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I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I am 34. Part of what took so long to get this diagnosed is that it is poorly named. I do not have a deficit of attention

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I am 34. Part of what took so long to get this diagnosed is that it is poorly named. I do not have a deficit of attention; in fact, I have extreme sustained attention [0]. If the symptoms described by the parent poster are causing you to suffer, please consider that it might be ADHD, and that ADHD does not necessarily manifest in the way it's name suggests it should. Please also consider that lightweight treatment can drastically improve your quality-of-life. Stimulant therapy has provided immediate relief for me, like flipping a switch [1]. The best part is that I still enjoy the positive aspects of my ability to hyperfocus. Only now, my attention feels like a servant rather than a master. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus [1] I have a fairly moderate case of ADHD, so YMMV.

romwell 5y ago
I could've written your comment word-for-word, to the extent that I did a double take and checked to make sure I didn't write it. Personally, I say that ADHD stands for Awfully Described Human Disorder for that exact reason. Many more thoughts on why it's poorly named here: https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Awfully%20Described%20Human%20Disorder https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Awfully%20Described%20Human%20D... (Someone complained I'm linking to my blog too much, but I haven't posted this link yet, and I don't want to needlessly copy-paste something that I already wrote)
- omginternets 5y ago
  It's always nice to know you're not alone :) I'll give your blog a read, thanks! P.S.: "the thought of your friends not liking you makes you want to die" ... is that really an ADHD thing?? I thought that was a completely unrelated personality flaw.
  - romwell 5y ago
    Rejection Sensitivity seems to be rampant in ADHD folks. Can't say it's caused by ADHD, or the life experiences that one gets with ADHD, but it's a known correlation[1]. [1] https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-and-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-an...
- medstrom 5y ago
  Don't worry about people, thanks for posting it, very much liked it.
  - omginternets 5y ago
    Same here. I really enjoyed it. The 11 year old package provided some much needed laughter (partly at myself for having done similar things).
    - romwell 5y ago
      Thanks to both of you! You just made my day :)
john567 5y ago
I'm 35 and have been thinking about this a lot. I start working on something and soon there after there is a constant stream of ideas and improvements that I could act on but aren't necessary right now. I write all these ideas down to get them out of my head but sometimes this process has a cascading effect and I find myself three layers deep into something very stimulating and interesting but it is not really what I think I should be doing. This takes up time. I've never considered this to be unnatural or something everybody isn't struggling with but I recently started to think that maybe I need to calm my mind somehow and maybe there's useful medication for that. Any experience on this is much appreciated.
- tgaj 5y ago
  Yes, it looks like ADHD symptom. It's called hyperfocus. People with ADHD often focus on something that is giving instant gratification (like learning new thing or trying to find clever solution for a problem). The other, probably simpler things are neglected. And no it's not just "caused by Internet and smartphones". I had this before I even got a computer. I was hyperfocusing on reading books (very shallow, just wanting to check what will happen next). TV was boring because it was too slow.
- romwell 5y ago
  All I can say is that - yes, this sounds like an ADHD trait, but not necessarily something that you'd want to correct. Is time spent your only concern? If so, work with your brain, not against it. If this is ADHD, it's something people consider to be an upside - the ability to get into the idea generation/brainstorm mode and dive deeply. Yes, it gets tricky with all the things that should be done, but there's is value in what you actually do. The other links I've posted up the thread can shine more light on what you experience; see if you find other traits relatable as well.
- omginternets 5y ago
  I'm late to the party, but your story feels very familiar, and I likewise assumed that everybody was experiencing the same things as I. My sincere advice is to approach a qualified medical practitioner for a diagnosis. The irony, of course, is that this is exactly the kind of thing that is overwhelming (or deeply off-putting) to a person with ADHD. To that end, I offer the following advice: 1. Don't make a big deal about it and don't be a perfectionist. Specifically, don't spend too much time researching professionals at this point in the process. Just schedule an appointment with your usual GP and bring up the subject, explaining that you'd like to investigate the possibility that you have adult ADHD, in order to improve your quality of life. 2. Don't get too hung up on meds at this point. Your GP (or subsequent psychiatrist) may conclude that cognitive therapy is sufficient for you. I can personally attest to the surprising efficacy of CBT. 3. Generally speaking, approach this with calm curiosity. Trust that you can back out of anything at any time if you're not comfortable. Ask questions. Express concerns. Make it easy on yourself. If you want, I'm happy to talk over Zoom/Matrix if you think that would help. I can't give any definitive answers, but I can definitely share my experience and perhaps give you a general sense of what to expect. Feel free to drop me a line if that sounds appealing: louist87 [at] gmail.

