Even if I wake up full of energy and am totally ready to go, if at any point something less interesting happens like I have to sit through a boring class, or read a book and I get drowsy as I know happens with ADD, I find that it effects me for the rest of the day. If I become tired during any time, I don't bounce back at least not totally, sometimes not at all.

I'm pretty sure that most non-ADD people can be passing out during a class and the moment theyre up and moving theyre fine again, but that doesn't work for me. If I have to sit through a boring class in the morning, I might as well just go back to bed when I get home becuase I won't be awake enough to do anything productive.

Does anyone else find that they can't bounce back?

Does anyone else find that they can't bounce back?
On a rare ocassion, if I've really pushed too hard, but most of the time I'm fine within minutes (or even seconds).

Even if I wake up full of energy and am totally ready to go, if at any point something less interesting happens like I have to sit through a boring class, or read a book and I get drowsy as I know happens with ADD, I find that it effects me for the rest of the day. If I become tired during any time, I don't bounce back at least not totally, sometimes not at all.


Same here. This question made me think of the 'yawning in class' thread over in the College/University forum. In order to recover, it requires that I do something engaging, in which the rebound can take quite a bit of time to achieve.

wheresmykesy,

Don't let the boredom happen in the first place. Multitask during a boring class and read the boring books as fast as you can while listening to loud stimulating music. The only non-drug trick that I know is to increase the baud rate of incoming data by opening a second and sometimes a third stream. Otherwise, either one of two things will happen: I'll do something to create a commotion - usually not socially acceptable, or, I'll fall asleep.

Once boredom hits, it is hard for me to recover also. However, that was pre-adderall.

Fun being ADHD?

Bob

I get that way driving.... I have to multi-task or I'm afraid of literally falling asleep at the wheel. I have to have loud music, a drink... smoke... and always several things going on at one time. Which is probably not very conducive to safe driving.. the worst time for me is when it's night and I have my kids in the car.... they go to sleep, and I used to struggle to stay awake.... been thinking about getting an I POD so I can have something blaring....
I've noticed that I do that with many things. Lucky for me, I don't have to sit through class any more, and my work environment is a restaurant. I'm a manager, so multi-tasking is not a problem. But during the weekly meetings we have, I have to find something else to do besides sit there... typically I talk too much, and throw in a little interrupting.... but have also found that if I doodle, or take notes it helps keep my stimuli more where I need it. I did just start adderall.... so, I'm hoping these things will change :)

I 100% agree! I can deal with short boring items, but if it drags on a long time it can set a bad mood for the rest of the day I can never fully recover from.

This happens both at home and work. On weekends at home, my wife doesn't always understand why I want to do important tasks first. Mornings work best for me in general, and if I start out bored or lounging around then I can't get motivated.....although Adderral can really help, but not 100%. Another point she doesn't understand or like is a hour or so of action computer games help bring me back (a bit of the virtual ultra-violence in first person shooters). Try to explain that to a spouse...so I often just suffer and get frustrated. :(

On the positive side -- this same kind of thing is what lets me get immense things done if I build momentum! So good and bad, I feel ADHD is both a blessing and curse.

It usually helps me to bounce back if I can do something physical -- brisk walk, jog, run up stairs, etc. In college, I literally used to run between classes, take the long route, go up and down stairs and so forth -- probably a good thing that I was ADD oblivous enough to miss the funny looks I may have gotten! Hallowell and Ratey talk about how exercise helps reset the brain. I know that's how it works for me. Otherwise, it's pretty easy for me to get stuck in low gear.

Scattered

This is a big problem for me. I can wake up motivated and ready to go, but doing one boring task - even just starting it - can knock me back down into the rut.

Music is a great antidote for this.

I used to draw since highschool. Not elaborate drawing, more scribble...during the most boring classes like classic logic-sylogisms and such-I used to write poetry...

now it is so much harder because if I do not pay attention to my 1 year old-constantly paying attention and playing to her can get extremely boring -no matter how much I do love her- she can get hurt.I wish I could get back to college sometimes....

