Navigating ADHD and Aphantasia: Boosting Working Memory with Practical Strategies

When you see—a terribly overused term—your own neurology crossing wires, it shouldn't be too shocking that you may wander down obscure rabbit holes.

While researching the science behind working memory in ADHD, I was struck by how much of it relies on a visual representation of memory. This discovery hit a tangential frustration for me because I am, quite literally, blind in the mind.

Working memory, often described as the brain's scratchpad, is a key executive function that supports reasoning, problem-solving, and task management.

For individuals with ADHD, working memory deficits already create significant hurdles, ranging from difficulty retaining instructions to challenges with multitasking. When combined with aphantasia—the inability to generate mental imagery—these challenges may amplify in unique ways, presenting a distinctive burden on cognitive processes.

Let’s examine this intersection, why it matters, and how to work with it.

How ADHD and Aphantasia Interact in Working Memory

1. The Dual Impact on Verbal and Visual-Spatial Components:
   • Verbal Working Memory (VWM): ADHD affects verbal working memory by overloading the phonological loop, the part of working memory that processes and rehearses language-based information. This leads to difficulties like losing track of multi-step instructions or forgetting verbalized plans.
   • Visual-Spatial Working Memory (VSSP): For most people, the visuo-spatial sketchpad handles imagery-based tasks, such as mentally visualizing a map or recalling the layout of a room. Aphantasia bypasses this mechanism entirely, forcing reliance on non-visual compensatory strategies like narrative descriptions.
2. Key Cognitive Load Challenges:
   • Without mental imagery, tasks that typically divide cognitive labor between the VWM and VSSP (e.g., reading and applying a set of visual instructions) may rely exclusively on verbal processing.
   • ADHD further strains this system by reducing capacity, increasing distractibility, and complicating the ability to retain information long enough for effective application.
3. Why This Matters:
   • Increased Cognitive Load: Aphantasia forces tasks typically offloaded to mental imagery into verbal or external processing. In ADHD, the phonological loop is already overloaded, making this shift even more problematic.
   • Task Completion Barriers: The absence of imagery limits intuitive planning and spatial reasoning, while ADHD impedes the ability to sustain attention on compensatory strategies.
   • Everyday Functioning: Tasks like following directions, assembling DIY projects, or recalling visual-spatial relationships become doubly challenging when both ADHD and aphantasia are at play.

But, really, why?

When I first started my journey of discovery I had wanted to incorporate hypnotherapy into my toolset.

If you're unfamiliar with hypnosis, a large portion of trance induction relies on, wait for it, visualisation. "Visualise a blackboard and wipe the numbers off", or "Are you inside, or are you outside". The former is self-explanatory, the latter never really made sense - until I figured out that I was meant to know whether, in my imagined visualisation, I was inside or outside.

It was frustrating, because, while everyone else seemed to "bypass their critical faculty", I was critically overthinking what I was meant to visualise. And language mattered - if I'm told to visualise and I can't see anything I got stuck.

It was only after spending some time on google - before AI - that I stumbled upon something called Aphantasia, and it made a weird kind of sense pointing to another mystery neurological anomaly that has quietly frustrated my life over the years.

And while I have intermittently looked at intersection points with ADHD, it was only through a recent reading of Baddeley's Working Memory theory that it suddenly dawned on me that it may well play a debilitating role in an already hampered working memory (though I had explored it's role in mind-wandering and cognitive load previously).

Working with ADHD and Aphantasia: Practical Strategies

Managing the combined impact of ADHD and aphantasia on working memory requires tailored approaches. Below are strategies categorized into general ADHD solutions and aphantasia-specific adaptations.

General ADHD Strategies

1. External Supports:
   • Use physical or digital planners and task lists to reduce reliance on working memory.
   • Incorporate visual aids like charts or diagrams for static reference points during tasks.
2. Chunking and Structuring:
   • Break tasks into smaller steps and focus on completing one segment at a time.
   • Structure routines around predictable workflows to minimize the need for active memory.
3. Repetition and Technology:
   • Use task-management apps like Notion or Todoist to track progress in real time.
   • Set timers and reminders to maintain focus and manage transitions.
4. Medication and Environment:
   • Consider stimulant medications to improve dopaminergic functioning.
   • Create low-distraction environments to prevent cognitive overload.

Aphantasia-Specific Adaptations

1. Shift Away from Visual Mental Models:
   • Use narrative prompts to replace mental imagery:
     • For example, rather than imagining a map, narrate the directions: "Turn left at the gas station, then right after two blocks."
   • Opt for step-by-step written guides instead of visual demonstrations.
2. Enhance Externalization:
   • Rely on static visual materials that can be repeatedly referenced, like blueprints, photos, or clear text-based instructions.
   • For tasks like DIY projects, convert video instructions into written summaries or checklists for better usability.
3. Verbal Workarounds:
   • Leverage voice memos or dictation tools to externalize thoughts when processing sequential tasks.
   • Use audio-based reminders that include narrative elements, such as describing a workspace or task requirements.
4. Collaborative Support:
   • When tasks are particularly memory-intensive, seek collaboration with others to share the cognitive burden.
   • Use collaborative tools like shared digital whiteboards to integrate verbal and visual strategies

Conclusion

This underscores how critical it is to approach ADHD and aphantasia with tailored strategies, blending research with lived experience to foster better outcomes.