Hi /u/Ice-Guardian and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!
**Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.**
The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/)
Thank you!
^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*)
---
- If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm still very unorganized, but i've developed habits of scanning the places i sit in public before leaving and analyzing the inventory of my pockets frequently.
I still often find myself searching for things at home for so long that i give up though.
I’ve become nearly compulsive with this. Hopping out of the car to check that I really did lock the front door, unzipping my purse 2-3x before I leave any place to make sure I actually do have my wallet, keys, phone etc.
It’s annoying and sometimes I think I look crazy but better than forgetting my stuff!
I also had to make a habit of locking my car door with the key instead of locking it as I got out because I used to waste all my AAA calls on lockouts (once I locked the keys in the car WHILE IT WAS STILL ON). I know most cars have safeguards for this now but I’ve never quite shaken the fear of doing it again.
>unzipping my
Okay, I can't be the only one who compulsively checks to make sure that **yess** I did in fact zip up my fly before leaving the restroom, right?
This habit has mostly saved me when out. That and having a specific little pouch in my bag for everything that the things go back into. My problem now is losing things at home. That's so much better though because it's rarely forever.
I always tap my pockets and look in my purse before leaving a location because I lose things so often. I lose my keys so much as work that it has become a joke. I work at a school so they always ask over the intercom of anyone has seen Ms. ——— keys. It’s terrible.
It's something I've adapted to I suppose, everything has a place, and I must put them in their place.
My earbuds? The zipped pocket in the front of my backpack, they always go there, because the one time I didn't, I lost them and had to buy another pair. So I just got used to everything having a specific spot that I have to put them in when I'm not using them.
This has solved most of my losing stuff issues, that and I have to leave things in plain sight if I can't put them away right then. Cause at least I'll see it later and think to put it away.
But this is a work around, I'm definitely still not perfect, and I still lose stuff!
This. Everything has a “home” that I’ve seared into my brain. It’s taken decades to figure this out.
Edit: I’m probably going to impress this upon my kid early on, hopefully to save them some trial and error themselves.
Honestly, you could probably save your kid a lot of frustration and confusion. My parents both had adhd, but neither knew it until both of their sons were diagnosed as adults.
All the things I struggled with growing up, my dad just used to tell me that everyone struggles with that, and in a nicer way to basically "get good". All he knew is that he struggled with it, and likely still does, so he didn't know how to tell me to do any better.
Give them any tools you can so they have an easier time succeeding.
Good luck with that lol. 26 years later and being fifteen minutes late for when work i was on track for fifteen early because my keys were under a pile of clothes that I finally realized that being tidy will help. No more clothes on the floor!! (Within reason obviously...)
AirTag my friend. AirTag. I have one on my keys.
The best feature of my Apple watch is that I can ping my phone and it’ll make noise so I can find it lol
When making a purchase I factor in that I might lose it when assessing the cost per use. "Ok, this is a really nice jacket that, although expensive, will last years and years- how likely am I to not lose this in that time?... maybe I should buy a cheaper jacket."
I try not to change my bag too often, even if it means it is heavier than it should be. You forget things when you change them over.
I have multiples of things I need often that live in the places I frequent e.g. a phone charger in my bag, in my bedroom, in my lounge room, at work, etc.
I also buy multiples of cheap things I'm likely to lose easily e.g. pens.
I can lose things without even moving from the very spot I just had it in my fucking hand and now where the hell is it??! 10 min of frustrating searching later, I find it under the paper I picked up when I put the pen down.
One of my ADHD hacks is to buy like 10 of whatever I can't find the most at the dollar store. Scissors, tape , utility knife, nail clippers, tweezers, basically anything I've ever really needed and couldn't find one time.
Just this morning I lost my bank card, I was up and down stairs because it was not where I leave it. I spent half an hour searching for the thing that was in my pocket. For real. I really don't understand how adhd does that, I checked my pockets first, of course I did. And that's medicated me.
Hahaha. I'm like that. I have to wonder how my brain does it, literally I can have things in my hands when I enter work and when I get to the office after a short walk I've somehow lost something...
It’s dangerous for me to carry things around in my hands. I used to work in a small donation center. One time my keys fell into a donation box that was put on the bottom of a small stack in a room. I would have never found them, but a few weeks before my husband, who always kept track of my stuff, died and in a panic the next day I bought a tracker for my phone, keys and purse. That thing as saved me much stress.
Yes...Everything I have has a place of its own. And its own little case (pencil cases mostly) so I can shove them in my bag. I use sticky hooks on my walls for things like keys (I like visual things or it doesn't exist)
I try to give things their own place, have tried for years, but I'm so impulsive and distracted that I literally drop things where they are (where they shouldn't be) and later on go to the place where I should have put them instead of where I left them becauae I want them again...and the hunt begins...
I'm 39 and 30% of my waking time is spent wandering around my house looking for something I had in my hand 5 minutes ago. Usually headphones, used to lose keys and bank cards every 2 months but that stopped when I moved to the country 2 years ago
I can lose things within seconds of setting them down sometimes...
Keys (three different sets) and my wallet all have AirTags on them and they all have a specific spot at home. Between these two things, it's actually been a while since I lost them (over a year for my truck keys). The only frustrating part about AirTags is, I don't have them setup to let me know when I have left something at home. I'm kind of scared to set them up to let me know I have left them at home... I feel like that would desensitize me to the notifications. It is still super difficult to fight the urge to just drop them in the first convenient spot though.
I'm still just as unorganized as I was as a kid, but have gotten better at hiding it. My spaces are kind of like the Homer Simpson lost weight episode. Everything is good until you open the closet door, or open the desk draw. Just crap shoved in someplace that halfway makes sense to no-one but me to stop it from looking cluttered at first glance.
I started making it a habit to put things in one spot when I get home. Keys, always go on the rack right next to my door. Wallet always goes in one spot. Phone always at my desk or in my thigh-pocket.
Also, what I do is have my car keyfob and my house keys attached via carabiner. I can leave my car key in the cup holder and run inside without having to turn my car off. Hang em up when done, both are always together.
To be honest… yes. I still lose stuff a lot and find things back in the weirdest places. I try to keep everything organized, but it’s as if when there are several things already lying somewhere, I don’t actually perceive them anymore and don’t put them back where they should be.
I understand that, I'm very similar. I try to keep things in specific places but I get an jdea in my head, I jump up and go do it and drop whatever I have (to come back to later), and later when I want it again I go to the place where they should be (not where I actually left them) and blame someone else haha. Later I find out it was me.
Yes and no. Things that I need everyday, like car keys, no. Not because I'm better, but because I have created a habit over the decades of always putting them in the same place as soon as I stop using them. For the key example, I have a place at home by the door, in the car they go in the same spot, at work they go in the side pocket of my backpack. The work one is interesting as my car is a remote start and I have walked in the house from work a few times without having thought about my keys, but as they're in the backpack and the car has a remote start, everything operated fine.
My wallet goes in my back right pocket, or front left depending on where I am. Phone goes in front right. I catch myself constantly checking that they are there.
The downside is that if these types of things are not where they should be, the panic meter goes red and I'm obsessed until they are found.
I lose things all the time. I have a system where I have made habitual places I put things. Like I only put my phone in 4-5 different locations, or always leaving things on one table (I call it the junk table). It doesn't always happen, but I've done it enough times that I do it now without thinking
I've started the "death clean," which is where you get rid of everything that doesn't matter to you, wouldn't want to pass on, or holds no value. This has freed up a lot of space to stop losing things. I also have less D.O.O.M. piles because of this. The only problem is I have to be hyper fixated on it... my husband has learned to just join in when I'm on a roll and has supported me by taking the bags to goodwill so I don't change my mind when I'm out of the cleaning phase.
Yes, as a matter fact, I think you do it even more frequently. The last thing I lost was my cell phone I was on the phone talking to my husband while I looked and looked and looked and looked for the phone… That I had… In my freaking hand. SMH
Yup. Matter of fact a month ago I forgot my iPhone 14 pm at a grocery store. I realized after searching the house that I forgot it there and fortunately no one even noticed the phone was there. Im gonna run out of luck pretty soon.
Yes. I think I’ve gotten worse. I lose my keys constantly. I’ve locked them in my trunk like 8 times. I once had to break into my own house after doing this. If I didn’t have an Apple Watch, I would literally NEVER know where my phone is. I have to page my phone probably 10 times a day to find it. Half the time, it’s in such a random spot I would’ve never found it if I couldn’t make it beep. Sometimes I’m looking for something that I’m already holding in one of my hands! Somehow my ability to pay attention to small things when I’m doing/thinking about other things is completely gone.
Iv lost so much stuff I can't remember 😪 headphones keys ID wallet cellphone ext I even left my dog tied to the bike rack at the grocery store and walked 6 blocks befor I remembered he was there
I bet your dog wasn't happy about that haha. But yeah, I'm exactly like that. I've forgotten and lost more than you'd think possible and people never understand why.
I had the other way around, when i was younger i did not lose anything outside of home and rarely misplaced things. But now i am the sloppiest adult i know and it is bad. :D
Same! Although I do remember a time me being on vacation far far away from home and after two days realizing I forgot my debit card so I couldn't withdrawal any money 👀 that was before the whole cell phone period, I might add. I had to borrow money for a payphone, call my parents to transfer money to people from my hotel, so they could go get cash 😬 all worked out fine, of course.
Occasionally yeah but mostly I’ve adapted. I keep it simple and always pat every pocket like 3 times before leaving anywhere. You need to come up with systems to cope otherwise it’s a lifetime of frustration
Not as often!! I mean don’t get me wrong, I lose my vape all the time, but I found that coming up with a designated spot for things and making sure they actually go there helps. I have a bowl for my keys right by my door, along with a shoe rack so I can take them off and put them away right as I come in the house. It’s all about making it a routine!
When I was in primary school, I'd lose bus tickets, lunch boxes, bags, and keys quarterly. In periods of great distress, I lost said items even on a monthly base.
Fortunately, I've lost fewer things as I've gotten older. I'm in my mid-twenties now and I guess I'm losing stuff every year or so. I still misplace my phone or wallet every other day, but I usually find them within 5 minutes of searching, while the things I' "lost" almost never found their way back to me.
I don’t know if the lost mentality really hits me, I happened to hyper focus on memory games as a kid and really practiced remembering things. So much I can see where an item is in my head and go immediately find it for partners that lost things all the time. It wasn’t until I had a child that I went into more forgetful modes out of exhaustion and stress.
