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Questions for those who have ADHD: is it possible to have ADHD and not be able to focus on certain things (important conversations, studying, planning) while al

Questions for those who have ADHD: is it possible to have ADHD and not be able to focus on certain things (important conversations, studying, planning) while also being able to really focus on other specific things like programming?

samuelous 3y ago
That is one of the hallmarks of ADHD, and also why it can be so hard for other people to imagine what it is like.
mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago
Yes, it's extremely common in ADHD. This is called hyperfocus(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus). Inattention in ADHD isn't really the inability to focus, it's the inability to direct focus.
LittleNemoInS 3y ago
Yes, of course. If something is really interesting to the ADHDer, he or she can completely forget every thing else and enter in hyperfocus mode [1]. When one is diagnosed, and aware of this hyperfocus thing, one can use it very efficiently. I, for one, use it to work, with the help of an app called Focus@will, where I can set a timer, and play very loud music, so my brain is focused on the task at hand. [1]: https://add.org/adhd-hyperfocus/ https://add.org/adhd-hyperfocus/
- tailspin2019 3y ago
  > When one is diagnosed, and aware of this hyperfocus thing, one can use it very efficiently. Some can. Others end up in jail [0], or dead [1]. I wouldn't want anyone to assume that if they have ADHD, they automatically have access to some sort of super power - it doesn't always work out like that. Like you though, I do try to harness this as best as possible for work. Music works quite well as an aid for me too. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/18/uk-prisoners-attention-deficit-disorder-adhd-prison https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/18/uk-prisoners... [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371172/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371172/
pentaphobe 3y ago
Yup - for some that's pretty much the whole thing :) A term to look into: "hyperfocus" ADHD is sometimes talked about as being misnamed, and as more of an interest/prioritisation disorder than "attention" deficit. [1] Urgency and other factors can help put things back at the top of the pile (which can of course bring with it all sorts of poor habits to navigate) [2] EDIT: looks like a bunch of us all posted the same thing in tandem, I'll update this to add some refs so it's not pure duplication [1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-to-rename-adhd/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-to-rename... [2]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7851038/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7851038/
tailspin2019 3y ago
Yes, 100%. It's not just "possible"... you're describing exactly what ADHD is like for me. This is one reason why I didn't seek an ADHD diagnosis until later on in life. I didn't understand that it was possible to have ADHD and also be able to "hyperfocus" on certain things. It's also why I think ADHD is such a badly named condition. You don't have an attention deficit you have an attention regulation deficit - which means sometimes you can have a surplus of attention which you (often) cannot control.
- gardenhedge 3y ago
  How has getting diagnosed helped you? Do you lose the ability to hyperfocus or does that remain?
SushiHippie 3y ago
Yes that is basically ADHD summed up (from my experience, I can't speak for others). Without medication I can only focus on things that I really like or am interested in. On some days there are other topics that interest me more than programming, so it isn't that I continuously can focus on programming, but far more easy and often than concentrating on things that don't give me immediate joy. So in general I can focus less on studying, planning, important conversations, but this is not the case when I for example study programming related things (I'll easily fall in a rabbit hole), or if the planning is about an interesting topic.
viraptor 3y ago
Yup, if your brain gets caught in a feedback loop of "this makes me happy" and "being happy stimulated means we can continue doing this" you can do the fun stuff for hours without a break and disregarding anything that happens around. Boring (in a non-judgemental sense - plain) tasks very rarely trigger it. You can kinda cheat though by adopting a new exciting system for doing X to achieve X. (You'll likely abandon the system shortly after...)

samuelous 3y ago

That is one of the hallmarks of ADHD, and also why it can be so hard for other people to imagine what it is like.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago

Yes, it's extremely common in ADHD. This is called hyperfocus(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocus). Inattention in ADHD isn't really the inability to focus, it's the inability to direct focus.

LittleNemoInS 3y ago

Yes, of course. If something is really interesting to the ADHDer, he or she can completely forget every thing else and enter in hyperfocus mode [1]. When one is diagnosed, and aware of this hyperfocus thing, one can use it very efficiently. I, for one, use it to work, with the help of an app called Focus@will, where I can set a timer, and play very loud music, so my brain is focused on the task at hand. [1]: https://add.org/adhd-hyperfocus/ https://add.org/adhd-hyperfocus/

tailspin2019 3y ago
> When one is diagnosed, and aware of this hyperfocus thing, one can use it very efficiently. Some can. Others end up in jail [0], or dead [1]. I wouldn't want anyone to assume that if they have ADHD, they automatically have access to some sort of super power - it doesn't always work out like that. Like you though, I do try to harness this as best as possible for work. Music works quite well as an aid for me too. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/18/uk-prisoners-attention-deficit-disorder-adhd-prison https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/18/uk-prisoners... [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371172/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371172/

pentaphobe 3y ago

Yup - for some that's pretty much the whole thing :) A term to look into: "hyperfocus" ADHD is sometimes talked about as being misnamed, and as more of an interest/prioritisation disorder than "attention" deficit. [1] Urgency and other factors can help put things back at the top of the pile (which can of course bring with it all sorts of poor habits to navigate) [2] EDIT: looks like a bunch of us all posted the same thing in tandem, I'll update this to add some refs so it's not pure duplication [1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-to-rename-adhd/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/we-need-to-rename... [2]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7851038/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7851038/

tailspin2019 3y ago

Yes, 100%. It's not just "possible"... you're describing exactly what ADHD is like for me. This is one reason why I didn't seek an ADHD diagnosis until later on in life. I didn't understand that it was possible to have ADHD and also be able to "hyperfocus" on certain things. It's also why I think ADHD is such a badly named condition. You don't have an attention deficit you have an attention regulation deficit - which means sometimes you can have a surplus of attention which you (often) cannot control.

gardenhedge 3y ago
How has getting diagnosed helped you? Do you lose the ability to hyperfocus or does that remain?

SushiHippie 3y ago

Yes that is basically ADHD summed up (from my experience, I can't speak for others). Without medication I can only focus on things that I really like or am interested in. On some days there are other topics that interest me more than programming, so it isn't that I continuously can focus on programming, but far more easy and often than concentrating on things that don't give me immediate joy. So in general I can focus less on studying, planning, important conversations, but this is not the case when I for example study programming related things (I'll easily fall in a rabbit hole), or if the planning is about an interesting topic.

viraptor 3y ago

Yup, if your brain gets caught in a feedback loop of "this makes me happy" and "being happy stimulated means we can continue doing this" you can do the fun stuff for hours without a break and disregarding anything that happens around. Boring (in a non-judgemental sense - plain) tasks very rarely trigger it. You can kinda cheat though by adopting a new exciting system for doing X to achieve X. (You'll likely abandon the system shortly after...)