“ADHD Demands Energy. Lying Conserves My Reserve.”
For some people with ADHD, responding with a quick-and-easy untruth requires less energy than processing your thoughts and organizing an articulate response. For others, lying is far more complicated and involves decades of undiagnosed symptoms, shame, and coping mechanisms. Here are some reflections on lying by ADDitude readers.
1 Comment: “ADHD Demands Energy. Lying Conserves My Reserve.”
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I am so happy to have found ADDitude. I was just diagnosed this past September. I turned 60 in December. I have gotten so many answers in these past few months about things that always troubled me about myself and why would i say, do, respond and react in ways that i knew i wanted to better than that; but could never get a handle on them.
One of these troublesome behaviors is lying. As a child I lied a lot. I can recall some of the outlandish things i would make up and was told how imaginative i was. i have very early (grammar school) memories of some of these tales.
In adulthood, my lies are far less often and primarily around keeping commitments; saying I’m going to do something or be somewhere and then feeling regret as I’m supposed to be walking out the door. Either I’m too tired, WAY overbooked or I just cant make myself want to. usually i regret this within minutes of making up an excuse. This permeates every area of both my work and personal life. Also, I find that I will lie rather than deal with somebody’s disapproval over a choice I’ve made. (a man I’m dating or my spending or my dieting chaos) It just now occurred to me, “What do i care who approves of my choices?” Of course, that will require some discernment. But overall, that feels right. Awareness is the first step to change.