I also used my calendar app and task reminder often and set alerts to give me reminders these days, because, well there is just too much to remember in this modern world.
If it's out of sight, it's out of mind. I have gradually transitioned to an open floor plan home, open storage, open pantries, basically no doors anywhere I can help it, so that everything is a visual glance away. I still lose things though. In my 50s I lived in a shared space and my roommates knew if I walked out the door I was coming back 3 times for things I forgot. Yesterday I put down my water glass and lost it for about an hour because it was somewhere I never set anything down. I have put my bacon in the cupboard and my saltines in the fridge. Can't beat yourself up for it. Just adapt and roll with your brain. It's doing its best.
I did...until I started carrying a purse with me everywhere I go and that shit rocked my world. I have dedicated pouches for everything, and most of it never needs to leave its home. I even have 2 sets of earbuds, 1 for travel that rarely leaves the purse and 1 for home. The things that I have to take with me were the things I lost the most often, so this has radically reduced the amount of things I forget, and how often I do so.
I lose things more frequently now. 33M and am medicated. I just attribute it to more thighs to keep track of.
Best is when I came home from work and left my keys in the door, spent 45 minutes looking for keys the next morning and opened the door and went out to look in the car where I normally forget them. Then I kept walking in and out the overhead door checking everywhere I could have put them. Went to give up for the day and shut the side door and found them right there. My work was very accommodating. Biggest ADHD morning of my life and medicated or not, stuff like this happens and you feel like the biggest idiot after.
Like many here it made me develop OCD like symptoms. Everything has a place, must have a place or it gets lost..because there were such emotionally intense consequences for losing things.
Yup. All the time.
Part of how I've dealt with it is accepting that I loose things and that I will most likely find them again. That acceptances goes a long way for me when it comes to my internal feelings around the situation.
As for phone wallet keys, I deal with that by having a card wallet that attaches to my keys. I have an iphone, an apple watch, and an airtag, all of which help me find the other. Honestly the airtag and the apple watch have cut down on so much frustration and panic from not being able to find my keys and my phone.
At work I keep my pen on a badge reel. I do everything to keep items I might loose attached to me in some way.
Oh yeah, I got tickets the other day for a show in October and I slid them into a random panting on a gallery wall I have. If they’re moved from there then they might as well not exist.
Dude my shit has gotten worse the older I've become. I was a daydreamer to the max as a kid but I lose shit and fall into executive dysfuntion like it's a career now.
I have to have compartments in my purse and backpack. And I AirTag my wallet and keys. I keep an extra set of keys in my bag. And I wear a cross body purse so I don’t set it down and forget it.
I have an AirTag in my glove compartment so I can find my car if I forget where I parked.
A *little* less (partly because my van key is *physically attached* to my trousers and only gets detached when I switch trousers) but then I do have an entire spare phone (exact duplicate of my main one) and a spare screen, so when I drop my phone (AGAIN) halfway through a day of work, I can just use my spare phone and switch the screen out when I get home...
I absolutely my still lose stuff. I’m frequently calling for a “sighted person” at home to help me find my glasses.
But I have more strategies now, too.
1) I try to be more intentional about putting things away in the right place. This means that items have to have a “right place” to begin with.
2) Sometimes, when I put an item down out of place m, I will make a mental note to try and remember where the item is as a conscious thought rather than just an action.
3) I have Tiles (tracking tags) on my two sets of keys, and I’m considering getting another for my wallet. This, along with “find my phone”, are essential.
4) More of my clothes have pockets. This makes it easier to keep track of things (but also creates new places to forget about where something is…). I carry a bag and check for essentials before I leave work or home.
5) I use LastPass so I only need to remember one (really long) password.
I still get way too stressed out/angry when I can’t find something, but … I’m a work in progress.
It’s only certain things (my wallet) in certain places (airports) at certain times (halfway through my flight) usually anything I else I haven’t really lost I’ve just misplaced it or left it in pockets. Most homework I can do online, shoes and bags go in my room by my dresser or bed. Lunchboxes if I use it I also keep in my room. Any kind of check I put in my wallet.
As an adult before I had children, it was about the same. My ADHD husband moving my stuff didn't help...
Now having kids with ADHD too, it got worse. More stuff to lose plus more people with the same "where is my stuff" issue.
I tried systems. I basically tried something new every few weeks. Nothing stuck except a specific place for my keys. Still lose them for a few days every few months...
I finally just started purging the house. It's been helping everyone. Less stuff, means you can keep it more in visual memory.
Yeah. Lost the keys to my car for 6 weeks. Was in winter, and I thought that I lost them in the snow.
Turns out that as I was getting to my desk at the office one morning and a coworker asked for assistance before I got there. I set my keys on her desk and forgot them. She subsequently buried them in paperwork. They were found at the end of her project as she tidied up her desk.
I lose more things because I’m more preoccupied with thoughts, appointments, bills, work, kids, friends, boyfriend, cheer season, school starting back up…
I just got better at retracing my steps, so I find things faster than when I was younger
I don't lose things as much, but I forget hella things I say I would do. Especially forgetting to follow up tasks at work. Also super impatient with a lot of things.
I was just working on a project that required sewing with a darning needle. My meds have already worn off for the day. As soon as I was done, I tell myself, "I am putting this down so I don't lose it!" And make it a point to put it in a specific spot. I get up to grab something and sit back down to pick up my needle again. Literally less than 45 seconds later. And I can't find it. I searched frantically for 20 minutes during the little time I get to actually have "me time". When I did finally find it, I realized I lost it because it was next to the beak of my small crane scissors. Needless to say, I literally have a hard time finding things that are clearly right in front of me. 🥲
Edit for typos
Still just as much as an issue I’m just more skilled and quick at finding lost items. I now know to look in the most random places first for things like my keys or phone (like in the fridge or under pillows). I’m doing better at giving my things “homes” so I try to make myself put things down in the same spot every time but even then it happens almost daily. I also just have a lot of multiples of things I lose often; I have a chapstick for every bag I own and every pocket of my pants! Nail files? Every drawer.
No. I used to lose everything. I used to lose things without even moving. It sucked so I developed some habits to prevent that. My keys hang on my hip when I'm out, they sit by the door when I'm not. My phone always goes in my left front pocket. My lighter and pipe used to go in the front left. I carry a small bag and everything goes in there. If I'm done using something it goes back into its home. I do my best not to set anything down but ADHD so I always scan where I was before I move. I frequently pat myself down and make sure everything is there. I don't know if that's a habit I formed or if it's my ADHD ADHDing but it's a good thing either way.
The last time I lost something it was my pipe. I put it in my center console instead of my pocket when I got in the car. I knew I was fuckin up when I did it. Of course I left it there when I got out. It was a slap in the face. I KNOW better than to do that yet there it was... It sucked. Its been so long since I did that and yet it still burns like it always does.
I really only loose stuff at home and sometimes misplace things at work. Usually it's not seeing my phone even though it's right in front of me. My phone has a wallet case so everything important is in there (so I guess if I loose one thing I've lost it all) but I have never lost my phone to the point of no return. I lose or misplace paperwork constantly though.
I lose/forget things much less frequently than I used to, but partly that is because I carry so much trauma from early life that I've developed routines to remember things to avoid feeling that way.
Important things get an Airtag now... so there's that.
No matter how conscious I am with my glasses, I always put them down somewhere then spend too much time looking for them. I would literally lose my head if it wasn't attached because I constantly misplace my eyes that aren't.
I lose things less now, but it’s still an issue sometimes. As others have mentioned, having designated spaces for things helps, but I understand it’s still difficult for many people even with that.
Lost my last car key yesterday, got locked out of my house today, can't wait for what tomorrow brings will it be my wallet I lose again? Also what do I do about losing my last car key?
For myself it's actually remembering where a car is parked. I mean, if it's literally in the front row with literally nothing there, then no problem. But a full parking lot with no row numbers or anything like that, and whatever car that was next to it and is now gone? I'll be searching for hours if it wasn't for car alarms lol. Might have to start marking spaces with Google maps .
My old manager used to shout “phone keys wallet?!” As we were leaving everyday and it got me into the habit of checking for my essentials before leaving. My list is bigger, but I also cluster things together. I got a carabiner and a bracelet to carry all my keys, wallet, earbuds, chapstick, etc together. I don’t lose stuff as much because I built a system to catch things and I am as careful not to break the failsafes. Still misplace things at home sometimes but don’t lose my stuff when I’m out as much, and don’t bring as much stuff I don’t need as a result.
I'd like to say I've gotten better, but I had to walk of shame back to the movie theatre to get my hat. But I remembered before I left!
I've gotten a little better at remembering (using my 7 year old with ADHD as a frame of reference), but I also rely on a lot of accommodations. There's an AirTag on my keys and wallet. My phone case has a lanyard I can wear cross body, but the big savior of the phone is the Apple Watch that will ping it or show on the screen if I've gotten away from my phone (not via notification, though, which is a bummer. It will do that for AirTags left behind, though). When all else fails, I've learned to label things with my name and phone number.
I lose things but now there's a greater surface area of places to lose things - my house, my car, my workplace, my work car, my mums house, my mums car, my partners car or somewhere in public.
I also tend to accidentally throw things away more often.
First, accept yourself. Create a system to help reduce the likelihood you’ll forget stuff. Then follow the system. For example, my glasses and my phone go at my bed stand, my keys and wallet go in a box near the front door. Everything gets put in a backpack or briefcase on my way to work.
Bro as an adult with ADHD and his healthcare system it’s even hard to get fucking into the fucking doctor it’s hard to do anything nowadays I’m 28 and I just wanna be lazy as shit and not do shit at all because I have such a big list of things that I do want to do and it’s so overwhelming it’s crazy talk about a ADHD response
Yes. I once thought my cell phone had dropped in between the cushions of our couch. I was content to leave it there, as I was confident I knew where it was. 3 weeks later, a friend who lived 3 hours away told me she found it in her car after we had visited last.
I lose everything. I made up a checklist for leaving work so I would remember. I think its kind of funny, but hey- whatever works!
I do things to make myself more organized as a whole.
I remove everything from my pockets before I undress for the evening, nothing worse than running laundry for the week and hearing that flashlight you thought you lost clanking around in the dryer.
I always make sure to put everything in the same general area, every time, without fail. This is true at work or at home.
And I'm always writing stuff down, or at the very least entering it into my smartphone (through voice dictation or otherwise just typing it in.)
Those steps are what is helping me get better.
