Today a friend of mine called and was very angry. He keeps trying to hold conversations with me on the phone and I keep getting distracted by the sounds in my home: a tv, a radio, the kids, the cats.. you get the idea.

For as long as I can remember sound has always been my downfall. I would be attracted to someone at a dance only to be taken away by the music and missing much of if any conversation.
I have to work with headphones so that phone calls, converstions, or other peoples music doesn't still my attention away from my computer work.

What's your main distraction? Anyone else gets thrown off by sound?

Oh yes !!! Mostly my meds take care of my sound distraction during the day...

When I was a kid(before meds) I did home work with music or a TV right in front of me. I had to read with a the radio on.

I have trouble in restaurants(unmed.) I hear and see everythng going on around me and can't hear or see the person I'm sitting with ....lol...

At night I sleep with a fan on all year round. The cats,cars going by,the heat coming on,others in my house turning over,breathing or getting up, wake me right up !

The funny thing is, I fall asleep in record time ...lol... I will fall asleep with- in mins. of my head hitting the pillow.

So that's my question, anyone else fall asleep quickly?

Ha fast mom you and I should have a race to see who can fall asleep the fastest

my wife says 1 to 2 mins

im gone

What distracts me everything anything life
ect

My answer to this is: anything. If I'm looking for a distraction, anything will do. Even if if it's something I'm not that crazy about. I can always find something to distract me. And if on the other hand, I'm focussed on what I'm doing, I can detract myself from practically anything. I can tune out easily if I want to....

I too fall asleep right away...a long day, with no naps, and having exercised will make for the best night's sleep....UNLESS something really big is happening the next day...then I don't sleep so good....:(

Kassie, if you meet someone at a dance, you get distracted? How about if it were, say, Dennis Quaid, or Mathew McConahy or William Hurt, or Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise or Jim Carey or your favorite actor?? Would you be able to focus THEN?:)

Originally posted by Garry Lawton
you and I should have a race to see who can fall asleep the fastest

Do you think this is an ADD thing ? ....lol...

Paula

Yes definatly

To me its a privilege to be able to deside I need a nap get comfortable and have a quick powernap or nights sleep

I get distracted more by visuals than by sound. I can be walking through a room and see a word printed on something in passing, not even an instant... and become completely absorbed, or distracted from my original task and intent.

Sounds generally don't distract me, although I notice I am hypersensitive to noises some times and notice sounds others do not.

My distractions are more internal

Originally posted by livingwithadd
My distractions are more internal

Can you explain that Tara

Originally posted by livingwithadd
My distractions are more internal
Mine too. I find that it's hard to listen to a lecture or radio program if my hands aren't doing something. Last semester I always took out my sketchbook in class, which helped me absorb more of the material.

Okay, here's what's distracting me right now...other people's very fast typing...it's SO obnoxious....trying to get work done here at the computer and other people are going ten million miles a minute at their keyboards....makes me want to scream...

Here's what else: when other people crack their gum...ouch....

Other people's cell phone ringers: playing the strangest songs...right here in the library...all right pardon me, I'm a bit on edge...giving my oral presentation tomorrow morning that goes along with my case study...and then I have a job interview on the phone...so I AM a tad bit distracted in general....

Originally posted by livingwithadd
My distractions are more internal

Same here. I guess my own head has to have more than one thing going on in there. I try to channel it to something beneficial, like being aware of my surroundings, while still attempting to pay attention to external input.

Sometimes sound distracts me, but it's mostly visual and internal distractions.

If I am cleaning up or organizing, I get distracted by old things I find...an old comic book, notes I took three years ago, a picture, etc.

Or if I see something strange, intricate, or bright, I tend to look away from whatever I'm supposed to be focusing on.

Fluttering insects, a leaf blows by, someone shifts their weight, pretty much anything that moves when I am in a sitting situation.

My thoughts distract me too. My mind wanders most of the time, before I know it, 10 minutes or an hour has gone by.

Cyndi

Oh yeah, it takes me hours to fall asleep...from mind wandering, mostly.

My distractions are more external.

If I really need to get some computer work done I can put on headphones and crank tunes and tune out the world. So, I guess they are also sounds more than visual. Though I'll admit that women are an amazing distraction for me. Well dressed women for sure. So working in an office where I can see them walk down the hall is NOT a good thing... if I want to get any work done.

I think I'm finding my distraction is activated by BOREDOM.

I still get sidetracked in a task if I have to walk into another room (eg. to get something to complete the task). I find that I have to mutter my task to myself while I'm in the other room otherwise I find a new thing to do & forget the old one (or sometimes I write it on the back of my hand).

