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ADD and hyperfocus

adhd add hyperfocus

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#1 lammas2

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Posted 22 November 2014 - 04:36 AM


People with ADD seem to have a big problem with focusing and staying on task. They are easily distracted and this causes a massive loss in productivity. I can very much relate to that, as I have been diagnosed with adult ADD-PI. I have 90% of the symptoms that are usually associated with the illness. Everyday life is hard and without medication would be absolute hell.

Yet, I seem to have a phenomenal ability to concentrate for very long periods. This could mean 16-20 (up to 36) hours of constant concentration. Productivity tends to drop a little in the end, but still, I am highly functional for the whole period. This summer I worked on a project for two months and at least 16 hours daily. This isn't caused by my medication (bupropion) since I have had this ability for my whole life and I just recently started taking the drug. One would think this is a good thing and why would I even write about this? The thing is, this is absolutely destroying my life. During the concentration period I forget to eat, drink, etc. I'm skinny because I forget to eat!

Since I make my living with computers, this means I just stare at the computer screen for 20 continous hours. This is very damaging to my cardiovascular health, eyes, posture and so on. But I can't fight it - if I get in the flow, I can't get out till it's 7 AM. Sometimes I find an interesting research subject and can't get to sleep until I've read all the possible literature on the subject.

Maybe a compulsive tendency? Yet I have no problems with OCD. This is not hypomania nor mania. I don't get increased mood. Actually I feel quite terrible. But I still keep going. It happens whether I like the task I'm working on or not. This doesn't happen every day, only occasionally. Most of the time I'm still an unproductive trainwreck.

Am I the only one? Are the ADD sufferers out there that experience the same kind of occasional unhuman superfocus?

#2 Strangelove

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Posted 25 November 2014 - 02:52 PM

Interesting, similar here... Some of the descriptions of ADD - pi fit me also.

 

Although I have the hyperfocus only for tasks I like, its almost an addiction and very difficult to stop when on this state.



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#3 blind12

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Posted 11 June 2015 - 04:16 PM

I had something like these, ages ago. I miss them. Perhaps ADD can have bipolar nature just like depression.

Or perhaps everything else beside the one task gets dropped from working memory due to shortage of working memory.

Or perhaps everything else beside the one task fails to generate enough stimulus/arousal to get away from the task. So executive control isn't suppressing distractive impulses until task is finished - they aren't even happening.

 

BTW I thought ADD as a diagnosis for adults didn't even exist in your country, due to political incorrectness of the medication.



#4 ceridwen

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Posted 11 June 2015 - 05:50 PM

Knowing that one is about to die can concentrate the mind amazingly until one finally loses it

#5 blind12

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Posted 12 June 2015 - 03:09 PM

Knowing that one is about to die can concentrate the mind amazingly until one finally loses it

 
I've had quite a few very severe traffic accidents as a result of this ADD thing and I didn't notice anything... I guess I didn't know for sure I was about to die, though.
 
Perhaps I need some near-death-experience supplements, www.neurotransmitter.net/neardeath.html

#6 drg

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Posted 12 June 2015 - 07:26 PM

ADD and ability to hyperfocus seems contradictory, not sure I really understand. 



#7 Duchykins

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Posted 13 June 2015 - 05:41 PM

ADD and ability to hyperfocus seems contradictory, not sure I really understand. 

 

ADD and ADHD aren't just about inattentiveness, there is often a problem with task switching.  Actually that may the primary issue as new research is coming out indicating that, since the "inattentiveness" of ADD or ADHD is just just another manifestation of problems directing attention and task switching.  Ergo hyperfocus or perseveration.  Also seen in autism (though autism and ADHD commonly overlap).



#8 blind12

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Posted 13 June 2015 - 05:47 PM

ADD and ability to hyperfocus seems contradictory, not sure I really understand.


Mania and depression are contradictory, too.

Of the 3 possible mechanisms I suggested above, I myself, in my own case would suggest a mix of all three, with the third being the largest contributor.

#9 drg

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Posted 13 June 2015 - 07:24 PM

ADD and ADHD aren't just about inattentiveness, there is often a problem with task switching.  Actually that may the primary issue as new research is coming out indicating that, since the "inattentiveness" of ADD or ADHD is just just another manifestation of problems directing attention and task switching.  Ergo hyperfocus or perseveration.  Also seen in autism (though autism and ADHD commonly overlap).

Seems like just another generalization of a mental disorder because no one can even pretend to understand where a mental disorder begins or ends. We should really just call it Maladaptive Attention Disorder then.


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#10 Duchykins

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Posted 14 June 2015 - 01:49 AM

 

ADD and ADHD aren't just about inattentiveness, there is often a problem with task switching.  Actually that may the primary issue as new research is coming out indicating that, since the "inattentiveness" of ADD or ADHD is just just another manifestation of problems directing attention and task switching.  Ergo hyperfocus or perseveration.  Also seen in autism (though autism and ADHD commonly overlap).

Seems like just another generalization of a mental disorder because no one can even pretend to understand where a mental disorder begins or ends. We should really just call it Maladaptive Attention Disorder then.

 

 

Guess you don't know that there are actual differences in brain structure in people with ADD or ADHD that are unique to these disorders.  A brain with untreated ADHD is empirically worse off than a treated ADHD brain.  Science works.  I don't know why people bother to give opinions on topics they clearly know nothing of. 

 

Also, it's not a fatal weakness of the scientific method that scientific knowledge is constantly "changing" and updating/correcting itself.  It's science's greatest strength.

