I suppose I would say it allows me to develop a wide range of abilities, interests, skills, and knowledge. (Is it possible to ‘binge socialize’? Seeing friends for the first time in ages, having a great time, and suddenly filling up your calendar.) More disciplined in my yoga, exercise, eating well, and seeing friends. That said, the hyperfixating for a while and then moving on can be frustrating. Lately I’ve been hyperfixated on diet and exercise, something I NEVER thought would happen. Three years later, yoga is just another strategy. Hyperfixated on doing yoga every morning.Ĭonsuming. I was so intrigued by my progress I became In our PBS documentary, ADD & Mastering It!, fellow comedian Patrick McKenna and I share 36 ADHD-friendly strategies that we draw upon as needed, as the particular situation demands.īecame a yoga instructor, I became her practice student. Hyperfixation can be powerful, or a time-sucking vortex, depending on what we fixate on.īut as every ADHD specialist in our videos has said, rarely, if ever, is a single tool or strategy enough to successfully manage ADHD. I find it can be a helpful strategy, a tool to cope when I’m overwhelmed with To-Dos, frustrations, worries, or distractions. I know many people with ADHD who claim that hyperfocus is their superpower. Hyperfixation has been associated with ADHD, Anxiety Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Depression. But when that’s all I had in my life itīecame stifling. Was an upside to producing so many comedy shows. Learned the cost of constantly working in order to feel good: exhaustion,īurnout, divorce, and no close friends. A doctor would call it “An Adaptive Strategy.” Whereas an Addiction has a very short term upside, “Ahhh… So good…” but long term it’s what doctor’s call, “Maladaptive.” Harmful. I haven’t read a murder mystery in the 20Īnother difference between hyperfocus and addiction? Being able to hyperfocus on work, or learning a topic can be helpful in my career, or developing skills. After devouring all 15 of those I came to the Ngaio Marsh mysteries. After reading all 20 of her novels in the book case, I tried a Nero Wolfe mystery. So, one rainy day I grabbed an Agatha Christie mystery novel to pass the time. My parents had a large collection of murder mysteries on a book shelf at their cottage. I’m locked into something, then the spell is broken. Even if they haven’t had a drink in 15 years they don’t say, “I was an alcoholic.” They say, “I am an alcoholic.” Friends who have recovered from an addiction to a substance know that they will always face that temptation to go back, to seek solace and comfort in drugs or alcohol. The Difference Between Hyperfixation and AddictionĪddiction is a constant craving. But it’s something they come back to again and again… Hyperfixation. Other comedians I know do needlepoint, knitting, wood-working, or collecting something particular like sheet music or antique toys. But the impact on those of us with ADHD can be dramatic, in a surprisingly short time as this video on Mindfulness & ADHD explains.) Model railroading is a form of meditation for me, and as numerous studies have shown, Mindful Meditation can rewire the ADHD brain. Rather than a relief, it can become a refuge, a way of avoiding what needs doing. (Temporarily.)īut model railroading has been a constant pleasure for most of my life. When I’m constructing a model, working meticulously, but at my own speed, it engages my brain, demanding care, precision, craftsmanship, and art.
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