do you read magazines backwards? | ADHD Information

I don't ever read newspapers or magazines from cover to cover - at most, I skip to the article I find interesting and perhaps get distracted by the article on the next page, and so on.

I usually have 4 or 5 books started at any given time too.

I am not positive it is an ADD thing, but I would think that it is related.  Difficulty focusing and paying attention to one thing at a time would account for us reading stuff in this way.

I have found that it is very difficult for me to just pick up a magazine or newspaper and read it cover to cover.  I don't even start at the beginning unless I am looking up something inside.  I usually start by skimming through from the back.

Is this an ADD thing?

annidagostini38745.519224537 Yes, I read magazines backwards. And if I pick it up to flip through it I filp from back to front. It would be interesting if it is an ADD thing. My Dad does it too and I've wondered if he may have some ADD tendencies.

I wonder if people naturally want to start right to left instead of left to right?  Weird.  I will have to ask my non-add friends.  (Who are they?????)

 

YES YES YES! I read magazines back to front, always have. I think it's an ADD thing - I know it's been discussed on here before.

I don't know why I do this. I think maybe I just want to 'get to the point' of the article - so I just start at the end?

When you say you read back to front, do you mean page by page.

See I take the magazine like a deck of cards being shuffled and bend it, then I let the last page fall first and only stop until something catches my eye.  The next time I pick up the same magazine I do the same thing, but go past the part I read, deeper into the front until again I find something interesting.

With one exception, if there is something juicy juicy I want to get to, I will at that time take the time to look for the page in the table of contents, but that doesn't happen often.

I got one more for you..

Have you ever flipped an old magazine from the back, looking for a section you haven't read because you have no idea, because you never followed any order, so there could be things you missed.

and lastly

have you ever jumped around in a article in the magazine when you get bored, like skipping to the next paragraph because this one has lost your interest, then later realizing you might have missed something because something doesn't make sense, jump back. Okay maybe that one is just me.. LOL

  yes, i always start in the back first. i never knew why. it was just easier that way. i also have 4 or 5 books started at one time. it drives my husband bonkers. i have organization amongst my disorganized papers and if anyone moves them or if i actually file them, then i cant find a thing. i just thought that i was a slob. my twin sister does the exact same things. i am a disabled rn but she is still able to work. she finds it very hard to keep background noises from breaking her concentration. and we both have adhd kids have we have adhd as well. karynYes, yes and yes and No, I don't have ADD.I always start at the back,  maybe we want to skill all the bull advertising and get right to the point.

Dave2u4now,

You described what I do better than I did!! I do just what you described! 

I think it is an add thing. I have always done that I even skip around in booksWe read stories and skip pages and jump around, then we read things in order of importance to us.

 so yes, I do it too.
Does anyone besides me read Manga books? Ther're read from back to front and from right page to left page! Sounds like a natural for a lot of people here.

I have always read mags backwards, it just seems so much easier. I usually skip page to page to find an interesting article, if nothing jumps out at me I put it down. x

That is me to a T!! I always read magazines from back to front and thought that I was the only one! Also, does anyone have problems with books from the library? I'll reserve so many books online and pick them up at the library. I never get a chance to read them all (only small parts of a few), and before I know it, they all are due back! I used to get really frustrated, but now I realize it's my ADD acting up and I can just laugh at myself for checking out 15 books at a time on subjects I found interesting, but then didn't get to read. I usually just flip through them real quick before I return them to get an idea of what they were about!

P.s. This is an awesome forum! I just barely found it and this is my first posting. I've been reading a lot about other people's experiences and I've enjoyed being able to relate! You all rock!!

~Kurt (from Salt Lake City, Utah)

I have not been diagnosed with ADHD, but plan to be tested later this month (my daughter has been diagnosed).  Yes, I read magazines back to front most of the time, and usually do this with newspapers also.  I also pick them up later, and look through them, finding that there is a great deal that I have missed.  I usually have several books that I have started but never finished.  I have several shelves of books that I have purchased but never have been able to follow through with reading.  I also have a tendency to check out vast amounts of library books, only to return them several days past due, and all unread!  I seem to prefer magazines anymore, due to the short articles (I don't have to concentrate as long).  Recently, I'm finding that the shorter the articles, the better!

This is such an interesting topic. Yes, I being reading magazines back to
front. I also cannot just read one book at a time...I usually have several
unrelated topics going at a time.

I think this habit is definitely ADD related. It's almost as if we already know
the contents and flip just to confirm our thoughts.

Yes, I confess.  I cheat and go to the end.  Not always though.  It depends on what I am reading.  Sometimes I want to have an end or conclusion to look forward to.   Yep I do the same thing. Usually I read the cover, then the very first page which isn't really a page it's the index or tabel of contents. Then I flip and check out the back cover. The I skim back to front looking at the pictures and reading any small captions or side bars. If there is an article that really captures my attention while I flipping through the pictures I will return to that as soon as I'm done with the photo skimming. 

When I'm ready to actually read the mag I'll start on the last page, unless I am particularly interested in one article, in that case I will start on the last page after I read the article that grabbed my attention.  Dave4you, I do all those things!  LOL  I've never met anyone else who does before now.  LOL normally look at the pictures first, if there's something that's appealing then i'll stop and look at it and if a story is on the same page THEN i'll read it!I had no idea......I too skim through magazines from the back to front....my wife laughs at me when I do this.Always read from the back to the front. I have a habit of reading the last page of every novel before the first page too.The first thing I noticed ( my recheck after my diagnosis) was that I actually read a magazine, front to back! The doc came in and said... so how are you? I said  I JUST READ THAT MAGAZINE!!  he said.... you waited that long? I didnt care if I had waited 4 hours I had actually read it, instead of thumbing from the back looking at the pictures [QUOTE=tommyboysandy]

That is me to a T!! I always read magazines from back to front and thought that I was the only one! Also, does anyone have problems with books from the library? I'll reserve so many books online and pick them up at the library. I never get a chance to read them all (only small parts of a few), and before I know it, they all are due back! I used to get really frustrated, but now I realize it's my ADD acting up and I can just laugh at myself for checking out 15 books at a time on subjects I found interesting, but then didn't get to read. I usually just flip through them real quick before I return them to get an idea of what they were about!

P.S. This is an awesome forum! I just barely found it and this is my first posting. I've been reading a lot about other people's experiences and I've enjoyed being able to relate! You all rock!!

~Kurt (from Salt Lake City, Utah)

[/QUOTE]
Welcome, Kurt from Salt Lake City!!! You're gonna fit right in.

I have the same problem with checking out books at the library. I'll put my name on waiting list (online), and several books come in at once. Then I either skim through them, or never touch them.

As for magazines...I also have always read them from back to front...but FIRST, I go through and remove all the little ads on thicker paper that pull out...ooooh, I can't stand them!

It is so interesting that so many of us here have this habit.  I also check out lots of books from the library and read very little of each one before returning them.  I also almost always return them late with a fine.  I used to joke that we may as well just go to Barnes and Noble and buy the book because I pay so many library fines.

I actually haven't had very many late fines since I've been crawling.  It is a good change!

I am always returning a bunch of books late and unread.  Sometimes, I have even forgotten that I have them.  I get so frusterated with myself when I do that!

Always check out the pics in a magazine first, then read the text below the pics then read the whole article. And ofcourse, from the back to the front.

Never go the library anymore, I have so many at home from my grandmum which I haven't read yet. Feels like I have to read them first but never even get started. keeps reading the books I've already read and liked (like H2G2 and Project Nyaga). But when I've gotten a book for christmas or birthday I read thwm right away, don't know why though :-)

/Kaks