Cue impregnated axolotl. Oh, my sweet summer child We can pay attention. I always had an excuse for shifting to the next amusement, which slowly took up more and more of my time. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. This can be hard for people with ADHD! The ADHD tendency to hobby-bounce sometimes combines with hyperfocus to morph innocent pastimes into obsessions. 2. All my life I couldnt explain why so how did you deal with it?? Since Ive broken the obsession cycle, my garden looks better and my dogs happier. Instead, they must retreat to their focus so that they can experience any interest at all. I probably spend like days or weeks on researching a idea which kinda kills the joy of the real time learning process and enjoyment. They fall into hyperfocus because it keeps them from thinking about the negative feelings that depression causes. Are your expectations realistic? - An intense state of focus and concentration on the subject. Were bouncing. I get intensely into something but then I'm over it in the next few days. The wreaths have unraveled. That's also why I have a bunch of useless knowledge on random things. Thank you. Yes! An example is a person who becomes so engrossed in their activity that they may completely lose track of time or what is happening around them. Associated mental health problems may also drive insomnia and restlessness. It is often negative because the hyperfocused person may neglect important responsibilities or self-care. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Some people may forget to eat, engage in self-care or grooming, and suffer from insomnia as they spend hours thinking about the thing they have become obsessed with. Be honest with yourself: Are you prone to obsession? Im healthier. [Read: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Hyperfocus]. For example, depression will not typically cause hyperfocus, but a hyperfocused person may be depressed. Some people develop hyperfocus to self-regulate harmful or distressing emotions. It goes for interests too. I know this is an old comment but I can relate to this perfectly. I have it. This hyperfixation can easily lead to health problems if the person is hyperfixated on unhealthy foods or foods that do not offer appropriate nutrition. Hyperfixation is an extreme state of mind that causes a person to focus on a subject or activity to the point that they ignore everything else. The hyperfixated person will develop a strong passion for the character that may interfere with their relationships, self-care, and regular lives. Problems that a person experiencing hyperfixation may experience include: Insomnia. Im no longer allowed to have any kind of aquatic animals. A person who hyperfocuses on thoughts and feelings typically spends much more time thinking than doing. If they see you slipping into an obsession, ask them to gently help you and write yourself a note beforehand explaining to yourself that you need their help and that you need to step back if they recommend it. Ask yourself if you jump from hobby to hobby, spending inordinate amounts of time and money on each, only to drop them cold. Edit: I should add that I have ADHD as well. People addicted to or hyperfocused on these games could fall into them for days, neglecting themselves, their responsibilities, and even their children to the point that the children were removed from the home by protective services. Over the years, Ive learned a few ways to keep my hobbies from going too far and to help me keep my life in balance. Get a free issue and free ADDitude eBook, plus save 42% off the cover price. I've been like this my entire life. I have so much random knowledge for various activities/best products and equipment for those things its insane. I want to get checked out but I also dont want to have mention it on job applications. Its like flipping a light switch on and off. It may indicate ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia. However, it is not always a direct symptom. Cue hundreds of eggs laid and birthed. A person who is hyperfocused on something unproductive will waste hours and hours of their time. only my hobbies unfortnately have been far more expensive.. off roading, flying lessons, arcade building, motion simulators etc etc. Thats a key difference between a hobby and an obsession: time. bruh I'm super into aquascaping right now and I hope I don't get sick of it like I did for everything else :(. We can pay attention. About to spend 50 bucks on an adapter. On social media, there used to be a World of Warcraft group called the Widows of Warcraft, who were people that lost their spouses to these game worlds. I didnt plant a few plants. 4. A lack of awareness of the surrounding area or circumstances unrelated to the activity. If those numbers get too high, back off and find balance. Yes, youre excited. Since 1998, millions of parents and adults have trusted ADDitude's expert guidance and support for living better with ADHD and its related mental health conditions. One minute youre so into it that it almost takes over your life. Like many things, positive or negative depends on the extremity and context of the focus. Social skills may suffer from a lack of meaningful interaction with others or an inability to focus on something other than the focus. Food is a common hyperfixation for people with ADHD. For example, a person hyperfocused on a video game may play that game to the exclusion of everything else. Tags: Fall 2021 Issue of ADDitude Magazine, hyperfocus. . Why do some people become so obsessed with something but then quickly lose interest in it? The hyperfocused person will likely find their focus distracting. Youre Not Shy or Stuck Up. Even if its not really that amazing or interesting for some people. I tore up my yard and spent hours in the Southern summer sun. I read books sometimes. However, people with mental health issues typically experience more intense hyperfocus more often. discord shutting down 2023. black moon lilith conjunct ascendant synastry A bout of hyperfixation can start with something as simple as, Oh, I need to check out that video about and the next thing you know, youre still going through videos on the subject five hours later. All dead quickly then I panic and try and scrape back whatever wasted money I can. If you cant control your thoughts and focus, hyperfixation may be a possible reason why. I don't just