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I have a crackpot theory that hyperfocus is just the rare times our brains work right, but because we're so accustomed to wandering around in a fog, we're naturally predisposed towards making the most of it and going absolutely hell-bent for leather just because it's a respite from the usual state of lowkey confusion
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May 13, 2018 15:42
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"Hyperfocus" is not a superpower nor is it even an example of a brain working 'right'. It's simply when you're being continuously distracted by a particular source or activity for an extended period of time. By coincidence, sometimes you might have the good fortune of being 'distracted' by something that just so happens to be productive. But in the end it is still a byproduct of inability to regulate attention. Honestly the term "hyperfocus" is a misnomer IMO. It should be renamed to "hyperdistraction".
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May 13, 2018 23:32
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"Hyperfocus" is the stupidest loving term, it's just a regular ability to pay attention to something that interests you combined with not being able to subconsciously prioritize other things appropriately (like someone trying to get your attention). "Being a lovely listener" or "losing track of time" doesn't sound quite as exceptional.
Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 00:59 on May 14, 2018 |
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May 14, 2018 00:56
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Yeah I agree with you guys. My hyperfocus has been as much as a pain for me as the times when I can't settle on anything for more than 2 minutes. The only thing that gets me is the amount of time. Like I can be locked into something for 48 with rest. And I can last for weeks in that state. I'm not sure that someone without ADHD can really get like that. It seems to be something that only us and autistics can do. (I work with a lot of autism. We appear to share a lot of traits.) Hyperfocus still feels real good though. BoneMonkey fucked around with this message at 02:14 on May 14, 2018 |
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May 14, 2018 02:08
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BoneMonkey posted:Yeah I agree with you guys. My hyperfocus has been as much as a pain for me as the times when I can't settle on anything for more than 2 minutes. There are like a million people on twitch playing video games for 24 hours straight, they don't all have ADHD or autism
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May 14, 2018 05:51
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Fair, is that the same thing?
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May 14, 2018 07:57
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I guess my brain is (more) broken — I don't feel like I ever get hyperfocus periods. Probably because my sadbrains/anxiety prevent me from focusing on even things I ostensibly enjoy.  The unfinished projects element of ADHD is I think the most frustrating for me — I've left a huge, endless pile of unfinished projects and plans in my wake and it sucks to never be able to keep myself motivated/productive enough to finish anything.Anyway, I went to the doctor yesterday to ask about (amongst other things) getting tested for ADHD, and have been given a referral to a psychiatrist, so hopefully I'm on my way to getting this thing diagnosed finally. She also suggested that I check out bio/neurofeedback as a way to helping with both anxiety and ADHD, and gave me the names of some people who do it; has anyone tried either, and are they legit/helpful?
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May 15, 2018 21:52
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Keret posted:I guess my brain is (more) broken — I don't feel like I ever get hyperfocus periods. Probably because my sadbrains/anxiety prevent me from focusing on even things I ostensibly enjoy. The research is pretty sketchy around neurofeedback for treating ADHD symptoms. It can be a good way to develop your ability to be mindful and regulate emotion, but there isn't evidence for it improving core ADHD impairments in the long term. Working with a therapist who can provide you with quality psychoeducation and work with you to figure out how to change or utilize your environment to function better is going to be a much more efficacious first step. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 22:56 on May 15, 2018 |
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May 15, 2018 22:52
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Finally got a diagnosis this week: ADHD combined type, mildly autistic, and a binge-eating disorder! The last I realized wasn’t a surprise because snacking was how I was trying to cope with the ADHD!  Apparently it’s not that uncommon from what I’ve looked up so far. I’ve reached out to my therapist and GP, now I’m trying not to be overwhelmed with the work ahead and my worries about starting meds.
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Jun 14, 2018 13:51
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I work with a lot of kids with servere autism, binge eating can be a big problem with that too so you might have the double whammy. I also think that autism and ADHD is pretty heavily linked. So you are not alone there. Welcome to the brain damage club. Also don't worry about meds so much, you are basically looking for something where the upside out-wiegh the side effects and then dialing in the perscription strength. It's like trying to find the right type of glasses for you. It takes a bit of fiddling but you'll get there. BoneMonkey fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Jun 14, 2018 |
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Jun 14, 2018 17:03
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For me, the trickiest part with trying a new medication is figuring out how it's going to impact my eating and sleeping habits. If you're not eating enough and not sleeping for poo poo, your medication can only do so much. You could be swallowing distilled miracles every morning and you'd still be tired and unfocused all drat day.
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Jun 14, 2018 17:31
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BoneMonkey posted:
I never got there  After all these years, I’ve been diagnosed with a mild form of autism. I’ve always been hypersensitive, especially for sounds, and throughout all the tests I was above average, except my processing speed dragged everything down. I’m literally slow. Sadly, I suspected something like it way back in 2003. But my therapist back then thought that wasn’t the case. They kept looking into adhd. But yeah, it’s all very similar. Except none of the meds work for me. Has anybody here ever had any experience with MAOI? And if so, which ones. They are hardly used anymore but apparently have great results with people who respond badly to other anti depressants/anxiety.
