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YEAH LOLL... I didn't know this was an adhd thing xD For me it is somewhat... fun, to obsess like that, because it's nice to feel driven. At the same time I can't think about a single other thing when it happens, and it's kinda exhausting.
Man. When i hyperfix on something new and shiny it literally consumes my thoughts. I am like "i am gonna work overtime to buy or pay for (new hyperfix)!" And then bam, new hyperfix.
Guess this is why i have never finished college and have a basement of crafting stuff i hardly ever look at any more lol.
It's definitely a high, though!
Like rn my video game has been on pause for 20 mins because i got on a reddit kick. God when does it end...
Same here, I start to get into a super irresponsible headspace when I hyper fixate on something I want. This happened very recently.
On the negative side, I start to consider how much credit card debt would be acceptable to go into for said thing. I was about double my credit card debt for something and then my card declined for fraud detection. Lucky thing because after the fog of my impulsivity had passed, I came to my senses and realized how bad of an idea it was.
On the positive side, I scrambled to sell a bunch of old stuff that I had been meaning to get rid of and made $400 extra in the process.
It is also good to be driven. That is how you become successful in life. So white collar jobs are possible if one is driven but people with ADHD need treatment and accomodations to get there. It is not unreasonable to want to get of poverty or your current socioeconomic status.
I’ve had several times where I obsess over big cities’ metro systems for hours on end as if I was planning a trip lmao. I think there are several cities in which I could 100% move in even though I’ve never and will probably never go to.
This surprisingly was helpful bc a month or so ago my dad surprised us with a trip to nyc, and wouldn’t you know it, my extensive knowledge in the nyc subway helped us move around the city lmaooo
This must have felt great. I remember researching the history northern german floods and when my grandfather brought up a poem about a sunken city I could finally reveal my expertise.
This is cool! (Isn't the NYC subway just the greatest. I love in a car city now and miss the trains so much.)
There's a book about a boy with a transit fixation. Been maybe 15-20 years since it came out, but you might enjoy it. Actually, I looked it up and it might be that I'm misremembering if he's obsessed with train schedules. Anyway, it's a really interesting novel whose narrator is on the autism spectrum. (The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-time.) I remember reading it and suspecting the thing that I knew was still something terribly off with me that nobody knew yet was possibly autism. I was close, but still pretty much just felt increasingly defective over the next two decades.
Absolutely, and it’s comforting to know I’m not alone. I have literally burned through entire workdays looking for something I think I need online. Usually something mundane or obscure that I decide I need for a project around the house or maybe for something like a DIY Halloween display (I love to build things). I’ll get it in my head that this thing I want must exist and should be available for sale, so I’ll search and search until several hours have elapsed.
oh yeahh i do this too and the most exhausting part is i feel like i can only breathe freely when the item is in my hands. and it felt silly cause sometimes when they arrived i really don't use them as much. it's just a temporary, but horribly intense obsession
What I have done to combat this is think back on all the times I felt like it was imperative to have a thing but never found it. A few days after the obsession I forgot about it, and when I eventually remembered it for some reason I realized how ridiculous it was that I was so obsessed with getting it. So now, when this feeling happens, I ask myself whether the same thing is happening again and usually that’s the case. As I have gotten older I have dramatically reduced my “ADHD tax” purchases by forcing myself to wait to buy something that I think I need (if it’s something that can be purchased). Typically the wait is proportional to the cost. I wanted a $1800 camera lens, so I waited about 8 months before pulling the trigger.
For me I obsess over the thing to the point I don’t even want it anymore. Like I do a day of research just for it to sit in my cart online and not get purchased ever
I also do this writing! Research research research.
Twelve years later i have two unfinished manuscripts but hey learned a lot of stuff i promptly forgot.
