Re: Pastimes, hobbies, and downers

[Anonymous]

Does anybody on here find they constantly jump from different hobbies/pastimes and never settle on anything? For example, a couple engineers I work with are volkswagen crazy. All they do in their spare time is tune up and talk about their Volkswagens. They wanted me to join the club. I thought it was cool for like two weeks and then bailed. This has been a typical pattern for me my whole life. With the exception of playing hockey, but thats a perfect ADHD sport anyways. But seriously, is this an actual symptom of my ADHD??

Also, I seem to have the weekend blues. I know its something psychological because it only occurs on the weekends, but when I get up on saturday, I am dead to the world. No motivation, and extreme fatigue. Drives my wife and kids crazy. Makes me feel like I have some sort of depression, but during the week I’m fine. Any ideas?

Thanks All!!

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[Anonymous]

I’m new to the fact that I have ADD therefore no expert but perhaps your work takes up so much time and distracts you all week that you don’t have time to feel the blues until Saturday when suddenly you have free time. The blues likely set in then but you likely have them all the time.

I also have many interests or hobbies but never can focus on any one of them long enough to accomplish much with them. I lack the focus and patience for them however I have the interest in them.. perhaps you are a bit like this. When I was younger I played softball. I was focussed on that. Sports seem to be one of the things I can do without too much trouble. I do forget what the pitch count is, how many outs there are and what inning it is during play…but

I loved to play street hockey (can’t skate) and one the unsung hero award. It was great fun.

You are not alone. I’m sure others with ADD have interests and hobbies that they never finish.

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[Anonymous]

I think this video, starring our own Mr Rick, might answer your question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka59V4TFefM

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[Anonymous]

That video’s pretty classic, almost all of those things I’ve done – in that order!! Ha! Hopefully exercise and a new regime of adderall will help take these blues and fatigue away. Sleeping is always a challenge though! My family swears that is the biggest factor.

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[Ivriniel]

You’re not alone dacookster. I have the same thing.

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[Anonymous]

Dacookster,

You are most definitely not alone. Frankly, it drives my wife up the wall. I seem to cycle through my interests and it makes her nuts.

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[ADDled]

I’m guilty of that too. There are several hobbies that I tend to cycle through, but since becoming aware of my ADD, I know why that is happening and am more aware when it happens.

And, of course, there are the half dozen or so uncompleted projects within each of those hobbies. You know the pattern. Big plans, a great start…and no follow through.

I spoke to a therapist once about my many hobbies and interests. His opinion was that it’d good to have alternatives in case there is a setback in one.

As I said, when I do change interests I now tell myself it’s the ADD and it’s OK. I have noticed that once the ADD was under control I am now better able to stay focused on a particular task and enjoy the benefit of actually completing something!

I cannot stress enough how my hobbies have kept me going during some rough patches my life. And, yes, there were times when I was so deep in depression that I lost interest in everything. And in a funny way, the hobbies were one of the reasons I got through all this. They were still there, waiting like old friends. They kept me involved with the world. It was my therapy and a way out.

Hope this helps..and good luck.

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[Anonymous]

Nice – the magic question for all of us is, how long will we stay interested in participating in this forum!!! Ha!

Thanks All!

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[Ivriniel]

I tend to find that Internet fora tend to hold my interest, as long as there is sufficient turnaround on the posts.

I’ve been posting to Syfy.com for years.

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[Anonymous]

One thing that I can stay focused on are sports which give an adrenalin rush. When I was in high school I joined every sports team going as well as the cheerleading squad. Being a cheerleader I could attend all of the boys’ games – i.e. football, etc. First of all, I didn’t care much for school as I thought it was boring and, secondly, the sports gave me an outlet for my ADHD (which I didn’t know at the time I had).

One of my hobbies is sewing. I shake my head at my sister who knits to pass the time away because I can knit (I’m a natural, ha ha) but I hate it because it doesn’t produce results as fast as sewing. The only way I can stay on task with the sewing, however, is to have a planned finish date. For example, when my girls went to the high school prom and needed a dress by Friday, I could whip something up in about a day. Or, if they were in a wedding party, I would procrastinate but always had the finished product on time.

