Sum'n about calling the outta sight outta mind phenomenon "object permanence" never sat right with me. First time I saw it was on a big Tiktoker's account. Ever since she said it, others else just seemed to follow suit. I did as well but it never sat right with me. It seemed like more of an excuse used to not keep in touch with people. Not saying everyone using "object permanence" is that way but I've seen plenty of them doing as such. RSD is already a thing some ADHD folks experience no need to exacerbate that. Anyway, thanks for explaining this topic so eloquently. Please excuse my rambling 💜
Yes I heard about object permanence yesterday on Dirty Laundry ADHD podcast, and some of what they said resonated. When I started reading about it I am not sure I have it. I do struggle imagining another reality other than the one I am in, and once a person is out of sight I can find reconnecting with them difficult, and prefer physical interaction than digital.
Thats a very good point that you make about object permanence, i didnt know that. I am not so sure about the object constancy idea though as it seems to me that there's a definite connection there with RSD, which is, as i am sure you know, experienced by many people with ADHD. Also (unfortunately I can't provide a reference) there are people with ADHD who can no longer 'see' an object even if you just move it an inch away from where it normally sits which is not forgetting..I guess that would be something to do with encoding memories
I think these terms were nicely & clearly delineated/explained in this video, including "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" & memory - & also how they pertain or don't to ADHD. A friend just told me he has object permanence issues, which I knew nothing about but I think he meant object constancy as he was discussing the difficulty of long-distance relationships! I love anything about psychological traits, so looked it up right away on some very professional sites - they were more confusing than this explanation! Thanks.
The distinctions you made were very helpful!! Can you say more about the out of sight out of mind people thing? I'm struggling in a relationship to understand how I don't exist for this person most of the time.
I have autism, not ADHD, but can totally relate! I heard about object permanence in a MOOC about autism the other day and immediately thought: that can't be right. My 11-month old baby, who loves peek-a-boo, has a lack of object permanence, not her mother ;) But I do forget about people and things all the time. Out of sight, out of mind is the perfect term! Another thing, which is probably related and which I also learned about in before-mentioned MOOC, is aphantasia. When I think of things or people, nothing comes to mind, i.e. I don't "see" anything. I thought that was perfectly normal, but apparently, it's rare among neurotypicals. Do you recognise this? There's lots to be found on internet about aphantasia; it may be another piece of the puzzle for you, too.
I’ve heard a little bit about aphantasia before, but I don’t know too much about it. It doesn’t really sound like something I experience but it sounds like something I’d like to learn more about!
I have my multivitamins in front of me all the time and forget to take them - I often think that if I see something on a daily basis, that it makes me forget I'm supposed to use it and that it is not just part of the landscape! If I change the position by a few inches, I am likely to notice better.
Might as well not even have a fridge if you have object permanence issues. You may even starve to death. You'd have to be monitored by someone to even stay alive.
@ebrakefml It's not ignorance. It's logic and experiences. This is not how it works, and I know that because I have issues with working memory. I have adhd and suffer from issues related to working memory. People on the internet seem to want to make adhd and its symptoms into a trend, and I'm not subscribing. None of us are actually walking around, forgetting things exist permanently just because they are not in our faces all the time. Also, making personal remarks against someone just because you don't agree with them is wild. Maybe you should reflect on that.
Do you have a degree? If your using facts you never put your own opinion in, that's biased. Never THINK only KNOW, I do have object permemeance that doesn't excuse ppl using it as an excuse tho