Single worst distraction/pet peeve I've ever encountered has to be the audible ticking of clocks.

One night before my meds I unplugged/stopped no less than six clocks in my house because I was trying to read.

It bothered me so much and I was so sensitive to it that I even had to unplug the ones upstairs when I was reading in the basement!

I don't know why, but a "tick-tock," even from a wris****ch is like a hammer striking an anvil to my ears.

Maybe that's why I find it so difficult to manage my time!

How about digital clocks? :D I understand the dislike of ticking, though my kids make so much noise now that I couldn't hear a ticking clock even if I had one. I spent a night at a relative's house many years ago, and I can still vividly remember the sound of all those **** clocks ticking. Her DH collected clocks. They all ticked, they all bonged every 15 minutes, and they were all slightly out of sync, so that the bonging went on and on and on. shudder :eek:

I'm distracted by sounds, by my own tangential, random thoughts, by bright lights, by the demands of the children, etc., etc. Pretty much everything....

Internal-external-onturnal-nocturnal, all of it continuosly.
Light is a biggie, my eyes are like a moth. (True poetry)
I can't keep them from looking towards the light. I keep a nice squishy down pillow tucked around my head ears and eyes when I go to sleep, I sleep flat on my back mostly.

Originally posted by Jellybean
Internal-external-onturnal-nocturnal, all of it continuosly.
Light is a biggie, my eyes are like a moth. (True poetry)
I can't keep them from looking towards the light. I keep a nice squishy down pillow tucked around my head ears and eyes when I go to sleep, I sleep flat on my back mostly.

JB, it sounds like you could use a sensory deprivation chamber.
No light, no sounds, no nothing.... but air and warmth.

sounds great! And then, I need a little switch to disengage the mind.

Originally posted by Jellybean
sounds great! And then, I need a little switch to disengage the mind.

When I was a teen we called that little switch Qualudes :D

In hollywood I think they call that switch Valium

I think I'd like some too.....to switch off now and then! HA!

For me, I need the external sounds to keep my ears busy while I am working. I have the tv on next to my computer. The noise goes unnoticed most of the time. It helps me focus on what is at hand. If I turn it off, I can't stay focused. THEN, sounds bother me. I will hear the dogs barking outside or the birds in the trees.
Must be the old "can't see the forest for the trees". With the constant drone of the tv (24 hour news channel), I don't notice the little changing sounds that will pull me out of my project of focus.

Originally posted by Arbuck
For me, I need the external sounds to keep my ears busy while I am working. I have the tv on next to my computer. The noise goes unnoticed most of the time. It helps me focus on what is at hand. If I turn it off, I can't stay focused. THEN, sounds bother me. I will hear the dogs barking outside or the birds in the trees.
Must be the old "can't see the forest for the trees". With the constant drone of the tv (24 hour news channel), I don't notice the little changing sounds that will pull me out of my project of focus.

That's what the experts (who ever they are!) call white noise.
That's exactly what I do with headphones and music. Play music I know by heart and it tunes out the rest of the new sounds.

My 5 year old son, who is Mini-ME, goes to sleep better at night when we run this little 6 inch fan above his head. Without it he can stay up for hours. With it on he goes to sleep in less than 5 minutes!

A constant sound helps me focus too...I can't sleep with a radio or TV on, because the commercials wake me up, or distract me if I am doing something else....not to mention the flickering of the TV screen. It's way too easy to divert my attention away from the task at hand.

Does medication help with this at all? I'm on wellbutrin and lexapro right now, but my neurologist is adding ritalin or adderal to my daily regiment soon.

Cyndi

Originally posted by neuroangel
A constant sound helps me focus too...I can't sleep with a radio or TV on, because the commercials wake me up, or distract me if I am doing something else....not to mention the flickering of the TV screen. It's way too easy to divert my attention away from the task at hand.

Does medication help with this at all? I'm on wellbutrin and lexapro right now, but my neurologist is adding ritalin or adderal to my daily regiment soon.

Cyndi

Cyndi, why would you have Wellbutrin and Ritalin? I thought it was one or the other.

You should read some of the anxiety posts of the past couple days. It sounds like YOU might benefit from Xanax to get some rest.
Of course, I'm no doctor. I just pretend I went to all that school and studied for hours on end with complete concentration. Lies! All Lies!

I've been thinking Xanax might be good for me too for the anxiety I seem to always feel.
Back to the Ritalin. It makes me tired at the end of the day. Maybe it will help you sleep......?

Cyndi, why would you have Wellbutrin and Ritalin? I thought it was one or the other.

