Boredom and making commitments

General
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1

Hi

I was diagnosed by ADHD years ago. Since then, I've been trying to develop adaptation skills. I feel progress as I try, but there are two issues I need advice about.

I get bored too fast. I tried changing my routine, doing new things, doing things I find interesting. At the beginning I get excited. Later on, sometimes in hours, I get bored and have no desire to continue.

This prevents me of making necessary progress for my study or making job commitments. I try to be more patient and start over again and sometimes I succeed. But I feel it is hard to put myself in this state and the task takes more time than it should. I rarely meet deadlines. So, I get worried and sometimes give up before them.

Thank you.

2

Probably your ADD is not fully controlled. Do you take medication? Have you tried an elimination diet? Have you done psychotherapy with a therapist who really knows the ins and outs of ADD ?

What you described is very much a part of ADD/ADHD. I suspect your ADD is not controlled enough yet.

3

Thank you for responding to my post.

I had medications for months then I chose to quit. Five years ago, I had psychotherapy with therapists who diagnosed me with ADD. I have no specific diet, but I reduce sugar, tea, soda and food with artificial flavors.

DrMarc said:

Probably your ADD is not fully controlled. Do you take medication? Have you tried an elimination diet? Have you done psychotherapy with a therapist who really knows the ins and outs of ADD ?

What you described is very much a part of ADD/ADHD. I suspect your ADD is not controlled enough yet.

4

hey m, i have the very same challenge myself,

+ as far as for the "lack of discipline" matter:

when a task interests me at first, there is that first rush , when i absolutly want to do everything at once to get that task done, i can't go through with the steps once at a time in the proper order... the task seems harder that it should be, it doesn't make sens anymore and i start thinking that i shouldn't have chosen to do it in the first place, once the doubt gets in i get quite forgettable, slappy until i stop giving it any of my attention.

i'm working on this routine i made up to go through with long term activities:

- i divide the task into tiny little parts that are easy to go through with, that are simple but still interesting, this might sound basic and obvious to some people, but for an ADD person, this simplification and division can be quite challenging, first i start asking people that have already done something like it, i tend not to ignore any détails, (for i know i have a problem with selecting items according to there priority level), once i've got that covered, i try to compare the steps of these different people and try to organize them according the duration of each one, and chose a sequence of the shortest ones,

- the next step: i try to make each and every one of the little tasks cool and interesting as if i was to be doing that activity along with a child, (of course just enough to make it stand out, not atterly ridiculous :) ) .

- the next step, i make sure to have my stopwatch along with me, for i know the adrenaline rush that comes with close deadline is very helpful to me, i decide the time i need, and then i start working, only i discovered there is one rule during that period of time: Do not think at all, do not question the validity of your decision while you haven't started anything, di not think, even if it takes to listen to background music through headphones :p

- the next step: once the step is done i take a moment to celebrate and recognize how great it was to be focused, then quickly afterwards, i get back to work: stopwatch on ...

setting small goals and not thinking throughout the process is the general idea, i did that with 4 projects now, it seems to work quite well...

+ as for the getting bored part: a life of monotony is quite slow for an ADD brain, in order to fix that i keep my mind busy with constructive subjects, for me i thought i had to make a career choice that's adapted to that , a job that grabs my full attention, ,and then i added to my life new activities. i don't know weither it works in the long run, but i find it helpful to get my brain to focus on something all the time... a way of training my brain to focus when i want it to... maybe if one does that long enough ...the attention controle issue would get better :p

i hope this would be of some use to you m :)

5

Thanks to Kaoutar for this strategy, and to Dr. Marc’s encouragement to find good professional resources. If you are a student, find a study habits book and find out what the smartest students do to succeed; they usually keep it simple. Then clearly outline the steps you will take during the time you have to get it done. This is very general advice but a place to start. School and work can be thought of a high-stakes games, if you like. Don’t take on too much until you get experience with success.

A good imagination can get excited about a project because it so clearly feels anticipation and sees the results before they happen. For example, seeing a great painting in your minds eye is okay, but completing it in reality depends on having learned the steps and skills, but also a commitment to get it done, then consider the results. That’s how you decide, or an employer decides, what you are capable of doing next. So much is learned by doing, and it’s possible to make a good friend or two while you’re at it! Some things really are boring but if you can stay awake just finish it. It can be very hard, but you might be on your way to learning something that will hold greater interest for you. Build from where you are, and I know you’ll succeed.