ADHD & Memory
Forget what you think you know
Forgetfulness is something of a hallmark of ADHD.
Having zero recall of a past conversation would be a classic example. As, indeed, would having zero recall of something just said in a present one. Then there’s failing to arrive anywhere on time (or even at all). And let’s not get started on that extraordinary ability to walk into a room without the faintest of ideas as to why you’re there. The daily list – as anyone who’s ADHD might know – can seem endless.
The consequences of forgetfulness are wide and varied, ranging from ‘what am I like?’ to deep embarrassment and genuine spirals of shame. And when it’s bad it can be really bad – leading to feelings of hopelessness, career-limiting behaviours and even sometimes withdrawal from relationships and friendship groups.
With such deep-seated real-word issues at play, the word ‘forgetfulness’ doesn’t go nearly far enough in describing an underlying trait that complicates so many an ADHD life. In truth, it trivialises something that has a habit of making a LOT of people worry that they’re somehow less than they really are.
It can be helpful, therefore, to understand the human memory a little better – and more importantly, to consider how best to tackle the deficits in this area of cognition that ADHD can so often bring about.
The four basic types of memory
You will (perhaps) remember from a previous post that the working memory is one of the primary areas of a set of mental skills called executive functions – and that it’s therefore intrinsically associated with ADHD. But the working memory is only one type of memory, sitting alongside several others on a list that looks like this:
Sensorial memory (giving us the ability to process information captured by our senses, which allows us to perceive the world as continuous)
Short-term memory (giving us the ability to hold ‘recent’ information in mind for up to somewhere around 30 seconds)
Working memory (giving us the ability to manipulate that short-term information and put it to use so that we can calculate and plan)
Long-term memory (giving us the ability to recall information from events and learnings that happened more than 30-or-so seconds ago)
A fully clued up neuro-nerd might be quick to point out that some of these categories can be sub-divided yet again. And they’d be quite right; long-term memory, for example, is a bit of a catch-all phrase for our explicit and implicit memories, which themselves can be further split into the semantic, episodic, procedural and emotional types.
It’s interesting stuff when you get into it (sort of). But such detail is also largely irrelevant here. With ADHD in mind, what we’re most concerned with is the short-term and working memories and the interplay between the two. So let’s explore those.
The combined memory of the here and now
The short term memory is a holding space for retaining information for a very limited length of time. It’s designed (as it were) to retain facts, thoughts and impressions temporarily, and has capacity to handle just seven – give or take – individual pieces of information in any given moment. Its job is to keeps this data close to hand and readily accessible. But that really is all it does.
In order to actually use that information – we’re talking planning, learning and problem solving – the working memory must be brought into play: a broader active processing system that performs all manner of mental gymnastics with said information, working in concert with the short-term memory to create the perfect cognitive partnership.
Unless… ADHD.
Thanks to distractibility and focus issues, people with ADHD can often fail to register some of what takes place around them – and so less might be encoded into their short-term memory in the first place. Add to this truth, the fact that ADHD often reduces the performance of the working memory, and it’s easy to imagine how that perfect partnership might not be quite so slick after all.
Of the information that is retained, some might fall foul of processing errors such as: vital facts alluding us in the moment; trains of thought veering wildly off course; calculations tying themselves in knots.
Frustration and embarrassment are rarely slow to ensue – both precursors to a drastically lower perception of self-worth, which is never a good thing. So there’s every reason for unless working memory issues to be managed as best they can be.
Remember your ADHD brain
The bad news is that classic methodologies aimed at improving working memory don’t (ironically) work. Not when ADHD is in the mix. In fact, studies objectively show that, while so called ‘brain training’ exercises can make you really good at a particular mental exercise, the upsides rarely spill over into other areas of life. You’re not picking up cognitive abilities that can be applied outside of the precise requirements of that single, specific task.
A far better approach is to put your efforts into improving your habits; to develop the neat yet subtle techniques that work WITH your less-than-brilliant ADHD working memory, allowing you to:
Focus for short, intense bursts of concentration and ‘stay in the room’
Leave meetings & interactions with clarity and intention
Improve your ability to attend to one singular topic at a time
If you like the sound of working with your ADHD, not against it, get in touch today. We’ll set up a free 30-minute discovery call, giving us a chance to discuss ADHD coaching in detail – including how it can arm you with some transformative, game-changing tools and tricks you’ll never forget.
REFERENCES
Westwood, S.J., Parlatini, V., Rubia, K. et al. Computerized cognitive training in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with blinded and objective outcomes. Mol Psychiatry 28, 1402–1414 (2023).
IMAGE: Adrian Swancar (Unsplash)