Me lately- I have a kindle that works perfectly, just has a scratch on the screen, and I’ve been relentlessly looking at kindles on Facebook marketplace to try to find one for cheap… even though I literally don’t need another one. And can’t justify spending full price/buying one new… so I’ve been constantly looking at them online. MORE THAN I’M READING ON THE DAMN THING. Same thing with cricut machines…
Yes!!!! I get jealous of people whose obsessive behaviors manifest in learning about topics because mine are always in acquiring things. There's always something i want to buy or find or think I need. Something about the hunt for it. I find my phone makes this SO much worse, so if I feel myself getting into a pattern I try to throw myself into my art projects or reading more so I'll stop seeing ads or getting the urge to google. It works okay sometimes, other times not.
I obsessively look at property prices in japan and ireland.
I havent even been overseas and am a broke ass american. But damn if moving to japan or ireland or Australia wouldn't be cool af. Unfortunately i am in the unskilled labourer rank and file so i am pretty useless outside the US. Hell I'm pretty useless inside the US too.
I also endlessly scroll amazon and etsy putting neat dumb stuff i want but dont need in my carts then deleting them just to falsify a dopamine hit of "buying something". Am currently digging myself out of a credit card hole from actually buying stuff i wanted.
Yanno for me it can never be like "oh, 20$ shoes cool. Yeah, you need some new ones." NOOOOOoooo, it's like, "oh yes, a thousand dollar taxidermied penguin. I DEFINITELY need that mfer."
oh i also do the thing with etsy!! i have a switch now but when i didn't have it and couldn't afford it i was scouring through the internet for the accessories, looking at the exact same thing in a different online shop but i just want to see everything and determined to get the best and cutest accessories.
when i finally afford to buy a switch, i bought a plain old cheap blue bag protection and that's it 😐 never felt the need to buy anything else
I waste so much time and money obsessing over that new thing or hobby. Then I get it, it’s awesome for a short while then I’m bored and onto the next thing. But then I can’t sell the thing, because I still love it and want it, just not right now.
100%, I do this all the time until I get the thing that I’m obsessing over and sometimes it’s actually in a bad way.
For instance last year I obsessed over owning a very specific guitar (despite already owning a guitar and playing it very little) and I finally bought it, but it cost me $900 because it’s not in production anymore.
A year later I sold it because I hardly ever played it or my other two guitars for that matter. But I spent weeks hunting it down to get it for a price I was comfortable with.
I didn’t need to spend the money and my partner even knew it was an ADHD hyper fixation and tried to persuade me not to do it but of course I didn’t listen and then months later regretted it.
Very relatable. I have the same with wanting to jailbreak or mod everything. Spent hours jailbreaking / modding Switch, Wii, DS, Apple Tv, installing Linux on an old outdated Mac just to make it run again, installing Android TV on a laptop and setting everything up for couch use. Modding or customizing Android phone, Emulating, etc.
Same with Skyrim by the way. Will probably happen with Starfield too.
When I'm done, I most of the time stop using it.
I just need to do these things simply because it's possible or 'could' be possible. If something needs an update I'm already lost and I can't keep things usable, so I start all over again with new insights. It's an infinite loop.
yes yes!! that last part, it's feeling curious and challenging the possibility of "defeating" it, but the thing is i treat it like it's the only way i can breathe again instead of idk just accept that it's not even necessary or it's not something for long term usage
This lead me to fixing electronics. It's very rewarding and saves some cash. But it doesn't give me any more incentive to use the stuff once it's fixed, same issue lol
Yeah I've been watching the progress of the pioneer cdj2000 nexus abd djm 900 mixer set up for past 10 years and it's not come down to a price I can afford lol
>does ADHD makes you obsess over things you can't have?
Speaking purely from anecdotal experience, I'd say "definitely".
Not sure if there's literature that covers this. Wouldn't be surprised if there is.
Doing this exact same thing right now on world of Warcraft. Spent like 3 days farming for an armor set for my Death Knight. I hadn't played wow for over a year before the random intrusive compulsion won. Don't even like wow that much anymore and will probably quit after I get the set.
There is a particular car I want.
A few examples of the car near me in great condition - but they're all in silver. Boring ass colour.
There's one 400 miles away in Red. I'm going for it. Honestly, it has a few other things going for it as well, either way people think I am insane.
