Constantly being late for appointments and work ?

I'm not sure what category this belongs to, but I would like to know what type of anxiety disorder is related with chronically being late for work, professional appointments, school, or meeting with friends?

If a person can't help always being late ( just for 15 mins or 50 mins or even longer), what kind of disorder is this related to ?

I thought it may be related with OCD, but am not sure.

( please move the topic to a different forum where if necessary )

I think it's just related to general anxiety.
what do you feel before you leave for work or appointments ?

two_roads wrote:I'm not sure what category this belongs to, but I would like to know what type of anxiety disorder is related with chronically being late for work, professional appointments, school, or meeting with friends?

If a person can't help always being late ( just for 15 mins or 50 mins or even longer), what kind of disorder is this related to ?

I thought it may be related with OCD, but am not sure.

( please move the topic to a different forum where if necessary )

Hiii there

But i have one solution for you right now. Do this: Write down all things what you will do next. Keep one handy notepad and then you will not be late at any work or task. This will remove your being late habit.

Who are you referring to? Yourself? Or another person? It could relate to OCD, but I personally haven't heard that one.

It reminds me of a discussion on this very subject (constant tardiness) years ago. The details are cloudy, but constant lateness is "a personal choice". We can all do things differently to be on time. Wake up an hour earlier...start driving to work 30 minutes earlier...etc.

Of course, you know there's a lot of different theories on why people do the things they do. But the bottom line, with this particular theory, is that people who are constantly late are inconsiderate people who think they're above everyone else. Other people's time is of little importance to them.

Thank you all for your replies.

I am not late, only in exceptional cases. I am especially never late for work, because I know I could suffer bad consequences if I were.

I was just interested to see what this may be related to, as there are people I know who are always late.

I agree with the last thing incorri said ( inconsiderate people).. although, anxiety / OCD also makes sense, e.g. repeated OCD rituals can make someone be late ( going back to check the doors etc)

I used to have this habit.. and for me, it was just that.. a habit. I was always slightly late. Not really late. But 5-10 mins late.

For me, it wasn't inconsiderateness.. at least not in the sense that I thought my time was more valuable than anyone else's time.

It was just a combination of poor planning and trying to do just 'one more thing' before I left for the next appt. I've been an overacheiver and I got into a long-standing habit of not stopping one thing in order to get ready to do the next thing on time.

I also underplanned how long something would take me. Again, overacheiving and so had to do things 'with excellence' so I wouldn't be satisfied with 'good enough' and I'd miscalculate how long it would take me to complete something and be on to the next thing.

It was a lateness habit I built up over time... and a lateness habit I extinguished over time.

LifeSong wrote:I used to have this habit.. and for me, it was just that.. a habit.

The way I see it, habits are like addictions. Ask any Moral Model proponent and they'll tell you addiction is a consequence of personal choice.

For me, it wasn't inconsiderateness.. at least not in the sense that I thought my time was more valuable than anyone else's time.

Perhaps not on the surface. But you were habitually tardy because you chose not to stop what you were doing.

I was actually going to respond to this sooner, but I decided to play 3 more games of Ms. Pac-Man instead. What do my actions say? Do I see my time as more important than yours? Or do I see myself as more important than you? It still boils down to being inconsiderate regardless of how you slice it. Well, provided you were actually waiting for a reply anyways...

Incorrigible wrote:

LifeSong wrote:I used to have this habit.. and for me, it was just that.. a habit.

The way I see it, habits are like addictions. Ask any Moral Model proponent and they'll tell you addiction is a consequence of personal choice.

For me, it wasn't inconsiderateness.. at least not in the sense that I thought my time was more valuable than anyone else's time.

Perhaps not on the surface. But you were habitually tardy because you chose not to stop what you were doing.

I was actually going to respond to this sooner, but I decided to play 3 more games of Ms. Pac-Man instead. What do my actions say? Do I see my time as more important than yours? Or do I see myself as more important than you? It still boils down to being inconsiderate regardless of how you slice it. Well, provided you were actually waiting for a reply anyways...

Well, I was going to argue the 'addiction is personal choice' theory but won't. Because, in the context here, I agree with you. When all is said and done, most everytning can be boiled down to personal choice. I needed to make different choices, and so I did. My being late was all about me, and didn't take others into consideration enough. Yes, I agree.

But to act on my new choice to not be late anymore, I needed to undo the habits I'd built up. Because without realizing it, I had built up habits, or perhaps addictions as you call it. Either way, the personal choice to stop being late, and then the undoing of the habit so as to execute that choice and put it into action - both were necessary for change.

Thanks for clarifying.

LifeSong wrote:Well, I was going to argue the 'addiction is personal choice' theory but won't.

Well, I'm glad you didn't argue over the "addiction is a personal choice" remark. When it comes to alcohol/drug addiction, the legal system may subscribe to that model; but I don't.

I hope you don't think I was picking on you in my reply. You're the only one who threw a line out, so I had to bite. There's no criticism towards you regarding your personal life.

I'm glad you were able to work through everything and get things the way you want.

You may want to take a look at Dyslexia and ADD, in regards to the post around lateness. I have worked with many indivduals who just about kill themselves trying to get to appointments and other important functions on time(i.e. graduations, funerals class... I have witnessed and have experinced the pain of not having time perception. For me it has nothing to do with being inconsiderate of others, however that is the typical connection drawn to being late. Along with Lazy, stupid, aloof, and so on. I cannot do justice to the pain I have suffered and the pain I have watched others suffer as a result of having dyslexia and in my case ADD. To have hours pass that feel like minutes is unexplainable... Walk in my shoes and then maybe the judgments will stop ....