What proportion of the time are you perseverating?

[Assumption]

(It's Sylvie's husband again, as have all posts by "Sylvie" so far) Sorry, if I'm flooding the forums with threads.

I was just curious what proportion of the time you find yourself doing the following:

1) Perseverating on something you SHOULDN'T be doing (including distracting thoughts about that thing taking you off-task)
2) Just getting distracted by random inconsequential thoughts
3) On task

I find that (1) is often what I'm doing. If there's currently something I'm obsessing over, then even cases of (2) often quickly flit over to (1). Like, I get distracted from my work by a random, inconsequential thought.. so that's a (2). Often at this point I give up on it, and go off task for 2 hours, or even the whole day, focusing all my attention on my current "obsession" and neglecting what I need to be doing. So although it may have started as a (2), it ended up being followed up by several hours of (1).

At times I've managed to get past this by giving up all my hobbies etc. Then (2) comes to dominate.

[ginniebean]

I don't perseverate, I hyperfocus. Let's see, how often do Ido that.. all the time.

[Assumption]

Yeah, see, I'd like to say hyperfocus, but The Architect (Barkley; but he does look like The Architect off the matrix to me. All he needs to do is say "ergo" more) seems to think hyperfocus in ADHD is a myth. Of course, Hallowell disagrees.

(Although maybe you were saying you've got comorbid ASD going on, in which case, rock on)

[daveddd]

i hyper perseverate about 75% of the time

[CheekyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Sylvie

Yeah, see, I'd like to say hyperfocus, but The Architect (Barkley; but he does look like The Architect off the matrix to me. All he needs to do is say "ergo" more) seems to think hyperfocus in ADHD is a myth. Of course, Hallowell disagrees.

(Although maybe you were saying you've got comorbid ASD going on, in which case, rock on)

We should make a thread called "Barkley Says." I see that phrase multiple times a day.

I'm not saying it is wrong, just making an observation.

[Ipsofacto]

If I don't get a signal that the other person understands what I am trying to convey, I find that I tend to reiterate when trying to explain something. I can normally find several different ways to explain a point, and I won't realize until the other person says "OK I get it already". I try now to wait for someone to say "I don't understand", before I launch into allegories etc.

[sarahsweets]

I hyperfocus 75% of the time on crap I shouldnt.

[ginniebean]

Originally Posted by Sylvie

Yeah, see, I'd like to say hyperfocus, but The Architect (Barkley; but he does look like The Architect off the matrix to me. All he needs to do is say "ergo" more) seems to think hyperfocus in ADHD is a myth. Of course, Hallowell disagrees.

(Although maybe you were saying you've got comorbid ASD going on, in which case, rock on)

I generally agree with Barkley but not on this one. It's possible I have add traits it runs in the family.

[Fuzzy12]

at the moment between 80-90% of my waking time.

i should Add that i don't really have adhd. I'm just the usual lazy demotivated depressed slacker.

[sarahsweets]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy12

at the moment between 80-90% of my waking time.

i should Add that i don't really have adhd. I'm just the usual lazy demotivated depressed slacker.

I have to tell you fuzzy...I dont believe that sh*t for one minute and neither should you. F**k your crappy doctor.

[Fortune]

Originally Posted by Sylvie

Yeah, see, I'd like to say hyperfocus, but The Architect (Barkley; but he does look like The Architect off the matrix to me. All he needs to do is say "ergo" more) seems to think hyperfocus in ADHD is a myth. Of course, Hallowell disagrees.

(Although maybe you were saying you've got comorbid ASD going on, in which case, rock on)

That's one of those things where I think Barkley is totally wrong. I hyperfocus and I perseverate, and they are not the same thing, and what I hear other people with ADHD who are not also autistic describe is hyperfocus.

The thing is that "hyperfocus" sounds like some kind of superpower, and Barkley says that there is nothing positive about ADHD. "Perseverate" sounds more pathological and negative (and as something to be prevented in autistic children). So, that's my interpretation of what's going on there.

Wiki's definition is useful.

[Meesha_love]

I find myself letting my mind wander wherever it may. A good portion of my day is spent in the clouds. If it's not in the clouds, I tend to be very focused on a task I'm doing which sometimes causes me to neglect other responsibilities for a period of time. This given if the task is really engaging, interesting orrrr if it is something new and encourages to be thoroughly explored. Most of the time though, I let myself just envelope in the endless amount of thoughts my brain produces hehehe. I have learned how to cope with this though, by multi-tasking. It really does help me get through the drudgery of stuffs of the unpleasant sort.

[kristo]

All I do is perseverate. At least that's what it feels like. I'm not sure I've ever hyperfocused. I've obsessed over things which caused perseveration.

[Assumption]

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

I have to tell you fuzzy...I dont believe that sh*t for one minute and neither should you. F**k your crappy doctor.

I must add, I feel like I'm in a pretty similar place to Fuzzy. Doing a PhD, not motivated, not diagnosed with ADHD. I'm definitely worried that when my appointment finally happens (in 1 month... such a long time!) the doctor will tell me that there's no way I have ADHD. I don't know what I'll do if that happens. Will it mean I'm just an unmotivated slacker?

I think there's a double-edged sword involved in saying "Having ADHD doesn't mean you're lazy"... because now I feel like, if it turns out I don't have ADHD, then I must be lazy, right? To be honest, I'm not even sure what people mean when they say "lazy." Do they mean "actively wishes to do no work and get a free ride through life?" I don't think many people at all would fit that definition - regardless of whether they have ADHD or not.

[amiegrace]

Define what exactly "perseverate" means?