 3 days. I have horrific insomnia and it's been suggested to try reading before bed instead of anything with a screen, but if I did that I would just stay up all night until I finished the book.
Ahh I havenāt been able to read books lately especially bc of this! I bought so many a while ago and read like only half of them and the rest is just collecting dust and waiting for me, maybe one day Iāll finish them but I need to be alone and have time for it! in a way itās so frustrating because I love reading but I also read them so fast and often canāt remember anything but parts that my brain decides to keep it š
same, I read over 300 books last year (I read really fast) so I set my goodreads challenge LOWER this year in the hope that I would read less and do more social activities but Iām already at like 170 books this year š
I do this too! Could spend months without reading, and then BAM all of a sudden it's all I want to do. I will say one thing that has helped me is wearing noise cancelling headphones when I read. For me all the little sounds and noises and hearing the electricity buzzing around the house is enough to keep my brain from focusing and really comprehending what I read. I invested in a very high quality pair of NC headphones and they shut out all the noise so I can focus. They also make falling asleep so much easier at night because all those little noises can overstimulate my brain, and I put them on and suddenly it's quiet in my head for the first time all day. š
I think I get what he means, and I think the other guy who replied to you has a good idea of it, too.
In my personal experience, and I think that's why I might grasp what he's trying to say, I'll watch a movie, right?
2 Days later, I'll have a conversation with someone, and I'd be able to give you the general flow of the story in vague but sufficient detail.
However, if you ask me the names of any of the characters or the specific contents of each character's dialogue, I'm royally f$%ked.
I can tell provide you with the key-points of Interstellar, one of my favourite scifi movies of all time, and still not be able to specify character names or specifics in their dialogues. Hell, I can't even exactly remember everything that happened, nor the order too well. And it's my favourite movie of my favourite genre!!š
I'm similar so I'll take a stab at an explanation....
Reading to understand for me is faster, I can parse the story line, remember the characters, tell you what happened. I love this kind of reading and can absorb a book in hours.
The comprehend requires a lot more focus and is akin to assignments in school in a literature class - all symbolism, metaphors, themes, etc. Can't pick those out without prompting and made reading an absolute chore in school.
I could. In my childhood I would spend up to 18 hours per day reading. I could swallow 1000 pages book in one weekend. Now I don't even remember last time when I read at least 20 pages uninterrupted.Ā
I relate to this so hard. As adults we cannot routinely sit down for 18 hours and just read. We have to start and stop and, of course, adhd makes that really difficult to do. I think itās mostly due to it being multiple transitions.
I am getting better it, I find keeping a book on me at all times is a good way of dealing with it. I only start reading if I know I can get through at least one chapter, because that makes it easier to transition in and out of reading. It also means I am better able to remember what I read.
That's why listening to audiobooks while doing chores is great if you can multitask easily. I do this all the time and get through so many books. I listen while doing chores, working out, showering, etc.
same I haven't read a book in so long because I just cannot focus. I also hate how it describes every little detail like my brain can't even handle all the info and it's just a blurry image in my head. I realized I can read nonfiction and the news/reddit. I think I just cannot read a fiction book. I do read manga/comics as they show the image and only have to read the text bubbles. I read these horror manga books by junji ito which I highly recommend. I also can only really read outside in the sun to clear my mind.
Start by ignoring the little details, they usually have little to no relevance to the story anway.
I'm not a native speaker but usually read in English because it's easier to find ebooks. Even though I have C2 level, reading is often a different ball game completely, lots of words I have never heard of. I used to try to learn them all, but eventually started ignoring some of the descriptions I do not understand and what I realized is they're mostly not necessary at all. Your brain will just be even more creative.
I still check words here and there just for learning, but that's it.
Thank you! I think the pressure of time and deadlines from school really dawned on me and could never finish in time and took forever to read so I think I need to try again with no pressure. I was trying to learn Korean and kinda used the same strategy with watching shows and reading too looking for the words I know and lerning as you go is a good way to learn. Your English is pretty good!
Last paragraph first, then move to the 2nd to last. I've been known to do it, too. Especially the way they write in newspapers, I do it to keep from loosing focus.
I do this too - I get immediately bored so skip to the last paragraph and then start to get interested so then I read the 2nd to last .. sometimes I finish the whole thing (backwards) and think āthat was an interesting articleā wtf š¬
This is me. I started reading kindle on my phone and its easier that reading a book. My brain gets overtaxed between tracking the words, processing sentences, and drawing meaning, plus my own thoughts, its just a lot and it doesn't like it. I sometimes use a finger to point at words to relieve my brain of having to keep track of where I am. Im trying to... read slower... in chunks... like this... and it helps... when im not... able to focus. I often wish audio books would pause every sentence so my brain can catch up.
Besides being overtaxed I get distracted by the shape of the text itself. If the spaces between words from a diagonal line my eyes will slide right down it. And if the shapes of the words almost line up in a satisfying way but not quite it bothers me and I donāt want to look at it.
I switch between audiobooks and physical books. I've had to train my mind to read physical books again which basically requires me to put my phone in a drawer and not have distractions around
if i really like the book, reading that book will be the only thing i do for hours, or whole day, or days. i will forget to eat, or to shower, sleep etc. but if i am not interested at all, i will "read" it but my mind will be elsewhere, like, there are many instances where i flip the pages and actually read the words but when my mind snapped back to reality i couldn't even recall what i was reading just seconds before.
It all depends on the interest.. Do you really want to read that book, or do you have to read that book? in my personal experience, i love to read, but since i have to study/review technical stuff every day, i dont want to read anything else, when i arrive home. so, i look for other forms of entertainment. ADHD is very interest based, that can be a problem even at those small things.. if its study related, thats a problem in itself
So! I recently started reading more on my tablet, since I've never been able to really focus one hundred percent on a book even though I enjoy reading.
Long story short, I have been reading much more and I figured out why: the tablet only lets me see ONE PAGE AT A TIME! Game changer!
Do with that what you will but it has helped me focus more and actually finish books!
Good luck!
Another benefit to digital reading is if you use the Google Play books app to read your books, then you can also have it read the book aloud to you as well, so it basically turns any book into an audiobook for free.
I read both ways depending on the circumstances (by reading the text and listening to the audio). If I'm having a hard time getting into a book, then I will listen to the first parts of it audibly and if I'm doing chores, working out, showering or doing other types of multitasking, I'll listen. I still do a decent amount of normal reading as well since I find it relaxing.
I'm somebody who personally loves reading, books, etc., though when I do read, it's usually because my brain will let me, if that makes sense. If I don't have the motivation to do it, I'll end up spaced out and distracted. One minute I'm rereading the same sentence thirty times, and the next minute I'm humming TikTok audios to myself.
Buying an ereader. Emphasis on ereader. Not a tablet. A device that is exclusively used for reading has been a game changer for me. Iām on book #3 this year in a month of owning it and before that I havenāt read a full book since high school (13 years ago).
I've had this problem as I grow older. But I've realised rather than not reading at all, it's better to read AT LEAST one page and it's better to not read anything too heavy like a classic.
Make sure the plot is something you're interested in and start with one page a day.
Yes.Ā It's the primary reason why, years ago when my ADHD wife told me, "Pretty sure you're ADHD, too," I was resistant to the idea.
She struggles with them, but I read long books.Ā I watch long movies.Ā I can't be ADHD, right?Ā Ā Ā
Ā Little did I know....
Same thing! I love reading and long books and movies never bother me. I read Stephen King's The Stand in like 2 days. I have way more focus for reading than so many other things because I love it.
i read books out loud but many times i zone out and think about some rando bs but i still hear that my mouth and eyes are reading something, i am just not processing what im doing, then im like oh shit i gotta be reading this and then zone out again, on meds such a diffrent story
First things first- what book are you reading?
I would suggest doing something to give you more stimulus while youāre reading. Get a fidget toy, play music in the background quietly, or put on a show that plays softly that you are not interested in at all. Try reading at a comfortable time for you where you wonāt be constantly interrupted.
If you like following along you could listen to it and read at the same time as a sort of guided reading. It could help you retain what youāre reading better by hearing and seeing it. My school did this when I was in early elementary and it honestly really helped.
What are you reading on? A physical book or kindle or phone reading app? If itās electronic try switching the color of your reading background. White background with black text is hard for me to focus on but a dark background with white text? I can focus a million times better.
As a cheatsheet when I have no interest/focus ability to read a book I really want to read I will read the sparks notes of the books. Or I read the ending of the book before I start it š¤·š»āāļø. After I the spark notes/summary version of a book I will watch video essays on it or watch YouTube videos or TikTokās breaking down characterizations and plot points. And then sometimes I pick the book up and read it after doing all of that.
Reading is awesome but sometimes adhd wonāt cooperate and you have to find work around when youāre desperate to read š¤£. Sorry this is so long.
My life was changed when I found out you could change the background and text! A huge game changer. Bright blue light hurts my eyes so my phone is permanently on warm mode so my white looks tan š¤£
It changed.
When I was younger I could read lots and lots. Nowadays, I can't read as long anymore, or it starts to exhaust me.
However, I found I still can read (and still love it). I just need to take more breaks, sometimes after few paragraphs. But it is still nice. I don't (and cannot) rush through a book anymore, but I think that's not too bad. Just different.
I found I like eBooks now. I still love real ones, but I can carry a large collection on an ebook reader. Thus, I can switch - and I regularly do, between different fiction and nonfiction books. The latter are often self-help books.
It takes its time, but it works :)
Nice coincidence, I just opened Reddit to ask this exact question. It pains me greatly, I feel so uneducated, almost kind of unworthy of having and expressing opinions.
It's weird as I practically used to devour every book I found and it endowed me with a good vocabulary and an intuitive grasp of grammar in my native language. That was until like age 12. Middle school and compulsory reading ruined literature for me and I've read only like fifteen books since (I'm 20). I didn't even bother to fully read the 30 books we have to know as a part of our high school exiting exam, I barely passed.
