The only one who can’t remember faces? | ADHD Information

I'm in the process of trying to sort my personality traits; what traits are more or less due to adhd and what is just good old me (46y and recently diagnosed). And in this process it is such a relief to know that I am not alone. This forum has been a big help and comfort. Not to forget the fun I have reading some of the posts.

Now I am trying to explain the fact that I am horrible at remembering faces, and living in a country with only 295.000 inhabitants, the likelyhood of runing into someone you know (but don't recognize!) at the mall or in downtown Reykjavik (our capital) is great and a bit frightening. I am not saying that I am isolating myself, but I am ALWAYS aware of this problem.

So, if someone on this forum knows this problem, please share it with me.

PS "Didda" is my real nickname, given to my at birth. Found out recently, that if you read is backwards, is can be read: "add id"   .

I too have a terrible time with faces.  And names.  And phone numbers.  And MY phone number!! LOL

It's SOOOO common.  It's better now that I'm on medication but I still find myself struggling with a name/face on the "tip of my tongue".  I find now that the old standby people used to tell me of mentioning the person's name at least twice as you talk to them and look them in the face helps.  It felt wierd at first but I'm trying hard to do it.  It's still hard to look people in the eye.  Maybe that's why it's so hard sometimes to remember a face - if you don't see it a lot maybe you can't recall it as easy.

I'm sure it will improve over time with practice.

I am HORRIBLE with faces!!!!

Here's just one example - I was walking past the reception desk at my work one day several months ago, and there was a woman standing there. Automatically assuming she was a customer, I didn't pay her any mind, until she smiled at me and said "hi!" I politely said hi and smiled back, and almost continued to keep going, but then she added, still smiling brightly, "how are you doing?" Again, I politely replied "good", and continued walking. As I was moving past her, I noticed she was still smiling at me and maintaining eye contact.

Thoroughly confused as to why a customer was being so friendly with me, I desperately started racking my brain trying to figure out whether or not I was supposed to know this woman - something about her face was sort of familiar.... and then I noticed one of my co-workers coming out to meet her, and the connection slammed into me like a brick wall - she was my co-worker's wife, whom I'd already met a few times before, and I had even had drinks at their house the previous Christmas. Boy did I feel stupid! I immediately became more friendly, then suddenly became aware of how obviously bad this must have looked, and hastily told her that I had been in a hurry and almost hadn't recognized her a moment before.
lol I'm better with faces than names! But I'm usually okay with both once I get to know people. The worst

Yeah, I'm horrible with names and faces, too. I usually remember faces, but sometimes I just stare at someone for a good 5 minutes thinking "I know them from somewhere, but I'm not sure where, and I don't remember their name. At least I think I know them. Uh-Oh, they're looking at me but they don't recognize me.  Nevermind."

Sometimes people change their hairstyle drastically and I'm totally confused.

Thank you all for responding! It's good to know that I am not alone.

One of many stories I can tell about embarassing situations I have found myself in: Recently I drove my 9yo son to his music practice and in the doorway I met a person whom I thought at that moment was his music teacher. I went: "Thanks for sending me an SMS-message, about the session starting later today." She looked at me and said: "I didn't send any message to you." "Yes, you did! Just an hour ago." I was just about to show the message to her on my cellular phone, when another mom entered the building and greeted this person by name. To my horror I then fould out I had been talking to my son's school teacher, not the music teacher !!! It was just painful embarassment, even though she knows I have adhd.

Another one: A few years back I was at a local drama theater and in the crowd in the foyer of the theater there was this man who looked so familiar to me. I worked as a sales rep. for computers at that time, and knew that if the man was a customer at the store I worked at, I should greet him. He didn't seem to notice me, though. After a few minutes I then told my sister about my dilemna. She looked at me with this strange expression on her face and said sarcastically: "Thats the weather reporter from TV."

Sometimes when I talk to people I meet, I "feel" and "know" that I know them, I just can't sort out who they are.

When I mentioned this problem to both my psychiatrist and to my phychologist, they didn't count is a an adhd-trait, though.

One thing that maked this a real problem is, that here in Iceland it is normal to look people you meet at the mall in the eye for a split second. For me it has the meaning "I realize that there are other people near me". It's a kind of polite gesture, and I like it. But if gives you such a short time to find out if you know the person you just meet in a doorway, for example.  I must have offended quite a few through the years, by not greeting them ...