Hyperfocusing | ADHD Information

I'm wondering if anyone can give some sugestions on how to harness the
ability to hyperfocus. I do it without realizing it, or I do it when it is
absolutely the last min. for something. But I want to be able to do this
without being on the last 6 hours before a project is due. I wish I knew my friend.

I think if we could turn this on and off at will, then we'd be kissing goodbye to most of our problems.

If anyone has any ideas though, I'd love to hear 'em.
bcgirl197838404.4109143519Its gotta be possible to turn this on and off. the power of the mind is
endless. People have learned how to use their dreams to their advantage,
doctors can run 24 hour shifts without sleep, athletes can learn to step it
up under pressure, so there has to be a way to harness this aspect of
ADHD.

I think this might be the next topic for and art piece. I am going to try out
ways of hyperfocusing, and work on mass production in a short period of
time. This could change my entire success of college if this works.

[QUOTE=bcgirl1978]

If anyone has any ideas though, I'd love to hear 'em.
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Me too! Me too!

I can hyperfocus on something I really want to do...for example a program i just finished. Perhaps to convince yourself its something you really want to do is the secret. Beats me, I am almost 60 years old and I have yet to accept my diagnosis. I am 10 mg adderall XR and am better in the mornings than the afternoons.

I can hyperfocus on anything that is requires multi tasking if I like it...when I was in school and I had to turn in a project for commercial design...I just discovered this new 2d 3d design program that is somewhat like CAD, but is not command based and I was able to build in open virtural space exactly what I had built in my mind...I was soooooooooooooooo freaked out....I was on that thing for almost two weeks...it was the best.

On the other hand in my CAD class I had to turn in a final project which was a pyro reactor chamber (our professor was a former Shell Oil employee) and it sucked....I waited until the day before it was due and spent 20 hours doing it and had to stay up straight to turn it in...so I guess if you are really passionate about something you can hyperfocus....

I also hyperfocus when I find a new branch of my family tree or new facts....

the only time I can do it is when I have something due and I waited until the last minute to start it, so usually my papers get handed in late with great ideas and content, but horrible writing and grammar. I also do it sometimes when I'm knitting something and it's almost done. I'll work on it for hours until it's done without realizing it.ok, so a little drunk right now, but hey, beer pressure is a bitch.

any way, I love you all.

I wanna start a message board for those of us still in college.

not that i dont like the mature aspest, but those of us in college need frst
hand support and if I'm lucky romance.

How do I make this happen??????????????????????????

tommyGood to hear I'm not the oldest gamer on the board.... LOL! Other women my age give me very strange looks when I tell them I'm a "gamer", so I sort of keep it to myself.

My favourites include the Final Fantasy series (although I'm not impressed that the latest release is multi-player only.... I mean, isin't that what Everquest was for? Tsk), the Resident Evil games; and for PC, I have to admit that I find the Sims amazingly addictive.

It's amazing that if you force yourself to investigate a subject or pieces of a project it is hard not to find something interesting about them individually. Break it down into smaller and smaller pieces (be careful not to get too far off subject). Start early on smaller, more manageable pieces and you will find them later as useful parts of the project ifn' you choose them well. Work on those pieces and then start putting them back together again. You might even find a little creativity and imagination creeping in. I have to tune out distractions like disconnect the TV antennae. Also, taking breaks (but not too long) can bring back the freshness of the subject. It rarely works for me to work on a related subject and hope for useful overlap. Related subjects seem to become diversions of their own.OMG DaveDog what did you just say? sorry lost you at the second break....

I usually don't try to force my focus... i delude myself to thinking that the subject is interresting... and then the hyperfocusing goes high-warp automatically.

[QUOTE=CreativeCrazy]Ok Taag Man HIgh warp what game is that from....? LOL[/QUOTE]

I would have to say Star Trek.

Tooooo funny Taag Man! I can hyper focus like I said on my earlier post on things like my CAD and other computer programs....and I saw that you put computer games somewhere else...I too love to play computer games and that really throws people off....because they would not peg me as one who even knows how to use the computer....I played MUD games even before the internet was like it is now...I played when it was text only....I still every onece in awhile log on to Renegade Outpost or my latest fav. Aardwolf...but it is not as interesting as the 3d games that are out now...I just can't tell my husband hey lets buy a playstation...I am 36 and he would freak....LOL so I just play the MUD....

I am sorry to say that i do not know any of those games, but i know the feeling you have. You seek external stimuly wich requires extreme concentration, and you ride on your sucesses. Your hightned awareness and concentration oftent make us winners in those games... and that is pleasant to say the least.

