Others with ADHD will have the opposite problem, always arriving exceedingly early instead. Sometimes this is learned behavior or even a response to trauma after years of getting in trouble for being late. You think, “I need to do whatever it takes to not be late, even if that means showing up forty minutes early.” For others, it may be because of overcompensation—anxiety takes over and your fear of being exposed as “a late person” drives you to be the first to arrive. If your life often feels out of control, arriving extremely early can feel like one way to regain your autonomy.