I once starting a rug hooking project which has been in my closet, unfinished, for 33 years (that’s really bad). I started it when I had my first child and thought it would look nice in her room. It never made it there and it’s pattern is so outdated I should throw it out or find someone else who might enjoy finishing it, which I doubt. (I’ve wasted so much money on ‘things’ that never get completed I should be a millionaire by now.)

I always knew that I could fly by the seat of my pants, and under pressure was even better. I used to say to my friends, “if you’re going to Florida, give me 20 minutes to pack, and I’m with you.” I jokingly bragged about doing things well under pressure. I just thought it was part of my ‘wonderful’ personality. Then I found out that’s the only way I can actually finish a any job.

I used to work a weekly newspaper business doing the typesetting. I only worked a total of two days a week because I was very fast and efficient. My boss let me make my own hours as he knew that I would have the job done on time for publishing. Sometimes, I’d work until 1:00 in the morning, all alone at the office, and my fingers would be flying right up to the enth hour but it worked. I must like being tired as opposed to rested?!?!!

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[Anonymous]

Just to make sure are all you talking about yourselves or me? ;P

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[Curlymoe115]

My hobby is reading. I have gone through about 2000 books this year. I don’t read all the words, hate too much description and can read a book or two in a few hours. I get the flavor of the characters or story. I always joke that they don’t write fast enough. I don’t have the patience to wait for a year for the next book. I also do a lot of research for ancestry or other things. I read the paper but only stay focused on articles that interest me. I will take up an exercise for a day or two but then something else catches my eye and I am off. I do really well on tight tight deadlines but get hopelessly lost on open ended projects. I always underestimate how long things will take and try to finish just on time. This leaves me lots of time to get distracted by a million other things.

I have stayed home for the last 2 years. Therefore I have endless hours to fill. So I cycle through my hobbies of reading, researching, sewing, cooking, baking, eating out and still have lots of time for daydreaming and napping. I can waste time with the best of them. I can do everything faster (and usually because of the haste on detail jobs sloppier) then everyone else. I get a call company will be here in 2 hours. I can shampoo the rugs, clean the house, throw a fresh coat of paint on the walls, have time to whip up 2 dozen appetizers, get to the store for the turkey for next weeks dinner, pick up the dry cleaning I forgot last week, do a student teacher interview about the problem my daughter is having in school, get home as you are about to give up and go home because I am an hour late. That is just the way my brain works. When I am on an adrenaline high everything fires better and faster. Better not to tell me 3 weeks before because nothing will get done. I have bought new sewing machines that never make it out of the box, craft projects I don’t have time for (and I have nothing but time) and other time wasters. I get addicted to an activity and can do it 23 hours a day. Then I have to wean myself off because it is having an negative influence on the family. For about 3 months I was playing all the facebook games 23 hours a day. I would cycle through them, spend money to get me places faster (about $300.00 on things that weren’t tangible) and interact exclusively with other gamers. My family and home suffered, my friends were hurt because I would go to their homes and play on their computer. Finally my computer broke down and a five day break just about killed me. But it did allow me the chance to step away. Now I don’t dare even open one of the games in case I get dragged back in. If I am not careful books, tv shows or other imaginary worlds lure me in and I lose perspective with the real world. Everything in the virtual world is neat and clean. There is always a happy ending or at least a conclusion unlike the world of mothering teenagers who hate you and what you stand for.

I am hyperactive in a still body. My brain needs to be continually engaged. I hate sports because I trip going upstairs. I do not pay close attention where I am going or my body positioning. I often trip over other people even if they are standing beside me. My mind is a million miles away. I set a direction and I go without focusing on what obstacles are there. My brain says “get the laundry out of the dryer” and I fall headlong down the stairs because I didn’t see the dog. But I bounce pretty good.

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[billd]

I’m addicted to life……………….

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[Anonymous]

I have done a couple of triathlons. i really enjoy that, but funds are tight right now and it’s winter, so I’ve had to give up my gym membership. I’m sad about that, but I know that once the money thing straightens out, I’ll be doing them again.

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[billd]

it will straighten out and winter will end and spring will come and things will turn green again…………

Downer: the months after Christmas when all is quiet and lonely and there’s no excitement, no holidays (work work work) and it’s too cold to go work on my cars or in my shop and I’m stuck doing, aarrgghh – paperwork and tax stuff!

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[Author]

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