The Time Blindness TikToker Responded

Time blindness, a hot topic on TikTok recently due to a video made by a TikToker named Chaotic Philosopher. Today, we look at her response and talk about why it is still off the mark.

[bubbawiggles]

I totally understand her struggle. As someone with cocaine blindness, I often have no clue how much cocaine I've already snorted.

[artisannoteworthy]

I saw this really relevant post:
"Your triggers are YOUR responsibility."
You can't expect the world to shield every little thing that may be offensive to you FROM you.

Being a disabled person myself, I agree that some things SHOULD be normalized - wheelchair ramps, more automatic doors, a better understanding of mental health and disabilities.

But there qre people who take it too far in demands.
She has time blindness?
Set more alarms.
It's really that simple, because people will just use it as an excuse to just NOT be where they're supposed to be, at the time they need to be.

[noizthegoblin]

ADHDer here with terrible time blindness. We all have a portable alarm clock in our pockets/hands right now. Set daily alarms. I'm lucky that I have a very consistent schedule so I can set an alarm once and more or less forget about it (until it goes off, of course). I would never dare ask ANYONE (employer, friends, family, etc) to accommodate MY very much manageable symptom.

Another tip not too unrelated to time blindness: put writable surfaces all over your house to make notes, especially by places you pass by often (front door, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom). I have a desk calendar hanging on my fridge along with a legal pad. There's a notebook on my coffee table. Another notebook in my bedroom. My office is littered with sticky notes.

TL;DR: Alarms and sticky notes are your best friend.

[leimmortalraven]

As someone with ADHD, I have time blindness and it is really bad. So I show up for work almost a whole hour before I have to be in because if I don't show up obscenely early, I show up late. I take it on myself, not ask my employer to worry about it and make sure that I get to work on time.

[Kagrenackle]

The fact is that ADHD time blindness can be self-accommodated. Keeping conscious track of time, using time alerts every 15, 30, 45 minutes etc, or getting your brain in gear with food or exercise. Schools are required to provide REASONABLE accommodations, but if they are able to self-accommodate generally those are preferred anyway.

[mrosegold]

As someone with time blindness who used to lose track of time very often, i will literally write on the back of my hand, put sticky notes on surfaces that i look at/pass by often, and set an obscene amount of alarms to make sure things are done and I'm on time.

[ARTSONICFAN]

Time Blindness Lady: I blame my mom for the whole incident.
Her mother: I missed the part where that's my problem.

[etherial]

Apart from a medical condition, my experience with people with "Time Blindness" is that they are always late for a start time, but at the end of a shift they are out the door right on time.

[PrestonSikes]

When I was little my dad said "get in the habit of setting alarms cause you cant be on time to save your life" and to this day i have 5+ alarms set for every event throughout the day, 1 to remind me something is happening and the next few to keep me from getting too distracted/focused on something else. Change for the worls youre in, dont expect the world to change for you

[BacentRekkes]

I'm Autistic, ADHD, OCD... I could go on. You HAVE To find workarounds for some of your issues in order to do a lot of things. She's in the mind of 'I don't wanna change, others should change for me so I can be happy with no effort at all'. She needs to get over herself and work on herself.

[Lord_Luigi]

You could say she was blinded by the light that August shined at her

[summerdais]

It's real, but she is more capable than she gives herself credit for.

I have ADHD, OCD, ASD, PTSD, GAD, and I have had 2 significant TBIs that left me with permanent cognitive deficits, especially for memory. I have ZERO concept of time and a horrible memory.

I have worked for over a decade to improve things. She can get much, much, MUCH better. It does stress me out. I start worrying about time ...really "early". Calendars, multiple alarms, planning. I'm also physically disabled. If I can do it, most people can with time and a lot of effort. I'm certainly not special or smart with incredible skills. I'm not writing ths to be dismissive. I know how impossible it seems; I want to give hope to those who struggle. I didn't have the appropriate help, but there is help available to improve on this.

Edited: Great video.

[Agudname]

As a person with ADHD we do not want her in our group

[RubyGlass]

I had pretty bad OCD too where I used to circle my house making sure all doors where locked and/or closed over 20 times sometimes 4 times back to back because my brain didn't trust what I just saw. The consequences my brain convinced me was that the house would get broken into and my family harmed.

[jcosmozd]

I’m an autistic person with genuinely terrible time blindness, and it’s a struggle sometimes, sometimes I accidentally leave slightly late, i have to leave extra early so i ended up arriving wicked early, it’s how I accommodate myself. It’s literally just leave early, don’t make people wait on you, just leave early good god.

[CarnoReviews]

Thank you for spreading the truth about ocd! I have diagnosed OCD and I’m always frustrated by people who seem to think it’s a personality trait

Edit: how tf did this turn into a warzone? Can't be nice online i guess lmao. Thanks for all the likes too! Appreciate it!

[I-Dophler]

Time blindness can be managed effectively with various strategies:

Setting Alarms and Reminders: Use alarms on your phone or clocks to prompt you when tasks need to start or finish.
Creating Routines: Establish daily routines to help regulate your internal sense of time.
Using Visual Aids: Employ visual timers or clocks to visualize the passage of time and manage tasks accordingly.
Prioritizing Tasks: Focus on prioritizing tasks based on their importance and allocate appropriate time slots.

[SarahLovesBoobahandErEr]

Aw, August…I TOO struggle with OCD. You described it perfectly. My ‘consequences’ always involve someone close to me dying. If I don’t open and close the fridge door 4 times my child is going to perish…that kind of crap. My OCD is mostly internal with a few routines I do with certain items around my house. I have to breath a certain way (or hold my breath) when I do the routines and I have to count in 4’s, all while not blinking. The internal part is where I ‘process’ thoughts and I have to do the breathing/counting/not blinking thing while I repeat thoughts in my head until I feel like I did it correctly. What’s really strange is that I tend to do it more when things are going WELL. It’s usually the opposite. Enough about me. I’m glad you’re doing better with the disorder.
Now, before I post this, I have to read, reread, and read again until I feel everything’s okay.

[jacobhubbard]

As a side note, for 2:47 in regards to attendance policies, as a college teacher myself, I technically do require attendance, but I do what's called "unnotified absence" policy. That is, if you're going to miss class for whatever reason, I just ask that you as the student send me a quick email letting me know and I don't count it against you (the reason doesn't need to be given -- just telling me you won't be able to make it is sufficient). If they do that, then I never count it against them because it tells me they do care about what they are learning and are taking the class seriously. If they don't email me letting know they won't make it class, then I count it as an "unnotified absence." I made it so that students are allowed to have 4-5 unnotified absences before it starts eating into their grade (I don't outright fail them -- how much that eats into their grade will depend on how many unnotified absences they do).

Of course, if I get a bunch of unnotified absences from students in a row, I will check on the student to see what's going on and make sure they're okay and then depending on the situation will waive it if the student can explain what's going on that has caused them to miss class.

[walkyoooooooo]

I have OCD too man. i appreciate u sharing your personal experience with it and i relate. you have to work on stuff for yourself! its hard but its the way to a better life