I have inattentive add. If I could be paid to daydream 16 hours aday
I would do it. I read some where that inattentives have alot of theta
brainwaves. Theta waves (day dreams,random thoughts), alpha(relaxed,
no thinking), beta (thinking, focused) delta(sleep). So basically the
very act of daydreaming is re-enforcing more and more thetawaves.
You will know when you have ADD beat when you daydream much
less. My dream world is a very nice place .The real world is not so
nice. Maybe the problems some people have getting over ADD is
that when you focus more on the real world it makes life harder. Granted
getting little work done day dreaming can make your life harder but
those sweet day dreams are nicer than real life. Finding balance is
what we need. I've only tried wellbutrin which at 500mg I still would
just daydream non-stop. Anybody like this? Found drugs to reduce the
day dreaming?

Strattera seems to cause me to think/focus more (would that be beta waves, then?), even when there isn't anything to focus on. It's great for when I have to get something done, but sometimes I want to slip back into my dream world and relax. Unfortunately, Strattera is an always-on type of thing.

So my question is a little different. Do any drugs let you focus when you want to focus, and let your thoughts wander when you want them to wander?

Ah--daydreaming--sometimes, I wonder if it's a bit like an addiction. I've been through rough times with a little help of my ability to drift off to a much better place. I also have vivid dreams, and often find myself mulling over them the next day.

Though I don't know if I'll ever find the right balance, I've figured out when I need to focus on work, and when I can just drift off--usually on the train/car, or on a weekend afternoon running errands. Also, daydreamng right before sleeping helps to get rid of the never-ending, random thoughts--allows me to hyperfocus, I guess--which helps me to actually fall asleep :-p

I am so happy to see people writing about inattentive ADD. The daydreaming (when I actually think about how much I do it) kinda gets me upset.
I take Strattera (80mgs) and Wellbutrin (300mg).
The Strattera is really what helped me focus more, get things done
but now (I guess I'm spooled after all these years of being on it) I want to be even MORE awake...I feel like I miss out on alot. But at the same time it can be nice in my own little world! I have lots and lots of big thoughts and exciting ideas....and then someone says something to me and I'm thinking in my head,"Whhaaa?" cause I'm not there AT ALL sometimes.

I read about EEG/neurofeedback how it allows you to train your
brain to produce more beta(focus),but the whole concept of neurofeedback
maybe a scam. In theory if it worked you might get some anti-ADD effects
plus easily slip into a theta (daydream) state when you wanted. The EEG
machines cost several hundreds or if you goto a "treatment" center they
charge like thousands to give you like 50 training sessions. Theres an
open source project OpenEEG that has plans and software to build a
homemade system. I guess it would cost $200-$300 to Build. I'm thinking
about building one, but having ADD you can be sure I'm in no hurry:)
In the future maybe a small dime size(or much smaller) device stuck to
your head(like a bandaid) could read your brainwaves/time of day and then
auto-secrete/inject a short half-life anti-ADD drug as needed. It would
precisely titrate the drug and allow you to be drug free as needed.

Yes I daydream as well....I don't even know I'm doing it. I'll be running late and plan to take a 5 minute shower only to notice that 20 minutes later I'm still shampooing! I usually have no idea where I went. I've actually made it a memory game where I try to take my current thought and retrace all the wandering thoughts that got me there! It's SO fun...and really interesting!

I've actually made it a memory game where I try to take my current thought and retrace all the wandering thoughts that got me there! It's SO fun...and really interesting!
Lol, I do that too.

Thanks for writing about this, this is my biggest problem I think, I lose track of time so easily. Right now, with no drugs, I am focused because I am facing a big change in my life, one that is exciting and something I am very much looking forward to.....but I do think that daydreaming is a problem-it is so fuzzy-neither here nor there-and so inviting....but I think along with it, the more you do it, the more you want to do it....the harder it is to be motivated to do anything, everything then seems like such an effort to do.....it is my attitude, I guess. I am always needing something inviting, and new and different to stimulate, motivate and gravitate me toward wanting to do or to be-and then come the fears associated with anything new, but I am trying to focus on how I can help someone else-what I know or can do to make their life better in terms of quality and discovering what can be done. Does this help at all?

I am sooo bad for day dreaming.. I usually am really silent in the car.. because I am too busy day dreaming... or going from one thought, to the next, to the next... they could each be complete different thoughts.. but somehow I link them up in my head.

