Has your brain ever locked up?
You don’t have to admit it out loud. It’s okay.
You can be secretive about it. Unless you’re at the checkout line, you forgot something and have no clue what it was. In that case you’re just standing there looking weird.
Dumbstruck.
Yeah, you’ve been there. At some point. Somewhere. Right? Me, too.
Dumbstruck is a good word. It fits. I don’t like it. But it fits.
You know the moment your brain has locked not because you realize it instantly. No. That would be too good to be true. You come to realize it because someone nearby asks if you are okay or if you need an ambulance.
I am stuck like glue
My PC is dying and I absolutely must replace it. That’s what this is about. That’s why my brain has locked up like Fort Knox!
Seriously, it’s going, but it is a prolonged death. Something breaks in my PC every other day and I keep replacing parts, unable to jailbreak my brain to simply transfer everything into a new PC - the files, the settings, the programs… oh my! Too much!
Even my power supply blew a couple weeks ago. There was a loud CRACK – then, smoke. It was horrifying.
When it blew, Joan was ready to call a doctor because I sat in my chair seemingly forever staring at my blacked-out monitor, frozen, unable to fathom what had just happened. Thank God it didn’t catch the house on fire. I would have gone up in smoke as well.
That’s the power of brain lock!
I hate that.
I have a new PC. It’s ready. It’s willing.
But I can’t move a muscle to plug it in and get to work transferring files and installing programs. Just the thought sends me into mental fits.
My old PC is begging me to set her down and my new PC is giving me that odd, freakish look of “Are you going to do this, or not?”
You know the look, the same one the cashier gave you at the checkout line. In one way or another ADHD brain lock gets us all at some point. It can be minor or it can be serious, but hopefully it doesn’t happen when you are crossing a busy street.
So how to jailbreak an ADHD brain
For the situation I am currently in, I have a couple of ideas involving the use of a phone:
1) 
Call a friend who enjoys working on computers. Ask if he or she would come over and help. Have some pizza and soda ready so that you have something to bribe with, er, I mean, share.
2) Call a computer service repair person. You should still have the food and drinks ready, pretty much the same scenerio, except you’ll need money to pay the repair person, too.
Or, if you’re like me, you might wait until your PC actually does die, all files are lost and you’ve spent a week in ICU due to shell-shock. At long last, you’re forced to take action too late and you will live with the deep shame and regret forever and ever.
It’s. What. We. Do.
No magic potion
There’s no spear of destiny, no Joan of Arc , there’s no Hogwarts or mistletoe to save me. Mistletoe?
Only a phone. So simple. So priceless. Where is it?
I’m going to make that phone call, now. Well, sometime today or tomorrow. Yeah. Tomorrow. Latest. I promise.
Maybe I’ll find my cell by then, if I remember to look for it.
Hey! Is that my keyboard burning?
What about you?
Have you been a victim of ADHD brain lock? What did you do about it?
Bryan
*Jailbreak: In my current condition it’s the best word I could think of!
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I wear a watch that makes a vibrating alert every 5, 10, or 15 mins (depending on how dense I think i’ll be for the day) When it goes off…on the bright, flashing, LCD screen it reads:
“PAY ATTN!!”
-the negative side of this is that if I got brainlocked between alerts, I would be in that state for the remainder of those 5, 10, or 15 mins until it goes off again…or until somebody gives me that odd, freakish look of “Are you going to do this, or not?” (better than being locked up for hours i guess)
Hi Chris, sounds like a constant buzz! lol Seriously, I use alarms, too. They help me bring me out of hyper focusing. When I start writing in the morning it is easy for me to lose track of time and stop, so an alarm helps me set time limits.
Chris, please tell us more about that watch. It’s a great idea, and i would consider getting one…
Great post, Bryan, very heartfelt.
When we get stuck in some type of “boggle” or state of overwhelm, as Madelyn would say, then the Amygdala can take over the Prefrontal Cortex as the more primitive part of the brain (i.e. during fight, freeze, flight,) always has the first call on resources.
Your examples have the truth of that inner feeling at their core and teach a good lesson: It’s normal for us and it’s ok for it to happen.
Thanks, Glen! Yes, it’s normal and the real point is that we don’t have to do ‘everything’ sometimes we really do need to call someone. Somehow we get it in our heads that we should be able to fix and accomplish anything and everything, it just doesn’t work that way for anyone.
Oh yes, I know this. I know what this makes me think of. I have this with filling in any form, general administration and the worst ‘getting all papers you need to fill in your taxes’ … I feel brain locked just thinking about that right now. I can’t even start before I have a week to think what I need to do to bring the form in order and usually have to write down the steps for myself. I really need to be in a special kind of mood for these kind of things, a combative mood! The forms they just laugh at me and by the time I am half way the first page I have to go and look for the ink remover … no matter how much time I spend telling myself I won’t check the wrong box this time around … I do it every time … the questions they ask are just tedious and cant be answered with the multiple choice they offer … I want to call a help desk for every question to see what they mean exactly … but of course I always call outside office hours, in the middle of their lunchbreak or my correspondent is on a training day out every time I call. Then I to go an check on my computer what the office hours are … the computer is a big hazard to get sidetracked .. I automatically go on Facebook, start writing comments on ADD world, though I hear a voice in my head scream, NO don’t do that! And yes an other hour lost. And of course, to get back to the form, I can not find the ink remover and the form goes back on de corner of the chest of drawers for a week or two. And the worst … once I found the stamp, the envelope, something to write, the ink remover and filled in the form and send it … getting it back two weeks later telling me I filled it wrong, that there is still one paper missing OR ! telling me now that I finally managed to give them my updated info I actually owe them a huge sum of money. I just decided to be enormously proud of myself after filling and sending any form, accepting that with administration it never ends and you just cant win. The time I lose attending to that. If I ever come to attending to that, that is.