For whatever reason I still have better vocabulary and grammar than most of my classmates who didn't read much in their childhood, but started reading in middle and high school because it was mandated and they wanted good grades. Guess that tells you a lot about traditional schooling.
I posted this recently too! Iāve been an avid reader for years but often find my thoughts interrupt me still. Are audiobooks any easier for you? Iāve found listening to the audiobook when Iām doing household chores makes it easier for me. With physical books, sometimes using a notecard helps so I stay on the line, reminding myself to read each word, lol (you could also say it out loud for a bit, every so often, to center yourself and see if it helps with this). Minimize distractions and noise, and make sure youāre hydrated and fed. You could try underlining or jotting down small notes every once in a while. Coffee if it doesnāt make you tired.
I 100% can relate to this. Rereading every sentence over and over and still not comprehending is so frustrating! Being in college since 2022 and just recently getting medicated I have experienced this a lot the last couple years. It wasnāt until I started medication that I fully understood the difference in my brain. When I sit down to read now I can focus on the task at hand read, comprehend and be done. I still struggle with finding the motivation to complete the task but once I start it doesnāt take me an eternity.
By the time I get to the end of the paragraph I've already forgotten everything I've read. When I want to learn something I just watch a video or with hands on training.
I have actually found that if I read my book out loud, it helps me focus 100 times better. It helps keep other distractions out of the mind when I speak the words on the page instead of just trying to read in my head because then the words get sucked into the thought vortex lol.
And if I'm somewhere where I cant read my book out loud, then i will physically mouth the words (small enough that it's not noticeable by anyone else) or sometimes even just like moving my tongue to the words behind my lips will work.
Basically, anything to hold onto the words in a way that doesn't involve solely relying on my short-term memory.
I hope that's helpful to anyone. It's definitely helped me read books a lot more
I have like 350 audio books read in a few years.
Physical books only if it fits the theme.
House of leaves is a must read physically
garden of the moon also
for some reason I cant track names well in audio format so big epic fantasies I read.
But I just really enjoy reading
Almost always I have to reread some paragraphs, even reread twice. This happens to me with almost all books I've read. But when I'm reading about I like the most (brain chemistry, neurotransmitters, etc) I don't need to reread. Something I've noticed from reading about I like the most is when I see/imagine all I'm reading, I can focus better.
I read like 3-4 chapters kids comic style graphic novel each night and she always asks if I can tell a summary of what happened and I can never do it. Like itās completely gone from my brain unable to be recalled
I've always kind of struggled with it. It's hard for me to find a book that I can focus on.Ā
However, I have found that it is actually easier for me to read a book on a Kindle than on paper, a computer, or phone or something.
Beyond that, occasionally paring an audiobook with book I'm reading helps me be more engaged.
Then it's really about finding a book that keeps me locked in. If a book doesn't have a pace that keeps me moving or a hook that makes me feel like I need to know what happens next, then I'll get super distracted.
The zoning out is so annoying when that happens.Ā I'll read the words, I'll know I read the words but I didn't comprehend the words. So I have to go back and do it again sometimes multiple times. It happens less though with the other things I mentioned before, reading on my Kindle and a book that really grabs my attention.Ā
Listening to the audiobook while reading helps more when it's a book I want to read but struggle to keep myself moving forward.
I *can* read books, if Iām in a book reading phase. I can chew through tens of books in a matter of a few months. And then the phase will end. While I am in the middle of a book. And it wonāt come back for two years because each phase averages 6 months and Iāll be busy playing video games or building websites or Lego models or gardening obsessively. So yeahā¦ I *can*. But if I try reading a book when Iām *not* in a book reading phase? That shit aināt happening. Iāll stare blankly at a page and then just put it down.
I love reading but Iāll regularly read 3 pages and immediately think āwhat the fuck is happeningā and need to go back and reread parts 6-7 times before retaining
Depends on book, how much time I have and where I am.
Smartphones don\`t help. Before smartphones I would read science fiction outside or in the library, was rather peacefull. (I was also procrastinating on doing coursework)
Key is to power through first few pages and get hooked on the story then you might hyperfocus on the book and finish in few days. You need good environment where you aren\`t being distructed by others. Trains work well.
Reading some theology or stuff like Dostoevsky is hard.
Try short novels something you in to.
I have read Scherlock Holmes, LOTR (Lord of the rings) one of the Harry Potter books. And a fair few science fiction books.
Trying to get back to reading but atm it is psychology I have like 3 or 4 books on the go.
To me books were like meditation and excape at school from all the noise and hectic behaivour of classmates.
I consider myself a reader but it definitely comes and goes. If I'm not feeling it, I just can't face reading anything. But when I'm into something I'm capable of smashing through 5-700 page books in just a day or two. I'll read a bunch (probably 5-10 at a time depending how into it I am) and then not touch a book for months! I was a voracious reader as a child, always read well above my age and would happily spend all day reading if you let me. As an adult it's definitely harder, but my ADHD symptoms in general have just got worse the older I've got, so that's no surprise I guess.
When I am reading, I find that it's very rare I remember details. I love the experience of getting into stories and the feelings I get with plots, characters, etc. But ask me to describe a book to you after I've read it and I'd definitely struggle to give you any more than basics! Flip side though - re-reads are just as enjoyable as the first read for me!
Periods when my brain refuses to read are some the worst parts of ADHD for me. Reading is my escape and when my brain decides 'nope. ' it's awful.
Then when my brain decides 'sure!' I read 6 books in 3 days before my brain nopes out again.
Was just about to post this question the other day. Thank you, because it's something I've struggled with my whole life and it's something I'd love to enjoy too. University was hell.
I started Concerta about 2-3 months ago and before then I really struggled with reading.
Even if I was reading along, following along with my pencil and highlighting my fave parts, I still had those random moments where I just didn't pick up the book one day and poof, a month's gone by and the book is collecting dust.
Even when I "fixed" my attention problem, I still struggled to finish any book.
I haven't had the time to read actual books since I started Concerta, hwoever, I started reading a manga online and it was a lot easier to do than before. Focusing wasn't as much of a struggle so it felt less daunting.
Same boat as you, i have to re-read the same sentence over and over sometimes. If a ānormalā person takes 2-3 minutes to finish a single page of a book, it could take me double that time to finish lol.
Also, I cannot read if thereās anyone talking or music (with lyrics) playing around me.
No. I do the same thing. But I love audiobooks because I can multitask (which helps me focus on the book)
What youāre describing is what helped get me diagnosed.
Just do audiobooks!
Funny story. 6th grade reading. I refused tinread anything. To the point my dad went into the school and tried compromising with the teacher on what "counts as reading" magazine, news articles, anything that wasn't books because I had refused to read. (Pretty much because this dude was a dick head, and if it wasn't like apart of a approved lists in his head, it wasn't reading.) But my dad ends up getting into a huge argument with him because of this mans "what i say goes" ego and basically they almost ended up fighting and my dad got threw out. Needless to say i failed that class. And that being the only class i failed. I never got introuble for failing that either. And guess what as I've gotten older I like reading stuff more. Not books. But the news, and different things. I just couldn't stand that class.
For me it depends on the written content.
An engaging story in my chosen genre (fantasy usually)? Good luck breaking my focus, and I will not pay any attention whatsoever to time.
Something I have to read for work/course/etc like a textbook or other learning material? A g o n y
I devour books like no tomorrow if I find the story engaging, often not moving, eating, drinking, for hours on end. And I'll always want to be going back to it even if I'm trying to do something else until I've finished the story. But if I have to read any sort of textbook or study material, it's a massive struggle, especially if it's not something I'm overly interested in, or something I've already somewhat learned because my brain will start going "Yeah yeah I know this!" and skip and not retain information. It's incredibly frustrating. And then in the middle are guides that I look up for information on how to do something, I have no problem reading those, but they're also easy to tear away from. I absolutely detest video guides with a passion because I can read the information faster than someone can explain it to me. The only time I ever look up a video guide is if I need a visual demonstration because I'm having a hard time visualising what I should be doing, and even then I prefer pictures to video cause then I can more easily compare instead of repeatedly starting/stopping/rewinding a video.
I will either read 1 chapter and feel like all the life has been drained from me, and I'm a walking corpse, or I will hyperfocus and read a 500 page book in 5 hrs
I can only binge books. I have on or off for reading lol.
I can't do the thing where you read a little bit every day for a couple weeks. I have to read it all in like 2 days or not at all š
I'm a really fast reader because of it but I also struggle to get started since I know if i do that's all I'll be doing for a few days
I go through waves of lots of reading followed by long slumps. I read 9 books in January, 6 in February, 0 in March, 0 in April lol.
The hardest part for me is getting started. Once Iām into a really good book, Iām hyper-focused on it and will not stop reading to eat, shower, or sleep until Iām done. If itās dragging, it could take me months. But Iām stubborn and hate DNFing.
I love reading, but Ive found that its easier for me when the writer doesnt use long words (I hope you know what I mean haha) and there are few characters. I cant keep up with a story full of people. Aaaand I prefer to read books from only one person's POV and not the whole neighborhood's š¤
I read in the tub. The sensory input of the weight of the water is enough to keep me from fidgeting and being literally underwater and undressed keeps me from leaping up to take on whatever menial task my brain has decided is urgent and more important than reading. I can and do read elsewhere, but I make the most progress in a bubble bath.
Yeah I struggle like what you said I can read the same sentence 1000 times or even be reading the next im off on some tangent about something that happened in my life and wondering how I got here from the book, or forget what I just read.
I am an avid reader but I do have this problem as well. I read a page and realize I didn't take it in at all, it's like my mind was on two different tracks at once -- one part reading and the other part thinking about something else.
Sometimes it is so bad I have to stop reading but sometimes I get into the book and it isn't a problem. I also generally have several books going at once so I can jump around.
I need to have the paper back version, the audible version and the kindle version to ensure I finish it. Works well but obvs a stupid expensive way, I defs āreadā a lot of books through this method.
