Distorted Sense of Time in Adults: Anxiety, ADHD, Trauma, and Treatment

While there’s no specific therapy designed solely for a distorted sense of time, there are well-known treatments that can be used depending on the root cause. This shows that treatment is certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach, as several factors need to be considered before choosing the right method. 

The following are some of the most well-known treatment options:

Depression and Time Perception

When addressing time perception in people with depression, therapists often use approaches that target time specifically. One of these is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). MBCT has been described as an effective approach that helps people focus on the present rather than ruminate on the past or worry about the future.¹² Because MBCT is present-focused, it may slow down subjective time while improving the sense of “now.” Studies support this, reporting that people who practice MBCT feel less “time pressure” and experience greater time dilation.¹³

Another method used to treat depression and time slowing is Time Perspective Therapy (TPT). TPT is a time-based psychotherapy that helps patients identify positive past events, notice meaningful present experiences, and actively plan for the future. By focusing on these three periods, TPT is thought to help create a balanced past–present–future perspective.¹² Further, studies have shown that TPT can reduce depression and enhance life meaning in people with serious illness.¹²

ADHD and Time Blindness

One of the most well-known treatments for ADHD is the use of stimulant medications such as Adderall or Ritalin. These medications have been shown to significantly improve core symptoms of ADHD, including time loss episodes. 

One study found that methylphenidate’s effect on time estimation was comparable to the effect of offering monetary rewards, suggesting that improved dopamine function helps normalize internal timing.⁸ Other studies noted that medicated children performed much better on time-estimate accuracy tasks than those who were unmedicated.⁸

Alongside medication, therapies like CBT have also shown positive effects, especially when they’re focused on behavioral coaching.⁸ These approaches teach people how to create schedules, use timers, reward themselves for completing time-based tasks, and develop routines that make time easier to visualize. This type of approach has been shown to improve overall executive functioning.⁸

Anxiety and Distorted Sense of Time

Similar to how depression-related time slowing is treated, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been suggested for those experiencing anxiety with a distorted sense of time. A review of MBIs for anxiety found that MBCT effectively reduces anxiety symptoms and performs at the same level as standard CBT.¹⁴ 

MBIs train present-moment awareness and promote non-judgmental attention to bodily sensations. For example, if someone is experiencing a panic attack with time distortion, the aim is to counteract the sense that time is speeding up during the attack. 

Plus, people who use MBIs for this purpose report less time pressure and a slower perception of time, suggesting that MBIs may help correct a distorted sense of time.¹³

Trauma-Related Time Distortion

Time Perspective Therapy was originally developed to explain how people’s perceptions of time impact their behavior and decision-making.¹⁵ This makes it no surprise that initial studies show that TPT may help those coping with one of the PTSD dissociative symptoms – distorted time perception.

A randomized controlled trial confirms this effect, as it found that just six sessions of TPT significantly reduced the symptoms of PTSD, compared with a control condition.¹⁶ 

TPT is thought to work well because it teaches people to identify and challenge negative past and present thinking while cultivating a more balanced past/present/future outlook.