What does distracted and impulsive look like in an ADHD adult?
… it all started with a chicken.
I labored for thirty minutes over a mixture of ingredients for dinner when I discovered the chicken breasts were past their date.
“Honey, can you run to the store for chicken breasts? Everything is ready, I just need the chicken.”
“Sure”, my ADHD husband Nathan said happily, zipping up his fleece coat and slipping on flip flops as he headed out into the Seattle rain.
Thirty minutes later, Nate returned carrying a large overstuffed paper grocery bag. As removed the random items, I wondered what was going through his mind at the store: ice cream, oranges, peanut butter, hot dogs, cottage cheese… “OMG, he was all over the store,” I thought to myself.
“Where’s the chicken?” I asked perplexed as I reached the bottom of the mystery bag of groceries.
“What? It’s not there?” he asked surprised.
“Umm. No.” I said half laughing to myself.
“Want me to go back?”
“Yes. I have everything else ready. I just need chicken. Hurry though… the kids are starving.”
Nate grabbed his keys, and flip-flopped out the door again.
Twenty minutes later, Nate bounced back in with another overly stuffed grocery bag and I replayed the scene: sour cream, Fritos, V8 juice, a magazine, popcorn…
“What the $&*??? Nate… Where’s the chicken!”
“Are you kidding… Did I forget again?”
“Yes” I said exacerbated and completely bewildered. “Please go back and ONLY get the chicken.”
Fifteen minutes later… success. Nate returned carrying a lonely plastic bag of chicken breasts.
I’ve realized over the years sending an impulsive ADHD person with a pension for junk food to the grocery store is a recipe for disaster. Each end cap display is like a beacon of light drawing him in with its magical “buy me” powers. Combined with distraction… I can’t help but shake my head in wonder what happy place my husband’s ADHD brain is in while perusing isles of sugar-laden goodies.