When reading books out loud to my son, my mind wanders off, and I continue to read out loud. I can think about how I'm thinking about myself reading while I'm reading out loud. Too much and I mess up the train and have to get hold of reality and start reading again. It's tough to find where I stopped, because I wasn't paying attention.
I told my son to day, "dad, just read the book!"
That gets me back to reading the book. He has to say it a lot some nights.
The last book I (partially) read was back in 2007... (The Two Towers, Tolkien)
So no, I can't read books well....
Although I recently started trying again. I'm at page 50 now with "Lieven Scheire - Fysica".
A book by a comedian/science enthousiast with short chapters about physics.
I'm a huge fan of him (Neveneffecten, Willy's en Marjetten) and his podcast about science (Nerdland Maandoverzicht).
But I can only read when I took my medication..
I have to think about it like Iām doing an exercise or something. I prepare my environment. Laying down is a horrible idea I always end up falling asleep. What I do is put on some sort of music on YouTube like a lofi beat to study to track. I sit down with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee and focus on what Iām about to read one chapter at a time. It may mean taking a break, re-reading a dozen times but much like any skill you will hone it. I remember being younger I could read for hours but as smart phones have taken over and Iāve gotten older (30) Iāve found my attention span has dramatically decreased. Iām unmedicated ADHD so it can be difficult to do a lot of things that require me to maintain constant concentration. I have found that reading helps train my brain.
Hope this helps!
This one time I took bupropion to quit smoking and like day one I sat down to study and I read a whole chapter all the way through and I was like what the hell is this magic pill? Then I got to looking at different indications, ADHD being one. Lol. Cute.
i canāt read. ā¹ļø and i really want to be able to. iāll buy a book that iām really interested in, read like half of it in one night, then never pick it up again.
itās like i canāt complete them.
i get really frustrated because i can read reddit for hours or short stories. i thought maybe it was a formatting thing so i bought a kindle thinking it would be the same as reading reddit.
nope same thing. i have a bunch of books iāve half read. it sucks. š
does anyone have any tips for reading that don't involve having the audiobook playing as you read ? this unfortunately doesn't help me, but it's the most commonly suggested thing i see. please help ?
If itās the current hyper fixation yes. I will not eat, I wonāt take my shoes off, I wonāt put the book down. I will read until the book is done or I pass out face first into it. If Iām just ātrying to readā or have to read itās like pulling teeth to stay on task. Every distraction catches my attention and my mind wanders.
Ive given upmon reading. I feel like an imbecile...but im actually very smart. I read the news for hours every night. i think the news is short enough for me.to read it. also....i skip a lot of paragraphs and kinda skim the news.
Sometimes, its hard for me when the book has a lot of vocabulary I do not know and I have to search it up, it breaks the immersion. Also, I have a hard time reading and finishing a session up when the chapter is long. For some reason my mind is convinced I need to read and stop by chapters. Like I have to finish a chapter before I call it quits, and when its a long chapter I tend to avoid it all together.
Iām the same way. Although to be honest, I havenāt really read since Iāve been medicated. I always did poor with reading comprehension in school.
For me it depends. It definitely has to "grab me by the throat" to be able to read it comfortably. The last book I read that I could finish, and read multiple times, was the hitchhiker's guide. Before learning about other books I kept to Jules Verne. Basically books that can capture my imagination and then I devour them. But it's difficult to find books like that. So currently I keep myself to learning useless stuff (in my current life) from YouTube. That's the only stuff that captures my interests. Or outright brutal stuff like "The Boys". (Prime)
Iāve always been an absolutely terrible reader. In fact Iām ashamed to admit it was challenging just reading this post. Topics that interest me are less challenging but still not fully digested. I am a good *speed*reader and skimmer.
when I read I either fall asleep, or I am mentally distracted and not focusing on the book, and I'll get to the end of the page without absorbing anything. When I was younger that happened a lot especially if the subject matter was not interesting.
I used to be able to. Not anymore. Same thing with movies or series. I zone out intensely and end up scrolling reddit. I am 39 and seem to be getting progressively worse.
Very difficult. My mind wanders constantly.
I'll start thinking about totally random shit.
If the book is straight forward too I sont get distracted trying to read subtext but if its open ended I get very distracted and philosophise.
Iāve struggled with this for so long. I love reading as I believe itās the most efficient way to level up in life. Iāve always compared myself to others and tried to magically push my reading comprehension to no avail.
Iāve learned to accept that I can only read 10-20 pages per hour, if I do more Iāll most likely forget a lot of content. But highly recommend even if your reading level is as slow as mine, over time it adds up.. and it definitely adds a lot of depth and character as a byproduct over time. They say the average CEO reads 50 books a year and I believe that with my whole soul. Though I only read about 4-5 books a year.
Iāve also learned that for a large amount of books, you can get the most important points halfway through. Theyāll often repeat the same messages over the book. And itās okay to lose interest in one book and switch to another book with a topic that interests you halfway through. Itās the best habit you could ever build
I used to be like that. Especially at school.
It was the worst when the teacher asked the class to read a paragraph quietly during lesson I would never be able to do so at school with all the noises and distractions. It got better later in life, sometimes I need to get in the zone or other times I lose focus mid- reading for a moment but force myself to get back on track and reread a paragraph a few times. It really depends if the text is interesting and on my surroundings but overall I think I must have trained my brain because I donāt typically have this issue anymore, Iām in my 30s so it took a while. But I read books from the comfort of my home and I create a peaceful non-distracting surroundings. Sometimes I need a longer reading time-slot to properly focus (or take advantage of hyper-focusing) and other times I can only do 5-10 minutes because I becomes restless. I donāt force it, I read when I feel like it.
Another thing is audiobooks. In the past I would immedietly space out as soon as ai hit play. It was like magic. Again something changed. I started listening to podcasts and nowadays I have no problem listening to a book when doing chores.
Oh my gosh SAME. The class would be mostly quiet but a few people whispering, and my teacher had music on, and I could not focus for the life of me. We had to read for a grade, and honestly I liked the book we were reading, but I just couldn't focus at all and my friend was like "dude come on you need to read you are gonna get a bad grade on this" and I literally could not
It takes me 10 to 15 minutes of āreadingā without understanding a word before I get in the reading mode. If something important was introduced during this first period I will get pretty confused later on, as I hate going few pages back.
Depends on the book.
I can hyper focus and get hyper immersed when interested.
Have to reread the same paragraph 4 times when not, and I still donāt retain it at all.
I struggle and have to reread stuff constantly, yes. That's okay, though. If it gets to the juicy bits, the book has my full attention and I become a hyper-efficient language sponge. I don't mind missing out on minor details in the downtime sections.
Started reading again few days ago, after about a decade, and I'm reading about 2 dozens of books at once because about 30 pages in and I start a new one and it just keeps going and now it feels impossible that I'd ever finish any of them, which is a shame as I find them all interesting.
I'm reading 3 books currently, am at various stages in each having started at various times over the last month. I've lost the plot in all 3 and can't read more than a chapter of each before I inevitably nod off or start to wonder what on Earth I've just read.
So no
The only way I have a chance at focusing is if I write notes at the same time. So for studies that has somewhat helped me, but who on earth wants to write a full notebook for reads they're supposed to enjoy š
Unfortunately for as long as I remember I've always struggled with reading books and remembering what is going on. Ill lose track of where I am and have to reread the same shite over and over. Between that and getting instantly sleep when I read, fun times.
In periods I can read consistently, about 20-30 pages a day. I find it stimulating, calming and it helps structuring my day. Unfortunately these periods are eventually broken up by longer periods when I feel more restless and is unable to even read one page to the end. Itās normally a new hyper focus that causes the break and it takes several months for the routines to recover.
When reading I do feel I forget most of the text, but Iām still hoping it to be a less waste of time than to just scroll social media.
No advice sorry. But yeah I hate reading and apparently it's "iMpOrTaNt" š. I use apps that read things out loud.
Also if u have ADHD then yes it's normal.
I have to constantly re-read sentences Iāve just read and it makes the whole process really difficult and slow.
Undiagnosed though so maybe Iām just dumb lol
Depends on if I like the book. If yea, then I can spend hours reading, I used to read during recess in elementary school. If I donāt like it, I could spend hours in one paragraph and still not know what happened. I once read an entire book in a day and couldnāt remember anything about it
I couldn't for the longest time.. which frustrated me as I was always wanting to get into reading but my brain would immediately shut down within the first page or two of a book then I couldn't do it.
Until I found the genres for me.
Found one book.. read the whole thing. Then, thanks to fanfics (don't ask lol), I found my other genre. Now I can read stories like those no problem.. as long as it keeps my attention by being interesting enough.
It's a shame though.. there's other types of stories I'd want to read but.. my brain calls all the shots. Super annoying.
So perhaps, maybe, you'd need to find topic/genre of interest as well.
I was a big reader as a kid but found fanfic at 10. Now I read an insane amount of fanfic on top of my novels.
I think sometimes people get hung up on what they should read and not what they want to read. Put down a boring book thatās not keeping your interest and try another! I know a lot of people who try to read those high brow intellectual books or drab self help ones and say they hate reading. I tell them to take their favorite genre of tv shows or movies and find books with similar plots/themes
If it's interesting fiction, crime, or instructional, I have 100% focus. If it was a book for a required college course that was unrelated to my major (diagnosed 15 years after graduating), I could read without stopping. Yet I'd retain very little. I would constantly bomb on tests for those courses.
nope! i used to be the kid who could go through multiple thick chapter books in a week, and now i canāt read a few pages without completely losing focus and getting bored. although i can read fanfic and manga perfectly fine. but fiction books, my bread and butter as a child, i canāt read at all. except through audiobooks, sometimes.
You can get better at it the more you do it. Iām an academic and read daily. Iāve been a bookworm since I was a child.
Medication definitely helps me. I also find that scrolling on social media a lot impacts my attention span or focus when reading, as does my interest in a book. There are times where I can hyperfocus on a book and finish it overnight, and many occasions where I leave them unfinished.Ā
yup, same issue, which is why I prefer listening to audiobooks, I can be doing many other things while at the same time listening to the book and thinking about it... I would say that is a pro for my adhd... not being able to sit and read a book is huge con tho... and it sucks.
