Over the years of misdiagnoses I have managed to succeed (sometimes) by turning on hyper focus. I find that I can use external queues to get me into the state. My office is one spot and if I let go, this post would be far too long. It is not a white room without any distractions, but a white room with one visual point of focus (bright red spot) and one white noise source (ticking clock), I keep it cool, and as people leave, I can focus on my computer screen, idea book, or even have an intense person-to-person conversation (usually rambling with lots of digressions, often boring). I have noticed the common features of my hyper focus environments and they all involve low stimulation of several senses and a point of focus. There are activities that I like to do when focused. Most involve solving problems. So I try to take the unpleasant task (income tax!) and approach it as a problem to be solved, not as drudge work. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. What I have also noticed is that hyper focus is only effective for a couple of hours. I have stayed focused for 10-12 hours, but my mind will wander all over the place uncontrollably. So, you have to have a way to break out. I am very unpleasant "waking-up" so I don't ask anyone I want to keep as a friend to provide the service. My latest trick is to remind myself that the parking lot doesn't charge after 8pm so it is ok to go home. My wife of 35 years and a neighbor with ADD sat me down last weekend and convinced me that I fit an ADD pattern. I have lived for forty years with secret diagnoses of schizophrenia just waiting for the guys with the straightjackets to knock on the door. I knew I was different. I knew I was off the charts bright. I couldn't understand why nothing turned out and why I couldn't or wouldn't keep a job for more than a few years. But I knew that there were gifts there, too. For example, learn to speed read and see what you can do when you are focused. It's uncanny.

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how does hyperfocus happen to you guys? only on the meds right? For me its really to focus on anything even on them, but i hyperfocus when i'm doing something i like or when i have a lot of homework to do i can force myself to hyperfocus on that by doubling my dose of Adderall IR. :)

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I don't think we consciously be hyperfocused anymore than we can be able to pick the number for the pick 6. Sure it can happen but not when we expect it too or want it too. Hyperfocus is being in the moment and is sheer joy of the thing we are so engrossed in. Time has no beginning or end that you are conscious of. I can hyperfocus when I paint or am writing or learning something that I love. I have a male friend who I can hyperfocus with because I find him that interesting. But try to focus on something that I can't feel engaged in such as filing papers, cleaning house or sitting in a meeting that just isn't stimulating is sheer toture. I wish I could hyperfocus and find the joy in some of things but I can't. If I love it. I have to set a alarm to go off. to bring back to reality . and even then I may ignore the alarm. Trying to file my paper and to finish organizing my room that use for business, school right now is taking two days and I'm not even close to finishing . Why because I hate paper that is loose and trying to organize it. take boring time. I have TV on that sometimes grabs my attention , but I just am truging thru as if I have all week to do it. I don't but I will hopefully be done tonight. ADD RN

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A Good Way when you notice that you are hyper focusing is to try and reverse engineer it (finding out what makes it tick) when you do that often enough and have a better understanding of it i find that you can apply it to other less interesting things.

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I get this when an assignment requires every brain cell I have. Trouble is everything else in my life gets ignored. It can go on for so long that I can't answer unexpected callers sensibly and make decisions. Wish I could just turn it on and off so I could be hyperfocussed when I need to be.

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