I already have a topic on this in the meds forum, but if the moderators don't mind, I'd like to ask here - without references to meds - if anyone else has this same problem..

Given a near-ideal quiet study environment of little external distractions, does anyone still have a problem with losing focus on the material due to internal sources? In other words, competing thoughts, or very short daydreams (blinks) which distract from the subject material?




Here's a link regarding Blinks (short daydreams) which has been mentioned on these forums in the past:
http://www.christianadhd.com/blinks.php

And here's an article which mentions the problems of internal distractibility (go to the 10th paragraph which starts " There seem to be different channels or pathways ..")
http://www.psychatlarge.com/addcolumn.html

This article has only one line about it (end of 2nd paragraph):
http://www.vaxa.com/behavior-distractibility.cfm

Prefrontal -


Yes, all the time. :o

But I've been told that frequent "daydreaming" or the inability to focus on a task, even without outside distractions, can also be connected to depression. Just a thought to consider.

Otherwise, it's just the way some of us are wired, I think. As to how to overcome it - I do wish I could help!

I know I daydream and have focusing problems and I don't have ADHD but Asperger's instead. The only thing I was ever told was to "stop daydreaming and work harder"...

Quite often we have hyperactive minds, even if we don't have hyperactive bodies. The whole "Hey! That's an interesting thought! And look...another interesting thought!" (I stole that from HF :D because it describes the situation most excellently) phenomenon is pretty normal for an ADDer. Even on meds. Even in the ideal circumstances. Its one of the things we have to live with and overcome if we can and if not, learn to compensate for. It may just be that we have to learn to give ourselves more time for a particular task, for example. Self-observing and compensating for this is part of our process.

Yes, YES, YES! I have all of that going on.
I'm pretty scattered much of the time.. but can be very focused at other times...


Me :D

Same, here, always find myself distraceted,

Yep, I have internal distracting thoughts all of the time. Even in the most optimum environment, I can be very distracted.

I have a hard time with math tests. I start to over think the problems then my mind drifts and I have to move on to the next one. Then come back.

Here's a link to a previous discussion of our blinkyness:

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10343&highlight=blinks

The link in the first post of that "old" thread is the same as one of the links referenced in this new thread.

Did I just make sense the way I typed that? It made sense in my head.... :D

Yup....for sure....one reason I drive so fast and overtake so much.....its the only way I can get my mind to stay on the road.

Get stuck in behind an old fogey doing fifty and within a few minutes I'm wondering where the world went

I feel I'm actually more dangerous when going slowly for this reason.

I know I had this problem at school and with my study, and I have it at work. I know in the past when I had staff they could catch me standing over my work staring into space. I think they found it pretty funny.

I could sit at my desk or in the library for an hour or 2 and accomplish nothing but dreaming. I wouldn't even miss having the radio or tv on. I'd just be sitting there. Man I wish I had a uni class on dreaming - I'd have aced that one. Except I'd have day-dreamed through the test; unless that was the test ;)