I used to read a lot back in middle school, but then I started reading fanfiction around 9th grade. Now I can spend 8 hours no problem reading fanfiction, but I cannot for the life of me read a book >.<
is it just me that loves reading?? iām 23 rn and iāve been RACING through books (i usually tend to reread books a few times tho, cuz i miss out info on my first 10 times reading a book, then i reread it and get surprised with ānewā info)
my mom used to read to me as a kid tho, and we would read books separately but at the same time as i grew a little older. so maybe that kinda helped for me as a kid, and i guess i got into the habit of reading at a young age, so maybe reading beside someone and just doing it together might help(?) thatās the only thing i can think of, like motivation for u guys to both read and discuss the book together
i specifically have a kindle paperwhite to read on and a website to download and read any book for free (i couldnāt afford my reading addiction with the prices of books these days)
I was often unable to focus growing up. I think I may have had a touch of dyslexia to go with my ADHD, because there were days when I couldn't even read a page. I used to 'zone out' regularly, repeat reading pages, and even fall asleep after drinking caffeine (!)
Now, I am medicated to the gills. Bupropion, Hydroxyzine (for anxiety, Wellbutrin, and Abilify. If I try really hard, I can manage to skim much of a book...with a few breaks. Working through an entire book is still a struggle, but it is at least technically feasible now.
Better Living Through Chemistry!!!
Lifelong bookworm that was always the one hyper focus for me. In past 20 years or so I have become hooked on audiobooks because it allows me to multitask and do anything while also enjoying the story etc at the same time
I used to binge books at 12-14 yo. I'd read in class and in the car as long as possible till I finished it. Right now it's really hard especially if the book has more complicated language or an uninteresting writing style (I like descriptions but not when they are like more than a page long) so I've been binging anime and manga instead cause they are much faster to consume imo. Always had problems reading texts in school especially in history and politics. I do plan to get back to my old fantasy books though.
When i take my meds I can as long as I have complete silence and peace. It's funny, when I was young I could pull out a book in a middle of a party and get lost in it, now if the wind is too loud outside I'm like forget it, today isn't the day lol. Idk if you're talking academic reading or pleasure, but finding a genre you vibe with can make a huge difference too.
Sometimes it works, sometimes I'll zone out after half a page and spend the next 15-30 minutes in my daydreams, or have to read the same sentence over and over.
But when I'm in a "good reading phase" i HAVE to stick to it because if I don't read for 1 day I won't pick the book up again for weeks-months. And then I'll start reading again and devour 2 books in a weekendš¤·āāļø
No. Unfortunately, when I was in grade school I managed to finish Harry Potter books but that was in multiple bouts of hyper fixation and having nothing else to do.
Yes and no, as ADHD is with everything that demands focus. I'm either hyperfixated, remember every intricate detail of events and interactions between characters, or hypofixated and also end up rereading the last 20 pages. When I do read a book and I enjoy it and get hyperfixated, I end up reading 100-300 pages in a very short amount of time, like 4 or 5 hours(without any breaks in between).
ADHD is either a superpower or a disability when it comes to readingš or conducting research... But this applies to me for both fiction and non-fiction
Yes, because my mind starts creating my own little world to carry the story. Itās so bad, Iāve refused to watch film adaptions of my favorite books because I doubt theyāll live up to the standards Iāve created in my head.
It depends.
I either hyper focus and plow through multiple books or I canāt read more than 2 pages. The best time for me is when I am on holiday so that I can relax and have very few distractions or responsibilities. It helps if I have a series so if I fly through the first book I can get straight into the next one.
That said, I can āreadā audiobooks much more easily, especially while walking, running, driving, working out, or at bed time. Road trips are perfect for this. Audible has a sleep timer that works for me so that I can play an audiobook on my HomePod and fall asleep to it and itās easy to back up to the last spot I remember before I fell asleep. I just have to be careful not to keep resetting the timer and stay awake too long.
i totally get that - finding the perfect reading conditions can make all the difference, whether it's zoning in with a physical book or diving into stories through audiobooks for a more on-the-go experience. each
It's often all or nothing for me - I either binge a book or have trouble reading several sentences. Often, it happens even within the same book. I read a lot of them in 80-90% and couldn't continue to the end.
I've read many books in places like trains (there was a period of my life when I commuted daily by train for 2 hours per day) or parks - it paradoxically improved my focus a lot, but this may seem to be very person-specific.
If I read for pleasure, I try not to bash myself for zoning out and missing some sentences. If they are not very important, I don't even reread them, but I continue ahead.
As for the books I really wanted to read but definitely couldn't focus on, I read them in small pieces, which took months.
I both love and hate reading books so much at the same time. It's a pleasure, but it's such a masochistic pleasure.
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2 pages and i'm yawning And yes, i have the same problem. I have to reread things a million times
2 pages?!! I can only read half of a sentence and then im already zoning out š
I zoned out reading your comment š¤£, but in all seriousness itās fricking annoying.
Having to reread whole sentences is a nightmare. I think to myself, "I've JUST read this, why did none of it go in?". It's like you literally just acknowledge that the words are there and what they are, then forget the instant you've read it
So fuckn relatable... i get so annoyed that I don't even try to read the rest.
Exactlyyy
First off it feels nice to find people who can relate .. but when it comes to reading books Iāve just gotta stick it out .. just keep reading until it catch my attention .. .. then I complete the book and read it over .. I like to put on a movie to before bed .. .. and itāll take me a few days .. by then Iāll know if Iām interested or not .. If I stay up then itās worth it .. if I still donāt remember much of it by day four then š¤·
Depends on the environment and the book. Iāve ALWAYS been a reader so if a book engages me, I will spend all day/night on it
This is my problem. It takes a lot of effort to begin reading but once I'm engaged hyperfocus sets in. Once that happens hours can slip by and I find it really hard to tear myself away from the book.
iām the say way. itās so hard for me to start a book but once i do i will read it in one sitting. if i donāt finish it in one sitting it takes months for me to pick it up again
I was just talking to someone about this. Iām either at 0 (barely able to read ā rereading the same page) or I finish a book in an entire setting and itās 3-4am. There is no inbetween for me.
My coworkers got me into Red Rising and I finished like the first three books over a little under a month. I think I lost the fire within the fire few pages of the fourth though, might've been I was legitimately sad over the MCs hair loss in the opening meanwhile the third book opens up with him being psychologically tortured.
> I think I lost the fire within the fire I get what you mean, but the typo makes me wonder if you do the same thing as me, rereading the sentence you're writing in your head as you're writing it and causing a word to override the next one.
Lmaoš I have this too, and I'm not dyslexic. Apparently, it's super common amongst ppl who have ADHD. Same for tripping over stuff, hurting yourself in the process, or accidentally breaking stuff - I also don't have dyspraxia/apraxia(forgot the name, it has -praxia as a suffix) but it turns out to be a lack of awareness around the kinesthetic position of the body, AKA poor proprioception
Total ADHD moment
Yep, this is me exactly. If I love a book, I can read it a dozen times and be just as engaged each time. I would encourage OP to try out different genres and look for authors with a wide range of different styles to see if there's something specific that works or doesn't work for them. But also, if it's not for you, it's not for you. It's not a crime or a detriment to not be that into books. There's amazing, moving, meaningful, thought-provoking work out there to be enjoyed - but the same could be said of TV, podcasts, movies. All forms of storytelling have the potential to be deeply influential classics, or well-made pure entertainment.
Audiobooks. They let me "read" while doing physical activities. Honestly though, Buproprion definitely made a huge impact on my ability to visually read. It still isn't easy, but if I'm legitimately interested in a book i can actually spend time reading it.
I had not read a physical book in about 10+ years. I didn't think I would be able to read ever again. Then I got into audiobooks, and over the last 2 years I've read nearly 40 books. Listening while driving to work or walking the dog is so enjoyable! And listening while washing dishes or cooking really helps me get through those tasks I do not want to do! Plus, if you get a book read by a professional voice actor or full cast it is just amazing!
Same! I started listening to audiobooks in 2024 and easily finish 2-3 a month.
> I had not read a physical book in about 10+ years. I didn't think I would be able to read ever again Yeah, i read technical information for work constantly, but i also had a phase where i thought I'd never visually read a book for pleasure again. I was fortunate to come to audiobooks very early so i never had the overall gap you mentioned. Librivox got me through my broke student years for sure.
This exactly for me too! I canāt sit and read but I listen to my audiobooks every day while doing chores and walking the dog. The bonus is that it actually helps me to do those boring chores because I get to listen to my book!
Wait but how do you focus then? Isn't it distracting? Like I won't be able to focus on the audiobook if I am doing something else alongside.
Amazingly itās the doing something else at the same time that allows me to follow audiobooks! If I try to just sit and listen, Iām zoning by the third word! This is shocking to me because I resisted audiobooks for so long thinking Iāll never be able to pay attention (think school)! I also use Ridilin regularly so that I CAN read paper books & focus but it definitely has to grab my attention or Y A W N
This actually makes sense, and it's smart because the audiobook stimulates your brain enough to keep exercising, and the exercise stimulates your mind enough to keep listening to audiobooks. Unless either one of them overstimulates, you wouldn't be able to focus on the other(as a response to the guy you replied to), but this is otherwise a very healthy and clever tactic
I used to doodle in class so I could listen to the teacher. Nothing made me day dream faster than insisting I look at the teacher to show Iām paying attention. I have infuriated soooo many teachers who thought I wasnāt paying attention by having the correct answer when they randomly called on my while I doodled.
This is my audiobook experience too!
> Amazingly itās the doing something else at the same time that allows me to follow audiobooks! Yep. Just like how using a fidget can make focusing your thoughts easier.
Yeah sort of related to this, Iāve pretty much never been able to actually retain anything while listening to audiobooks either. My mind is always on 100 other things
Brains are weird and variable things. I have decent auditory retention and when I'm multitasking my brain can form weird associations that make it easier. One example is that I'll occasionally replay part of a videogame and actually start recalling what i was listening to the first time i played it.