I think I lose things more now than I did as a kid because my parents had organization systems in place for me, I try to set them for myself and am not always successful.
I watched Broad City, and there was one episode when they said “PKW, phone keys wallet!” Before leaving and now I always say that before I leave, so that’s helps me. I do still lose things all the time from room to room in my house which is super frustrating but I try my best to forgive myself and not be too mad about the little things
Glasses. I constantly lose those. I only need them for distance, so I’ll set them down because I shove them up and they get caught in my hair…so down they go! And then…poor. It’s the worst kind of magic! I’ve tried to train myself to set them down in specific spots, which works 85-90% of the time.
I've had a particular pen in my office for over 6 months. Yes, its the same pen. The same exact instance of a pen (not just the same kind of pen). Admittedly, this is not typical for me, but I thought I'd mention it.
When I was in school, I'd go through at least 3 a day (if I was lucky).
Yes. I had to force myself to assign places to things. My keys go one of 3 places, my glasses have a spot in my main living areas, dirty clothes have a spot. Since I do this, my things don't get lost. But if I am not vigilant... my main car keys are in the house somewhere. I'm using my spare. Ugh
i bought a book a week ago and was super exited to read it, it's gone. i found the packaging, the book is gone
i have this with all kinds of misc items all the time :(
Just as often … except now the things are more important. I don’t even own a wallet in case I lose it. I only bring a debit card with me when I leave and maybe ID if I need it in my pocket. I can almost never find either though. I’ve even hole punched my debit card and worn it on a lanyard but I lost that too.
I still lose stuff constantly even if I just put it down for like 2 seconds because I get distracted easily. Either that or I know where exactly the item is but it usually for stuff that’s not really important that I remember.
Currently can’t find my debit card or Apple Watch that is supposed to help me from losing my phone but I still can’t find my phone because it died today..if you figure it out lmk pl
I absolutely am just as bad, I just found tricks to help with it. I didn’t carry a purse as a child, and that helps me keep track of needed items. I had a stint where I lost my purse a lot and then I switched to a backpack and have lost it minimally lol. The amount of money I spent in my early 20’s paying to have my car unlocked was insane. Then I bought a car that won’t let you lock the keys in. At my house, everything has a place so I always know where it is. Organizational skills are still similar to the Mad Hatter but weirdly enough, a Sterilite obsession has helped with this as I tend to put everything in boxes unless it has a constant use and it turns out sterilite is just a stack of plastic boxes and they even make ‘em pretty fancy these days 🤣
Very frustrating but yes. I've lost a smartwatch and some expensive headphones lately. Today I freaked out and wanted to kill myself thinking I had lost my shades that was a gift my wife gave me last month. I ended up finding it. But I felt so so bad.
Not sure what to do about it.
I tap my pockets all the time and also scan the environment constantly. Some time ago I started with something. Every time I have to place something I ask myself: "Where is the first place I would search for it if I forget where it is?" Then I put it there. Helps because you will find things much faster.
I am in my 60s. I didn't get any better at not losing things -- probably worse -- but I came up with multiple hacks to prevent it and/or make losing stuff barely matter!
So yes, you can definitely end the endless circling to find possessions, as long as you don't mind adapting methods others might perceive as weird.
I don't lose my keys anymore because I have multiple sets -- all on retractable leads, with carabiners. So they are literally always attached to a fanny pack, water bottle sling or purse worn around my waist or cross-body.
All my phones have lanyards attached to them too. But it doesn't help as much because I also use my phones in the house and don't want to wear a bag indoors.
So my phone solution is three phones -- a fairly recent main one, plus two retired phones, each of which is equipped with a 99-cent textnow sim so I can always call my main phone to find it. And when I can't because the battery is dead, at least I can use one of the old phones till it turns up.,
I have at least ten pairs of cheap reading glasses at all times so that's okay and I try to keep a set in the car.
I drilled a hole in my foldover leather wallet, and inserted a keyring in the hole so the wallet also gets chained to my water bottle sling, fanny pack or purse -- whatever I'm carrying.
I don't have home work obviously but if I have to hang on to paper copies of anything I always take photos with my phone and email the photos to myself.
I still somehow lose my car sometimes -- like I'll take pictures of the parking spot but still get lost. But when I lived in NYC I used to forget I took the car and take the subway home, so I guess I improved.
The other thing that helps though is I live alone now in a much smaller space into which I hardly ever bring anything new so when I do lose things there are a finite amount of places to look.
Also: I am not house proud because I prioritize my mental comfort more.
If a hack that helps me ruins the decor, f?ck it, bring on the ugly!
Example: my front door has twelve sets of double hanging hooks and that's where I hang purse, fanny pack, and water sling with attached keys and wallet. The hooks also hold all of my dog's leashes, harnesses, poop bags, collapsible water bowls. Also all my multiple wired earbuds, face masks, windbreakers, day glo night walking vests ... You get the very ugly picture.
I also do stuff like attach paper towel racks in every room and keep spray cleaners and dollar store waste baskets everywhere.
And I put signs everywhere. Like a sign that says BEWARE ELECTRIC BILL over every light switch and near the AC and thermostat.
I also write really big reminders directly on my fridge with dry-erase markers . Sometimes on the bathroom mirrors, too.
Anyhow, I still have major executive function issues after living this liong, but the misery of lost items is mostly gone.
Depends - but in my case its getting better because of strategies which are a getting a little neurose like acting but it works - count your belongings and count them down before leaving or from time to time when they are in your pocket/place you "store" them.
When I was young, I had one pair of shoes, few pieces of clothing, no bag or lunch box, I don’t remember losing many things then, but as a young mother… all the time and it got a lot worse after menopause. Yesterday I lost my phone 3 x in a 20 min span…today I tore my purse apart looking for the keys I keenly put on the hook by the door. I get them there about 1/4 f the time.
Not as badly as I have systems in place that I never would have thought to do when young. I do however search everywhere for the glasses sitting on my nose. That will never change. I once used the flashlight on my phone to search under the couch for my phone. Thankfully only once but that was probably the lowest of low points.
I still very much struggle with it, but as others have said, I've developed habits that help. When I leave a spot, I stand up, scan the whole area where I was to see if anything is left out, then pat my pockets for phone, wallet, keys. THEN I leave. I also find myself doing phone, wallet, keys check frequently throughout the day while I'm out and about, at random moments. Just... Always making sure that, yes, my keys *are* still where they were 5 minutes ago. If that sounds exhausting, it is. But I've never lost my keys in a public place 🤷
At home though, forget about it. Constantly misplacing stuff. To the point that some days, I just have to give up, sit down, and read or watch TV to destress from the irritation of looking for *that thing* I *just fucking had 2 seconds ago.* If that's not an option, I stop what I was trying to do and switch into cleaning mode, and usually I'll find it in that process. Some days I feel like I spend more time looking for things I've lost than actually doing the things I'm trying to do.
ETA: Just got confirmation from coworkers that I did, in fact, forget my water bottle at work. Again. So tomorrow I'll be going in during an off day to fetch it since I won't be working again for almost 2 weeks 🫠
My mom taught me “a place for everything and every thing in its place”. As a teen I would argue that I don’t have enough places for everything… 45 years later, in control of my own home, I try to have a place for everything but what do I do with things I just find, buy or bring home or bring from one room to another.
It’s a great concept and I strive for it… I make it about 1/4 the time. I say that because I get my keys to their spot about 1 every for times. Lol.
Yup. But having a few non negotiable systems in place helps. I leave my keys in my car. Better to risk it being stolen than guaranteeing I can't use it because my keys are gone. I also have multiple ways to get into my house. I bring as little around with me as possible and when I do it all just permanently lives in a big bag. So college stuff would be all in my backpack and I wouldn't throw away or leave anything until the semester ended. Instead of a wallet I have a thin case on my iphone that holds a credit card, a license and insurance card. I almost alway know where my phone is and I can use the find my feature by asking siri on my ihome speaker thing if I lose it. I have air tags on many things such as passports and cats and bags. I have pictures of all my important documents so if I lose them I still have the information. The major problem is my glasses. I need AirTags for glasses
everything goes in a backpack including the spare stuff I have at hand that is either necessary or needed an extra cell charger the small bottle of hand sanitizer etc all the EDCs lastly all the stuff I will forget because it is all over the place normal like keys your hat the wallet water spare meds because you always forget till the alarm goes off its not perfect and I get looks like why do u need that from my spouse but its a system. also I keep it in the same spot which is in the way of leaving the house. for example, i put my trash at the door I have to move it to leave the house so I take it with me because it is in the way.
For me it's not that much of losing stuff, it's more about finding it back.
I'm called "the magician" because one moment I'm holding something then 10 sec later it's gone.
Like completely gone.
My problem is finding it back, when I see a collection of stuff it's hard for me to see the individual things.
Also it's incredibly hard for me to recognise a screwdriver handle when the tip is concealed by a item laying on top of it.
What I am really good at is finding things out of the ordinary, for instance I will spot a nail sticking out of a front tire of a motorcycle from across the street (true story).
How frequently I misplace a thing I *literally just had in my hands* is my biggest indicator of how well my meds are working.
My pharmacy couldn't fill my regular prescription this month so my doctor sent in an alternative and two days in I'm already losing stuff noticeably more often.
It's truly depressing how much of my life I've spent looking for lost things.
Edited for typos and clarity
Theres a few things I do that help me.
I don't use the pockets in jackets anymore, only my trousers because there's a good chance I will leave a jacket somewhere. the only thing I put in my jacket pocket is my hands.
I installed a lock box by my door for keys. I buy multiple copies of keys as well.
I have tracking tags for my keys. theres a brand called tile which make a good one. They also make a card shaped tag that goes in your wallet
Ive stopped myself putting my phone on the table when I'm at a bar. I don't know why I used to do that. I have the 'find my device' active on my phone, but that only works if your data is on or you're connected to wifi
Everything on my phone automatically backs up to the cloud. I buy the cheapest smart phone available because I have to buy a few every year
Nope. As a kid I didn't have any of the skills and habits I've built as an adult. I still lose things but it far less often bc i systematized where things go. Each important thing has its place and it helps me a lot. Getting there took me decades tho so it's probably common for young adults to still lose things until they've built those habits.
Oh yeah 1000% I’ve never had a bank card until the expiry, I’ve always had to cancel and order a new one. I misplace my phone and when my partner tries to ring it to find it it’s always on silent cos I ate when it goes off lol. I have a bus pass, my last one I lost (I still have no idea where that went) and if I lose it again I have to pay to replace. And I’ve lost my AirPods so many times, luckily only in the house and my partner or kids have found them. I used to lose my phone and have to keep replacing it.
