what is hyperfocusing? | ADHD Information

Share

I've been perusing these boards for a while now and read this term a few times. What is hyperfocusing? It sounds like when I used to call myself "the goddess of last minute miracles" i.e. putting off a huge project till the last minute, then pulling an all-nighter with a pot of coffee and locking out the world to get a month's worth of work done in 8 hours, and getting an A.

 Is that kind of what it is? Or am I off the mark?

 Very curious. I'm still a fairly new diagnosis and hungry to learn more...

Its kind of the same thing. An example with me, is when i get intrested in a subject, i usualy spend 5-6 hours looking up info on the net, then go to the book store and read for a few more hours about it.

If I get really interested in something I learn more about  it than   anyoner I know...care to discuss  the heychest   controversy in mid 14th century byzantinium.... want to know who led the NFL in rushing in 1972?..I'm the man to ask. If something fasicnates me  it goes in and it's like my mind is a steel trap.

When I was married  I had a vegetable garden...my ex wife felt threatened by it...I was obcessed  with  it.... spent probably 3 times the cost of any produce I grew but damn I grew good produce!

If I am really paying attention to something  you  could scream my name and I might miss it. I become totally absorbed  in it and can spend hours  doing whatever it is  and have it seem like no time passed

I wasn't sure of the term at first.  I spoke to my Therapist about it and I now understand it. 

I get very interested in something like say the World Wildlife Federation so for days sometimes weeks I will read about it, talk about, tell people, join discussion groups and even write letters to my congressman, but then It starts to bore me and even though my intentions are to stick with it I find myself suddenly into something nes ie: a videogame/website/religion/whatever.

This is great when its something that I like ie: sports or writing, but sucks when I can't stick with that thing.  It is really bad when I get into people.  I tend to fall in love fast and that person is all I can think about-it is distracting- I also will get very involved with a group of people-say Christians-make friends and go to church and read all the literature, but then relize that it wasn't really me and I have to explain myself to my new friends(if I don't just disappear)  The more involved I let myself get, the harder it is when I switch gears.

This is very difficult being married cause I will have friends that are women, but I really have to watch myself cause I can get infatuated with them easly even when I love my wife with all my heart.  It is very agrivating.

I think that is an example of hyperfucus, it could be for just hours on one subject, but it can also be somewhat like an obsession with something/someone that can go away as fast as it appeared.

Computer games or video game consoles for HOURS (even days) on end.