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Jun 19, 2018 23:55
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mrfart posted:I never got there ianad MAOIs are pretty serious, anyone prescribed one is hopefully working with a good psychiatrist and have tried a number of other medication and treatment options first. The most unique thing about them is that they make foods with tyramine spike your blood pressure, which can cause fainting or stroke. So if you're on an MAOI you can't eat a huge swathe of foods -- cheese, cured/smoked meats, beer, wine, pickles, soy sauce, sourdough bread, certain fruits and vegetables, etc. So if you have a history of issues around food impulsivity and binge eating it's prooooobably not going to be a great fit. It's contraindicated by a lot of other medications too, including stimulants, which would obviously be a problem if you're taking one to treat your ADHD. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 01:00 on Jun 20, 2018 |
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Jun 20, 2018 00:55
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Here is the best resource I know on MAOI drugs: https://psychotropical.info/maois/ In regards to concerns about tyramine, he suggests they are mostly overstated: quote:• Nowadays very few foods or drinks have tyramine levels sufficiently high that a small amount (i.e. 50 grams or ml, or less) is likely to cause a problematic degree of hypertension The risks involved with drug-drug interactions however are clearly NOT overstated, and one must pay attention to them. I've been interested in MAOI therapy for sometime, but it would mean coming off of multiple other drugs that I find helpful.
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Jun 20, 2018 03:57
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If you want to look into MAOIs, I highly highly suggest looking into Emsam, which is a patched based maoi. I had decent results with it in terms of depression, but ultimately, I needed adhd medication. still have issues with the depression part, unfortunately, though, and it shouldn't be taken with my current meds but i found it really well tolerated.
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Jun 20, 2018 06:17
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Sub Rosa posted:
What I heard was that the most extreme interactions with food were with the older versions of MAOI's and that ironically the newer versions often have less side effects than more common anti-depressants. I only use lorazepam, a benzo, since literally every other med, be it anti-depressant or ADHD med, had negative results on me.
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Jun 20, 2018 10:05
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Gnossiennes posted:If you want to look into MAOIs, I highly highly suggest looking into Emsam, which is a patched based maoi. Should've clarified more on Emsam: it's a patch based maoi that doesn't require dietary restriction at the lower dose. dietary restriction is advised on higher dosage, but this is also because of limited data on the 9mg and 12mg dosage, so the restrictions may be overstated. I've had life long issues with insomnia, and it did increase it, but the offset of depression was well worth it. biggest issue is that it's very, very expensive (last time I picked it up, it would've been like $1800/mo if I'd paid out of pocket), and not a good fit if you don't have good prescription coverage.
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Jun 20, 2018 20:34
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Gnossiennes posted:Should've clarified more on Emsam: it's a patch based maoi that doesn't require dietary restriction at the lower dose. dietary restriction is advised on higher dosage, but this is also because of limited data on the 9mg and 12mg dosage, so the restrictions may be overstated. I'll look into it, thanks. But I don't even know which of these are available in europe and if my doctor will want to give me a prescription for it, let alone that he has ever heard of them. Because it looks like it's a bit of a forgotten type of meds?
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Jun 20, 2018 21:16
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I went off my meds a while ago because I am dumb. The full weight of this decision has become more apparent recently. I am currently awaiting a renewal of my script at the dosage I was last on and waiting for it to come back for approval from our nice friendly federal department of health. I am a stupid, stupid man.
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Jun 28, 2018 10:13
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I'm in a similar situation; could only afford to fill one month of a 3 month supply. Am now out of meds and facing a whole hall of sick people that need me. Pray for me, folks.
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Jun 28, 2018 11:41
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What some people call hyperfocus, I think most people just call tunnel vision.
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Jun 29, 2018 08:08
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signalnoise posted:What some people call hyperfocus, I think most people just call tunnel vision. Well yeah. Did anyone think differently? My hyperfocus can be a bigger bane than my lack of focus.
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Jun 29, 2018 09:06
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Since I didn’t get an internship this summer I started working on a project and have been incredibly hyper-focused on it and it feels like such poo poo. I’ve been able to pull myself out of it this week and have just been trying to catch up on everything I neglected in the process.
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Jun 29, 2018 10:59
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Any of you guys used melatonin do deal with a circadian rhythm issue? Lots of conflicting information about it out there.
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Jun 29, 2018 16:04
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BoneMonkey posted:Any of you guys used melatonin do deal with a circadian rhythm issue? I have DSPD and I use melatonin in combination with blue light phototherapy and consistent sleep hygiene to manage it. The instructions from my sleep specialist were that melatonin should be taken 2-3 hours before bedtime and the dose should be no more than .5 to 1 mg. That works great for me.
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Jun 29, 2018 16:08
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BoneMonkey posted:Well yeah. Did anyone think differently? Dunno, I've seen too many people talk about disorders and disabilities as if every problem comes with an advantage. I guess it's hard to tell for me these days.
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Jun 30, 2018 04:17
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Having ADHD is like missing an arm, sure you might theoretical be able to into smaller gaps. But you are still missing an arm and that totally sucks.