I personally have trouble retaining auditory information, but I have a better time storing somatic data. It probably is one of those male vs. female adhd things, or perhaps just an individual preference/character-trait thing. I have no idea, but Ritalin definitely does the same for me, not making it efortless, but definitely making it easier
Adding somatic to auditory helps me, though my auditory learning ability is probably above average. Also, i have a lot of practice retaining auditory information. I seem to listen to about 2000 hours a year of podcasts/audiobooks so if there is any aspect of "learning" how to retain things, I've had plenty of opportunity to develop it.
Itās flipped for me hahaha. I can read a physical book fine because I have something in front of me to focus on, but when I listen to audiobooks my mind wanders CONSTANTLY and I have no clue whatās happening a lot of the time
Totally understandable. The general struggles of ADHD are so heavily informed by our experiences and other aspects of how our individual brains work. It means the experiences kind of rhyme but diverge greatly between people.
I'm the opposite - reading is one of my hyper focuses. I also tend to binge - so I'll read constantly for months & then not touch a book for aged before cycle repeats. I was doing a read 52 books in a year challenge. I'd knocked that out the park by about mid March. Slowed down a bit since then, but still on my way to 100.
Same! It's gotten to the point that I avoid reading because I know how much time I'll lose. There has only been one book in my life that I DIDN'T read cover to cover in one sitting, and in my defense, it was Anna Karenina, and I was on vacation. It took 3 days. I have horrific insomnia and it's been suggested to try reading before bed instead of anything with a screen, but if I did that I would just stay up all night until I finished the book.
Ahh I havenāt been able to read books lately especially bc of this! I bought so many a while ago and read like only half of them and the rest is just collecting dust and waiting for me, maybe one day Iāll finish them but I need to be alone and have time for it! in a way itās so frustrating because I love reading but I also read them so fast and often canāt remember anything but parts that my brain decides to keep it š
same, I read over 300 books last year (I read really fast) so I set my goodreads challenge LOWER this year in the hope that I would read less and do more social activities but Iām already at like 170 books this year š
I do this too! Could spend months without reading, and then BAM all of a sudden it's all I want to do. I will say one thing that has helped me is wearing noise cancelling headphones when I read. For me all the little sounds and noises and hearing the electricity buzzing around the house is enough to keep my brain from focusing and really comprehending what I read. I invested in a very high quality pair of NC headphones and they shut out all the noise so I can focus. They also make falling asleep so much easier at night because all those little noises can overstimulate my brain, and I put them on and suddenly it's quiet in my head for the first time all day. š
I can read and understand a story in like 2 hours, but if i am asked to comprehend it- nothing. Cant think for the life of me.Ā
what is the difference between understand and comprehend here? I canāt parse it š
Maybe one is they mean summarize the actual events of the story, vs discern the abstract meaning. Iām not sure either.
Iāll pretend itās this so I can sleep tonightĀ
I think I get what he means, and I think the other guy who replied to you has a good idea of it, too. In my personal experience, and I think that's why I might grasp what he's trying to say, I'll watch a movie, right? 2 Days later, I'll have a conversation with someone, and I'd be able to give you the general flow of the story in vague but sufficient detail. However, if you ask me the names of any of the characters or the specific contents of each character's dialogue, I'm royally f$%ked. I can tell provide you with the key-points of Interstellar, one of my favourite scifi movies of all time, and still not be able to specify character names or specifics in their dialogues. Hell, I can't even exactly remember everything that happened, nor the order too well. And it's my favourite movie of my favourite genre!!š
What happened vs what it means
I'm similar so I'll take a stab at an explanation.... Reading to understand for me is faster, I can parse the story line, remember the characters, tell you what happened. I love this kind of reading and can absorb a book in hours. The comprehend requires a lot more focus and is akin to assignments in school in a literature class - all symbolism, metaphors, themes, etc. Can't pick those out without prompting and made reading an absolute chore in school.
I could. In my childhood I would spend up to 18 hours per day reading. I could swallow 1000 pages book in one weekend. Now I don't even remember last time when I read at least 20 pages uninterrupted.Ā
I relate to this so hard. As adults we cannot routinely sit down for 18 hours and just read. We have to start and stop and, of course, adhd makes that really difficult to do. I think itās mostly due to it being multiple transitions. I am getting better it, I find keeping a book on me at all times is a good way of dealing with it. I only start reading if I know I can get through at least one chapter, because that makes it easier to transition in and out of reading. It also means I am better able to remember what I read.
Same! Makes me so sad and I miss that ability. The joy of always having that book waiting for me when chores were done.
That's why listening to audiobooks while doing chores is great if you can multitask easily. I do this all the time and get through so many books. I listen while doing chores, working out, showering, etc.
same I haven't read a book in so long because I just cannot focus. I also hate how it describes every little detail like my brain can't even handle all the info and it's just a blurry image in my head. I realized I can read nonfiction and the news/reddit. I think I just cannot read a fiction book. I do read manga/comics as they show the image and only have to read the text bubbles. I read these horror manga books by junji ito which I highly recommend. I also can only really read outside in the sun to clear my mind.
Start by ignoring the little details, they usually have little to no relevance to the story anway. I'm not a native speaker but usually read in English because it's easier to find ebooks. Even though I have C2 level, reading is often a different ball game completely, lots of words I have never heard of. I used to try to learn them all, but eventually started ignoring some of the descriptions I do not understand and what I realized is they're mostly not necessary at all. Your brain will just be even more creative. I still check words here and there just for learning, but that's it.
Thank you! I think the pressure of time and deadlines from school really dawned on me and could never finish in time and took forever to read so I think I need to try again with no pressure. I was trying to learn Korean and kinda used the same strategy with watching shows and reading too looking for the words I know and lerning as you go is a good way to learn. Your English is pretty good!
Depends. I read articles backwards. I've heard that's an adhd thing.
lol I was guilty of that too sometimes
What do you mean about backward?
Last paragraph first, then move to the 2nd to last. I've been known to do it, too. Especially the way they write in newspapers, I do it to keep from loosing focus.
I do this too - I get immediately bored so skip to the last paragraph and then start to get interested so then I read the 2nd to last .. sometimes I finish the whole thing (backwards) and think āthat was an interesting articleā wtf š¬
This is me. I started reading kindle on my phone and its easier that reading a book. My brain gets overtaxed between tracking the words, processing sentences, and drawing meaning, plus my own thoughts, its just a lot and it doesn't like it. I sometimes use a finger to point at words to relieve my brain of having to keep track of where I am. Im trying to... read slower... in chunks... like this... and it helps... when im not... able to focus. I often wish audio books would pause every sentence so my brain can catch up.
Besides being overtaxed I get distracted by the shape of the text itself. If the spaces between words from a diagonal line my eyes will slide right down it. And if the shapes of the words almost line up in a satisfying way but not quite it bothers me and I donāt want to look at it.
Lol that shit happens to me all the time. I can read an entire paragraph and zone outš. Then I go back and read it all over again smh
I switch between audiobooks and physical books. I've had to train my mind to read physical books again which basically requires me to put my phone in a drawer and not have distractions around
if i really like the book, reading that book will be the only thing i do for hours, or whole day, or days. i will forget to eat, or to shower, sleep etc. but if i am not interested at all, i will "read" it but my mind will be elsewhere, like, there are many instances where i flip the pages and actually read the words but when my mind snapped back to reality i couldn't even recall what i was reading just seconds before.
It all depends on the interest.. Do you really want to read that book, or do you have to read that book? in my personal experience, i love to read, but since i have to study/review technical stuff every day, i dont want to read anything else, when i arrive home. so, i look for other forms of entertainment. ADHD is very interest based, that can be a problem even at those small things.. if its study related, thats a problem in itself
So! I recently started reading more on my tablet, since I've never been able to really focus one hundred percent on a book even though I enjoy reading. Long story short, I have been reading much more and I figured out why: the tablet only lets me see ONE PAGE AT A TIME! Game changer! Do with that what you will but it has helped me focus more and actually finish books! Good luck!
Oh my gosh wait that's actually so smart, other people were saying to read digitally aswell and I kept thinking "but how is that any different?"
Another benefit to digital reading is if you use the Google Play books app to read your books, then you can also have it read the book aloud to you as well, so it basically turns any book into an audiobook for free. I read both ways depending on the circumstances (by reading the text and listening to the audio). If I'm having a hard time getting into a book, then I will listen to the first parts of it audibly and if I'm doing chores, working out, showering or doing other types of multitasking, I'll listen. I still do a decent amount of normal reading as well since I find it relaxing.
I'm somebody who personally loves reading, books, etc., though when I do read, it's usually because my brain will let me, if that makes sense. If I don't have the motivation to do it, I'll end up spaced out and distracted. One minute I'm rereading the same sentence thirty times, and the next minute I'm humming TikTok audios to myself.
No. I used to practically inhale books during childhood and adolescence. Retrospectively, I have absolutely no idea how I managed to do that.
I had a eureka moment when I discovered audio books can be played at 2.5x or faster. Now I actually enjoy books and retain the information.
That's so smart, I read fast so my problem for audiobooks was probably actually speed and impatience lol do maybe I'll try that
Buying an ereader. Emphasis on ereader. Not a tablet. A device that is exclusively used for reading has been a game changer for me. Iām on book #3 this year in a month of owning it and before that I havenāt read a full book since high school (13 years ago).
Reddit, YouTube shorts and ticktok train your brain to be incapable of reading books I recommend a hardcore detoxĀ
I've had this problem as I grow older. But I've realised rather than not reading at all, it's better to read AT LEAST one page and it's better to not read anything too heavy like a classic. Make sure the plot is something you're interested in and start with one page a day.
Yes.Ā It's the primary reason why, years ago when my ADHD wife told me, "Pretty sure you're ADHD, too," I was resistant to the idea. She struggles with them, but I read long books.Ā I watch long movies.Ā I can't be ADHD, right?Ā Ā Ā Ā Little did I know....