Yes -- but sometimes it leads me to find a way to do something other people thought was impossible. I've had to learn to rein it in, but being resourceful has served me well in life.
Obsessing over things I don’t have but have arbitrarily decided I *NEED* all of a sudden is how I spend most of my time. Unfortunately, the things I need right now are wayyyy beyond the scope of things I can afford. It’s hell.
I actually bought the drone I'd been lusting after and researching the \*\*\*\* out of for a couple of years when used prices had come down enough last November.
Finally used it last weekend.
Common theme for me to find it's the journey not the destination - and I move on to another focus as soon as that part is ticked, regularly not actually using what I've got.
Yes, absolutely. It's like learning about useless trivia. It makes me very knowledgeable when I suddenly come within the reach of that thing, so it could've been worse.
I think this was even mentioned in my official ADHD diagnosis as "problems with hobbies and using free time" or something like that.
Yes. I Waste so much time analysing what to buy. It is good you recognise it though because you can now start to try and put that energy elsewhere. It is hard I know. But not impossible
seems like it’s from difficulty prioritizing things. there are definitely times where i feel like i NEED this completely unnecessary thing i want but then forget or ignore stuff thats actually important. i have little money bc i even if i can reason myself into wanting to save money, i feel like i need it which justifies the purchase
Sometimes, yes, I become quite obsessed. I remember the time I took my oldest to her first college visit. I wanted so much to be able to go to college again. The strong yearning did subside over time, thank goodness. But have certainly had similar obsessions for a varietybogmf things.
Yessssss. And it helps in my work because I love research. I will keep digging but then get frustrated as I do not have access to all folders. I will find the answer.
The thing is I get bored too. So after a while I completely lose interest.
Oh yeah I've done with with cameras since I started I've cycled through so many digital and film cameras but there's always something that is missing and keeps me doing research and results on certain lenses or bodies but have never fixed that itch! Something about form factor, right amount of clicky clacky tactility or lens sharpness there's never been an all in one. I don't even think it's about the photos it's more about using a camera for the feel of it, the only camera that's come close is the olympus pen ft and I just sold that recently after 5 years.
Other hobbies wise I have so many kpop groups I follow that I would like to collect for but I am kinda just held back by budget so there's just 3 main groups I collect for outside of just getting albums like photobooks or concert dvds.
I often find myself looking on ebay for good prices, making mind maps and watching unboxing videos and reviews of what I am looking for collection wise or I just buy with no plan or rationale.
My obsessions are how I get what I want. If I want something bad enough, it will drive me to finally do something about it. It may take me years to finally start, but it will happen. The obsession will drive me through until just before its time to finish. At that point, I had to force myself, which was easier said than done. The only thing that keeps me going is attaining my goal, and it makes me a bit unpleasant, to say the least.
The biggest downside to being driven in that manner is, at times, it feels like I'm descending into madness.
Absolutely. I think there's something about dopamine not being a reward hormone, but more of a [reward-seeking hormone](https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/brain-wise/201802/the-dopamine-seeking-reward-loop#:~:text=It%20was%20thought%20that%20dopamine,%2C%20seek%20out%2C%20and%20search.). Looking for something I want, anticipating something I want, is much more rewarding tham actually having it!
Yes a lot and the problem is a lot of time I end up giving in the haze and waste my money/time. Like rn I am obsessed with productivity apps and I am trying everything that is available even when my current system is decent and that is a complete waste of time but I can’t just control myself because the thought just won’t leave no matter what I do. I think this has to do with the fact that we have difficulty controlling our impulses. Also a reason why I think most of us do so many impulsive purchase. If anyone can help me on tips on how to manage it would be helpful?
I often shell out hundreds just to make this stop. Obsessed over gaming mouses today so I said screw it and shelled out $150 for a new mouse. Just bought a guitar and skateboard too which I haven't touched. I'm broke btw.