I daydream alot more then I should. Basically all I ever did in elementary school, and high school as I sat at my seat busy doodling pictures all day.

My most favourite time to daydream is at night as I am ready to go to sleep.
The only way I can sleep (been doing this since I was little) is to lie down and create a story in my mind.. am I am the main character in the story.

For example maybe I will re-create a movie I have seen, or I will just make up my own imaginary story... and about 1/4 - 1/2 way through the story I fall asleep.

Sometimes I really look forward to this "sleep"dreaming because I can just relax and imagine another world other then this one.

I am sooo bad for day dreaming.. I usually am really silent in the car.. because I am too busy day dreaming... or going from one thought, to the next, to the next... they could each be complete different thoughts.. but somehow I link them up in my head.

I daydream alot more then I should. Basically all I ever did in elementary school, and high school as I sat at my seat busy doodling pictures all day.

My most favourite time to daydream is at night as I am ready to go to sleep.
The only way I can sleep (been doing this since I was little) is to lie down and create a story in my mind.. am I am the main character in the story.

For example maybe I will re-create a movie I have seen, or I will just make up my own imaginary story... and about 1/4 - 1/2 way through the story I fall asleep.

Sometimes I really look forward to this "sleep"dreaming because I can just relax and imagine another world other then this one.

Everything you just said there is exactly what I do. :D I do that "sleep" dreaming too, its the only way I can stop billions of other thoughts entering my head (which stops me from sleeping because I cant stop thinking!). At least I can "sleep" dream and just fall asleep from that.

I read about EEG/neurofeedback how it allows you to train your brain to produce more beta(focus),but the whole concept of neurofeedback may be a scam. In theory if it worked you might get some anti-ADD effects plus easily slip into a theta (daydream) state when you wanted.Hey Theta! :)
I found this thread you started because I was looking at some of your posts. (Which I'm sure you know why! LOL :D Obviously, I'm no different than you! LOL :D)

Anyway, your BETA waves statement made me think about this cool CD a Doctor friend of mine gave me years ago that he thought I might find interesting since I'm a musician. It was called "Brain Sync" and the CD the Doctor gave me was this CD called "Brain Power", which I thought was actually pretty cool! I don't know about all the claims they make on their website, but here is a small article explaining what "Brain Sync" CD's do.


From The Brain Sync Website:

First discovered by biophysicist Gerald Oster at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, brain wave audio technology sends pure, precisely tuned sound waves of different frequencies to your brain via stereo headphones. In his EEG research, Oster discovered that when different vibrations, or sound frequencies are delivered to the brain separately through each ear (as with stereo headphones), the two hemispheres of the brain function together to "hear" not the external sound signals, but a third phantom signal. This signal is called a binaural beat and it pulses at the exact mathematical difference between the two actual tones.
So, for example, if, simultaneously, a signal of 100 cycles per second entered your left ear and a signal of 109 cycles per second entered your right ear, what you would actually perceive you heard would be a rhythmic, soothing pulsation, beating at 9 cycles per second. Research results show that first parts of the brain and, eventually, large areas of the brain begin to resonate sympathetically with this "phantom" binaural beat in what is known as the Frequency Following Response.

Subsequent research determined that binaural beat frequencies could drive or guide brain activity into a wide variety of specific brain states. Thus, effortlessly and naturally, your brain activity slides into rhythm with this binaural beat, becoming organized and coherent. Within minutes, the sound frequencies start to balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain – creating a remarkable state called hemispheric synchronization and driving the electrical activity of your brain into powerful states, normally unattainable.

Scientists have noted that this rare phenomenon was accompanied by flashes of creative insight, euphoria, intensely focused concentration, deep calm, and enhanced learning abilities. Brain Sync has advanced and refined a sophisticated sound recording technique called Harmonic Superimposition of binaural beat frequencies. In our audio programs, carefully tuned binaural beats are superimposed, layer upon layer, causing different groups of neurons to fire at different frequencies.