You should read some of the anxiety posts of the past couple days. It sounds like YOU might benefit from Xanax to get some rest.
Of course, I'm no doctor. I just pretend I went to all that school and studied for hours on end with complete concentration. Lies! All Lies!

I've been thinking Xanax might be good for me too for the anxiety I seem to always feel.
Back to the Ritalin. It makes me tired at the end of the day. Maybe it will help you sleep......?

The wellbutrin doesn't do a whole lot for me. The doc wasn't clear if I'd be starting the ritalin/adderal and stopping the wellbutrin, or if he was just going to add.

He said he's going to start me on a low dose, so he's probably going to play around with the wellbutrin and ritalin/adderal doses until it works just right.

I don't want xanax...my mom had severe withdrawal if she missed just one dose. Scary stuff, meds.

Cyndi

Originally posted by neuroangel
Scary stuff, meds.

Cyndi

Scary stuff is right! Especially when you are taking cocktail doses.

I didn't realize Xanax was addictive.
Let me know how it goes with the Ritabuterall cocktail.
I'm overdue for an update to my meds cuz they don't really do it for me. So, I'm craving input from others.

I didn't realize Xanax was addictive.
Let me know how it goes with the Ritabuterall cocktail.
I'm overdue for an update to my meds cuz they don't really do it for me. So, I'm craving input from others.

The only anti-anxiety meds that aren't addictive (that I've heard of) are visteral (is also used as an antihistamine) and buspar.

Xanax, ativan, klonapin, valium, etc. etc. are all addictive.

Cyndi -- Sure, I'll keep you updated with my meds. :D

Update--that was quick, I know. :D

My neurologist called around 4pm and asked me how I was doing and all that good stuff...he is mailing me a prescription for concerta and said it won't interact with the meds I'm on.

It'll be 18 mg for three days, then 36 mg for a week, and finally, 54 mg to stay, with adjustments as needed.

Hopefully it will help me focus enough to stay employed for longer than a month!! lol

Cyndi

I'm with Tara and the internal distractions. Mostly of the "oh I forgot I have to ..." type, and then I forgot what I was trying to get done in the first place.

I have a new phone w/a voice recorder, and at least that helps get some of the distractions out of my head and somewhere I can do something about them. Would you believe the VR ran out of room?!? ARGHHHH! I guess I have to get a real one now from Sony or somebody ('cuz I still haven't unpacked the first set of voice memos in my phone, I was so irate that I ran out of room mid-talk).

I relate to so many of y'all's distractors.... :D Love this family!

For me, it's mostly internal distractions....some days the AdderallXR seems to work on that "inner chatter," and other days it doesn't. :(

I also have GAD (heh heh, I first typed "GAS"!--lol) and my anxiety issues can really make my mind all swirly.

Funny thing, though...I have the worst time with distractions ONLY at WORK! (go figure--legal secretary--dumb@$$ job for an ADDer!)

In addition, my work environment isn't exactly a cube farm, but I don't have a much needed door to lock out all the guffaws from the boisterous attorneys that seem to have all been assigned offices around me!! :mad:

Add that to the sometimes loud personal phone calls from the secretaries around me.... UGH!

Some days the noise drives me completely nuts! Thank God my boss (and the others around me) don't mind my ear plugs. They understand that when I've plugged my ears, I'm "having a bad day." (Yes, the surrounding secretaries and my boss know I'm ADHD--although he kind of snorts at it... grrr).

:D
smooch

Originally posted by Jellybean
Internal-external-onturnal-nocturnal, all of it continuosly.
Light is a biggie, my eyes are like a moth. (True poetry)
I can't keep them from looking towards the light. I keep a nice squishy down pillow tucked around my head ears and eyes when I go to sleep, I sleep flat on my back mostly.

I used to do the same thing with a pillow. Now I use ear plugs and I wear eyeshades... you know, the puffy "beauty" ones with soft material and a non restrictive head band. These are lifesavers for me since I'm sensitive to noise and light.

the internet. even this very moment, i am supposed to hand in a proposal tomorrow morning, it is 1.36am, i am distracted by the internet.

I am very distractable, like Tara it is internal a lot of the time. Like my brain zooming around getting distracted by the person I am conversing with expressions. Or what they are saying reminds me of other stuff, or I have a misquito bite or a pain in my neck.
The most noticeable distraction problem I have nowdays is my attraction to my boyfriend. So when he talks I am distracted by his voice, smell, looks and it is all at once. Very overwhelming!!

i'm distracted by.....

LMAO that's a good one!!!!