Wanted, ADHD devs because... they can... focus more?
Is this a joke?
Is this a joke?
It should be noted that the idea of hyperfocus isn't actually present in the DSM-5 (the standard classification of mental disorders) and largely came from a smaller group of psychiatrists and authors in recent years. Despite being a very popular concept on the internet (merely posting this comment is going to make me a lightning rod, I know), it's rather contentious concept in official diagnostic circles. It's also extremely misunderstood in internet discussions about ADHD with many non-ADHD people misinterpreting it as a sign that they might have ADHD.
Note that stimulant medication (a common treatment for ADHD) can often make hyperfocus worse, and hyperfocus is a well-known side effect of stimulant medication being dosed too high. It's also not considered unique to ADHD and is definitely not diagnostic for having ADHD. Specifically, focusing for things for long periods of time by itself is definitely not a sign of ADHD.
As regarding to medication, I seldom use my ADHD medication (concerta makes me way too sleepy if I'm sleep deprived and I have a toddler so I'm always mildly sleep deprived) but when I did, it actually stopped the hyperfocus in that it allowed me to think of something else besides my obsession du jour.
i can focus on something only when i can detach from everything else. that can be difficult to achieve. because it means that i can forget to take a lunch break, miss meetings, or skip other responsibilities. so most often i am afraid to focus because of all these sideeffects.
that means in order for me to be able focus on something someone has to take care of everything else that requires planning or thinking ahead. sometimes that is not possible. forget focus if i had a fight with my wife and have to worry about what happens when i get home.
on the other hand focus can also be used to avoid some other unpleasant task. the only way to solve that was to find ways to make that task less unpleasant.
Hyperfocus is a symptom of ADHD. This can be someone who spends 14 hours in one go fixing a bug. Downsides are that it’s generally not sustainable, and it’s just as likely to be the wrong thing as the right thing. I know a ton more about air cooled engines but didn’t do my taxes on time kinda thing.
That misnomer of a name has led to a lot of confusion on the part of ignorant (about ADHD) people who make assumptions based on it.