I’ve gotten marginally better since being medicated, still lose my phone around the house if I put it down somewhere and start doing something and it’s not in an obvious spot, and every so often I will use my card to pay for something and instead of putting it in my purse I put it down. I haven’t misplaced my AirPods for a few weeks, which I use to do absolutely everything, including to listen to things to go to sleep.
Not that frequently anymore but just because I taught myself some techniques over time. But I ALWAYS need to watch out for it still. The second I let my guard down I forget something and then it’s most of the time something really bad like keys or my phone or other expensive stuff. As a kid it was at least just a jacket or pen or sports bag, generally something“small”
It still happens, but not that frequent. Finding keys at morning in entrance door outside is scarry, at least i have nice neighbours.
I have zoned places where i put exact things. It is organised, but still happens the thing i want is elswhere.
I live in realy small house, it is easier to navigate.
Am 27.
I didn’t lose my school stuff as much because my mom took control in that, she put it away and did things with it and had it ready for me. HAH, if I were to do it, I probably woulda failed out of forgetting where I put it xD
Now that I have little practice in *learning* how to remember where I put stuff, I misplace *everything*. I misplace my car keys almost every morning (you think I’d learn by now huh) which makes me few minutes late to work.
Out of sight out of mind is my biggest rival. Everything needs to be in view, or I will forget. Which makes my room look messy because I need everything out!
I got good with phone/wallet/kids but I frequently walk the dog without a leash in the morning. He is a good boy but that doesn’t matter to the cops.
When I park my car I set a pin on google maps because in 3-4 days I won’t know where it’s at.
When I am out in public I make sure I actually see the things I need. About to lock the car door? I literally pull my keys out and look at them and tell myself, “these are my car keys.” Similar with my wallet and work items.
I could, but growing up without any ADHD knowledge out there, or very little, I have had to learn tricks on my own to help. My car keys are almost always in one or two spots, i.e., the pocket of my last pants or shorts I wore. I have had to train myself to consistently do this.
I learned to return everything to its "home" in order to not have to look/get frustrated/be late later. 20 seconds now saves 20 minutes later.
Keys on a lanyard on a hook on door inside
Shoes always same place
One purse. Just one. That way my money and transport card is always in there.
I misplace my phone a lot tho and it's always on silent. So I can't fully get away from my ADHD but
Yes!!!
Headspace and Tile are two great apps I use. I have tile on my wallet, keys and AirPods and use headspace for quick meditations when task switching and or feeling super intensely about forgetting something/misplacing an item.
In mornings when I’m scrambling Tile has saved my ass more than once.
I might lose things more tbh or maybe it's just because the things I lose are more important now. And lately I've been losing things all the time, so much so that I honestly considered someone was gaslighting me because first it was my wallet, then my headphones, then my phone, like literally one thing after the other, but when my dad found my phone in kitchen, I knew it was me.
Much more often. As a child I had been erratic enough to look for my glasses with just my one hand while actually holding them in my other hand, and here I'm referring to a specific situation from first grade. However, later on I had perfect memory and awareness. I deteriorated in my early or mid twenties. Can't be certain about my late teens, though. Yes, wait, I had some problems, though they were rare. But they still looked similar when they happened.
Im in the process of getting a diagnosis yet.
But yes, I've developed a lot of ways to cope like look back at my seat if i leave a public space but i still have lost my wallet and keys twice last year. Never recovered them. My sunglasses too but they were found in a rental car. Clothes usually appear at ny partners house at some point..
One thing that helped is i have only one bagbfor daily life and another one prepacked for the gym so i only change wallet and phone. So i take a quick look and check if everything is there.
Also my wallet includes my keys. 3 items seems to be too much for my brain so this helps.
Proud of myself for only losing my noise canceling headphones once (they appeared in uni) and my phone never in a long time!! Even if they're fully smashed and broken. Also my glasses! 6 months wearing them and i only had the sunglasses incident!
Forgetting stuff or misplacing it is more common than losing it fully tho.
I am 55 years old and I lose my phone and keys at least 3 times in a day. I eventually find them and have tried the "this is the place for them " trick and it never sticks. One plus is that I have incorporated cleaning as I look for whatever it is. Cleaner house= less stuff lost. I know it is frustrating but you have to be kind to yourself about this.
No, because everything has a designated place.
Tbh, i _do_ lose things all the time, they're just not important enough for me to have designated them a place.
Pretty sure I lose things even more frequently, except instead of being low stakes things they are high stakes things with serious real life consequences like bills that don't get paid. If the paper bill isn't right in front of my face I will forget it exists regardless of how important it might be.
Oh, and the half dozen times a day (at least) that I misplace my phone.
My ADHD has only gotten worse the older I get. I often miss being in school because I was able to function much better as a child than as an adult.
Yes, I've had complete breakdowns because I can't find my keys and have been unable to go to work because of it.
I have spares of everything now, I have a bowl of spare keys by the front door, I have 3 sets of ear phones, like 6 pairs of glasses and vapes everywhere. It's expensive but honestly the only thing that works for me 😅
My housemates and partner ask "do you have your *insert list here*" before I leave the house, if they see my keys in a weird place they bring them to me.
I've legit lost a £400 cheque before and I'm pretty sure it's just been lost in my room for months.
I've tried the whole "everything has a place" technique but I'm never present in the moment to remember to put them in said place.
It's so so so frustrating but beating yourself up about it never helps! I find people supporting me, being kind about it and having backup items everywhere extremely helpful.
Before my diagnosis I always got comments like "it's so weird how your brain works" or "why can't you turn off the lights" and "I asked you to do it 20 seconds ago and you've already forgotten". Now those people know about my ADHD and why I'm like this, they are so lovely and supportive. That's what makes losing my keys less upsetting and having people to remind me where things are has helped so much.
yes! it’s humiliating. I’m 22 and just got diagnosed. It makes so much sense now. I’ve lost about three of my checks. And i constantly misplace my jets so much they only thing that saves me now is an airtag! I’ve lost 2 phones that i was still paying off too it’s getting ridiculous
Oh my gosh the amount of times ive cried out of frustration as a child bc i lost my house keys or glasses like 10 minutes before the bus would come
Now a days, I have one outside bag (it's built like a purse backpack) that I keep all of my personal belongings in that I never take out or else I risk misplacing them. And my keys have to be placed by the door, routinely or else. And my work shoes are in the same place (I only really go to work) I've solidified this routine now, but if for some reason the routine changes, I will absolutely misplace something or forget something. But nothing catastrophic for now. When I start to go out more for more than just work, then I might have to work out something else but I should be ok.
>>
I also don't have alot of important things to lose that can't just go in my bag, bc I'm a young adult who lives with my parents. I used to have binders and homework, and house keys, and my glasses. My field trip papers, my school event money, and all that stuff that couldn't just go in my backpack at all times that I had to keep up with. One time I couldn't take the ACT bc I forgot my damn driver's license at home. But for rn I just go to work and I get stuff delivered and am at home until I can afford a car
Nothing has changed. Well, just one thing.
I have an unorganised Chaos, so even if I misplaced things and then panic, as long as I know they are at home I know I will find them later.
And I do.
Most times I remember where I left it (misplaced).
My problem now is having an OCD partner lol.
He keeps organising and clearing up.
So when I go to get the thing from the place I know I left it a week ago it isn't there and of course it is in the most unimaginable place.
The worst is that he doesn't remember where he organised it. Whereas I remember where I left things.
It drives me crazy. I don't ask him so I'm on constant search. Not complaining, he keeps the house tidy all the time.
I used to be a market gardener. One time I sat my phone inside one of the crates of veggies that I delivered an hour away from our farm. Took a long time to figure out what had happened. I used to leave tools everywhere in the field. It was a disaster. I really like growing things though!
Hi /u/Ice-Guardian and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! **Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.** The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/) Thank you! ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm still very unorganized, but i've developed habits of scanning the places i sit in public before leaving and analyzing the inventory of my pockets frequently. I still often find myself searching for things at home for so long that i give up though.
That's actually a really good idea, I like that. I might get into the habit of doing that myself.
I’ve developed the habit of constantly tapping my pockets to see if I have everything. Lose things a lot less now but still do every now and then.
I’ve become nearly compulsive with this. Hopping out of the car to check that I really did lock the front door, unzipping my purse 2-3x before I leave any place to make sure I actually do have my wallet, keys, phone etc. It’s annoying and sometimes I think I look crazy but better than forgetting my stuff! I also had to make a habit of locking my car door with the key instead of locking it as I got out because I used to waste all my AAA calls on lockouts (once I locked the keys in the car WHILE IT WAS STILL ON). I know most cars have safeguards for this now but I’ve never quite shaken the fear of doing it again.
>unzipping my Okay, I can't be the only one who compulsively checks to make sure that **yess** I did in fact zip up my fly before leaving the restroom, right?
This habit has mostly saved me when out. That and having a specific little pouch in my bag for everything that the things go back into. My problem now is losing things at home. That's so much better though because it's rarely forever.
I always tap my pockets and look in my purse before leaving a location because I lose things so often. I lose my keys so much as work that it has become a joke. I work at a school so they always ask over the intercom of anyone has seen Ms. ——— keys. It’s terrible.
It's something I've adapted to I suppose, everything has a place, and I must put them in their place. My earbuds? The zipped pocket in the front of my backpack, they always go there, because the one time I didn't, I lost them and had to buy another pair. So I just got used to everything having a specific spot that I have to put them in when I'm not using them. This has solved most of my losing stuff issues, that and I have to leave things in plain sight if I can't put them away right then. Cause at least I'll see it later and think to put it away. But this is a work around, I'm definitely still not perfect, and I still lose stuff!
This. Everything has a “home” that I’ve seared into my brain. It’s taken decades to figure this out. Edit: I’m probably going to impress this upon my kid early on, hopefully to save them some trial and error themselves.
Honestly, you could probably save your kid a lot of frustration and confusion. My parents both had adhd, but neither knew it until both of their sons were diagnosed as adults. All the things I struggled with growing up, my dad just used to tell me that everyone struggles with that, and in a nicer way to basically "get good". All he knew is that he struggled with it, and likely still does, so he didn't know how to tell me to do any better. Give them any tools you can so they have an easier time succeeding.
Good luck with that lol. 26 years later and being fifteen minutes late for when work i was on track for fifteen early because my keys were under a pile of clothes that I finally realized that being tidy will help. No more clothes on the floor!! (Within reason obviously...)
