I can only read when I write.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Hi Guys,

As you've all probably figured out by now (the main page being a huge clue), I've had a really bad form of this all my life.  It has GREATLY hampered my ability to concentrate.  I fail my classes, though I'm smart, and kick, scream, and cry every time I have to try and study.  It's really fun.  Anyway, so here's my "does anyone else do this" post.  I pretty much can't read anything and absorb it even a LITTLE bit unless I'm writing out everything I'm trying to read.  I've tried to embrace this, but it's just so much work.  Obviously I can't write out everything, and it takes so long that I usually end up getting bored and having to stop & come back.  It started out as me just trying to take notes off my writing, but I quickly realized that I was copying almost every line down.  It sucked, but I weathered it.  Lately my MD has been as bad as ever, and so has my concentration.  I've found that I'll literally stare at something and try to read it dozens of times, but I'm so spaced out that I can't even absorb even a single word............until I copy it down.  Then a light switches on in my head and I absorb it.........somewhat, at least.  I absorb it a lot better.  While I'm glad this works, it's extremely tedious and time-consuming to try and type or write every little thing out.  Does anyone else have to do this?  

 

Thanks,

Cord   

[Floris]

Cordellia,

I work with computers and I have noticed colleagues who had similar fears as I did and let them decide they could not do what I do: read code. These can be huge chunks of text. But often only certain parts are relevant. I needed to learn writing code until I lost my fear. And still HELLA difficult to read someone elses code, particularly if it's CRAP (it usually is...).

So in a way what you post makes perfect sense to me. It's just that when it comes to normal text, I can concentrate better as long it's not a huge (or inaccessible) text.

To understand the problem I have to try to think of coding again. The problem is TRACKING 

-where am I within a piece of text?

and MEMORY:

-memorize what it's about to see how it's connected, for the big picture.

For DD's, both are really difficult. You need a relaxed mind and discipline. Relaxing is extremely important for listening as well. DD's are so absorbed with their internal broadcasting that the reception is lousy. So you chose to "rebroadcast" things, being on the transmitting end, to understand text. With the computer code metaphor, I find this makes perfect sense. You can't understand somebody else's code, but once you write it down, you can see how it's built up piece by piece.

The inefficiency of this needs no explanation...a quiet mind would have much more quality DD time left when the internal TV channel is off for a while to concentrate on text. For practice, start small I would say, read news sites with small news bits or teletext. 

[Haleigh]

I tend to be a fast reader, but if the subject doesn't intertain me then I don't absorb the information well. I'm going to try the writing things down thing and see if it helps to study things like math, witch bore me to no end.

[Marla Singer]

I do this aswell! As I am getting older I am finding it harder to understand language, I have ideas in my mind but i struggle to put my ideas into sentences. I cannot read unless i copy things either. I have found that when researching things it is a lot easier for me to understand if i watch documentaries and people discussing topics on youtube etc, I understand a lot better when i listen than when i read

[taffle]

I can space out sometimes too, but not as much as in the past. My friend's mom is a teacher and she teaches her son to write things down so that he can remember them.

[Juno Jones]

I do a lot of reading and it goes both ways with me. During heavy dreaming times, I don't even try. It's too difficult. When I'm readying for a purpose, like a journal for work, I can do it. Sometimes I enter dreaming time and dream I'm going to have to give a talk about the subject. Then I take notes a prepare for a power point presentation. Now that I am writing this, it has probably helped my career a lot. 

When I was in college, it was very hard. I relied on roommates and oral lectures with note taking. Discussion groups also. I tended to do a sort of coded way of note taking. Maybe you could find a course on note taking. Use short hand? 

Thank you for forming this group. I think you're saving my life.