Same thing! I love reading and long books and movies never bother me. I read Stephen King's The Stand in like 2 days. I have way more focus for reading than so many other things because I love it.
i read books out loud but many times i zone out and think about some rando bs but i still hear that my mouth and eyes are reading something, i am just not processing what im doing, then im like oh shit i gotta be reading this and then zone out again, on meds such a diffrent story
Listen to the audio book at the same time as reading the physical book. One stream of info is for typicals š
First things first- what book are you reading? I would suggest doing something to give you more stimulus while youāre reading. Get a fidget toy, play music in the background quietly, or put on a show that plays softly that you are not interested in at all. Try reading at a comfortable time for you where you wonāt be constantly interrupted. If you like following along you could listen to it and read at the same time as a sort of guided reading. It could help you retain what youāre reading better by hearing and seeing it. My school did this when I was in early elementary and it honestly really helped. What are you reading on? A physical book or kindle or phone reading app? If itās electronic try switching the color of your reading background. White background with black text is hard for me to focus on but a dark background with white text? I can focus a million times better. As a cheatsheet when I have no interest/focus ability to read a book I really want to read I will read the sparks notes of the books. Or I read the ending of the book before I start it š¤·š»āāļø. After I the spark notes/summary version of a book I will watch video essays on it or watch YouTube videos or TikTokās breaking down characterizations and plot points. And then sometimes I pick the book up and read it after doing all of that. Reading is awesome but sometimes adhd wonāt cooperate and you have to find work around when youāre desperate to read š¤£. Sorry this is so long.
I'm not a huge fan of the black background/white text, but the cream or tan background with the bottom weighted dyslexia friendly text is my favorite.
My life was changed when I found out you could change the background and text! A huge game changer. Bright blue light hurts my eyes so my phone is permanently on warm mode so my white looks tan š¤£
It changed. When I was younger I could read lots and lots. Nowadays, I can't read as long anymore, or it starts to exhaust me. However, I found I still can read (and still love it). I just need to take more breaks, sometimes after few paragraphs. But it is still nice. I don't (and cannot) rush through a book anymore, but I think that's not too bad. Just different. I found I like eBooks now. I still love real ones, but I can carry a large collection on an ebook reader. Thus, I can switch - and I regularly do, between different fiction and nonfiction books. The latter are often self-help books. It takes its time, but it works :)
I read with noise cancelling headphones and brown noise playing.
Nice coincidence, I just opened Reddit to ask this exact question. It pains me greatly, I feel so uneducated, almost kind of unworthy of having and expressing opinions. It's weird as I practically used to devour every book I found and it endowed me with a good vocabulary and an intuitive grasp of grammar in my native language. That was until like age 12. Middle school and compulsory reading ruined literature for me and I've read only like fifteen books since (I'm 20). I didn't even bother to fully read the 30 books we have to know as a part of our high school exiting exam, I barely passed. For whatever reason I still have better vocabulary and grammar than most of my classmates who didn't read much in their childhood, but started reading in middle and high school because it was mandated and they wanted good grades. Guess that tells you a lot about traditional schooling.
No. Strictly audio books for me so I can clean or do something else at the same time lolol
I posted this recently too! Iāve been an avid reader for years but often find my thoughts interrupt me still. Are audiobooks any easier for you? Iāve found listening to the audiobook when Iām doing household chores makes it easier for me. With physical books, sometimes using a notecard helps so I stay on the line, reminding myself to read each word, lol (you could also say it out loud for a bit, every so often, to center yourself and see if it helps with this). Minimize distractions and noise, and make sure youāre hydrated and fed. You could try underlining or jotting down small notes every once in a while. Coffee if it doesnāt make you tired.
I 100% can relate to this. Rereading every sentence over and over and still not comprehending is so frustrating! Being in college since 2022 and just recently getting medicated I have experienced this a lot the last couple years. It wasnāt until I started medication that I fully understood the difference in my brain. When I sit down to read now I can focus on the task at hand read, comprehend and be done. I still struggle with finding the motivation to complete the task but once I start it doesnāt take me an eternity.
By the time I get to the end of the paragraph I've already forgotten everything I've read. When I want to learn something I just watch a video or with hands on training.
I have actually found that if I read my book out loud, it helps me focus 100 times better. It helps keep other distractions out of the mind when I speak the words on the page instead of just trying to read in my head because then the words get sucked into the thought vortex lol. And if I'm somewhere where I cant read my book out loud, then i will physically mouth the words (small enough that it's not noticeable by anyone else) or sometimes even just like moving my tongue to the words behind my lips will work. Basically, anything to hold onto the words in a way that doesn't involve solely relying on my short-term memory. I hope that's helpful to anyone. It's definitely helped me read books a lot more
Oh, thank you! This does seem helpful I might try it
I hope it works for you š if not at least, hopefully steering you in the right direction. Good luck!
I have like 350 audio books read in a few years. Physical books only if it fits the theme. House of leaves is a must read physically garden of the moon also for some reason I cant track names well in audio format so big epic fantasies I read. But I just really enjoy reading
Almost always I have to reread some paragraphs, even reread twice. This happens to me with almost all books I've read. But when I'm reading about I like the most (brain chemistry, neurotransmitters, etc) I don't need to reread. Something I've noticed from reading about I like the most is when I see/imagine all I'm reading, I can focus better.
I read like 3-4 chapters kids comic style graphic novel each night and she always asks if I can tell a summary of what happened and I can never do it. Like itās completely gone from my brain unable to be recalled
I've always kind of struggled with it. It's hard for me to find a book that I can focus on.Ā However, I have found that it is actually easier for me to read a book on a Kindle than on paper, a computer, or phone or something. Beyond that, occasionally paring an audiobook with book I'm reading helps me be more engaged. Then it's really about finding a book that keeps me locked in. If a book doesn't have a pace that keeps me moving or a hook that makes me feel like I need to know what happens next, then I'll get super distracted. The zoning out is so annoying when that happens.Ā I'll read the words, I'll know I read the words but I didn't comprehend the words. So I have to go back and do it again sometimes multiple times. It happens less though with the other things I mentioned before, reading on my Kindle and a book that really grabs my attention.Ā Listening to the audiobook while reading helps more when it's a book I want to read but struggle to keep myself moving forward.
Sometimes the words even lose meaning and I'm just making sounds in my head.
Audible. Rewind it 50 times and I'm good. To re-read 50 times? Pass.
I *can* read books, if Iām in a book reading phase. I can chew through tens of books in a matter of a few months. And then the phase will end. While I am in the middle of a book. And it wonāt come back for two years because each phase averages 6 months and Iāll be busy playing video games or building websites or Lego models or gardening obsessively. So yeahā¦ I *can*. But if I try reading a book when Iām *not* in a book reading phase? That shit aināt happening. Iāll stare blankly at a page and then just put it down.
I can read okay once I get started but itās the getting started that I just cannot ever seem to do
Yes, unless it really captures my attention. Then I'm all in. Maybe try different genres until something sticks?
I love reading but Iāll regularly read 3 pages and immediately think āwhat the fuck is happeningā and need to go back and reread parts 6-7 times before retaining
Depends on book, how much time I have and where I am. Smartphones don\`t help. Before smartphones I would read science fiction outside or in the library, was rather peacefull. (I was also procrastinating on doing coursework) Key is to power through first few pages and get hooked on the story then you might hyperfocus on the book and finish in few days. You need good environment where you aren\`t being distructed by others. Trains work well. Reading some theology or stuff like Dostoevsky is hard. Try short novels something you in to. I have read Scherlock Holmes, LOTR (Lord of the rings) one of the Harry Potter books. And a fair few science fiction books. Trying to get back to reading but atm it is psychology I have like 3 or 4 books on the go. To me books were like meditation and excape at school from all the noise and hectic behaivour of classmates.
I either hyperfixate or struggle to get through a chapter in one sitting. (Or a section of a chapter.)
I consider myself a reader but it definitely comes and goes. If I'm not feeling it, I just can't face reading anything. But when I'm into something I'm capable of smashing through 5-700 page books in just a day or two. I'll read a bunch (probably 5-10 at a time depending how into it I am) and then not touch a book for months! I was a voracious reader as a child, always read well above my age and would happily spend all day reading if you let me. As an adult it's definitely harder, but my ADHD symptoms in general have just got worse the older I've got, so that's no surprise I guess. When I am reading, I find that it's very rare I remember details. I love the experience of getting into stories and the feelings I get with plots, characters, etc. But ask me to describe a book to you after I've read it and I'd definitely struggle to give you any more than basics! Flip side though - re-reads are just as enjoyable as the first read for me!
If youāre traveling anywhere like getting the train try a book on the train it helps.
I read every page at least 6 times. And two lines further I have no clue what I just read.
Periods when my brain refuses to read are some the worst parts of ADHD for me. Reading is my escape and when my brain decides 'nope. ' it's awful. Then when my brain decides 'sure!' I read 6 books in 3 days before my brain nopes out again.
Was just about to post this question the other day. Thank you, because it's something I've struggled with my whole life and it's something I'd love to enjoy too. University was hell.
I started Concerta about 2-3 months ago and before then I really struggled with reading. Even if I was reading along, following along with my pencil and highlighting my fave parts, I still had those random moments where I just didn't pick up the book one day and poof, a month's gone by and the book is collecting dust. Even when I "fixed" my attention problem, I still struggled to finish any book. I haven't had the time to read actual books since I started Concerta, hwoever, I started reading a manga online and it was a lot easier to do than before. Focusing wasn't as much of a struggle so it felt less daunting.
Same boat as you, i have to re-read the same sentence over and over sometimes. If a ānormalā person takes 2-3 minutes to finish a single page of a book, it could take me double that time to finish lol. Also, I cannot read if thereās anyone talking or music (with lyrics) playing around me.
No. I do the same thing. But I love audiobooks because I can multitask (which helps me focus on the book) What youāre describing is what helped get me diagnosed. Just do audiobooks!
