Always Running Late? A Mental Health Condition Could Be To Blame, Experts Say

Chronic lateness tin beryllium frustrating for those near waiting, and is often attributed to laziness and carelessness. 

But experts opportunity a health issue called clip blindness could beryllium to blasted for perpetual tardiness.

Often misunderstood arsenic an inability to comprehend time, nan information disrupts a person’s expertise to estimate really agelong it will return to complete tasks, affecting everything from regular routines to semipermanent productivity.

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In regular life, clip blindness tin manifest arsenic missed deadlines, trouble transitioning betwixt tasks aliases underestimating really agelong a task will take, resulting successful accent and frustration, according to experts. 

Socially, it whitethorn beryllium interpreted arsenic disrespectful aliases sloppy behaviour toward others, perchance damaging relationships.

Perpetual tardiness could beryllium owed to a intelligence wellness rumor called clip blindness, experts say. (iStock)

"The cardinal characteristic of clip blindness is an inability to estimate a clip interval," Dr. Mauran Sivananthan, a psychiatrist pinch Henry Ford Health successful Detroit, Michigan, told Fox News Digital.

This tin negatively impact a person's expertise to usage clip arsenic a guideline to scheme nan day.

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Laurie Singer, a board-certified behaviour expert astatine Laurie Singer Behavioral Services successful California, reiterated that those pinch time agnosia — different sanction for nan information — are incapable to decently process nan passing of time. 

"They typically struggle pinch knowing really overmuch clip has passed aliases really overmuch clip is remaining during a task," she told Fox News Digital.

"When thing needs to beryllium done, it is amended to do it correct away."

For instance, personification whitethorn miscalculate really agelong it takes to get fresh successful nan morning, rushing retired nan doorway and arriving late. 

Others whitethorn get absorbed successful an activity (a denotation known arsenic hyperfocus), losing way of clip completely, nan master noted.

Causes of clip blindness

Time blindness is considered an "executive usability issue," Sivananthan said. 

Executive usability refers to skills for illustration moving memory, cognitive elasticity and inhibition control.

These skills are basal for mundane tasks for illustration making plans, solving problems and adapting to caller situations, according to Cleveland Clinic. 

Socially, clip blindness whitethorn beryllium interpreted arsenic disrespectful aliases sloppy behavior, perchance damaging relationships. (iStock)

Time blindness is astir commonly linked to ADHD (attention shortage hyperactivity disorder).

"Various parts of nan encephalon are affected by ADHD, including nan prefrontal cortex and cerebellum," Sivananthan said. "There person been galore studies looking astatine nan domiciled of nan cerebellum successful clip processing."

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The information tin besides look successful individuals pinch autism, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), traumatic encephalon injuries, depression, anxiety, and moreover conditions for illustration Parkinson’s disease and aggregate sclerosis, experts say.

Time blindness is astir commonly linked to ADHD, but it tin besides originate pinch different neurological conditions. (iStock)

Time blindness is not listed successful The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is nan accepted reference book for mental health and brain-related conditions, Singer noted. 

While location is nary general test for nan condition, nan inability to comprehend and negociate clip is included successful nan DSM-5 criterion for ADHD.

How to grip clip blindness

Treating clip blindness often involves a multi-layered approach, starting pinch minimizing delays, according to Sivanathan.

"When thing needs to beryllium done, it is amended to do it correct away," he told Fox News Digital. 

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It tin besides beryllium adjuvant to usage outer devices to support way of really overmuch clip is spent connected an activity. 

Sivanathan often recommends that his patients group timers earlier getting successful nan ablution aliases starting a project, for example.

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Singer added, "When provided pinch immoderate of nan devices to alleviate symptoms, specified arsenic starting each time successful nan nonstop aforesaid measurement to create a rhythm, I’ve seen patients attack it pinch exceptional diligence."

External devices for illustration calendars and timers tin thief patients negociate and trim nan antagonistic impacts of clip agnosia, experts say. (iStock)

The experts work together that habitual behavior tin bring nan benefits of "structure, predictability, reduced determination fatigue, accrued productivity and improved clip management."

Sivananthan recommends breaking ample tasks into smaller, much manageable chunks and creating accordant routines that "train nan brain" and trim cognitive load. 

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While clip blindness whitethorn not vanish entirely, it tin beryllium importantly reduced done nan usage of accordant routines, ocular immunodeficiency and regular therapy, according to experts.