Gingele is right about it being a lifetime of coping mechanisms. The keys go on a hook by the door; my glasses go on a chain around my neck; the lemonade bottle gets refilled as soon as it's emptied; and all the other little rules for living that keep me from going crazy.
I think most people with this condition function as well as they have to but when "have to" is removed from the equation, they don't function so well at all. When I was working; when I went back to school to get my degree in my 30s; when I was scheduling out the lives of my two sons and getting them where they needed to be with what they needed to have with them and all the rest that had to do with proper parenting, I did fine MOST of the time (I occasionally screwed up royally). But I'm done with working and with child rearing and with college classes so most of the "have to" isn't there anymore. I'm not good at creating artificial deadlines for myself and, to me, that kind of defeats the purpose of the life I've chosen for myself down here - I'm not sure I'd be willing to do that at this stage of life. But I'd still like to remember where I left something and not leave projects half finished and remember to get the laundry off the line
before it starts raining and reply to the email of friends before they get pissed at me!
As for depression... yes, I've been there, too. And I'm 99% certain this ain't that.
