Prayer difficulties with ADD

[Jayda]

I also have trouble keeping my focus during prayers. I've found that if I visualize each thing as I say it, I am able to be a little less distracted.

 

[ZooMom]

I have never been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, but my son has and I find that I share alot of the traits. I, too, used to have ALOT of trouble praying...my mind would go off on tangents, circle back around, and go off again, until I was almost sure that if it had been a telephone call, God would have put me on 'hold' for sheer incoherence. It was awful. Then I learned about contemplative prayer, and praying this way helped me IMMENSELY. It actually helped to train my mind to focus on specific things at specific times, and my prayer life just blossomed. My son has severe ADHD, and even he is able to pray this way with some special picture cards I made for him. He says the words of the prayers while gazing at the picture, and therefore keeping his mind focused on what he is doing. Of course, I do it with him, so he is helped by me as well. Contemplative prayer is, I think, especially good for people with ADD/ADHD because it provides the thing that they need most...structure. Randomness and disorganization are very trying to someone with this disorder. They need clear schedules and firm structure to excel. Contemplative prayer provides that.

Peace be with you! You will be in my prayers.


Sandy

 

[drinkingwater]

we use picture cards for our son who has autism. it really helps him a lot and he enjoys using them. thankfully he has started to talk and he doesn't need them as much. real communication is still elusive, but he's learning more words everyday.

 

[wfcamb]

So I've known I've had ADD for a while now but I guess I just never really connected it with the difficulties I have in prayer. I instantly understood why I had such problems paying attention to directions in school, writing papers, reading text books, reading books in general, keeping track of things, being organized, being impulsive, being depressed, etc... the list goes on and on, doesn't it? But I didn't realize until now (almost a year since my tentative diagnosis) that maybe it's not just my lack of faith or love of Christ--I blamed it on myself; that I obviously didn't love God enough to pray. But I've been trying harder and harder and getting more and more stressed about it.

I can't keep a single thought line or keep competing thoughts at bay. I can't stay on track or focused on God at all. It's very frustrating. I'll start to pray and 2 seconds later I'll be spacing out or thinking about something else. And especially when I need to pray the most, I'll have so many thoughts racing through my mind at once that I just get overwhelmed... and almost panic or get upset at myself. Anyone have any tips?

I wish I could be on medication but I feel like it's hard to be taken seriously when you were not diagnosed as a child. Just because they didn't realize it then doesn't mean I'm not ADD or don't need help! I just happened to be bright and female so I couldn't possibly have ADD... just because you aren't having trouble in grade school doesn't mean you won't later on... It's especially hard to be diagnosed or medicated as a college student because they think you just want amphetamines or something...

My goodness! You couldn't have had a better discription that describes me as well! lol.. I do struggle with that as well.. Usually, I start praying, and when I'm really getting into it, start drifting to some weird and odd thought. Then I snap-to and start praying again. This keeps going until I've said what I needed to say to God. Yeah, a bit frustrating at times, but then again, doesn't God know that I have ADD? That means He would probably understand why I drift off like that. Personally, I don't see a problem. I am that way and I find it nearly impossible to change it. I think the only thing that will ever change it would be God Himself. Like mentioned in the first couple of posts here, doesn't matter how much time you pray, it's where your heart is and what you say. If your heart is in the right place, it shouldn't matter how long it takes you to get it all out. For me, it takes a really really long time.

I dunno.. I say (heh) pray for God to show you what to do. Also ask Him to give you the focus you need to get your prayers out in one period of time, instead of little sections of time. Personally, I'm not worried about me.. I know God knows that I have ADD and I believe He understands that I'm not purposely putting my thoughts ahead of Him, but that it's something I can't help.


Anyways.. I hope that helps you..

God Bless! †

 

[Bluwav]

Well on the weekends I dont take my meds, and when I go to chruch and after I get the host and kneel down to pray, the hymns are going on and Its hard to concentrate.

 

[ellieberrie]

I know what you mean!!!!!!!!!!! I`m on meds and now when I pray I`m only thinking about my prayers-not my laundry!!!(although I`m sure God gets a kick out of, did I put that red towel in with the white socks, during my please save me from all evil prayer-afterall he made me like this). On meds or not don`t worry God knows how we are and he can read between the lines and the hundreds of other thoughts running through our heads while we pray! Great topic by the way~God bless