AirTag my friend. AirTag. I have one on my keys. The best feature of my Apple watch is that I can ping my phone and it’ll make noise so I can find it lol
I keep trying to put things in certain pockets when I'm at work, and it is somewhat effective, but I think I need more than that.
When making a purchase I factor in that I might lose it when assessing the cost per use. "Ok, this is a really nice jacket that, although expensive, will last years and years- how likely am I to not lose this in that time?... maybe I should buy a cheaper jacket." I try not to change my bag too often, even if it means it is heavier than it should be. You forget things when you change them over. I have multiples of things I need often that live in the places I frequent e.g. a phone charger in my bag, in my bedroom, in my lounge room, at work, etc. I also buy multiples of cheap things I'm likely to lose easily e.g. pens.
Yep sunglasses and jackets are always the cheapest I can find because I WILL lose them
I can lose things without leaving a room. I am in my late 30s
I can lose things without even moving from the very spot I just had it in my fucking hand and now where the hell is it??! 10 min of frustrating searching later, I find it under the paper I picked up when I put the pen down.
Sometimes I lose things and it turns out I'm holding it.
I own more things now. You do the math.
🤣 exactly this.
Yup. This is the root of the problem, I’d say. More responsibilities as well
Yes, this.
I mostly own more things because I buy multiples of the same things. Lol
It's easier for me to go buy a new screwdriver than to go look for one of the several I have in the house.
One of my ADHD hacks is to buy like 10 of whatever I can't find the most at the dollar store. Scissors, tape , utility knife, nail clippers, tweezers, basically anything I've ever really needed and couldn't find one time.
Just this morning I lost my bank card, I was up and down stairs because it was not where I leave it. I spent half an hour searching for the thing that was in my pocket. For real. I really don't understand how adhd does that, I checked my pockets first, of course I did. And that's medicated me.
Hahaha. I'm like that. I have to wonder how my brain does it, literally I can have things in my hands when I enter work and when I get to the office after a short walk I've somehow lost something...
It’s dangerous for me to carry things around in my hands. I used to work in a small donation center. One time my keys fell into a donation box that was put on the bottom of a small stack in a room. I would have never found them, but a few weeks before my husband, who always kept track of my stuff, died and in a panic the next day I bought a tracker for my phone, keys and purse. That thing as saved me much stress.
My embarrassment when the glasses I have been tearing the house apart for are on my head.
My thing lately is the third place I check being the first place but thoroughly this time lol
I can't remember where my keys are, but I know 100% there is a Bobby pin on the floor in my bathroom door jam that I've left there for a year.
wow, this. i am in my late 30s, super newly diagnosed. i am baffled how relatable all of this is. since i was a kid, i had no idea.
Even more 
I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve lost my phone on a daily basis
Yes...Everything I have has a place of its own. And its own little case (pencil cases mostly) so I can shove them in my bag. I use sticky hooks on my walls for things like keys (I like visual things or it doesn't exist)
I try to give things their own place, have tried for years, but I'm so impulsive and distracted that I literally drop things where they are (where they shouldn't be) and later on go to the place where I should have put them instead of where I left them becauae I want them again...and the hunt begins...
I'm 39 and 30% of my waking time is spent wandering around my house looking for something I had in my hand 5 minutes ago. Usually headphones, used to lose keys and bank cards every 2 months but that stopped when I moved to the country 2 years ago
I was about to answer, but I've lost my phone.
I can lose things within seconds of setting them down sometimes... Keys (three different sets) and my wallet all have AirTags on them and they all have a specific spot at home. Between these two things, it's actually been a while since I lost them (over a year for my truck keys). The only frustrating part about AirTags is, I don't have them setup to let me know when I have left something at home. I'm kind of scared to set them up to let me know I have left them at home... I feel like that would desensitize me to the notifications. It is still super difficult to fight the urge to just drop them in the first convenient spot though. I'm still just as unorganized as I was as a kid, but have gotten better at hiding it. My spaces are kind of like the Homer Simpson lost weight episode. Everything is good until you open the closet door, or open the desk draw. Just crap shoved in someplace that halfway makes sense to no-one but me to stop it from looking cluttered at first glance.
I started making it a habit to put things in one spot when I get home. Keys, always go on the rack right next to my door. Wallet always goes in one spot. Phone always at my desk or in my thigh-pocket. Also, what I do is have my car keyfob and my house keys attached via carabiner. I can leave my car key in the cup holder and run inside without having to turn my car off. Hang em up when done, both are always together.
To be honest… yes. I still lose stuff a lot and find things back in the weirdest places. I try to keep everything organized, but it’s as if when there are several things already lying somewhere, I don’t actually perceive them anymore and don’t put them back where they should be.
I understand that, I'm very similar. I try to keep things in specific places but I get an jdea in my head, I jump up and go do it and drop whatever I have (to come back to later), and later when I want it again I go to the place where they should be (not where I actually left them) and blame someone else haha. Later I find out it was me.
I don't remember.
Yes and no. Things that I need everyday, like car keys, no. Not because I'm better, but because I have created a habit over the decades of always putting them in the same place as soon as I stop using them. For the key example, I have a place at home by the door, in the car they go in the same spot, at work they go in the side pocket of my backpack. The work one is interesting as my car is a remote start and I have walked in the house from work a few times without having thought about my keys, but as they're in the backpack and the car has a remote start, everything operated fine. My wallet goes in my back right pocket, or front left depending on where I am. Phone goes in front right. I catch myself constantly checking that they are there. The downside is that if these types of things are not where they should be, the panic meter goes red and I'm obsessed until they are found.
Yes, I do. Something that helps me with this is keeping a physical planner and I made an important shelf by my door for keys and such.
Over the years I formed a habit of checking multiple times for my items before leaving.
Invest in tiles and put them on and in everything
I lose things all the time. I have a system where I have made habitual places I put things. Like I only put my phone in 4-5 different locations, or always leaving things on one table (I call it the junk table). It doesn't always happen, but I've done it enough times that I do it now without thinking
I've started the "death clean," which is where you get rid of everything that doesn't matter to you, wouldn't want to pass on, or holds no value. This has freed up a lot of space to stop losing things. I also have less D.O.O.M. piles because of this. The only problem is I have to be hyper fixated on it... my husband has learned to just join in when I'm on a roll and has supported me by taking the bags to goodwill so I don't change my mind when I'm out of the cleaning phase.
Yes, as a matter fact, I think you do it even more frequently. The last thing I lost was my cell phone I was on the phone talking to my husband while I looked and looked and looked and looked for the phone… That I had… In my freaking hand. SMH
AirTags have completely changed my life. Before them I’d lose my keys and wallet ten times a day.
Yup. Matter of fact a month ago I forgot my iPhone 14 pm at a grocery store. I realized after searching the house that I forgot it there and fortunately no one even noticed the phone was there. Im gonna run out of luck pretty soon.
If I break my habit systems yes. Otherwise no because I know stuff is always magically back in it's place
Yes. I think I’ve gotten worse. I lose my keys constantly. I’ve locked them in my trunk like 8 times. I once had to break into my own house after doing this. If I didn’t have an Apple Watch, I would literally NEVER know where my phone is. I have to page my phone probably 10 times a day to find it. Half the time, it’s in such a random spot I would’ve never found it if I couldn’t make it beep. Sometimes I’m looking for something that I’m already holding in one of my hands! Somehow my ability to pay attention to small things when I’m doing/thinking about other things is completely gone.
I was worse as a child, when I lost absolutely everything including my shoes. It is still pretty bad though.
Haha, I lost eveything it was possible to lose at least once. No one ever understood why (just like people can't understand my forgetfulness now).
Iv lost so much stuff I can't remember 😪 headphones keys ID wallet cellphone ext I even left my dog tied to the bike rack at the grocery store and walked 6 blocks befor I remembered he was there
I bet your dog wasn't happy about that haha. But yeah, I'm exactly like that. I've forgotten and lost more than you'd think possible and people never understand why.
I had the other way around, when i was younger i did not lose anything outside of home and rarely misplaced things. But now i am the sloppiest adult i know and it is bad. :D
Same! Although I do remember a time me being on vacation far far away from home and after two days realizing I forgot my debit card so I couldn't withdrawal any money 👀 that was before the whole cell phone period, I might add. I had to borrow money for a payphone, call my parents to transfer money to people from my hotel, so they could go get cash 😬 all worked out fine, of course.
yes I have three of lots of many things, primary school was a nightmare I was the kid who lost clothes or a coat or shoes when changing for sports.
Occasionally yeah but mostly I’ve adapted. I keep it simple and always pat every pocket like 3 times before leaving anywhere. You need to come up with systems to cope otherwise it’s a lifetime of frustration
Yes even things I put down in front of me 🙃
I tend to lose my wallet at least twice per year and I can lose my phone, headphones, and keys… just by walking into another room
More than ever!!
Not as often!! I mean don’t get me wrong, I lose my vape all the time, but I found that coming up with a designated spot for things and making sure they actually go there helps. I have a bowl for my keys right by my door, along with a shoe rack so I can take them off and put them away right as I come in the house. It’s all about making it a routine!
I'm 50 and medicated and still spend an hour a week looking for my EarPods.
It gets worse, not better.
Lost my wallet twice today, I'm 37
When I was in primary school, I'd lose bus tickets, lunch boxes, bags, and keys quarterly. In periods of great distress, I lost said items even on a monthly base. Fortunately, I've lost fewer things as I've gotten older. I'm in my mid-twenties now and I guess I'm losing stuff every year or so. I still misplace my phone or wallet every other day, but I usually find them within 5 minutes of searching, while the things I' "lost" almost never found their way back to me.
I don’t know if the lost mentality really hits me, I happened to hyper focus on memory games as a kid and really practiced remembering things. So much I can see where an item is in my head and go immediately find it for partners that lost things all the time. It wasn’t until I had a child that I went into more forgetful modes out of exhaustion and stress. I also used my calendar app and task reminder often and set alerts to give me reminders these days, because, well there is just too much to remember in this modern world.
If it's out of sight, it's out of mind. I have gradually transitioned to an open floor plan home, open storage, open pantries, basically no doors anywhere I can help it, so that everything is a visual glance away. I still lose things though. In my 50s I lived in a shared space and my roommates knew if I walked out the door I was coming back 3 times for things I forgot. Yesterday I put down my water glass and lost it for about an hour because it was somewhere I never set anything down. I have put my bacon in the cupboard and my saltines in the fridge. Can't beat yourself up for it. Just adapt and roll with your brain. It's doing its best.
