[red1reaper]

If I had to describe ADHD to a layperson so they can understand what means to have ADHD... I would describe as to having something in your brain that you don't control that is always conspiring to get you to do nothing, if it fails to have you doing anything but what you want/should be doing; Wherever this is accomplished by making you forget, distracting you, robbing your willpower, making it hard to concentrate, making other things seem more appealing, hyperfocusing you in any random stuff, etc. Doesn't matter to the conspirator as long as they get you to waste time against your will, even when you want to waste time doing something you like, the conspirator will get you to waste time another way, for they are just a prick.

Of course there is no conspirator and I am just personifiying symptoms but that is about it what means to have ADHD on a practical levelm explained in words everyone can understand. There can be other symptoms that are not related to this like forgetting about contacting people you care about or the need to have something in your hands to fidget or not being able to remain sitted but those are secondary and very dependant on the person, the most debilitating aspect that almost every ADHD person has, just manifested slightly different, is that of stopping you from doing what you want/must do, worst is that some of that stuff you can willpower over it, but some you can't, willpower does naught when your brain makes you to temporarily forget that you were doing or you have to do a thing.

Worse stuff is that a lot of individual symptoms of ADHD are things that "happen" to everybody so they judge from their own experiences which is not fair as it is not the same when a non-ADHD person gets distracted or forgets things as when it happens to an ADHD person. Those comparations is like comparing a scratch to a wound that is spilling your guts, one you can shrug off, the other you can't.

[a-french-anon]

This is the first time I've read a description of ADHD, even if it's plastered everywhere on the Web, so consider my reaction genuine and not intended to offend: isn't this just a mix of lack of willpower (potentially subconscious, which could explain the "forgetting" part) and ennui/depression?

In french, we have the word "flemme" that can be approximately translated into "laziness", but it's a bit different, because "flemme" is often construed as an enemy within, something you have to fight, and some people have more than others.

[yuriks]

I think it's slightly different than that, in my experience as someone with both ADHD and occasional struggles with depression. For depression, there is this distinct sense of ennui, or that things aren't worth bothering with, that feels present enough emotionally to "identify" with as part of your intent.

But when that's not there, the ADHD ends up manifesting as this sort of detachment of my own thoughts and feelings from my actions. I may be doing something, and there will be in many cases an internal train of thought that's recognizing that there's something else important I should be doing (say, stop engaging with a hobby and go to sleep), and understanding and being alarmed of the consequences of not doing so, but even with that conscience desperately pleading to act on it, for whatever reason, there's a disconnect that makes it not persuasive enough to take action on. And so I stay up late, not wanting that and fully knowing it's a bad idea.

That tends to lead to a lot of mental anguish, and it did unfortunately eventually develop into a sense of futility for me. Because "learning from your mistakes" ends up being ineffective, since you can't use that knowledge to reliably persuade yourself anyway. Before that I instead was just constantly confused and disappointed in myself for not being strong enough to resist it like I was always told I should be able to, if I really believed in it. I'm honestly still not sure which of the two is a better mentality to have, I'd say they both felt catastrophic or occasionally helpful for me at different times in life.

[ImHereToVote]

That sounds very tiring. It's almost as though you described the experience of a normal person. I'm fairly sure you are supposed to struggle out of this weak mindset with intention, just like everybody else does.