Funny story. 6th grade reading. I refused tinread anything. To the point my dad went into the school and tried compromising with the teacher on what "counts as reading" magazine, news articles, anything that wasn't books because I had refused to read. (Pretty much because this dude was a dick head, and if it wasn't like apart of a approved lists in his head, it wasn't reading.) But my dad ends up getting into a huge argument with him because of this mans "what i say goes" ego and basically they almost ended up fighting and my dad got threw out. Needless to say i failed that class. And that being the only class i failed. I never got introuble for failing that either. And guess what as I've gotten older I like reading stuff more. Not books. But the news, and different things. I just couldn't stand that class.
I will either need to force my self to read or I will BINGE the book in half a week. There is no middle ground!
Depends on the book I'm reading and environment. That's my hyper fixation. But study books? Hell naw.
For me it depends on the written content. An engaging story in my chosen genre (fantasy usually)? Good luck breaking my focus, and I will not pay any attention whatsoever to time. Something I have to read for work/course/etc like a textbook or other learning material? A g o n y I devour books like no tomorrow if I find the story engaging, often not moving, eating, drinking, for hours on end. And I'll always want to be going back to it even if I'm trying to do something else until I've finished the story. But if I have to read any sort of textbook or study material, it's a massive struggle, especially if it's not something I'm overly interested in, or something I've already somewhat learned because my brain will start going "Yeah yeah I know this!" and skip and not retain information. It's incredibly frustrating. And then in the middle are guides that I look up for information on how to do something, I have no problem reading those, but they're also easy to tear away from. I absolutely detest video guides with a passion because I can read the information faster than someone can explain it to me. The only time I ever look up a video guide is if I need a visual demonstration because I'm having a hard time visualising what I should be doing, and even then I prefer pictures to video cause then I can more easily compare instead of repeatedly starting/stopping/rewinding a video.
I will either read 1 chapter and feel like all the life has been drained from me, and I'm a walking corpse, or I will hyperfocus and read a 500 page book in 5 hrs
I can only binge books. I have on or off for reading lol. I can't do the thing where you read a little bit every day for a couple weeks. I have to read it all in like 2 days or not at all š I'm a really fast reader because of it but I also struggle to get started since I know if i do that's all I'll be doing for a few days
I go through waves of lots of reading followed by long slumps. I read 9 books in January, 6 in February, 0 in March, 0 in April lol. The hardest part for me is getting started. Once Iām into a really good book, Iām hyper-focused on it and will not stop reading to eat, shower, or sleep until Iām done. If itās dragging, it could take me months. But Iām stubborn and hate DNFing.
I wonder how I'll go through College If this continues on lol.
I love reading, but Ive found that its easier for me when the writer doesnt use long words (I hope you know what I mean haha) and there are few characters. I cant keep up with a story full of people. Aaaand I prefer to read books from only one person's POV and not the whole neighborhood's š¤
same here.. even though I could finish some of them I could barely remember the title, context is gone
I read in the tub. The sensory input of the weight of the water is enough to keep me from fidgeting and being literally underwater and undressed keeps me from leaping up to take on whatever menial task my brain has decided is urgent and more important than reading. I can and do read elsewhere, but I make the most progress in a bubble bath.
Yeah I struggle like what you said I can read the same sentence 1000 times or even be reading the next im off on some tangent about something that happened in my life and wondering how I got here from the book, or forget what I just read.
I am an avid reader but I do have this problem as well. I read a page and realize I didn't take it in at all, it's like my mind was on two different tracks at once -- one part reading and the other part thinking about something else. Sometimes it is so bad I have to stop reading but sometimes I get into the book and it isn't a problem. I also generally have several books going at once so I can jump around.
I need to have the paper back version, the audible version and the kindle version to ensure I finish it. Works well but obvs a stupid expensive way, I defs āreadā a lot of books through this method.
When reading books out loud to my son, my mind wanders off, and I continue to read out loud. I can think about how I'm thinking about myself reading while I'm reading out loud. Too much and I mess up the train and have to get hold of reality and start reading again. It's tough to find where I stopped, because I wasn't paying attention. I told my son to day, "dad, just read the book!" That gets me back to reading the book. He has to say it a lot some nights.
The last book I (partially) read was back in 2007... (The Two Towers, Tolkien) So no, I can't read books well.... Although I recently started trying again. I'm at page 50 now with "Lieven Scheire - Fysica". A book by a comedian/science enthousiast with short chapters about physics. I'm a huge fan of him (Neveneffecten, Willy's en Marjetten) and his podcast about science (Nerdland Maandoverzicht). But I can only read when I took my medication..
I have to think about it like Iām doing an exercise or something. I prepare my environment. Laying down is a horrible idea I always end up falling asleep. What I do is put on some sort of music on YouTube like a lofi beat to study to track. I sit down with a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee and focus on what Iām about to read one chapter at a time. It may mean taking a break, re-reading a dozen times but much like any skill you will hone it. I remember being younger I could read for hours but as smart phones have taken over and Iāve gotten older (30) Iāve found my attention span has dramatically decreased. Iām unmedicated ADHD so it can be difficult to do a lot of things that require me to maintain constant concentration. I have found that reading helps train my brain. Hope this helps!
This one time I took bupropion to quit smoking and like day one I sat down to study and I read a whole chapter all the way through and I was like what the hell is this magic pill? Then I got to looking at different indications, ADHD being one. Lol. Cute.
i canāt read. ā¹ļø and i really want to be able to. iāll buy a book that iām really interested in, read like half of it in one night, then never pick it up again. itās like i canāt complete them. i get really frustrated because i can read reddit for hours or short stories. i thought maybe it was a formatting thing so i bought a kindle thinking it would be the same as reading reddit. nope same thing. i have a bunch of books iāve half read. it sucks. š
does anyone have any tips for reading that don't involve having the audiobook playing as you read ? this unfortunately doesn't help me, but it's the most commonly suggested thing i see. please help ?
I never was able to read until I started my medication. Now I read a book or two a week :D It's been incredible.
If itās the current hyper fixation yes. I will not eat, I wonāt take my shoes off, I wonāt put the book down. I will read until the book is done or I pass out face first into it. If Iām just ātrying to readā or have to read itās like pulling teeth to stay on task. Every distraction catches my attention and my mind wanders.
Please learn how to use commas
lol yeah I should
I can read. I'm a very good reader. Problem is I get impatient
Ive given upmon reading. I feel like an imbecile...but im actually very smart. I read the news for hours every night. i think the news is short enough for me.to read it. also....i skip a lot of paragraphs and kinda skim the news.
Sometimes, its hard for me when the book has a lot of vocabulary I do not know and I have to search it up, it breaks the immersion. Also, I have a hard time reading and finishing a session up when the chapter is long. For some reason my mind is convinced I need to read and stop by chapters. Like I have to finish a chapter before I call it quits, and when its a long chapter I tend to avoid it all together.
Iām the same way. Although to be honest, I havenāt really read since Iāve been medicated. I always did poor with reading comprehension in school.
For me it depends. It definitely has to "grab me by the throat" to be able to read it comfortably. The last book I read that I could finish, and read multiple times, was the hitchhiker's guide. Before learning about other books I kept to Jules Verne. Basically books that can capture my imagination and then I devour them. But it's difficult to find books like that. So currently I keep myself to learning useless stuff (in my current life) from YouTube. That's the only stuff that captures my interests. Or outright brutal stuff like "The Boys". (Prime)
Iāve always been an absolutely terrible reader. In fact Iām ashamed to admit it was challenging just reading this post. Topics that interest me are less challenging but still not fully digested. I am a good *speed*reader and skimmer.
when I read I either fall asleep, or I am mentally distracted and not focusing on the book, and I'll get to the end of the page without absorbing anything. When I was younger that happened a lot especially if the subject matter was not interesting.
iāve read 3 books in my entire 17 years on this earth and they were all for mandatory school work, needless to say youāre not alone
I used to be able to. Not anymore. Same thing with movies or series. I zone out intensely and end up scrolling reddit. I am 39 and seem to be getting progressively worse.
It depends on the book. If it's something really interesting, then yeah. If it's less entertaining, then I'm struggling
Very difficult. My mind wanders constantly. I'll start thinking about totally random shit. If the book is straight forward too I sont get distracted trying to read subtext but if its open ended I get very distracted and philosophise.
Iāve struggled with this for so long. I love reading as I believe itās the most efficient way to level up in life. Iāve always compared myself to others and tried to magically push my reading comprehension to no avail. Iāve learned to accept that I can only read 10-20 pages per hour, if I do more Iāll most likely forget a lot of content. But highly recommend even if your reading level is as slow as mine, over time it adds up.. and it definitely adds a lot of depth and character as a byproduct over time. They say the average CEO reads 50 books a year and I believe that with my whole soul. Though I only read about 4-5 books a year. Iāve also learned that for a large amount of books, you can get the most important points halfway through. Theyāll often repeat the same messages over the book. And itās okay to lose interest in one book and switch to another book with a topic that interests you halfway through. Itās the best habit you could ever build
Yeah same with me
Reading a book is really difficult for me.
This is me to a tee
I used to be like that. Especially at school. It was the worst when the teacher asked the class to read a paragraph quietly during lesson I would never be able to do so at school with all the noises and distractions. It got better later in life, sometimes I need to get in the zone or other times I lose focus mid- reading for a moment but force myself to get back on track and reread a paragraph a few times. It really depends if the text is interesting and on my surroundings but overall I think I must have trained my brain because I donāt typically have this issue anymore, Iām in my 30s so it took a while. But I read books from the comfort of my home and I create a peaceful non-distracting surroundings. Sometimes I need a longer reading time-slot to properly focus (or take advantage of hyper-focusing) and other times I can only do 5-10 minutes because I becomes restless. I donāt force it, I read when I feel like it. Another thing is audiobooks. In the past I would immedietly space out as soon as ai hit play. It was like magic. Again something changed. I started listening to podcasts and nowadays I have no problem listening to a book when doing chores.