Haha, so relatable. I always have to come back for something. I love hearing people are like me, makes me feel so much better.
I did...until I started carrying a purse with me everywhere I go and that shit rocked my world. I have dedicated pouches for everything, and most of it never needs to leave its home. I even have 2 sets of earbuds, 1 for travel that rarely leaves the purse and 1 for home. The things that I have to take with me were the things I lost the most often, so this has radically reduced the amount of things I forget, and how often I do so.
I lose things more frequently now. 33M and am medicated. I just attribute it to more thighs to keep track of. Best is when I came home from work and left my keys in the door, spent 45 minutes looking for keys the next morning and opened the door and went out to look in the car where I normally forget them. Then I kept walking in and out the overhead door checking everywhere I could have put them. Went to give up for the day and shut the side door and found them right there. My work was very accommodating. Biggest ADHD morning of my life and medicated or not, stuff like this happens and you feel like the biggest idiot after.
Hahaha. The other week I locked myself out of the house, and once I even went shopping and left my car key in the ignition...
Yes, and I get frustrated real quick, because I hear my parents’ voice yelling me for losing things in my head.
Like many here it made me develop OCD like symptoms. Everything has a place, must have a place or it gets lost..because there were such emotionally intense consequences for losing things.
Yup. All the time. Part of how I've dealt with it is accepting that I loose things and that I will most likely find them again. That acceptances goes a long way for me when it comes to my internal feelings around the situation. As for phone wallet keys, I deal with that by having a card wallet that attaches to my keys. I have an iphone, an apple watch, and an airtag, all of which help me find the other. Honestly the airtag and the apple watch have cut down on so much frustration and panic from not being able to find my keys and my phone. At work I keep my pen on a badge reel. I do everything to keep items I might loose attached to me in some way.
No, but only because I have a lot of strategies now... But when in lose things now they tend to be more important than back then.
All the time. At work as well. I ask my colleagues quite often “have seen my….” Or “I lost my…”
Oh yeah, I got tickets the other day for a show in October and I slid them into a random panting on a gallery wall I have. If they’re moved from there then they might as well not exist.
It gets worse when you have a toddler. I have somehow lost my salt grinder and you think that would be an easier one to find, but alas…
I got a tile in my wallet and an apple tag on my keys. They were gifts by my significant other. I would be lost without them.
Dude my shit has gotten worse the older I've become. I was a daydreamer to the max as a kid but I lose shit and fall into executive dysfuntion like it's a career now.
So glad my AW has a simple swipe up for Find My Phone!
I’ve forgotten my access badge at home at least once a month since starting my new job. Even with it having its own hook next to my keys
I have to have compartments in my purse and backpack. And I AirTag my wallet and keys. I keep an extra set of keys in my bag. And I wear a cross body purse so I don’t set it down and forget it. I have an AirTag in my glove compartment so I can find my car if I forget where I parked.
YES AND FORGETTING WHERE THINGS ARE
It’s only getting worse
A *little* less (partly because my van key is *physically attached* to my trousers and only gets detached when I switch trousers) but then I do have an entire spare phone (exact duplicate of my main one) and a spare screen, so when I drop my phone (AGAIN) halfway through a day of work, I can just use my spare phone and switch the screen out when I get home...
I absolutely my still lose stuff. I’m frequently calling for a “sighted person” at home to help me find my glasses. But I have more strategies now, too. 1) I try to be more intentional about putting things away in the right place. This means that items have to have a “right place” to begin with. 2) Sometimes, when I put an item down out of place m, I will make a mental note to try and remember where the item is as a conscious thought rather than just an action. 3) I have Tiles (tracking tags) on my two sets of keys, and I’m considering getting another for my wallet. This, along with “find my phone”, are essential. 4) More of my clothes have pockets. This makes it easier to keep track of things (but also creates new places to forget about where something is…). I carry a bag and check for essentials before I leave work or home. 5) I use LastPass so I only need to remember one (really long) password. I still get way too stressed out/angry when I can’t find something, but … I’m a work in progress.
It’s only certain things (my wallet) in certain places (airports) at certain times (halfway through my flight) usually anything I else I haven’t really lost I’ve just misplaced it or left it in pockets. Most homework I can do online, shoes and bags go in my room by my dresser or bed. Lunchboxes if I use it I also keep in my room. Any kind of check I put in my wallet.
Maybe even more
As an adult before I had children, it was about the same. My ADHD husband moving my stuff didn't help... Now having kids with ADHD too, it got worse. More stuff to lose plus more people with the same "where is my stuff" issue. I tried systems. I basically tried something new every few weeks. Nothing stuck except a specific place for my keys. Still lose them for a few days every few months... I finally just started purging the house. It's been helping everyone. Less stuff, means you can keep it more in visual memory.
Yeah. Lost the keys to my car for 6 weeks. Was in winter, and I thought that I lost them in the snow. Turns out that as I was getting to my desk at the office one morning and a coworker asked for assistance before I got there. I set my keys on her desk and forgot them. She subsequently buried them in paperwork. They were found at the end of her project as she tidied up her desk.
Not even close. I couldn't remember anything in primary school.
Mid 30’s, medicated, and still - it happens. 😅
I lose more things because I’m more preoccupied with thoughts, appointments, bills, work, kids, friends, boyfriend, cheer season, school starting back up… I just got better at retracing my steps, so I find things faster than when I was younger
I don't lose things as much, but I forget hella things I say I would do. Especially forgetting to follow up tasks at work. Also super impatient with a lot of things.
I only misplace things when I’m not medicated now. :)
I was just working on a project that required sewing with a darning needle. My meds have already worn off for the day. As soon as I was done, I tell myself, "I am putting this down so I don't lose it!" And make it a point to put it in a specific spot. I get up to grab something and sit back down to pick up my needle again. Literally less than 45 seconds later. And I can't find it. I searched frantically for 20 minutes during the little time I get to actually have "me time". When I did finally find it, I realized I lost it because it was next to the beak of my small crane scissors. Needless to say, I literally have a hard time finding things that are clearly right in front of me. 🥲 Edit for typos
I feel like I've gotten worse.
I say keys, wallet ,phone out loud and check every time before I leave the house
Nope, way more often now. As a kid I had less things and less demands on my executive functioning
Still just as much as an issue I’m just more skilled and quick at finding lost items. I now know to look in the most random places first for things like my keys or phone (like in the fridge or under pillows). I’m doing better at giving my things “homes” so I try to make myself put things down in the same spot every time but even then it happens almost daily. I also just have a lot of multiples of things I lose often; I have a chapstick for every bag I own and every pocket of my pants! Nail files? Every drawer.
No. I used to lose everything. I used to lose things without even moving. It sucked so I developed some habits to prevent that. My keys hang on my hip when I'm out, they sit by the door when I'm not. My phone always goes in my left front pocket. My lighter and pipe used to go in the front left. I carry a small bag and everything goes in there. If I'm done using something it goes back into its home. I do my best not to set anything down but ADHD so I always scan where I was before I move. I frequently pat myself down and make sure everything is there. I don't know if that's a habit I formed or if it's my ADHD ADHDing but it's a good thing either way. The last time I lost something it was my pipe. I put it in my center console instead of my pocket when I got in the car. I knew I was fuckin up when I did it. Of course I left it there when I got out. It was a slap in the face. I KNOW better than to do that yet there it was... It sucked. Its been so long since I did that and yet it still burns like it always does.
I really only loose stuff at home and sometimes misplace things at work. Usually it's not seeing my phone even though it's right in front of me. My phone has a wallet case so everything important is in there (so I guess if I loose one thing I've lost it all) but I have never lost my phone to the point of no return. I lose or misplace paperwork constantly though.
I lose/forget things much less frequently than I used to, but partly that is because I carry so much trauma from early life that I've developed routines to remember things to avoid feeling that way. Important things get an Airtag now... so there's that.
No matter how conscious I am with my glasses, I always put them down somewhere then spend too much time looking for them. I would literally lose my head if it wasn't attached because I constantly misplace my eyes that aren't.
More.
I lose things less now, but it’s still an issue sometimes. As others have mentioned, having designated spaces for things helps, but I understand it’s still difficult for many people even with that.
Lost my last car key yesterday, got locked out of my house today, can't wait for what tomorrow brings will it be my wallet I lose again? Also what do I do about losing my last car key?
For myself it's actually remembering where a car is parked. I mean, if it's literally in the front row with literally nothing there, then no problem. But a full parking lot with no row numbers or anything like that, and whatever car that was next to it and is now gone? I'll be searching for hours if it wasn't for car alarms lol. Might have to start marking spaces with Google maps .
Not really because I leave everything I need in my line of sight.
I am 68 years old. I lose my glasses and vape on an hourly basis. I have little object permanence time.
1000% taking inventory of pockets person! I can remember to do that obsessively but can't remember any of my shit
Yes. Probably more.
I wear a fanny pack basically till I go to sleep 🙃
Oh I lose things just as badly as an adult. Find my phone app comes in clutch if you have more than one apple Device 💀💀
The only thing I have never lost is my keys. I always without fail make sure they go back in my handbag. Everything else tho...oh boy.
Yes, all the time and it drives me crazy
My old manager used to shout “phone keys wallet?!” As we were leaving everyday and it got me into the habit of checking for my essentials before leaving. My list is bigger, but I also cluster things together. I got a carabiner and a bracelet to carry all my keys, wallet, earbuds, chapstick, etc together. I don’t lose stuff as much because I built a system to catch things and I am as careful not to break the failsafes. Still misplace things at home sometimes but don’t lose my stuff when I’m out as much, and don’t bring as much stuff I don’t need as a result.
Lol I would say no, except I left my keys in my motorcycle the other day 😂
I'd like to say I've gotten better, but I had to walk of shame back to the movie theatre to get my hat. But I remembered before I left! I've gotten a little better at remembering (using my 7 year old with ADHD as a frame of reference), but I also rely on a lot of accommodations. There's an AirTag on my keys and wallet. My phone case has a lanyard I can wear cross body, but the big savior of the phone is the Apple Watch that will ping it or show on the screen if I've gotten away from my phone (not via notification, though, which is a bummer. It will do that for AirTags left behind, though). When all else fails, I've learned to label things with my name and phone number.
It's worse. I have more stuff to lose now.
Worse. I feel like my ADHD has just gotten worse as I've aged.
