focusing on one thing at a time???

[smartestblonde]

Should medication help with focusing on one thing at a time??? I have always been a master multi-tasker, and am usually quite good at it, even being able to finish most things all through my life, which I guess is what helped me be relatively successful. But I'm really starting to notice how I'm bouncing around much more than before and NOT finishing things, and my meds don't seem to be helping with this.

Is this a reasonable expectation of medication or is it just another "bad habit" that I've created that no longer is working for me?

[Krys.]

Bouncing around NOT finishing things is a typical ADhD symptom. I would think the meds would help prevent that, not cause it. Unless they are maybe the wrong meds?

[smartestblonde]

Right, that's why I'm asking. My expectation is that meds should help with that, so I'm just making sure that is a reasonable expectation. It tends to get worse for me when I don't have deadlines or are bored, and so far, my new med doesn't seem to be helping with this. I actually tend to work better when I have A LOT of stuff going on vs. very little....

[Justtess]

Could you possibly have a case of perfectionism?

I multi-task most things and many times they appear to be incomplete. That isn't always the case because if I give myself a deadline, it will be done... maybe unhappily or not to my expectations. When I do complete something, I am very satisfied and confident it is one of the very best (unless I overlooked something)

Try giving yourself a deadline and see what type of issues pop up which make it incomplete.

---lack of focus
---distracted environment
---limited resources
---other obligations
---etc...

I'm guessing if you find yourself thinking about unimportant things while trying to complete your task or mind wanders and forget where you were.... it would be more related to cognitive issues.

[chronological]

Originally Posted by smartestblonde

Should medication help with focusing on one thing at a time???

It is the single biggest symptom for me, and in my case the meds (Concerta) help a lot. I don't know how they do it -- nor does my doc nor, according to him, does anyone else -- but they do.

[smartestblonde]

Originally Posted by chronological

It is the single biggest symptom for me, and in my case the meds (Concerta) help a lot. I don't know how they do it -- nor does my doc nor, according to him, does anyone else -- but they do.

Thanks....at least I know I'm not expecting too much....

[taved]

I can tell you a little about my experience with medication. First let me give you a quick background on me.

I work in computers. So I am generally juggling about 15 things at once all the time. But I really noticed that I can stray away from a topic really easily and let many things fall to the side as new tasks keep piling up.

So I started some medication about October (VyVanse) the improvement was immediate. I would start falling into my old habits during my work day and then, all of a sudden, my brain would just snap back into the task I was supposed to be dealing with. It was very dramatic for me and unfortunately I needed to stop the medicine for awhile because it boosted my anxiety. I am giving it a new shot, started today, and I have already noticed some major differences. Hopefully the good things will continue because I was amazed by the difference.

[Wild]

For a multi-tasker, will a med for ADHD cause a person to focus on one thing at a time? All one can do is to try a med for ADHD, keep a drug diary, and very slowly determine what the med is doing/not doing. If a person has involuntary distractibility and an inability to sustain attention, the right med for ADHD can help a few to temporarily sustain attention a little longer (not a cure). Tend to think that a person has to make a decision to do one thing at a time (a time management decision in one's head) and then follow that course. Tend not to believe that a med will automatically cause a person to focus on only one thing at a time until a person consciously makes that decision to do so. Best wishes.