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Jun 30, 2018 08:22
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Anyone care to share their favorite ADD books or YouTube Videos? I didn’t mind Driven to Distraction but I don’t think it was that great either. The follow-up was a huge let down.
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Jul 1, 2018 07:44
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Russell Barkley videos on YouTube would be my go to suggestion
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Jul 1, 2018 16:18
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My new script has been approved and I can pick it up tomorrow! Hurrah! This time I am just going to take my medication like a normal person instead of taking it, having really good results, somehow getting the idea that I am a meth head, stop taking them and then falling back into my pit of despair.
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Jul 2, 2018 02:37
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insidius posted:My new script has been approved and I can pick it up tomorrow! Hurrah! You don't need drugs to make you normal. You will never be normal the drugs are there to help you compensate to survive in a really loving wierd world where you have to study books, and write essays and work in an office.
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Jul 2, 2018 07:40
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BoneMonkey posted:You don't need drugs to make you normal. You will never be normal the drugs are there to help you compensate to survive in a really loving wierd world where you have to study books, and write essays and work in an office. I may not be normal but boy am I sure back to feeling good far more chipper again already. It is beyond my capability to describe the impact they have upon my daily life. I am so much more relaxed and far less less hyperactive than I normally am. Going to sleep with an empty head last night was magical.
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Jul 4, 2018 06:59
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insidius posted:I may not be normal but boy am I sure back to feeling good far more chipper again already. It is beyond my capability to describe the impact they have upon my daily life. I am so much more relaxed and far less less hyperactive than I normally am. I had to take some time off my meds, just 2 days, to empty my head. It's wierd off meds my brain gets really messy but on meds my brain gets really obsessed and really loud about one thing. It's a balancing act, any of you guys have the same problem?
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Jul 4, 2018 12:30
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Any advice on seeking out a psychiatrist for the first time i.e. red flags or good signs? I don’t want to stall on getting meds but figure I’ll need to stick to the same doctor for a few months minimum until I know how said meds impact my life.
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Jul 4, 2018 20:51
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SUPERMAN'S GAL PAL posted:Any advice on seeking out a psychiatrist for the first time i.e. red flags or good signs? I don’t want to stall on getting meds but figure I’ll need to stick to the same doctor for a few months minimum until I know how said meds impact my life. You want someone who listens, explains things patiently, and whom you feel you can be honest with. If you feel like you're being rushed in and out or not being treated with respect and transparency that's a bad sign.
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Jul 4, 2018 21:15
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If they can remember the definition of ADHD from one sentence to the next then that's doing better than my old psych.
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Jul 5, 2018 23:17
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Tab8715 posted:Anyone care to share their favorite ADD books or YouTube Videos? Rick Green is a Canadian actor and ADHD educator/advocate who has lots of YT content. Linky
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Jul 12, 2018 02:02
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BoneMonkey posted:Well yeah. Did anyone think differently? This a hundred times this. It's like being a junkie for stimulation, and if something supplies that then you're addicted hook line and sinker. Whoops, there go the hours. I have to go where now??? UGH NO gently caress YOU DON"T TAKE ME AWAY FROM MY FOCUS HEROIN HISSSSS.
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Jul 12, 2018 21:11
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Anyone here try Dark Souls -type games? I was a huge Armored Core and tactical RPG nerd as a teenager but somehow missed this genre as an adult, until I spent 500+ hours on it in 2018. Apparently, SoulsBorne games are known to be crack for depressed/ADD gamers who want to explore/achieve something but struggle with the downsides of our conditions.
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Jul 13, 2018 00:03
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Analytic Engine posted:Anyone here try Dark Souls -type games? I was a huge Armored Core and tactical RPG nerd as a teenager but somehow missed this genre as an adult, until I spent 500+ hours on it in 2018. Apparently, SoulsBorne games are known to be crack for depressed/ADD gamers who want to explore/achieve something but struggle with the downsides of our conditions. I don't really get why that'd be the case. I mean I like them, they're alright, but if I wanted to explore and do neat poo poo I'd play Breath of the Wild (which I do, and love). Additionally, there's a lot of neat exploration to be had in Super Mario Odyssey, especially with the addition of Luigi's Balloon World. Personally I find Souls games to be horribly obfuscated in terms of mechanics, so I could see that being frustrating. For the ADHD side of things, I don't see a benefit of Souls over something else that's exploration-based, and for the depressed side, ehhh... I don't think it's very productive to fill your life with dreary poo poo when you're already down, and Dark Souls is an exercise in detaching yourself from losses. The whole "prepare to die" thing is real, you will die in Dark Souls and it can be intensely frustrating if you aren't willing to lose time simply to learn an encounter, or if you aren't willing to let a bunch of experience points go, and die trying to retrieve them. If I'm down, I avoid that kind of poo poo and play more joyful games instead, which is helpful. The feeling of achievement is nice if you play those games and it works out, but if it doesn't work out, it's not a good time. gently caress, play Viva Pinata instead.
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Jul 13, 2018 12:26
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