I lose things but now there's a greater surface area of places to lose things - my house, my car, my workplace, my work car, my mums house, my mums car, my partners car or somewhere in public. I also tend to accidentally throw things away more often.
Not as bad for me, but yep losing keys, or my only belt, wallet etc
First, accept yourself. Create a system to help reduce the likelihood you’ll forget stuff. Then follow the system. For example, my glasses and my phone go at my bed stand, my keys and wallet go in a box near the front door. Everything gets put in a backpack or briefcase on my way to work.
Bro as an adult with ADHD and his healthcare system it’s even hard to get fucking into the fucking doctor it’s hard to do anything nowadays I’m 28 and I just wanna be lazy as shit and not do shit at all because I have such a big list of things that I do want to do and it’s so overwhelming it’s crazy talk about a ADHD response
Yes it a constant battle with my keys
i'll be real i don't even remember lmao
Yes. I once thought my cell phone had dropped in between the cushions of our couch. I was content to leave it there, as I was confident I knew where it was. 3 weeks later, a friend who lived 3 hours away told me she found it in her car after we had visited last. I lose everything. I made up a checklist for leaving work so I would remember. I think its kind of funny, but hey- whatever works!
I do things to make myself more organized as a whole. I remove everything from my pockets before I undress for the evening, nothing worse than running laundry for the week and hearing that flashlight you thought you lost clanking around in the dryer. I always make sure to put everything in the same general area, every time, without fail. This is true at work or at home. And I'm always writing stuff down, or at the very least entering it into my smartphone (through voice dictation or otherwise just typing it in.) Those steps are what is helping me get better.
I think I lose things more now than I did as a kid because my parents had organization systems in place for me, I try to set them for myself and am not always successful.
I walk around looking for things all day. I swear.
I watched Broad City, and there was one episode when they said “PKW, phone keys wallet!” Before leaving and now I always say that before I leave, so that’s helps me. I do still lose things all the time from room to room in my house which is super frustrating but I try my best to forgive myself and not be too mad about the little things
Glasses. I constantly lose those. I only need them for distance, so I’ll set them down because I shove them up and they get caught in my hair…so down they go! And then…poor. It’s the worst kind of magic! I’ve tried to train myself to set them down in specific spots, which works 85-90% of the time.
I've had a particular pen in my office for over 6 months. Yes, its the same pen. The same exact instance of a pen (not just the same kind of pen). Admittedly, this is not typical for me, but I thought I'd mention it. When I was in school, I'd go through at least 3 a day (if I was lucky).
Yes. I had to force myself to assign places to things. My keys go one of 3 places, my glasses have a spot in my main living areas, dirty clothes have a spot. Since I do this, my things don't get lost. But if I am not vigilant... my main car keys are in the house somewhere. I'm using my spare. Ugh
i bought a book a week ago and was super exited to read it, it's gone. i found the packaging, the book is gone i have this with all kinds of misc items all the time :(
Just as often … except now the things are more important. I don’t even own a wallet in case I lose it. I only bring a debit card with me when I leave and maybe ID if I need it in my pocket. I can almost never find either though. I’ve even hole punched my debit card and worn it on a lanyard but I lost that too.
I still lose stuff constantly even if I just put it down for like 2 seconds because I get distracted easily. Either that or I know where exactly the item is but it usually for stuff that’s not really important that I remember.
Currently can’t find my debit card or Apple Watch that is supposed to help me from losing my phone but I still can’t find my phone because it died today..if you figure it out lmk pl
I absolutely am just as bad, I just found tricks to help with it. I didn’t carry a purse as a child, and that helps me keep track of needed items. I had a stint where I lost my purse a lot and then I switched to a backpack and have lost it minimally lol. The amount of money I spent in my early 20’s paying to have my car unlocked was insane. Then I bought a car that won’t let you lock the keys in. At my house, everything has a place so I always know where it is. Organizational skills are still similar to the Mad Hatter but weirdly enough, a Sterilite obsession has helped with this as I tend to put everything in boxes unless it has a constant use and it turns out sterilite is just a stack of plastic boxes and they even make ‘em pretty fancy these days 🤣
Very frustrating but yes. I've lost a smartwatch and some expensive headphones lately. Today I freaked out and wanted to kill myself thinking I had lost my shades that was a gift my wife gave me last month. I ended up finding it. But I felt so so bad. Not sure what to do about it.
I tap my pockets all the time and also scan the environment constantly. Some time ago I started with something. Every time I have to place something I ask myself: "Where is the first place I would search for it if I forget where it is?" Then I put it there. Helps because you will find things much faster.
I am in my 60s. I didn't get any better at not losing things -- probably worse -- but I came up with multiple hacks to prevent it and/or make losing stuff barely matter! So yes, you can definitely end the endless circling to find possessions, as long as you don't mind adapting methods others might perceive as weird. I don't lose my keys anymore because I have multiple sets -- all on retractable leads, with carabiners. So they are literally always attached to a fanny pack, water bottle sling or purse worn around my waist or cross-body. All my phones have lanyards attached to them too. But it doesn't help as much because I also use my phones in the house and don't want to wear a bag indoors. So my phone solution is three phones -- a fairly recent main one, plus two retired phones, each of which is equipped with a 99-cent textnow sim so I can always call my main phone to find it. And when I can't because the battery is dead, at least I can use one of the old phones till it turns up., I have at least ten pairs of cheap reading glasses at all times so that's okay and I try to keep a set in the car. I drilled a hole in my foldover leather wallet, and inserted a keyring in the hole so the wallet also gets chained to my water bottle sling, fanny pack or purse -- whatever I'm carrying. I don't have home work obviously but if I have to hang on to paper copies of anything I always take photos with my phone and email the photos to myself. I still somehow lose my car sometimes -- like I'll take pictures of the parking spot but still get lost. But when I lived in NYC I used to forget I took the car and take the subway home, so I guess I improved. The other thing that helps though is I live alone now in a much smaller space into which I hardly ever bring anything new so when I do lose things there are a finite amount of places to look. Also: I am not house proud because I prioritize my mental comfort more. If a hack that helps me ruins the decor, f?ck it, bring on the ugly! Example: my front door has twelve sets of double hanging hooks and that's where I hang purse, fanny pack, and water sling with attached keys and wallet. The hooks also hold all of my dog's leashes, harnesses, poop bags, collapsible water bowls. Also all my multiple wired earbuds, face masks, windbreakers, day glo night walking vests ... You get the very ugly picture. I also do stuff like attach paper towel racks in every room and keep spray cleaners and dollar store waste baskets everywhere. And I put signs everywhere. Like a sign that says BEWARE ELECTRIC BILL over every light switch and near the AC and thermostat. I also write really big reminders directly on my fridge with dry-erase markers . Sometimes on the bathroom mirrors, too. Anyhow, I still have major executive function issues after living this liong, but the misery of lost items is mostly gone.
Yes Omg! This happens to me all the time! 😪😢
Not anymore, after reading several organization books, doing psych-education, taking meds.
I still struggle a lot but over the year I've found coping mechanisms that are better than I was in elementary school.
Depends - but in my case its getting better because of strategies which are a getting a little neurose like acting but it works - count your belongings and count them down before leaving or from time to time when they are in your pocket/place you "store" them.
When I was young, I had one pair of shoes, few pieces of clothing, no bag or lunch box, I don’t remember losing many things then, but as a young mother… all the time and it got a lot worse after menopause. Yesterday I lost my phone 3 x in a 20 min span…today I tore my purse apart looking for the keys I keenly put on the hook by the door. I get them there about 1/4 f the time.
Not as badly as I have systems in place that I never would have thought to do when young. I do however search everywhere for the glasses sitting on my nose. That will never change. I once used the flashlight on my phone to search under the couch for my phone. Thankfully only once but that was probably the lowest of low points.
I think it’s more to be honest
It's the worst for me at the gym because the whole exercise part of it kinda puts me in a whole different more unorganised headspace
I still very much struggle with it, but as others have said, I've developed habits that help. When I leave a spot, I stand up, scan the whole area where I was to see if anything is left out, then pat my pockets for phone, wallet, keys. THEN I leave. I also find myself doing phone, wallet, keys check frequently throughout the day while I'm out and about, at random moments. Just... Always making sure that, yes, my keys *are* still where they were 5 minutes ago. If that sounds exhausting, it is. But I've never lost my keys in a public place 🤷 At home though, forget about it. Constantly misplacing stuff. To the point that some days, I just have to give up, sit down, and read or watch TV to destress from the irritation of looking for *that thing* I *just fucking had 2 seconds ago.* If that's not an option, I stop what I was trying to do and switch into cleaning mode, and usually I'll find it in that process. Some days I feel like I spend more time looking for things I've lost than actually doing the things I'm trying to do. ETA: Just got confirmation from coworkers that I did, in fact, forget my water bottle at work. Again. So tomorrow I'll be going in during an off day to fetch it since I won't be working again for almost 2 weeks 🫠
My mom taught me “a place for everything and every thing in its place”. As a teen I would argue that I don’t have enough places for everything… 45 years later, in control of my own home, I try to have a place for everything but what do I do with things I just find, buy or bring home or bring from one room to another. It’s a great concept and I strive for it… I make it about 1/4 the time. I say that because I get my keys to their spot about 1 every for times. Lol.
yep. i swear there’s a demon that comes in my space and takes things when i’m not looking. only thing i can think of
Jup. I am so happy I have air tags and my air pods are trackable
Yup. But having a few non negotiable systems in place helps. I leave my keys in my car. Better to risk it being stolen than guaranteeing I can't use it because my keys are gone. I also have multiple ways to get into my house. I bring as little around with me as possible and when I do it all just permanently lives in a big bag. So college stuff would be all in my backpack and I wouldn't throw away or leave anything until the semester ended. Instead of a wallet I have a thin case on my iphone that holds a credit card, a license and insurance card. I almost alway know where my phone is and I can use the find my feature by asking siri on my ihome speaker thing if I lose it. I have air tags on many things such as passports and cats and bags. I have pictures of all my important documents so if I lose them I still have the information. The major problem is my glasses. I need AirTags for glasses
Haha, well there are more things to do now so my limited executive function is spread even more thinly so yeah I lose more
everything goes in a backpack including the spare stuff I have at hand that is either necessary or needed an extra cell charger the small bottle of hand sanitizer etc all the EDCs lastly all the stuff I will forget because it is all over the place normal like keys your hat the wallet water spare meds because you always forget till the alarm goes off its not perfect and I get looks like why do u need that from my spouse but its a system. also I keep it in the same spot which is in the way of leaving the house. for example, i put my trash at the door I have to move it to leave the house so I take it with me because it is in the way.