 

If researchers had your defeatist attitude that "no one can even pretend to understand" anything going on in the brain, we would never learn anything about ourselves.  Please fuck off.



#11 drg

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Posted 14 June 2015 - 02:28 AM

 

Guess you don't know that there are actual differences in brain structure in people with ADD or ADHD that are unique to these disorders.  A brain with untreated ADHD is empirically worse off than a treated ADHD brain.  Science works.  I don't know why people bother to give opinions on topics they clearly know nothing of. 

 

Also, it's not a fatal weakness of the scientific method that scientific knowledge is constantly "changing" and updating/correcting itself.  It's science's greatest strength.

 

If researchers had your defeatist attitude that "no one can even pretend to understand" anything going on in the brain, we would never learn anything about ourselves.  Please fuck off.

 

Right differences in brain structure... therefore it would be possible to tell who has ADD via MRI of the brain but NO it isn't possible. No... we use vague diagnostic criteria that somehow to include hyperfocus and inattentiveness to the same category.

I wasn't trying to be offensive but fuck you. Seriously, unbunch your panties.

 

God, I really hope comment hasn't caused some budding genius scientist to give up his pursuit of understanding the human brain. The fucking humanity.



#12 Duchykins

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Posted 14 June 2015 - 05:33 AM

Right differences in brain structure... therefore it would be possible to tell who has ADD via MRI of the brain but NO it isn't possible. No... we use vague diagnostic criteria that somehow to include hyperfocus and inattentiveness to the same category.

I wasn't trying to be offensive but fuck you. Seriously, unbunch your panties.

 

 

God, I really hope comment hasn't caused some budding genius scientist to give up his pursuit of understanding the human brain. The fucking humanity.

 

 

Right, you weren't trying to be offensive.  It just came out of you naturally.

 

I like how you're acting like this is all news to you since we've known about difference in brain size and white matter between ADHD medicated and unmedicated and healthy people since a certain 10-year study published in 2002.  Not to mention the three studies published over the last few years demonstrating how early intervention and treatment of minors reduced the extent of brain abnormalities by adulthood, such as reduced volume in the anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala as well as alterations in their function.  This means ADHD kids are better off with ritalin after all, in the long run, despite our cultural distaste for it.

 

And nice straw man, but no, you cannot use MRIs at this time to diagnose ADHD.  Partly because untreated ADHD brains show damage/shrinkage accumulated over time, as in a child growing into adulthood.  Also, ADHD males present with abnormal shapes of the basal ganglia as well as significant shrinkage/compression loss of volume, while ADHD females do not present with this damage either in volume or shape.  This kind of thing, with current knowledge and technology, cannot be a proper diagnostic tool.

 

Someone who has trouble conceiving how both inattentiveness and hyperfocus could be in the "same category" (whatever that means) knows precisely dick about autism, since both of those are classically associated with autistics all over the spectrum.  You can think of it as two sides of the same coin or one problem manifesting in different ways under different contexts.  This is precisely why arguments from personal incredulity like yours are always shyte.

 

But you would understand this if you could be bothered to do a cursory search into the peer-reviewed literature before infecting this thread with your untutored cynicism.

 

I would not be surprised if your next reply went off into conspiracy theory territory because you're toeing that line right now.


Edited by Duchykins, 14 June 2015 - 05:39 AM.

  • Agree x 1

#13 blind12

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Posted 14 June 2015 - 05:43 AM

Seems like just another generalization of a mental disorder because no one can even pretend to understand where a mental disorder begins or ends. We should really just call it Maladaptive Attention Disorder then.


If it can easily kill you, like getting you into traffic and other deadly accidents, then I'd call it a disorder.
 

Right differences in brain structure... therefore it would be possible to tell who has ADD via MRI of the brain but NO it isn't possible. No... we use vague diagnostic criteria that somehow to include hyperfocus and inattentiveness to the same category.


Processing power and scanning/study technology are still far too limited today to tell much anything interesting about the brain yet, especially with each brain being rather unique.

I do believe EEG activity analysis can clearly show ADD even today, at least I read something to that effect.
 

I wasn't trying to be offensive but fuck you. Seriously, unbunch your panties.

God, I really hope comment hasn't caused some budding genius scientist to give up his pursuit of understanding the human brain. The fucking humanity.


ADD people are attacked day and night by condescending dimwits, so some hypersensitivity reactions shouldn't come unexpected.

Edited by blind12, 14 June 2015 - 05:45 AM.


#14 drg

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Posted 14 June 2015 - 03:21 PM

Well if anyone read what I said... I simply suggested a renaming for ADHD. I never said ADHD doesn't exist. I will just assume this is a witch hunt rather than a discussion. I said something vaguely insulting about a disease you suffer from now you are upset. 

 

(I hate to single out what OP said specifically but this thread has been necroed and might not even be read by him anyways.)

I can see how hyperfocus can be part of ADHD(-PI) in small amounts but I cannot see how someone who can focus for 16+hours a day on the same topic for 2 months straight has an attention deficit. Like I said a Maladaptive attention would be a better description.

Autism has been brought up a couple times but that is just speculation. It is a possibility but the OP has mentioned nothing to that effect. 

 

 



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#15 blind12

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Posted 16 June 2015 - 07:12 AM

I've had something similar rarely in the past and it seemed to be a combination of the factors I listed above, mostly 2nd and 3rd in my case.
But I do have something of the ASD as well.

Edited by blind12, 16 June 2015 - 07:14 AM.






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