I can relate -- John Ratey in his book Shadow Syndromes describes how a woman with even a mild case of ADD taken out of her stimulating work or school environment and put home in the not so stimulating world of diapers and child care can find her mental acuity declining due to lack of stimulation making it more difficult to accomplish what she needs to and consequently her emotions may sink lower and lower. That's exactly what happened to me -- I love my kids to death, but I need mental stimulation. The meds are helping now a lot, but I also have to schedule time each week to see grown ups or I go nuts! You're not alone in this! Maybe even working out a way to take one class a week -- even if it was on line might help turn on your mental lights.

Take care!
Scattered

Another thing along these lines is that those rare times when I do get a good motivation going, I often seem to run into obstacles (a lot of times related to my disorganization) that trip me up.

For instance, if I have a work project to do, I'll get a good focus going to tackle it, then I can't find the files I need, the printer is out of ink, the cable for the external hard drive is nowhere to be seen, etc. I get sidetracked trying to fix the secondary issues that are neccessary to get the primary project done, and it just takes the wind out of my sails.

Gosh, I feel for you guys.

I will now be more aware and greatful that I am able to "snap back".

I'm wondering if there isn't something you can get excited about that will pull you up whenever this happens. Maybe brief exposure to something you tend to hyperfocus on?

Scattered
thanks. you made my day. "I thought i am an awfull mom to find my babies boring. Whne I had only Lia it was better, but now with 2 (kids) under 2 (years old)....
I was lucky with alex because my mom was at home to watch him and I went to school, work so I enjoyed every moment I spent with him.

Yeah Anamari, my second kid was where I hit my personal wall. What I've found is that when I take better care of my need for mental stimulation, I'm a much better mommy!

Take care,
Scattered

Here's another thing along those lines. Whenever I get those energy boosts and get back into 'productive' mode, all of the things I've been neglecting and need to take care of come to mind, suddenly rushing back like a flood. Then I immediately I hit overload mode and short-circuit my energy. I try to prioritize but there are so many 'criticals' that I can't seem to ignore. It's like I'm thinking "holy crap! I really have been letting things go! Look at all of this stuff that needs taken care of! Gotta get all this stuff back on track!'"

Kind of like when there is a power outage in the summertime, and the main substations' circuit breakers have trouble handling the huge load from trying to turn everything back on at once. When the switch is thrown only then does the system experience the full impact of all that has been neglected. They ask people to turn their AC units off so that the breakers can handle the huge current surge from restoring power to everyone suddenly. I can't seem to do this equivalent, that is 'turning off' all of the other things I need to do so I can at least get one thing done.

Here's another thing along those lines. Whenever I get those energy boosts and get back into 'productive' mode, all of the things I've been neglecting and need to take care of come to mind, suddenly rushing back like a flood. Then I immediately I hit overload mode and short-circuit my energy.

I just had a small revelation!

You have just perfectly described the difference between ADHD and Bipolar Disorder.

The Bipolar see the long list and is so confident and underwhelmed, they whip through the list, catch up, then crash. The ADDer looks at the list, feels overwhelmed, tries to figure out where to start, then can't move.....

It's actually quite strange to have both, because I sometimes do the first and sometimes do the second.....

The Bipolar see the long list and is so confident and underwhelmed, they whip through the list, catch up, then crash. The ADDer looks at the list, feels overwhelmed, tries to figure out where to start, then can't moveThat's interesting. I wonder then if it's actually better for an ADDer to also be bipolar. At least then there would be those prolonged periods of energy that would allow me to get more things accomplished. I'd almost be willing to deal with a crash afterward if it meant consistently (or at least occasionally) getting everything I need to do completed.

Somehow I'm doing OK and get by, but I mean, if I had only one day a week where I got everything done, I could probably double my income.

I'd almost be willing to deal with a crash afterward if it meant consistently (or at least occasionally) getting everything I need to do completed.
Oh, it's definitely NOT consistent! But, every 6 months to a year I get the whole thing done! It helps to clean up my "piles" once in a while & start all over! :D