Thread by @UntoNuggan

It really astounds me how many people think, "it couldn't possibly be ADHD, I can focus when I'm interested"

like hi you are literally describing hyperfocus which is common in both ADHD and Autism.

I just wish we had less stigma, more sharing important information.

Seriously one of the ways I bond with other neurodivergent people (especially Autistic and ADHD people) is to make jokes about how weird and sometimes wonderful hyperfocus is

it's a mental minefield of "I did all the things! But nothing on my to do list. Again. Whoops"

Knowing about hyperfocus in our ableist society is also really important

Because I think we all internalize that maybe we're just "making up our disabilities" or "it's not THAT hard to focus"

But then we end up beating ourselves up for variable attention and disability

Anyway, if you're a parent or a teacher, and a kid is only getting As or only focusing "on things they're interested in"

Consider whether maybe they're struggling with executive function and are only able to hyperfocus *when they're interested*

More info on ADHD hyperfocus

additudemag.com/understanding-…

Anyway, if you can only focus on things you're interested in :

You are not lazy. You are not imagining it. You are not "making excuses."

I'm sorry you haven't had access to resources on executive dysfunction and hyperfocus.

I can't find a good article on ADHD hyperfocus, but for me uninterrupted hyperfocus is like the Ultimate Stim

I just sink myself into this vibrant web of knowledge and let my mind wander and explore

It's really incredibly great, even though sometimes frustrating

One way that I cope with boring af adulting tasks is to pick a thing I REALLY don't want to do, and then procrastinate by things like "washing my clothes so I can go outside"

I used to cope by making arbitrary deadlines ahead of time and then convincing myself IT HAD TO BE DONE ON TIME

But using anxiety as fuel to complete boring stuff was...not a sustainable coping strategy for me

I'm still parsing how much of my executive dysfunction is due to brain fog, suddenly having less anxiety-as-fuel because I accessed treatment, and Autism

And how much is something else (maybe ADHD?)

But I thought this info/research infodump could be useful to others

If you're still in school or academia, this book has some useful tips on coping with assignments and writing papers and, like, making an outline out of colored clay

IIRC it's a little bit "we did it, so can you" which hi I see those bootstraps

amazon.com/Learning-Outsi…

There's also a TON of useful info on Autism, including on hyperfocus, on the tag #ActuallyAutistic

You can also try using #AskingAutistics if you have questions

This link (to a free PDF) includes organization strategies designed for executive dysfunction, as opposed to "buy another day planner"

google.com/url?q=https://…

Also, just knowing that hyperfocus has a name and other people deal with it too

Has helped me put down some of the internalized ableism and shame I carry about why boring things are just inexplicably hard

(Learning new languages - the memorizing vocab gets me every time)

Also a personal trick that works for me sometimes is to play good music to get things done

I think the parts of my brain that are all "IT BORING. NOOOOOO." get to play with the sounds and then it's actually possible for me to focus on like, paying bills (it's still hard tho)

It also helps me if I take breaks between boring tasks or limit how many I do in one day/sitting

Because if the "reward" for finishing a boring task is ... Moar boring tasks... just, no

Or if I try to force myself to focus past my limit, it's insta meltdown/shutdown

A downside to hyperfocus is that it can be hard to remember to take breaks, and I'll just turn my phone alarm off and keep going

Sometimes I have to set alarms and leave them in another room, or set like five alarms in a row, so I don't lose track of time and miss appointments

[food]

Another downside to hyperfocus is that sometimes I forget to eat or drink because I'm SO IMMERSED in a task and also if I stop it's hard to get going again

I try to have snacks handy to my workspace and easy to prep food in the freezer so I can feed myself and keep going

I can also get incredibly cranky when I was blissfully hyperfocusing and FINALLY DOING A THING

If someone interrupts me

Or like, life interrupts me

I try to let people know if I'm hyperfocusing and not up for interruptions

Also, if I have to stop a task I was hyperfocusing on to like, deal with life or take care of my body

I personally find it helpful to leave myself notes on what I was thinking or doing

So it's easier to restart my task again later

I'm a sucker for any kind of spreadsheet that say, tracks my word count or apps that gamify doing chores

I tried making my own sticker chart but honestly maintaining it was too much work

Anyway, I know people are often concerned about meds or access to meds. That's very real.

But there are a lot of different coping strategies out there that do not require a doctor.

What works for me may not work for you. I offer these as examples of potential ways to cope.

This post by @disabilisaur on differences between ADHD and Autism may be helpful for some folks

https://twitter.com/disabilisaur/status/915244065234579457?s=19

Here is also a helpful reminder about gender and neurodivergent diagnoses

https://twitter.com/disabilisaur/status/949395578861117440?s=19

Tired : Autism and ADHD are more common in boys

Also tired : Autism and ADHD are underdiagnosed in girls and women

Inspired : gendered stereotypes about Autism and ADHD contribute to underdiagnosis

Update : today I hyperfocused and so the bathroom litter box is FINALLY clean but my hip and back are super cranky also I still need to do the boring pill box refill

These are the kind of trade offs I make all the time

PS the hyperfocus was worth it

PPS since we're having a "things I wish everyone knew about ADHD" moment, here's a couple threads on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) which is common in ADHD

https://twitter.com/AnaMardoll/status/994328152213282817?s=19