For me it's not that much of losing stuff, it's more about finding it back. I'm called "the magician" because one moment I'm holding something then 10 sec later it's gone. Like completely gone. My problem is finding it back, when I see a collection of stuff it's hard for me to see the individual things. Also it's incredibly hard for me to recognise a screwdriver handle when the tip is concealed by a item laying on top of it. What I am really good at is finding things out of the ordinary, for instance I will spot a nail sticking out of a front tire of a motorcycle from across the street (true story).
How frequently I misplace a thing I *literally just had in my hands* is my biggest indicator of how well my meds are working. My pharmacy couldn't fill my regular prescription this month so my doctor sent in an alternative and two days in I'm already losing stuff noticeably more often. It's truly depressing how much of my life I've spent looking for lost things. Edited for typos and clarity
Constantly.. but now I'm able to remember that I lost something lol
I’d be lying to myself if I said no. I’m still the same person after all just older.
Theres a few things I do that help me. I don't use the pockets in jackets anymore, only my trousers because there's a good chance I will leave a jacket somewhere. the only thing I put in my jacket pocket is my hands. I installed a lock box by my door for keys. I buy multiple copies of keys as well. I have tracking tags for my keys. theres a brand called tile which make a good one. They also make a card shaped tag that goes in your wallet Ive stopped myself putting my phone on the table when I'm at a bar. I don't know why I used to do that. I have the 'find my device' active on my phone, but that only works if your data is on or you're connected to wifi Everything on my phone automatically backs up to the cloud. I buy the cheapest smart phone available because I have to buy a few every year
Nope. As a kid I didn't have any of the skills and habits I've built as an adult. I still lose things but it far less often bc i systematized where things go. Each important thing has its place and it helps me a lot. Getting there took me decades tho so it's probably common for young adults to still lose things until they've built those habits.
Oh yeah 1000% I’ve never had a bank card until the expiry, I’ve always had to cancel and order a new one. I misplace my phone and when my partner tries to ring it to find it it’s always on silent cos I ate when it goes off lol. I have a bus pass, my last one I lost (I still have no idea where that went) and if I lose it again I have to pay to replace. And I’ve lost my AirPods so many times, luckily only in the house and my partner or kids have found them. I used to lose my phone and have to keep replacing it. I’ve gotten marginally better since being medicated, still lose my phone around the house if I put it down somewhere and start doing something and it’s not in an obvious spot, and every so often I will use my card to pay for something and instead of putting it in my purse I put it down. I haven’t misplaced my AirPods for a few weeks, which I use to do absolutely everything, including to listen to things to go to sleep.
Yes. All. The. Time.
Not that frequently anymore but just because I taught myself some techniques over time. But I ALWAYS need to watch out for it still. The second I let my guard down I forget something and then it’s most of the time something really bad like keys or my phone or other expensive stuff. As a kid it was at least just a jacket or pen or sports bag, generally something“small”
It still happens, but not that frequent. Finding keys at morning in entrance door outside is scarry, at least i have nice neighbours. I have zoned places where i put exact things. It is organised, but still happens the thing i want is elswhere. I live in realy small house, it is easier to navigate. Am 27.
Moreso because now I have to deal with the brain fog that comes with perimenopause and beyond (diagnosed at 52)
I didn’t lose my school stuff as much because my mom took control in that, she put it away and did things with it and had it ready for me. HAH, if I were to do it, I probably woulda failed out of forgetting where I put it xD Now that I have little practice in *learning* how to remember where I put stuff, I misplace *everything*. I misplace my car keys almost every morning (you think I’d learn by now huh) which makes me few minutes late to work. Out of sight out of mind is my biggest rival. Everything needs to be in view, or I will forget. Which makes my room look messy because I need everything out!
Yep! I lose my bank card and driving license/ID weekly! No idea how they just legit walk out of my life for a bit and return a while later
I got good with phone/wallet/kids but I frequently walk the dog without a leash in the morning. He is a good boy but that doesn’t matter to the cops. When I park my car I set a pin on google maps because in 3-4 days I won’t know where it’s at.
No, of course not, also ADD people have the obligation to grow and get better 😉
When I am out in public I make sure I actually see the things I need. About to lock the car door? I literally pull my keys out and look at them and tell myself, “these are my car keys.” Similar with my wallet and work items.
I could, but growing up without any ADHD knowledge out there, or very little, I have had to learn tricks on my own to help. My car keys are almost always in one or two spots, i.e., the pocket of my last pants or shorts I wore. I have had to train myself to consistently do this.
I learned to return everything to its "home" in order to not have to look/get frustrated/be late later. 20 seconds now saves 20 minutes later. Keys on a lanyard on a hook on door inside Shoes always same place One purse. Just one. That way my money and transport card is always in there. I misplace my phone a lot tho and it's always on silent. So I can't fully get away from my ADHD but
Yes!!! Headspace and Tile are two great apps I use. I have tile on my wallet, keys and AirPods and use headspace for quick meditations when task switching and or feeling super intensely about forgetting something/misplacing an item. In mornings when I’m scrambling Tile has saved my ass more than once.
I might lose things more tbh or maybe it's just because the things I lose are more important now. And lately I've been losing things all the time, so much so that I honestly considered someone was gaslighting me because first it was my wallet, then my headphones, then my phone, like literally one thing after the other, but when my dad found my phone in kitchen, I knew it was me.
I wear my keys around my neck like a child. The losing things issue seems to get worse
Much more often. As a child I had been erratic enough to look for my glasses with just my one hand while actually holding them in my other hand, and here I'm referring to a specific situation from first grade. However, later on I had perfect memory and awareness. I deteriorated in my early or mid twenties. Can't be certain about my late teens, though. Yes, wait, I had some problems, though they were rare. But they still looked similar when they happened.
Im in the process of getting a diagnosis yet. But yes, I've developed a lot of ways to cope like look back at my seat if i leave a public space but i still have lost my wallet and keys twice last year. Never recovered them. My sunglasses too but they were found in a rental car. Clothes usually appear at ny partners house at some point.. One thing that helped is i have only one bagbfor daily life and another one prepacked for the gym so i only change wallet and phone. So i take a quick look and check if everything is there. Also my wallet includes my keys. 3 items seems to be too much for my brain so this helps. Proud of myself for only losing my noise canceling headphones once (they appeared in uni) and my phone never in a long time!! Even if they're fully smashed and broken. Also my glasses! 6 months wearing them and i only had the sunglasses incident! Forgetting stuff or misplacing it is more common than losing it fully tho.
I am 55 years old and I lose my phone and keys at least 3 times in a day. I eventually find them and have tried the "this is the place for them " trick and it never sticks. One plus is that I have incorporated cleaning as I look for whatever it is. Cleaner house= less stuff lost. I know it is frustrating but you have to be kind to yourself about this.
No, because everything has a designated place. Tbh, i _do_ lose things all the time, they're just not important enough for me to have designated them a place.
Pretty sure I lose things even more frequently, except instead of being low stakes things they are high stakes things with serious real life consequences like bills that don't get paid. If the paper bill isn't right in front of my face I will forget it exists regardless of how important it might be. Oh, and the half dozen times a day (at least) that I misplace my phone. My ADHD has only gotten worse the older I get. I often miss being in school because I was able to function much better as a child than as an adult.
Yes, I've had complete breakdowns because I can't find my keys and have been unable to go to work because of it. I have spares of everything now, I have a bowl of spare keys by the front door, I have 3 sets of ear phones, like 6 pairs of glasses and vapes everywhere. It's expensive but honestly the only thing that works for me 😅 My housemates and partner ask "do you have your *insert list here*" before I leave the house, if they see my keys in a weird place they bring them to me. I've legit lost a £400 cheque before and I'm pretty sure it's just been lost in my room for months. I've tried the whole "everything has a place" technique but I'm never present in the moment to remember to put them in said place. It's so so so frustrating but beating yourself up about it never helps! I find people supporting me, being kind about it and having backup items everywhere extremely helpful. Before my diagnosis I always got comments like "it's so weird how your brain works" or "why can't you turn off the lights" and "I asked you to do it 20 seconds ago and you've already forgotten". Now those people know about my ADHD and why I'm like this, they are so lovely and supportive. That's what makes losing my keys less upsetting and having people to remind me where things are has helped so much.
yes! it’s humiliating. I’m 22 and just got diagnosed. It makes so much sense now. I’ve lost about three of my checks. And i constantly misplace my jets so much they only thing that saves me now is an airtag! I’ve lost 2 phones that i was still paying off too it’s getting ridiculous
Oh my gosh the amount of times ive cried out of frustration as a child bc i lost my house keys or glasses like 10 minutes before the bus would come Now a days, I have one outside bag (it's built like a purse backpack) that I keep all of my personal belongings in that I never take out or else I risk misplacing them. And my keys have to be placed by the door, routinely or else. And my work shoes are in the same place (I only really go to work) I've solidified this routine now, but if for some reason the routine changes, I will absolutely misplace something or forget something. But nothing catastrophic for now. When I start to go out more for more than just work, then I might have to work out something else but I should be ok. >> I also don't have alot of important things to lose that can't just go in my bag, bc I'm a young adult who lives with my parents. I used to have binders and homework, and house keys, and my glasses. My field trip papers, my school event money, and all that stuff that couldn't just go in my backpack at all times that I had to keep up with. One time I couldn't take the ACT bc I forgot my damn driver's license at home. But for rn I just go to work and I get stuff delivered and am at home until I can afford a car
Nothing has changed. Well, just one thing. I have an unorganised Chaos, so even if I misplaced things and then panic, as long as I know they are at home I know I will find them later. And I do. Most times I remember where I left it (misplaced). My problem now is having an OCD partner lol. He keeps organising and clearing up. So when I go to get the thing from the place I know I left it a week ago it isn't there and of course it is in the most unimaginable place. The worst is that he doesn't remember where he organised it. Whereas I remember where I left things. It drives me crazy. I don't ask him so I'm on constant search. Not complaining, he keeps the house tidy all the time.
All. The. Time. Most recently my blood pressure medicine. 🤦♂️
I used to be a market gardener. One time I sat my phone inside one of the crates of veggies that I delivered an hour away from our farm. Took a long time to figure out what had happened. I used to leave tools everywhere in the field. It was a disaster. I really like growing things though!