We have a sense of time just as we sense all kinds of signals in our environment, such as sound, light, and vibration.
Based on various internal and external information, the human brain can determine with some degree of accuracy what time it is, how much time has passed since then, and how many hours are left until the next event.
However, it is known that people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or those who are prone to it suffer from a condition known as “time blindness,” where they lack the ability to recognize time .
What exactly is time blindness, and why does it occur in people with ADHD?
What are the characteristics of “ADHD” seen in adults?
ADHD is a developmental disorder characterized by inattention (an inability to maintain concentration), hyperactivity (a lack of restlessness), and impulsivity (the tendency to act on ideas as soon as they occur to them) .
Although most cases begin in childhood, before the age of 12, it is not uncommon for ADHD to be diagnosed in adults as well.
The state in which a person does not meet all of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD but has tendencies to do so is commonly referred to as the “gray zone.”
Especially as people become adults, hyperactivity and impulsivity become less noticeable, but inattention becomes stronger, leading to more forgetfulness in their personal lives , careless mistakes and being late at work , and significantly exceeding the time required to complete tasks .
In fact, these symptoms of ADHD are closely related to “time blindness.”
What is “time blindness”?
Time blindness refers to the inability to mentally perceive or measure the passage of time .
Without even paying attention to the clock, most people can intuitively tell how many minutes are left before they have to go out, how long it will take to get changed or get ready, or how many minutes have passed while reading a book or watching TV.
However, in people with ADHD, this sense of time is lost, making it difficult to tell how much time has passed or how long an ongoing task is taking.
Let me give you a specific example.
The most notable characteristic is losing track of time .
For example, if you are asked questions like, “When was the last time you had lunch?” or “When was the last time you went on a trip?”, you won’t be able to answer properly because you won’t know how long ago those events were.
It is also difficult to gauge the passage of time.
I often check the clock at 9:30 and start reading a book, thinking, “I’ll just read for 30 minutes,” then look at the clock, thinking, “It’s about time,” and see that it’s past 12 o’clock.
According to Steven Gans of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US, people with ADHD have in common that “they don’t intentionally ignore time, but rather forget it intuitively . ”
In other words, when you start a task, you become so focused and engrossed in it that you completely lose track of how many minutes have passed.
It is believed that time blindness causes the careless mistakes and forgetfulness that are seen as core symptoms of ADHD.
So why does ADHD cause people to lose track of time?
Two reasons why time blindness occurs in ADHD
Recent research has indicated that the causes of ADHD include a congenital weakening of the frontal lobe* or some kind of functional disorder.
(* This refers to the area of the brain that is responsible for controlling attention, thinking, and emotions, and for organizing, processing, and executing things .)
It is thought that these brain problems may induce time blindness by causing the following two dysfunctions :
The first is a disorder of executive function .
Executive function refers to the set of brain functions required to carry out a task.
Specifically, it involves “planning your tasks → breaking down the tasks into smaller ones and planning the steps → carrying out the work according to schedule → checking again if there are any corrections needed → controlling unnecessary emotions and desires.”
However, people with ADHD have difficulty with executive function, making it difficult for them to break down tasks into separate work processes or follow a plan.
For example, let’s say you’re meeting a friend at 12 noon.
If you wake up at 8am, you start “getting ready” so that you can arrive on time for a meeting.
However, people with ADHD are unable to plan and break down the task of “getting ready” into smaller tasks such as “eating breakfast,” “taking a shower,” “getting dressed,” and “calling a taxi.”
This can lead to “time blindness,” which can lead to miscalculating time and being late for a meeting.
The other is dopamine dysfunction .
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that increases focus and motivation.
However, it has been found that in people with ADHD, the release of dopamine is highly unstable .
For example, when you are forced to do homework or other tasks, dopamine is not released, which results in a lack of concentration and symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity.
On the other hand, when you engage in hobbies or activities you enjoy, such as playing games, reading, or watching TV, too much dopamine is released, making it difficult for you to hear people calling out to you or to move on to the next task.
This is thought to be what causes the loss of sense of time .
How to cope with time blindness?
Time blindness can have a huge negative impact on both your professional and personal life, deeply damaging not only your relationships with those around you but also your self-esteem.
However, considering that time blindness in ADHD is caused by the brain dysfunction described above, it cannot be cured fundamentally.
However, there are ways to cope with time blindness and still manage the time around you.
The most effective way is to use a timer .
A defining feature of time blindness in ADHD is being so engrossed in a task that you forget about time.
Therefore, it is recommended to make effective use of timers.
For example, if you need to finish a task between 10:00 and 10:30, setting a timer for 30 minutes will bring you back to reality and prevent you from running out of time.
It would also be effective to make it a daily routine .
Make a list of the things you need to do each day, schedule specific times to do them, and make it a habit.
Specifically, 7am-7:30am: breakfast, 7:30am-8am: shower and change clothes, 8am-8:30am: commute, etc.
Once you get used to this routine, you will naturally stop running out of time and you will be able to significantly reduce careless mistakes and forgetfulness.
Furthermore, there are many people in society who have ADHD tendencies even if they have not been diagnosed.
It may seem like they simply can’t keep to time, or that they have a deliberate disregard for it.
However, because this is most likely a brain problem that the person cannot do anything about, it is important for people who are aware of this fact to consider the possibility that people who are unable to keep time well may be suffering from “time blindness” and to understand the characteristics of this condition and deal with it accordingly.