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That sounds more like depression to me. Because, when you really enjoy something, your hyper focus is kicking in and you can't let go of it.
Or, you really enjoy a hobby but your hyperfocus makes you research the hobby instead of doing it. E.g. you like photography and your hyperfocus kicks in researching places to go take photos, or gear to buy... Or you spend hours choosing the best cycling route until it's too dark or the weather changes and you go "What happened to my beautiful afternoon??".
My hyperfocus tends to kick in whenever the ADHD gremlin inside my brain chooses, not always when I'm doing whatever I enjoy. I wish that was always the case.
Fuck. This is me with music production about a month ago. I produced exactly 5 seconds of music trying to learn it after several days of endlessly learning about it.
5 good seconds?
Digital artist here; Sometimes, that's just how it is. Like with video editing, you really only get like 2-5 minutes of usable output per 30-60 minutes of principle recordings (audio is similar).
Once, I was working on a 3D model and got hung up on a goofy section of an object. Spent like 5 hours researching topology recommendations, the tool I was using, studying the shape I was making, etc. Ended up leaving it as-is and editing the render in Krita later.
I eventually figured out the issue (combination of UV scaling and a modifier stack that was conspiring against me), but it was on accident like 3 projects (and a few dozen working hours) later. Hours and hours of work and research for something about an inch cubed in size, and wasn't even the focus of the render (and was barely visible).
Was it my ADHD? Was it some kind of mania? Was it just a tickle in my brain? Who knows. All I know is that these are common stories.
Also, @[email protected] ; all that research you were doing? That's the work. Pressing the shutter button is like 2% of being a photographer.
My research time is around 20-23:00 and on weekends can end around 1-2am.
Too bad for my sleep schedule ¯\_(ツ)_/¯This is me with videogames
The hyper focus only kicks in when i'm doing something, the problem is to start to do something
Precisely. When trying to talk to others about this, I usually use the term activation energy
Understanding it doesn't help in alleviating it, though.
Send help!
We are just too much of an endothermic reaction.
I don't know, I find that my hyperfocus doesn't kick in until I start doing something
Not necessarily. I definitely go through waves like this, and it doesn’t feel like depression to me.
I’ll have a couple of days (or weeks) where I want to do things, but not enough to actually motivate myself to start any of it. Then I’ll bounce back for a while and be so focused on something that I’ll forget about taking care of basic needs like eating and sleeping.
I’ve kinda learned to embrace those extremes. What I hate is the middle ground where I want to focus and get something done, but I realize about every 5 minutes that my brain is off topic again.