Time blindness is a distorted or diminished sense of time passage, making it difficult to estimate, anticipate, or regulate time. Often results in underestimating how long something will take, overestimating how much can be done, or losing full awareness of time entirely.
Relational Context:
Time blindness isn’t carelessness; it’s a neurological difference. People with ADHD or AuDHD may experience time not as a continuous stream, but in bursts: now and not-now. This disrupts planning, transitions, and follow-through, often leading to shame or misunderstanding in relationships.
In Our Language:
“I wasn’t ignoring you. Time just… disappeared.”
– What time-blindness sounds like in presence-first relationships
Time blindness can fracture trust if misread as flakiness or avoidance. But in relational terms, it’s not about disconnection; it’s about disorientation. Support comes not from blame, but from anchoring and reorientation.
Common Experiences:
- Feeling like time speeds up or disappears during hyperfocus
- Struggling to gauge how long tasks should take
- Chronic lateness despite good intentions
- Sudden panic upon realizing hours have passed
- Difficulty preparing for transitions or upcoming deadlines
