The lighter side of ADHD
This was me the other day. I spent hours and hours coding up some things in python when all I was supposed to do were the dishes.
The dishes didn't get done because it was too hard, but I got fancy looking weather graphs from the data from my air quality sensor that I built while avoiding other simple chores that really ought to have been done by now.
People think I'm lazy and refuse to listen to me about this, but it literally gets in the way of things like eating and sleeping.
The struggle is real and most don’t get it. Ive had to forcibly quit hobbies that triggered that ‘lock-in’ because my life was going along unmanaged. There’s no explaining it to peoole who don’t experience it.
I have taken up cross stitching and can spend an entire day just sitting and working on a one.
I want to watch ALL THE TV SHOWS AND MOVIES before I die (well the ones that interest me), but my hands get bored so usually I'll play Switch games but then I'm often not really paying a lot of attention to either thing.
With cross stitching, I can get focused if it's a difficult part or I've made a mistake, but mostly I can follow the plot of the show/film much better.
Plus I get a lovely physical "trophy" at the end, and have given a few as gifts.
Yup I will sit there hyper focused on code for hours and often ignore the need to eat, hydrate, or urinate, which results in frequent UTIs, dehydration headaches, eye strain, and chronic back/hip pain. People say hyper focus is a super power, but it comes at a cost. Meds help with powering through undesirable tasks, but they can make the hyper focus even worse.
Meds help with powering through undesirable tasks, but they can make the hyper focus even worse.
Omg, I can relate to this so much. Sometimes I don't have my meds because I don't want to risk hyperfocusing on something for too long. I don't see many people talk about this one.
Fortunately I can't sit still for too long, so I don't get back pain.
Someone told me today that there's someone writing books about how people with ADHD have a secret focus superpower. I just laughed bitterly.
I think I read that one and it was dumb AF. Basically just a bunch of anecdotes about rich celebrities with ADHD having successful careers.
For me it's not the fun kind of super power, like Spider-Man. It's more like The Hulk: can't control when it shows up, can't control when it stops, can't control it while I'm using it and makes me do things I normally wouldn't (like the dishes) and it's usually fueled by strong emotions then followed by a crash.
It's true, but we don't control when it activates.
Or what it activates towards. It can be a superpower but it can also be a curse
I make knives and swords as a hobby.
Really what that means is unless someone comes up and asks me to make one for them, about twice a year I get super into it, disappear for 5-10 days, and come out with a smattering of different styles to hopefully sell.
Usually I end up making things for Christmas and birthdays to give away, so I don't actually make any money off the hobby.
There's also a pile of clothes sitting in my corner I probably won't think about again today, and I actually do need to wash dishes....
I came here to laugh, damn it!
Speaking of 10 hour projects, today I made a website that's basically the free version of connectedpapers.com, but it's got even more academic papers cause its powered by sci-hub!
(note: not mobile friendly, and very beta) https://jeff-hykin.github.io/home/#10.1155/2014/413629
(just don't ask me about my dishes)
i cant remember the last time i got to be strong dog on this one
I think this sub has convinced me I actually have ADHD. via memes and introspection on how they make me feel. Not sure if sad or happy I understand myself more.
It's always good to understand yourself more! All people have weaknesses, the successful ones just know how to play to their strengths.
this one hurts
And then you have to stop work because [it’s late, you didn’t eat, something else needs to be done, etc.] and then you can’t get beck to work on the project. Because ADHD reasons. And it becomes a crisis and has to be dealt with and/or it’s late anyway.
It gets real fun when you are the dove on the right for both, all is very hard