ADHD-Friendly Podcast
Host: Patty Blinderman
Episode #231: ADHD & Forgetting Names
Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Patty Blinderman explores why individuals with ADHD often struggle to remember names, using an “ADHD-friendly lens” to break down the neurological and executive function factors at play. Beyond the main topic, Patty shares recent personal wins, useful products, mindful purchasing tips, and a new book recommendation. The discussion is warm, personal, and packed with practical strategies for thriving with ADHD.

Episode Highlights & Key Points

1. Personal Wins & Life Updates

Timestamps: 00:30–05:45

• Celebrating Small Victories

  • Patty shares her joy at attending a library painting program, where she created and cured a porcelain serving plate (01:00).
  • She resisted an impulsive Amazon purchase by saving a set of serving platters for later instead of buying them immediately.
    • “Do I need this platter or do I want this platter? ... So I put it in my save for later and I didn’t buy it.” (02:45 - Patty)

• Managing Impulse Control with Games

  • Discusses her struggles with the Scrabble app, exceeding her set time limits, and her decision to delete it after two weeks of failed self-regulation.
    • “If you can’t keep it to the hour minimum… you have to delete the app.” (04:02 - Patty)
    • Her “all or nothing” approach worked: after deletion, she didn’t miss the app at all and reconnected with other hobbies.

2. ADHD-Friendly Product Recommendations

Timestamps: 05:45–09:10

• Product of the Week: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
  • Enthusiastic review of the lip mask, praised for hydrating dry lips and available in multiple flavors.
    • “It nourishes, hydrates, has vitamin C, shea butter, antioxidants. It’s for flaky, dry lips, which you will not—at least I have not had, not since using it, any of that.” (07:15 - Patty)
  • Personal notes on how she discovered it via a family stocking stuffer, emphasizing the joy in trying new things.

3. Life Hack: Mindful Purchasing for the Home

Timestamps: 09:10–12:08

• Questions to Ask Before Buying:
  • “Where will it live?” – Consider the item’s storage place.
  • “How difficult will it be to clean?” – Factor in maintenance ease, especially given ADHD’s impact on follow-through.
    • “If it’s hard to keep up with, we’re going to have resistance to doing it. So be kind to your future self…” (12:06 - Patty)
• Illustrates the value of preventing household clutter or frustration with relatable anecdotes about collecting (and ignoring) dust-prone figurines.

4. Main Topic: Why ADHD Brains Struggle to Remember Names

Timestamps: 12:10–28:24

a) Recognizing the Issue

• Common, relatable experience of meeting someone and immediately forgetting their name.
  • “Have you ever met someone and heard their name and then immediately, even like, while you’re still in the conversation, don’t remember what they said their name was? Yep, like, pretty much every single time.” (12:22 - Patty)
• Many with ADHD mistakenly attribute this to lack of caring or rudeness.

b) Terms & Definitions

• Learned terms from “The Shippers” (Book of the Week):
  • Nominal anomia: Trouble recalling names of places or objects (15:36).
  • Proper name anomia: Difficulty recalling people’s names or brand names.
• Key distinction: In dementia/brain injury, retrieval problems are neurological damage; with ADHD, it’s an executive function issue (17:46–18:30).

c) Why the ADHD Brain Struggles

• Encoding & Retrieval Differences:

  • Names are abstract and arbitrary—lacking context, making them “unsticky” for ADHD brains (19:00–20:00).
  • Introductions often occur in overwhelming environments.
  • Working memory challenges impede holding on to new names.

• Names vs. Details:

  • ADHD brains remember context, stories, and details better than arbitrary labels—a tendency to prioritize meaning over labels.

• Emotional Impact:

  • Forgetting names can provoke anxiety, especially in situations where one must introduce others.
  • “Now my brain is completely flooded… there’s no way I’m getting it.” (20:45 - Patty)

d) Practical Strategies

• Repeat the name immediately:
  • “It does not work for me…I might remember for 10 more seconds, but then it’s still gone.” (22:46 - Patty)
• Attach a Detail: Alliterative or distinctive facts (e.g., “Mike with the Motorcycle”).
• Link an Image: Visual associations, e.g., picturing a sign or logo.
• Normalize the Issue:
  • Patty tells new acquaintances she struggles with names and will likely ask again.
    • “I’m so nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m going to forget your name, so I’m going to ask you and I hope that you don’t take that personally.” (24:22 - Patty)
• Write It Down: Use notes or an app; pictures boost recall.
• Shift Your Mindset: Forgetting doesn't mean you don't value someone—ADHD brains store story/context over labels.

5. Book of the Week

Timestamps: 28:25–29:30

• The Shippers by Katherine Center (comes out May 19, 2026)
  • Reviewed as a fast, fun romance set on a cruise ship.
  • Given 4/5 stars by Patty.

6. Quote of the Week

Timestamps: 29:31–End

• From James Clear:
  • “Learning more will increase knowledge, but only attempting more will reduce fear. The more you try it, the less you will fear it.”
  • Patty connects this to her own experiences learning to do things by repetition and reframing fear.

Notable Quotes

• “Do I need this platter or do I want this platter?” (02:45 - Patty)
• “If you can’t keep it to the hour minimum… you have to delete the app.” (04:02)
• “Have you ever met someone and heard their name and then immediately… don’t remember what they said their name was? Yep, like, pretty much every single time.” (12:22)
• “This is not laziness. This is not rudeness. This is about, in this case, executive function challenges.” (20:45)
• “We with ADHD are known more for remembering stories in context than we are named.” (21:50)
• “Names are one of the hardest pieces of information for anyone’s brain to store; it’s just often even more difficult for our brain.” (26:30)
• “Learning more will increase knowledge, but only attempting more will reduce fear.” (29:31, quoting James Clear)

Important Timestamps

• 00:30 — Celebrating wins & resisting impulse purchases
• 04:00 — Struggling with digital games; impulse control
• 07:00 — Product of the week: Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
• 09:10 — Two-question purchasing life hack
• 12:10 — Why ADHDers often forget names
• 15:36 — Nominal & proper name anomia
• 20:06 — How name recall feels for those with ADHD
• 22:46 — Name-remembering strategies
• 28:25 — Book of the Week: The Shippers
• 29:31 — Quote of the week (James Clear)

Final Thoughts

Patty Blinderman offers not only understanding but practical, compassionate strategies for the everyday challenges ADHD brings—from remembering names to curbing impulses and making mindful purchases. The tone is supportive, humorous, and often self-deprecating, making listeners feel seen and empowered. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever awkwardly forgotten a name at a party—with or without ADHD.