Those 3D games i play, like battlefield... i allways win. People usually doesn't see me before they are dead. hehe :)

Ok Taag Man HIgh warp what game is that from....? LOL

It's sort of a blessing and a curse. I think "normal" is roughly the same level of focus on everything. We can't focus on things that don't interest us, even if we need to, but on things that do, we're better off than normal. [QUOTE=Taag Man]

MCD270: You are completly correct. It's a higher form of concentration. Normal people seldom experience this state... normal people live a normal life... we live the life of the extreme. We either hyperfocus, or we cant focus at all. The latter is a menace.. but hyperfocusing is a blessing. I find that, when I direct my intellect at something, I can do almost anything. It would be a great gift to be able to control this state, and trigger it rationally.

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Wow I never realized this before but I can definitly identify what you are talking about. In H.S. I was terrible grade wise but I went to college for computer classes most of which I was really interested in. I maintained almost a 4.0 and was the fastest learner in hands-on type classes. I'm also able to teach myself/learn most computer programs that I find interesting, like photoshop, dreamweaver, and a few other "creative" type ones. When it comes to doing something I like or find stimulating I have no problem giving 110% of my attention and effort towards it. I never realized how powerful that is

MCD270, I am not medicated yet, so when i have to do something that i don't like, i usually game a little on the pc, and then starts working.... so i rise my dopamine and noradrenalin levels, so I can focus on stuff that does not interest me. People who are medicated propably should not have problems with the focus stuff. They should be able to focus on anything, and starts doing anything without hesitation.

I had to read everyone's post to understand what "hyperfocusing" meant. I gather it refers to when we become so envolved in what we do we block out any interferances?

When I am in the middle of doing something that CONSUMES me I don't notice anything else is going on at all. My Co-workers will sometimes say my name several times before I snap out of it and respond to them. I cannot control this though, I have to be legitly into what I am doing.

Hyperfocusing huh? I've found that computers are awesome tools for doing this. Being a computer major, perhaps this really helps me out more than others... I don't know.

I know, for example, that for research and learning online I can't stand Internet Explorer... it's so cumbersome and slow, with all the windows. I use Opera 8, and always have about 30 different pages up at any given time. But when I get some trance music up on the headphones in a dark room with only the computer monitor on, I can REALLY get some research and other work done at lightning speed! I credit that to lessening the distractions around me, mainly, and music to keep the inner voice quiet.

It's like CreativeCrazy said with their CAD situation... finding a way to make the computer work for the ADD mind (which I think works faster than non-ADD minds) is the key.

I've also been experimenting with the brainwave generator software, and it may hold some promise if you can find the right brainwave frequency for your individual mind.

I can't hyperfocus on something I'm not interested in. It just doesn't happen and I can't make it happen, trust me I have tried!

I developed a webpage and I literally spent 5 days doing it, I did nothing else, barely slept, barely ate, I was so focused on this website. Then when it was done, I was like blah, okay, I was bored and didn't do anything with it really. The challenge was over, the website was done. But I was totally interested in doing it, so I was fine.

But trying to hyperfocus on something that I don't like, don't find useful, or is just plain boring - ya never gonna happen for this chick!

I can hyperfocus when it is something I REALLY like doing. Otherwise, I have to trick myself into it and make it part of a multi-task with something I do like and just skip back and forth between the two.Not to turn this into a gaming board or anything, just wanted to tell Bcgirl1978 that if you like the previous Final Fantasy series then you you probably like the mmorpg version (multiplayer online), it has managed to incorpaorate all of the cool things from the previous games; but yes being a mmorpg, it is endless. It is much better than Everquest though. I found a funny review of FFXi that seem to be relevant to this board "Highly addictive mmorg that entices players to pay a month lose 3-4 hours of sleep every night. The ADD need not apply." Not sure exaclty what it means, but funny never the less. If you ever decide to play, you can join our linkshell

I can hyperfocus on things that stimulate my mind. If something bores me, forget about it. I cannot organize anything without meds. Computers and music seem to be a good kick start to my hyperfocusing. Sometimes when my meds are wearing off, I hyperfocus too. I'm not too sure why that is but usually I am doing something on the computer. I am just happy to know who I am. I lived for so many years not making sense of any of what has happened to me in the last year.

Do a Yahoo or Google search for "create a message board". It brings up tons of hits. Some have monthly fees, but I'm sure there are some free ones out there.

Good luck!