romwell 5y ago

I could've written your comment word-for-word, to the extent that I did a double take and checked to make sure I didn't write it. Personally, I say that ADHD stands for Awfully Described Human Disorder for that exact reason. Many more thoughts on why it's poorly named here: https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Awfully%20Described%20Human%20Disorder https://romankogan.net/adhd/#Awfully%20Described%20Human%20D... (Someone complained I'm linking to my blog too much, but I haven't posted this link yet, and I don't want to needlessly copy-paste something that I already wrote)

omginternets 5y ago
It's always nice to know you're not alone :) I'll give your blog a read, thanks! P.S.: "the thought of your friends not liking you makes you want to die" ... is that really an ADHD thing?? I thought that was a completely unrelated personality flaw.
- romwell 5y ago
  Rejection Sensitivity seems to be rampant in ADHD folks. Can't say it's caused by ADHD, or the life experiences that one gets with ADHD, but it's a known correlation[1]. [1] https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-and-adhd/ https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-an...
medstrom 5y ago
Don't worry about people, thanks for posting it, very much liked it.
- omginternets 5y ago
  Same here. I really enjoyed it. The 11 year old package provided some much needed laughter (partly at myself for having done similar things).
  - romwell 5y ago
    Thanks to both of you! You just made my day :)

john567 5y ago

I'm 35 and have been thinking about this a lot. I start working on something and soon there after there is a constant stream of ideas and improvements that I could act on but aren't necessary right now. I write all these ideas down to get them out of my head but sometimes this process has a cascading effect and I find myself three layers deep into something very stimulating and interesting but it is not really what I think I should be doing. This takes up time. I've never considered this to be unnatural or something everybody isn't struggling with but I recently started to think that maybe I need to calm my mind somehow and maybe there's useful medication for that. Any experience on this is much appreciated.

tgaj 5y ago
Yes, it looks like ADHD symptom. It's called hyperfocus. People with ADHD often focus on something that is giving instant gratification (like learning new thing or trying to find clever solution for a problem). The other, probably simpler things are neglected. And no it's not just "caused by Internet and smartphones". I had this before I even got a computer. I was hyperfocusing on reading books (very shallow, just wanting to check what will happen next). TV was boring because it was too slow.
romwell 5y ago
All I can say is that - yes, this sounds like an ADHD trait, but not necessarily something that you'd want to correct. Is time spent your only concern? If so, work with your brain, not against it. If this is ADHD, it's something people consider to be an upside - the ability to get into the idea generation/brainstorm mode and dive deeply. Yes, it gets tricky with all the things that should be done, but there's is value in what you actually do. The other links I've posted up the thread can shine more light on what you experience; see if you find other traits relatable as well.
omginternets 5y ago
I'm late to the party, but your story feels very familiar, and I likewise assumed that everybody was experiencing the same things as I. My sincere advice is to approach a qualified medical practitioner for a diagnosis. The irony, of course, is that this is exactly the kind of thing that is overwhelming (or deeply off-putting) to a person with ADHD. To that end, I offer the following advice: 1. Don't make a big deal about it and don't be a perfectionist. Specifically, don't spend too much time researching professionals at this point in the process. Just schedule an appointment with your usual GP and bring up the subject, explaining that you'd like to investigate the possibility that you have adult ADHD, in order to improve your quality of life. 2. Don't get too hung up on meds at this point. Your GP (or subsequent psychiatrist) may conclude that cognitive therapy is sufficient for you. I can personally attest to the surprising efficacy of CBT. 3. Generally speaking, approach this with calm curiosity. Trust that you can back out of anything at any time if you're not comfortable. Ask questions. Express concerns. Make it easy on yourself. If you want, I'm happy to talk over Zoom/Matrix if you think that would help. I can't give any definitive answers, but I can definitely share my experience and perhaps give you a general sense of what to expect. Feel free to drop me a line if that sounds appealing: louist87 [at] gmail.