Recent scientific research indicates that individual brain states, ranging from sleep to creativity, are marked by combinations of different brain wave frequencies. Brain Sync's Harmonic Superimposition technique takes a number of highly specific binaural beat frequencies and combines them simultaneously so that the binaural beats themselves create harmonic beat frequencies with the other binaural beats, to produce a highly specific brain state. The frequencies we've chosen for our audio programs are very powerful "window frequencies" ranging from the low delta range, associated with sleep and healing, upward through theta, alpha and into the very high beta range associated with heightened alertness and cognition.
...Here's a link to their website --> http://www.brainsync.com/about.asp

As I said above, I can't vouch for all the krap they claim on their website. It all sounds like a scam (To me) when I read their website propaganda. But I can vouch for their "Brain Power" CD. That disc had an interesting effect on my ADD brain. Unfortunately, I had to give it back to the Doctor friend of mine who loaned it to me! I never really thought about it again until you mentioned "Beta Waves" in this thread. I realize that this is more of a biofeedback thing, but I thought you still might find it interesting! Oh and BTW, I've never been into meditation or yoga or anything like that either. I've never even tried meditation or yoga! LOL :D

Anyway, you may want to check out their "Brain Power" CD! :) The rest of their CD's I have know idea whether they do anything or not! But their "Brain Power" CD was certainly Kewl! :) :)

Peace,

Anyway, your BETA waves statement made me think about this cool CD a Doctor friend of mine gave me years ago that he thought I might find interesting since I'm a musician. Yeah I read a post of yours that you
had 8 guitars. I thought you would
be a musician :)

I'm thinking my ADD is more on the
worst case level. Now if I would only
goto a doctor.

I just enjoy daydreaming as what I do is easy and it helps me in many ways, so far the daydreams help more than the apprehend my mind. It helps me compose my pieces on the piano.

Undiagnosed inattentive ADD here. I remember 8 or 9 years ago being in high school and having work to do but just staring at the wall instead, dreaming of all manner of subject. For some strange reason the teachers at my school never thought anything was wrong with me despite the fact that i literally failed all but 3 classes in over 4 years of high school. Now being an adult i've sought help and been misdiagnosed numerous times, most of the time its just called "depression" which i may be depressed but thats not what debilitates me.

I just sit and dream all day, thinking about the things i wish i could do but never start. Even the simple idea of having a job seems novel and different to me and im almost 26 years old.

Ill be approaching my GP/shrink soon about inattentive ADD, i hope it goes well and i can try some sort of chemical therapy.

I am so glad I found this post...

Daydreaming got me to some rough, frustrating times as well. I just wish I could control it -there are many things out there I like to, need to focus on. I don't want to lose my dream world either.
Metadate helps me to focus but it can make me to painfully aware at times.Makes harder for me to escape when I need to....

I also think daydreaming helps me go to sleep. I can have very vivid dreams-I could swear I was there. And I can "return to my past"-relive some memories down to smells, taste and very strong images....

I rekon about "drifting out of time" in the shower- right now is also one of the few places were I can withdraw when I feel overwhelmed-the water sound covers the constant noises in my house.


A pozitive change brings pozitive stimulation and can act as well as medication. (Hey, even the challenge to overcome a negative event on your life had a positive impact on me over time...)...BUT...For one I am a comfort person, and making changes all the time is not comfortable. And I am not as resilient as I wish (or think) to be-constant change/major change brings a lot of stress, that brings back my anxiety/ PTSD issues, and causes ilness and depression...

When I was younger, I started daydreaming just before going to sleep. It always helped me to sort of "drift away"...sort of like counting sheep. As I got older, daydreaming intruded more and more into my daily life. I recognize that I use it to switch away from experiences which I find boring or insufficiently stimulating. My way of dealing with it is to tell myself I can only do that at bedtime, and gently reminding myself of that if I find myself doing it during the daytime. I don't believe that this life is all I have, but I would like to make the most of it, if I can...even if my dream world seems better than reality. I think that is an illusion. I've experienced times when the real world was more compelling than any fantasy (mostly when doing ecstasy in the past, heh).

I always thought of daydreaming as the cause of the problem...

but you're right, I guess it's more a reaction to the problem.

I have inattentive add. If I could be paid to daydream 16 hours aday
I would do it.

That's why I went into science. It was the only career I could think of that allowed me to get paid for daydreaming about weird esoteric stuff that no one else cares about. :D

I haven't heard of the theta or beta waves before so that was really interesting. I've got a whole headfull of theta waves! And the worse rl gets the more i give up trying to beat it, i just don't have the strength anymore. My Mum disappeared in imaginary world entirely, and left us kids behind. I think we were raised by the dog. I far as i know she's still there. Its horrifying to think i'm doing the same thing as she is.:(