Hyperfocus vs. Perseverance?

[Anonymous]

I agree GDuck……..it’s entertaining as hell. It’s interesting trying to put a box around the infinite permutations and combinations involved in human development. Isn’t that is the dilemma that the Psych and Medical community wrestles with daily in our world!!!

toofat

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[billd]

I was trying to figure out why I was losing interest in this forum and why it was getting so frustrating to even read… and gain info any more.

I nailed it this AM – toofat, sorry, but every time someone comes in with anything medical or science, you are here to simply blast it out of the water, it’s all worthless and doctors can’t possibly know anything. Thus all diagnosis must be wrong as it’s based on crap.

This doc and that doc are all full of bull dung according to you – you seem to know it all and want to make sure no one here listens to any authority figure as according to you, there is no such thing.

I’m done. You simply seem to be unable to let anyone else have an opinion or disagree. You’ve got it all figured out, ADD is great, anyone that argues is full of crap and doctors must seem like the most worthless low of the low to you.

I for one am just tired of every time some of these topics come up you come in blasting with both barrels insulting those of us who disagree with you or who MAY just happen to agree with some some other folks say.

I see more lately it’s just the same old group posting over and over – maybe lurkers are being scared away.

I know I’ve got to leave and stay away a while before I shoot the computer to kill the next post of yours I see.

Sorry to offend all the fine folks here, but I seem to be seeing the class bully all over again, thinking that was gone many years ago. Even doctors aren’t good enough for some. Well who the hell else we got to rely on but science and doctors. Instead of help and support here some get blasted for their opinions, for THEIR brand or version of ADHD. I for one feel like I’m actually being helped by certain doctors – but I guess they are idiots and so am I for trusting them.

Back to square one for me, eh?

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[Bill]

Thank you to people who posted about their experience of hyperfocus. I understand and agree that once you open the lid on the biochemistry, there is an infinite number of variations. But, for me, the fact that not just one, but several others experience hyperfocus the same way I do is reassuring.

It’s good to know that I’m on the right bus, even if I haven’t a clue where it’s going!

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[quizzical]

Anyone have any thoughts about the difference between hyperfocus and “flow”?

From Wikipedia, font of all wisdom:

“Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the positive psychology concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields.”

(full article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29 )

Is there a difference? Is hyperfocus sort of a catchall term for fixating on any task, positive or negative, and therefore if the task is one we “should” be doing, that’s flow, and if it’s one we “shouldn’t” be doing, that’s perseverance?

Or is flow something else entirely?

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[Anonymous]

All of this (using a computer, the terms, and ADD ) is very new to me.For the most part, I have found the comments helpful and the links a good source of information. Hyperfocus is something I do a lot, especially when I have the opportunity to follw an interest. Actually this is a problem for me, because it is difficult to get around to things that I ‘should’ be doing — to have more balance in my life. I don’t know if I will actually send in comments very often. Writing anything has always been a challenge to me. But it is good to know and to see that there are other people out there who understand . Another comment, I too believe that Dr. Blarkley used the word perseveration. As I understand the meaning of the word, it is that one continues doing the same action. The example that I remember was of a child who was asked to draw a line on the blackboard and carried to the end of the board. It might be something like one of the tests I just had: I was supposed to click on the computer every time it flashed a letter , but not when it showed an X. I think I hit every letter and every X except 2. TLhat would be perseveration. As a last thought, I have staerted wearing a timer at home to help me be aware of time. I only spent 10 minutes playing with the canary tonight — one small victory which I am happy to claim.

I don’t know if I am supposed to sign my name here or if the program does it. Also, I don’t know what the term ‘tag’ refers to. Oleandeer

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[Anonymous]

Oleander, I did the same thing on that computer test, I clicked just about everything, and really FAST. If they’d had a camera watching me, they would have seen me tapping my foot furiously trying to stay focused on the task (but of course, I don’t tap my foot, ever), and then slapping myself on the forehead for clicking on the X when I wasn’t supposed to. Comedy of errors.

Whenever I have used the term hyperfocus with the ADD specialist, he called it something else, but I don’t remember what he called it (information overload – I don’t have to remember it, he does).

The tag is for search functions, if the post is about perseverance, for example, putting perseverance in the tags box below will help search engines find it. But it wouldn’t help me, I don’t know what it means, it’s just another one of those biggie words. 😡

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[Anonymous]

This is TOO funny, on the same topic as clicking too FAST, I just clicked to send this post – I have a new ergonomic mouse (it’s like a joystick, for people with carpal tunnel symptoms or arthritis) and I’m still getting used to the clicker button (you use your thumb), so I must have clicked too fast or twice. Anyway, the message I got was “SLOW DOWN, YOU MOVE TOO FAST” and “return to forums”.

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[Bill]

*D’Oh* [hits forehead] Could we please distinguish between:

PERSEVERATION – to repeat something insistently or redundantly: to perseverate in reminding children of their responsibilities

and

PERSEVERANCE – steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement

?

Should the title of this thread be Hyperfocus vs. Perseveration?

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[caper]

More on ADHD as a “spectrum” disorder.

I picked up Barkley’s “Taking Charge of Adult ADHD” book.

Pg 97: Genetic studies “have found at least 20-25 genes to be associated with ADHD”

Pg 112: “the symptoms occur along a continuum from mildest to most severe.”

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[quizzical]

Cool! Thanks, caper.

Regarding Bill’s comment “perseveration” vs. “perseverance” – too true! That was bugging me, too –

– and then I realized I’d made the exact same mistake in my post!!! Gahhh!

Oh, the joys of ADD.

What’s interesting is that the spell-check for this site doesn’t seem to like “perseveration.”

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[billd]

Regarding: >>Pg 112: “the symptoms occur along a continuum from mildest to most severe.” <<

Saw a arnp or whatever they are, to discuss meds, but because of the meds prescribed just the day before for my sleep issues, she could not. However, 5 minutes into our discussions/diagnosis interpretation (she had the interview forms from weeks prior) she stopped everything and said “Bill, I have absolutely no doubt you are very ADHD” and went on “so now what do we do about it”.

From our session, I seem to be considered at the extreme end – got it, got it bad, and now it’s confirmed by folks who specialize in it. She wants me to see a doc who does nothing but adult ADHD and can determine sub-types and dig a lot deeper.

(so far the nuvigil keeps me awake, I don’t want to nap during the day, but had done little else besides leg cramps and headaches)

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[quizzical]

Wow, billd – that’s big news! That definitely sheds light on this topic, but, more importantly, it sounds like you’re on the threshold of getting some really solid help, which is the good news in what has to be the distressing news that you’re at the extreme end of the spectrum. I hope you get to see the ADHD specialist soon! Keep us posted!

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[caper]

billd: if you have sleep apnea a CPAP machine might help.

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[Geoduck]

LOL!!! It’s been so long since I posted that, and I don’t exactly remember, but I wonder if I changed the wording because the spell checked barked at me when I typed “perseveration,” and I just chose the top suggestion. Quite possibly so.

If you can figure out how to change the title go ahead. I removed the tag.

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[Geoduck]

LOL!!! It’s been so long since I posted that, and I don’t exactly remember, but I wonder if I changed the wording because the spell checked barked at me when I typed “perseveration,” and I just chose the top suggestion. Quite possibly so.

If you can figure out how to change the title go ahead. I removed the tag.

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[Author]

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