want to think about trying it someday; I research the fuck out of it to make sure I get exactly the right supplies/equipment/software/etc for whatever that is, and use the right methods to do the thing, and immerse myself in every aspect of the thing, buy a bunch of shit with grand ideas of it being My One Passion, launch into it, doing the thing all day, every day for a while, and be moderately good at it, then. Depression and ADHD often feature insomnia. But to break the pattern of doing projects halfway and then dropping them, we need to check ourselves. Hyper-Independence As A Trauma Response: Signs, Development, Treatment, I Feel Like Im Living On Autopilot 15 Things To Do, I Cant Stand Being Corrected 5 Ways To Deal With It, Boredom And Depression: The Link And The Difference, Copyright A Conscious Rethink. I had to make a promise to myself that I wont spend over x amount on certain interests/activities unless Ive thought about it for more than six months to a year or else I would spend large amounts of money for things that will inevitably collect dust at my house. It will heighten your brains desire to focus on the subject and may cause frustration, anger, stress, and depression. Hyperfocus is also closely related to the flow state. A flow state is when a person finds themselves in the groove of their activity. Dependency on the focus. They may only eat their fixated food for long stretches at a time. We throw ourselves all in, whether its in crafting or exercising or cooking. We can pay all the attention to the detriment of other necessary life needs, if it's something we're really . Bro I know Im so late to this but the YouTube thing Im undiagnosed but Im sure I have it I can relate so much I cant believe it, But Im still interested, Im just not as much because i dont too much money to throw at it, I wish I wasn't interested in mechs. Get This Free Download: 5 Powerful Brain Hacks for Focus & Productivity, Read: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Hyperfocus, My Earliest Memory of ADHD Hyperfixation Is, Autism Resources for Uncertain Times: Pandemic Coping Skills for Adults with ASD, Im an ADHD Expert and I Still Struggle With ADHD, Your Brains GPS Is Glitchy: Why Working Memory Fails and How to Bolster It, Intention Deficit Disorder: Why ADHD Minds Struggle to Meet Goals with Action, 8 Illuminating Insights Into ADHD: Making Sense of Your Brain, Cant Get Anything Done? Be honest with yourself: Are you prone to obsession? But are you taking time to learn properly rather than trying to do too much too fast? Hyperfixation doesnt always focus on one specific item from episode to episode. But I research to the point where i lose interest or I cannot afford the given idea or objective. Here is how I work to strike a better balance in my ADHD brain. ADDitude collaborates closely with leading medical experts to publish accurate, clear, and authoritative content that millions of readers trust and share. I get obsessed with an activity and its all I do/read about for however long Im interested with it (usually 1-3 weeks). Yes, youre having a great time. Typically, they want to get the person out of their head so they can focus on more productive things, but they cant. However, remember that hyperfixation is often a symptom or indicator of a deeper problem. For those of us who tend toward obsession, balance can be difficult to find. My aquascaping phase was 3 years ago. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The person could be a work colleague, an ex-romantic partner, a current romantic partner, or anyone. Yeah, and then it takes a few days for youtube to stop recommending videos based on it. I fertilized and researched and kept records. Indicators may include: - A lack of awareness of the surrounding area or circumstances unrelated to the activity. Moreover, if your judgment process is "Feeling", as o. The interest just goes poof. Yup. Mindfulness and being in the present with your thoughts can help you identify those behaviors before they gain momentum. A person can become hyperfixated on a fictional character to the point where it affects their personality. Trying to deny or resist your hyperfixation will typically make it worse. This page contains affiliate links. However, you may also consider thoughts you dont want. An intense state of focus and concentration on the subject. Ive crocheted, Ive gardened, and Ive made wreaths. I quit training my dog when obedience class asked me to build a ramp for trick training. Id collapse if I ran up our block, and Ive forgotten all my yoga poses. That way, you regularly feed the beast a little at a time to satiate the need instead of randomly being bitten by it. [Get This Free Download: 5 Powerful Brain Hacks for Focus & Productivity]. Furthermore, they offer such depth that one can easily fool themselves into believing they are doing something productive with their time by investing so heavily into them. For example, massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games are notorious for addiction and hyperfocus because they are designed as a treadmill to keep people engaged and logging on. Exaggerated Emotions: How and Why ADHD Triggers Intense Feelings. Here they are: 1. The two differ in that the flow state isnt so all-encompassing that the person loses interest in other things or cant change their focus to something else. The source of the fixation matters, too. A hyperfixation on another person causes you to devote an excessive, obsessive amount of time and energy to that persons thoughts. The ADHD tendency to hobby-bounce sometimes combines with hyperfocus to morph innocent pastimes into obsessions. Cue disease outbreak in tank that kills all axolotls. Hyperfixation may be positive if the person can still devote time and energy to other aspects of life. This is like the best description of ADHD-PI I've seen so far! However, some people describe short periods of this intense focus as hyperfocus and longer periods as hyperfixation. I receive a commission if you choose to purchase anything after clicking on them. Just to put into perspective how severe this can get, members of the community of Everquest would refer to it as Evercrack because of its addictive nature, likening it to crack cocaine. , we need to check ourselves bunch of useless knowledge on random things motion simulators etc etc or... 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