I hear you Magalie! I think we all have that ‘something’ that gets us. Thanks for sharing. For me with the PC it is the transfering of the files, installing the programs all over again etc… etc… But as to forms and getting them back, I remember one year while waiting for my tax return I got a notice back with my tax forms that I had forgot to sign! Good thing I married an accountant, she does the taxes now and makes sure they are signed!
Hi Bryan…………
Just discovered you and your website by listening to ADHD support radio. I am married and a parent of two. My oldest, a 13 year old daughter, definitely has ADD. She’s never been officially diagnosed, but my husband and I saw no point in that because we knew we would not medicate her. I really enjoy listening/reading your ideas etc.. and wanted to say THANK YOU. On this recent journey with my daughter, I have discovered that I believe I have ADD as well. My husband was diagnosed when he was a child but his parents bought him a drum set. Ha Any way I just wanted to say what your doing is great for us ADD folks out there and keep up the good work. I think my daughter will go on to do great things in her life. I will do everything in my power to help her understand herself and her talents. Your site can help in that process…………yay.
I liked the brain “lock” article. This happens often at our house and causes everyone to procrastinate. Some how we manage though. I forget a lot of things now, but that may be due to age or raising two kids one of whom has special needs (not the kid with ADD)……..who knows.
I say with your computer….. just “DO IT”. Procrastinating and waiting I find, holds me back from LOTS of things in my life and makes me more overwhelmed. Take baby steps by slowly moving forward(do one small thing). Sometimes that one small thing opens a door to something else and then you just keep going. I also find that writing things down helps me in situations like that. Good luck!
Thank you for your kind words, Paige! Good luck with everything, but perhaps not a drum set for your daughter (just kidding). Keep an eye on her with school, as you know that will be the major challenge – a tutor and kind, helpful words and doing things with her can go a very long way.
About my computer – well, guess what. I did call someone, a good friend who loves computers. He helped me do all of the required work involved and he even installed a better graphics card, new programs, an extra fan, better power supply etc. I am glad I called him. Did I need all those things? I don’t know, but it was fun watching him fix it all up. Now I am zipping along faster than ever with my new PC! Ha!
The thing is, no one does everything themselves with or without ADHD. Sometimes when I get brain locked it is because I have this belief I need to do it myself. Or something like this happens and I am totally unprepared for it to happen. Such as I did not plan on buying a new computer for another year or so, because frankly the one I had was just fine for my needs. But these things happen and there’s nothing wrong with asking someone to help. Actually, in this case, it was a huge benefit to ask someone for help. And, I did share the pizza and I insisted on paying him even though he did it as a favor.
Bests,
Bryan
I used to fell daydreaming when I was small, when it starts no matter how hard others try to wake we up, it keep falling back to dream until something really terrible happens.
And we are meant to lock ourselves up when the moment has gone too awkward, unconsciously hoping it will pass when we wake up. But, frankly, it actually becomes VITAL most of the time, and even worse that’s somehow wakes us from the locking.
My method is that trying to criticise that very moment is already vital, if I am going to do some serious tasks (like the those “forever” minutes before stepping on a stage). “Do it or dies.”, I need that stress to pump ourselves in shape in these situations. It sure gets exhaust afterwards, but hey, just like everyone else.
Many told me that I am using a wrong method, it works anyways.
Hi Vicary, yes, it works. I wrote about that as my way of coping in One Boy’s Struggle, but just remember eventually, if not already, it will catch up to you. There are better ways, but the stress is fun and exciting until it turns into something else.
Bryan,
I use my cell phone for almost everything. There is no way I could keep up without my phone. I log appointments and events immediately when scheduled. I will then set my reminder to one week. When I receive the reminder I reset for two days, one day, two hours, and one hour. It is not 100% fail proof but I feel I have made a big accomplishment. Just last week I forgot an appointment. I knew I had an appointment and called the day I thought it was on. I missed it by one day. The phone has a note application where I can keep notes of things I need to remember. I still haven’t mastered making note of items I need from the store. I am making a conscious effort to do so now since fuel prices have gotten so high.
Me too, Sarah! Unless I forget, which is too often.
Bryan…………
It’s Paige from Ohio again.
GREAT job with your computer. You should be proud of yourself and all is worked out. YAY!!
Thanks for advice with my daughter. Ha about the drums……….we already have two sets of my husbands. She’s not too interested. She has her own interests(piano, art, fashion design)……….and plays sports as well(volleyball and basketball). She is something else………can’t wait to see what see becomes in her life.
Don’t forget………..baby steps. Asking for help is a good thing. What a nice friend.
Bring it on world…I think you’re ready!
Yes! Paige, I am proud someone else did it for me!! Whoot! lol
Indeed, baby steps, every day, every day forward and forward.
It’s nice your daughter has her own interests, but what’s even better is that you notice them and encourage her!
Have a fun day!
Bryan