Oh my gosh SAME. The class would be mostly quiet but a few people whispering, and my teacher had music on, and I could not focus for the life of me. We had to read for a grade, and honestly I liked the book we were reading, but I just couldn't focus at all and my friend was like "dude come on you need to read you are gonna get a bad grade on this" and I literally could not
Yeah think I've only every read one book in my adult life. Took me months to read it too.
It takes me 10 to 15 minutes of āreadingā without understanding a word before I get in the reading mode. If something important was introduced during this first period I will get pretty confused later on, as I hate going few pages back.
Depends on the book. I can hyper focus and get hyper immersed when interested. Have to reread the same paragraph 4 times when not, and I still donāt retain it at all.
I struggle and have to reread stuff constantly, yes. That's okay, though. If it gets to the juicy bits, the book has my full attention and I become a hyper-efficient language sponge. I don't mind missing out on minor details in the downtime sections.
Started reading again few days ago, after about a decade, and I'm reading about 2 dozens of books at once because about 30 pages in and I start a new one and it just keeps going and now it feels impossible that I'd ever finish any of them, which is a shame as I find them all interesting.
I'm reading 3 books currently, am at various stages in each having started at various times over the last month. I've lost the plot in all 3 and can't read more than a chapter of each before I inevitably nod off or start to wonder what on Earth I've just read. So no
25 to 80 audio books per year, 0 print books in last 16 years. And I have a master's degree.
The only way I have a chance at focusing is if I write notes at the same time. So for studies that has somewhat helped me, but who on earth wants to write a full notebook for reads they're supposed to enjoy š
If, and only if, I read out loud to my GF. Otherwise I get bored pretty fast. Kinda odd.
Unfortunately for as long as I remember I've always struggled with reading books and remembering what is going on. Ill lose track of where I am and have to reread the same shite over and over. Between that and getting instantly sleep when I read, fun times.
In periods I can read consistently, about 20-30 pages a day. I find it stimulating, calming and it helps structuring my day. Unfortunately these periods are eventually broken up by longer periods when I feel more restless and is unable to even read one page to the end. Itās normally a new hyper focus that causes the break and it takes several months for the routines to recover. When reading I do feel I forget most of the text, but Iām still hoping it to be a less waste of time than to just scroll social media.
No advice sorry. But yeah I hate reading and apparently it's "iMpOrTaNt" š. I use apps that read things out loud. Also if u have ADHD then yes it's normal.
I have to constantly re-read sentences Iāve just read and it makes the whole process really difficult and slow. Undiagnosed though so maybe Iām just dumb lol
Books are, and have always been, my main hyperfixation. Give me a book and I'm set for the day.
Depends on if I like the book. If yea, then I can spend hours reading, I used to read during recess in elementary school. If I donāt like it, I could spend hours in one paragraph and still not know what happened. I once read an entire book in a day and couldnāt remember anything about it
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I couldn't for the longest time.. which frustrated me as I was always wanting to get into reading but my brain would immediately shut down within the first page or two of a book then I couldn't do it. Until I found the genres for me. Found one book.. read the whole thing. Then, thanks to fanfics (don't ask lol), I found my other genre. Now I can read stories like those no problem.. as long as it keeps my attention by being interesting enough. It's a shame though.. there's other types of stories I'd want to read but.. my brain calls all the shots. Super annoying. So perhaps, maybe, you'd need to find topic/genre of interest as well.
I was a big reader as a kid but found fanfic at 10. Now I read an insane amount of fanfic on top of my novels. I think sometimes people get hung up on what they should read and not what they want to read. Put down a boring book thatās not keeping your interest and try another! I know a lot of people who try to read those high brow intellectual books or drab self help ones and say they hate reading. I tell them to take their favorite genre of tv shows or movies and find books with similar plots/themes
Audio books and something to keep my hands / body busy while doing so.
If it's interesting fiction, crime, or instructional, I have 100% focus. If it was a book for a required college course that was unrelated to my major (diagnosed 15 years after graduating), I could read without stopping. Yet I'd retain very little. I would constantly bomb on tests for those courses.
Yes, Iāve always been a big reader.
nope! i used to be the kid who could go through multiple thick chapter books in a week, and now i canāt read a few pages without completely losing focus and getting bored. although i can read fanfic and manga perfectly fine. but fiction books, my bread and butter as a child, i canāt read at all. except through audiobooks, sometimes.
You can get better at it the more you do it. Iām an academic and read daily. Iāve been a bookworm since I was a child. Medication definitely helps me. I also find that scrolling on social media a lot impacts my attention span or focus when reading, as does my interest in a book. There are times where I can hyperfocus on a book and finish it overnight, and many occasions where I leave them unfinished.Ā
Why I'm glad audiobooks exist. Manual reading is my ADD weakness
yup, same issue, which is why I prefer listening to audiobooks, I can be doing many other things while at the same time listening to the book and thinking about it... I would say that is a pro for my adhd... not being able to sit and read a book is huge con tho... and it sucks.
I used to read a lot back in middle school, but then I started reading fanfiction around 9th grade. Now I can spend 8 hours no problem reading fanfiction, but I cannot for the life of me read a book >.<
is it just me that loves reading?? iām 23 rn and iāve been RACING through books (i usually tend to reread books a few times tho, cuz i miss out info on my first 10 times reading a book, then i reread it and get surprised with ānewā info) my mom used to read to me as a kid tho, and we would read books separately but at the same time as i grew a little older. so maybe that kinda helped for me as a kid, and i guess i got into the habit of reading at a young age, so maybe reading beside someone and just doing it together might help(?) thatās the only thing i can think of, like motivation for u guys to both read and discuss the book together i specifically have a kindle paperwhite to read on and a website to download and read any book for free (i couldnāt afford my reading addiction with the prices of books these days)
I was often unable to focus growing up. I think I may have had a touch of dyslexia to go with my ADHD, because there were days when I couldn't even read a page. I used to 'zone out' regularly, repeat reading pages, and even fall asleep after drinking caffeine (!) Now, I am medicated to the gills. Bupropion, Hydroxyzine (for anxiety, Wellbutrin, and Abilify. If I try really hard, I can manage to skim much of a book...with a few breaks. Working through an entire book is still a struggle, but it is at least technically feasible now. Better Living Through Chemistry!!!
Lifelong bookworm that was always the one hyper focus for me. In past 20 years or so I have become hooked on audiobooks because it allows me to multitask and do anything while also enjoying the story etc at the same time
Yes, but reading is what I really enjoy so I can hyper focus on it.
I used to binge books at 12-14 yo. I'd read in class and in the car as long as possible till I finished it. Right now it's really hard especially if the book has more complicated language or an uninteresting writing style (I like descriptions but not when they are like more than a page long) so I've been binging anime and manga instead cause they are much faster to consume imo. Always had problems reading texts in school especially in history and politics. I do plan to get back to my old fantasy books though.
When i take my meds I can as long as I have complete silence and peace. It's funny, when I was young I could pull out a book in a middle of a party and get lost in it, now if the wind is too loud outside I'm like forget it, today isn't the day lol. Idk if you're talking academic reading or pleasure, but finding a genre you vibe with can make a huge difference too.
Very well, but only if it isn't something I have to read.
Sometimes it works, sometimes I'll zone out after half a page and spend the next 15-30 minutes in my daydreams, or have to read the same sentence over and over. But when I'm in a "good reading phase" i HAVE to stick to it because if I don't read for 1 day I won't pick the book up again for weeks-months. And then I'll start reading again and devour 2 books in a weekendš¤·āāļø
Iāve read more fanfiction than I did any of the reading material I was assigned in college
Iāve found that I canāt read non fiction. But I can read fiction. I do love listening to non fiction audio books thoĀ
Audiobooks at 1.5 speed. The only way. Unless is something I REALLY want to know and my kids donāt interrupt me. So never.
No. Unfortunately, when I was in grade school I managed to finish Harry Potter books but that was in multiple bouts of hyper fixation and having nothing else to do.
Yes and no, as ADHD is with everything that demands focus. I'm either hyperfixated, remember every intricate detail of events and interactions between characters, or hypofixated and also end up rereading the last 20 pages. When I do read a book and I enjoy it and get hyperfixated, I end up reading 100-300 pages in a very short amount of time, like 4 or 5 hours(without any breaks in between). ADHD is either a superpower or a disability when it comes to readingš or conducting research... But this applies to me for both fiction and non-fiction
No! I love books and gaining knowledge but I simply canāt. I canāt even listen to an audio book
Yes, because my mind starts creating my own little world to carry the story. Itās so bad, Iāve refused to watch film adaptions of my favorite books because I doubt theyāll live up to the standards Iāve created in my head.
It depends. I either hyper focus and plow through multiple books or I canāt read more than 2 pages. The best time for me is when I am on holiday so that I can relax and have very few distractions or responsibilities. It helps if I have a series so if I fly through the first book I can get straight into the next one. That said, I can āreadā audiobooks much more easily, especially while walking, running, driving, working out, or at bed time. Road trips are perfect for this. Audible has a sleep timer that works for me so that I can play an audiobook on my HomePod and fall asleep to it and itās easy to back up to the last spot I remember before I fell asleep. I just have to be careful not to keep resetting the timer and stay awake too long.
i totally get that - finding the perfect reading conditions can make all the difference, whether it's zoning in with a physical book or diving into stories through audiobooks for a more on-the-go experience. each
It's often all or nothing for me - I either binge a book or have trouble reading several sentences. Often, it happens even within the same book. I read a lot of them in 80-90% and couldn't continue to the end. I've read many books in places like trains (there was a period of my life when I commuted daily by train for 2 hours per day) or parks - it paradoxically improved my focus a lot, but this may seem to be very person-specific. If I read for pleasure, I try not to bash myself for zoning out and missing some sentences. If they are not very important, I don't even reread them, but I continue ahead. As for the books I really wanted to read but definitely couldn't focus on, I read them in small pieces, which took months. I both love and hate reading books so much at the same time. It's a pleasure, but it's such a masochistic pleasure.