Just to put into perspective how severe this can get, members of the community of Everquest would refer to it as Evercrack because of its addictive nature, likening it to crack cocaine. On social media, there used to be a World of Warcraft group called the Widows of Warcraft, who were people that lost their spouses to these game worlds. Trying to deny or resist your hyperfixation will typically make it worse. Hyperfocus is also closely related to the flow state. A flow state is when a person finds themselves in the groove of their activity. Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page in order to complete this form. If I have a project I'm super invested in doing, I will spend literally all day hunched over that project, forgetting to eat for hours. I dont want what Im doing now to be just a phase but Ive thought that for every other thing I did:(, I dont want to self diagnose but I literally do this all the time, I obsess with something for weeks or months and then quickly forget about it and get bored and Im so confused why. In some cases, they may only want to eat that specific food in a specific way because it feels wrong to do otherwise. You can do it, too. [Get This Free Download: 5 Powerful Brain Hacks for Focus & Productivity]. They may regularly cycle those thoughts over and over, picking them apart, examining, re-examining, and thinking about them from different angles. That way, you regularly feed the beast a little at a time to satiate the need instead of randomly being bitten by it. My dog remains very, very well-trained, but he needs a refresher. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. I find something that I'm really interested in. Take some time to sit down and figure out your responsibilities. Do some self-checks when you start something new. Still, the person with ADHD may also experience hyperfixation. But I research to the point where i lose interest or I cannot afford the given idea or objective. Even if its not really that amazing or interesting for some people. Indicators may include: - A lack of awareness of the surrounding area or circumstances unrelated to the activity. Just kindaget bored. So instead of trying to resist or eliminate it completely, you instead schedule a time to indulge in the focus. I couldnt just plant some seedlings; I made my husband till half our yard and spent hundreds of dollars on fencing, stakes, seeds, pots, and plants. Moreover, if your judgment process is "Feeling", as o. . ADDitude collaborates closely with leading medical experts to publish accurate, clear, and authoritative content that millions of readers trust and share. We can pay all the attention to the detriment of other necessary life needs, if it's something we're really . Depression and ADHD often feature insomnia. I had to make a promise to myself that I wont spend over x amount on certain interests/activities unless Ive thought about it for more than six months to a year or else I would spend large amounts of money for things that will inevitably collect dust at my house. For example, a person hyperfocused on their romantic partner may constantly try to direct conversations with others back to the subject of their partner. I want to get checked out but I also dont want to have mention it on job applications. This is so true. Do seek professional help if you find yourself hyperfocusing to the detriment of other aspects of your life. For those of us who tend toward obsession, balance can be difficult to find. Here is how I work to strike a better balance in my ADHD brain. Ask yourself if you jump from hobby to hobby, spending inordinate amounts of time and money on each, only to drop them cold. Thats a key difference between a hobby and an obsession: time. Thank you. Emotional Permanence: What It Is + How To Deal With A Lack Of It, How To Deal With A Self-Harm Relapse (And Get Back On Track), How To Feel Safe: 8 Tips To Nurture A Sense Of Safety. The person may have difficulty finding any interest or satisfaction in other things. Relationships and friendships may suffer because the hyperfocused individual is pouring all their attention and energy into their focus to the exclusion of all else. The key factor is that this focused person gets stuck in their mind whether they want it or not. Food is a common hyperfixation for people with ADHD. Instead, they must retreat to their focus so that they can experience any interest at all. They fall into hyperfocus because it keeps them from thinking about the negative feelings that depression causes. I get intensely into something but then I'm over it in the next few days. This kind of hyperfixation may go on for years. Oh, my sweet summer child. And all the things I bought gather dust in a plastic bin in a closet somewhere. Im no longer allowed to have any kind of aquatic animals. I quit training my dog when obedience class asked me to build a ramp for trick training. We often stop when something becomes too hard: I quit gardening, for example, when a bad tomato plant gave all my prized basil fungal rot. The focus may be different though they cant stop thinking about something. Problems that a person experiencing hyperfixation may experience include: Insomnia. Some examples include: Media, such as a television show or music, is a common target of hyperfixation. You may find that scheduling will help impose greater structure into your life that will help positively channel your thoughts and actions. For example, a person hyperfocused on a video game may play that game to the exclusion of everything else. only my hobbies unfortnately have been far more expensive.. off roading, flying lessons, arcade building, motion simulators etc etc. Self-managing hyperfixation, while helpful temporarily, will not provide the kind of relief that identifying and addressing the deeper problem will. The ADHD tendency to hobby-bounce sometimes combines with hyperfocus to morph innocent pastimes into obsessions. Some of us cant do things halfway; we have to jump in with both feet. Nearly everyone will experience hyperfixation. Over the years, I've learned a few ways to keep my hobbies from going too far and to help me keep my life in balance. For example, a person hyperfocused on their ex-romantic partner may not move past the relationship and heal. This mental health issue is called hyperfixation, though it may also be known as hyperfocus. People assume that ADHD means that you can't pay attention to anything. Problems socializing. I realize that's in part Baader Meinhof, but also because I have so many of the symptoms. Our mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness. The interest just goes poof. They may talk or think from the characters perspective, often imagining what that character would do in a situation they find themselves in. This page contains affiliate links. Cue disease outbreak in tank that kills all axolotls. All my life I couldnt explain why so how did you deal with it?? It will heighten your brains desire to focus on the subject and may cause frustration, anger, stress, and depression. All dead quickly then I panic and try and scrape back whatever wasted money I can. Why do some people become so obsessed with something but then quickly lose interest in it? [Read: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Hyperfocus]. It goes for interests too. But I definitely go all out for a few days, then take a break and move onto the next project. There are ways to self-manage hyperfixation to an extent. Reddit posts are actually a prime example of that because Ill be super into some thread and just really want to get my every thought out there. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Sims. Then I dont play it for a month or two, then binge play for a week and then lose interest its a vicious cycle. I receive a commission if you choose to purchase anything after clicking on them. Youre Not Shy or Stuck Up. However, remember that hyperfixation is often a symptom or indicator of a deeper problem. Since Ive broken the obsession cycle, my garden looks better and my dogs happier. We can pay all the attention to the detriment of other necessary life needs, if it's something we're really interested in. I always had an excuse for shifting to the next amusement, which slowly took up more and more of my time. Im an overall better human being. 3. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. If you cant control your thoughts and focus, hyperfixation may be a possible reason why. Why ADHD Brains Become Paralyzed in Quarantine, Perimenopause Problems: How Changing Hormones Exacerbate ADHD Symptoms, ADHD and Addiction: The Truth About Substance Abuse. Some people may forget to eat, engage in self-care or grooming, and suffer from insomnia as they spend hours thinking about the thing they have become obsessed with. Something sparks me as a fun idea? The person often focuses on things they find pleasurable. It appears JavaScript is disabled in your browser. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. This is like the best description of ADHD-PI I've seen so far! Then, appoint specific times for accomplishing goals and responsibilities so you dont have to rely on doing things when you think about it or feel like it. Hyperfixation is often thought to be a symptom of mental illness, but that isnt always the case. 2. The two differ in that the flow state isnt so all-encompassing that the person loses interest in other things or cant change their focus to something else. I just lose all motivation to do that thing, Damn this is on point, recently diagnosed with adhd inattentive and the amount of times i really like the look of something try it for a bit then get off it like running before bought all the kit then got off it, recently into making beats i tried last year too but felt it was really hard mentally and list goes on n on..! And then I see something pretty neat, and the cycle starts again. Because, of course, Id garden again next year, right? The source of the fixation matters, too. Edit: I should add that I have ADHD as well. Cue we need a bigger tank to house moar axolotls! Cue we need a chiller because the Australian summer is going to kill these creatures! We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. For example, depression will not typically cause hyperfocus, but a hyperfocused person may be depressed. Dependency on the focus. One South Korean man named Lee Seung Seop actually died due to dehydration and exhaustion because of his gaming addiction and hyperfixation on Starcraft. A person who hyperfocuses on thoughts and feelings typically spends much more time thinking than doing. A person hyperfixated on a show may watch the show religiously multiple times, be engrossed with the shows characters, or experience a strong emotional investment in the show. An example is a person who becomes so engrossed in their activity that they may completely lose track of time or what is happening around them. My aquascaping phase was 3 years ago. Each of those hobbies, while they lasted, turned into an obsession. Monitor your time and your money. Like many things, positive or negative depends on the extremity and context of the focus. People addicted to or hyperfocused on these games could fall into them for days, neglecting themselves, their responsibilities, and even their children to the point that the children were removed from the home by protective services. You Have Social Anxiety Disorder. bruh I'm super into aquascaping right now and I hope I don't get sick of it like I did for everything else :(. I've been like this my entire life. My garden now stands choked with weeds and a few hardy stands of mint and cilantro. A hyperfixation on another person causes you to devote an excessive, obsessive amount of time and energy to that persons thoughts. I read books sometimes. Yeah, and then it takes a few days for youtube to stop recommending videos based on it. Are your expectations realistic? THIS. Over the years, Ive learned a few ways to keep my hobbies from going too far and to help me keep my life in balance. And it sucks sometimes. It's a big symptom of ADHD-PI (Primary Inattentive), called hyperfocus. Manage Settings Id collapse if I ran up our block, and Ive forgotten all my yoga poses. Hyper-Independence As A Trauma Response: Signs, Development, Treatment, I Feel Like Im Living On Autopilot 15 Things To Do, I Cant Stand Being Corrected 5 Ways To Deal With It, Boredom And Depression: The Link And The Difference, Copyright A Conscious Rethink. Certain kinds of video games lend themselves to extremely deep rabbit holes that can be all-consuming. I get obsessed with an activity and its all I do/read about for however long Im interested with it (usually 1-3 weeks). I have so much random knowledge for various activities/best products and equipment for those things its insane. Cue impregnated axolotl. I can relate to it so well. I didnt jog three times a week. I weeded. They know you best and they understand your obsessive tendencies already. The hyperfocused person will likely find their focus distracting. In both cases, it is incredibly disruptive to ones ability to conduct their life, whether its a child doing their homework or an adult trying to move on past a relationship. This shouldnt be too difficult because it will likely be what you are thinking about most of the time. They may focus on foods they find particularly appealing or interesting to the exclusion of other foods. It may indicate ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia. Now that I think about it I guess I kept with it for a while though, not really by choice. Ive crocheted, Ive gardened, and Ive made wreaths. Im healthier. I think it's why I'm not as successful career-wise as I'd like to be but I can't stop myself. I cant recall how to double crochet. 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