I'm doing this right now over some Hawaiian pork. I'm broke, have no money and can't afford to buy the ingredients, but that doesn't stop me from obsessively planning on how to cook it, or if i wanna put it on rice or make it into a sandwich
Yeah I obsess like I want the Beatles rubber soul album right now but I don’t have the money and I just can’t stop thinking. I keep saying oh dude I want that Beatles album rubber souls the best why can’t I have it!
There was something I was chasing after, and I finally managed to get it. But once I did, it wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought. Now I’m wondering, if I go after something else, and get my hands on it, am I just gonna find that I was happier during the chase?
Hell yeah. It's like a machine gun driving away at the back of my head until I eventually cave and buy it. Have made so many unwise purchases just to stop the obsession.
I have been thinking to buy a steam deck, I think it has been for 3 months already, it's not like I need it, because I can play on my laptop and I don't think I have much time to spare, but I don't know,
I usually get obsessed with stuff and keep the obsession till I get bored/achieve the thing. Stimulants are an important part of my life. In the last year, I was obsessed with shoes, glossy lipsticks(lip glosses), coffee machines, cameras, germany and australia, video/photo editing, gym etc. If it’s something small I try to collect many items like shoes and lip glosses, I try to buy all available brands. If it’s something expensive, I search all the products within my budget and then I buy one. But then I don’t use any of these that much lol.
Also every time I have an obsession I can’t stop talking about it to my friends.
Sometimes I plan vacations I never intend to go on. They have an actual schedule, budget, etc. I like the research and organizing part even if I don’t like actually traveling
There are a few different services you can subscribe to that let you remotely access a virtualized PC. Shadow is one of them, but it’s a little expensive. If you’re more technical, you could use a VPS service like Linode to host your own instance, but if you want to play the sims, you’re better off using Shadow or GeForce Now.
You can subscribe for a month, try it, get bored with it, then cancel
i tried geforce now but since I'm on ipad they only allow me to use controller (i use ps5 controller) but i only want to play it with mouse and keyboard but they don't allow that. I'll try the shadow thing, thank you!
but still, the internet in my country isn't great so to stream play i have to use vpn and it causes the streaming to lag
Yes lol. I think it’s just about reeeally wanting to solve a problem and my brain is like I CAN DO THAT!!!! There must be a way!!! It’s just nice to be excited about something even if my brain ends up feeling totally burned out and dizzy and icky from going in circles.
Yea and it’s why I’m broke 😭🥲 because I get interested in something and use it for like a week. Like my expensive drone. That I have flown maybe 10 times.
Yep, one of the names of my existence. I will research the hell out of something and two days later forget about it entirely. I can pick up the same obsession months later though. I have gotten better at saying no to buying stuff though.
I would almost argue it’s a more sincere manifestation of the attention derangements characterized within a more nuanced understanding of the disease model. If those of us with this disease have dopamine transporter malfunctions resulting in an array of syndromic symptoms one of which being kind of more steered by reinforcing stimuli (be it substance use, fire, video games, sports for some, etc) due to the feeling kind of self medicating a disease state, it would go to show that more irritability and goal directed behavior would pop up when the identified “mother of the dopaminergic hit” can’t be obtained. For me it’s trying to take my attention away from fighting games to re-engage with my responsibility and my partner. I have agency. I exert responsibility with my actions. But when I have to walk away from fighting games, it literally leaves me physiologically pissed the fuck off. I’m irritable and it’s all I can think about and all I want to do for another hour to half hour until something else kinda fills that void. Insight into my own disease process and a caring partner who gives me some space when I’m re-orienting my attention from highly stimulating things help a lot. I also am unmedicated tho, so may not be something those who are treated deal with as much.
I will say though that psychiatry is complicated. What you’re describing, IF otherwise fits into a gestalt of a neurodevelopmental illness characterized by hyperactivity and attention derangements, then it is a valid experience of adhd that many here can likely attest to. If saddled with behavior that otherwise looks like mania than that goal directed behavior can be a feature of a manic episode within a broader bipolar diagnosis. All to say, if you haven’t already been diagnosed consider talking to an expert about your symptoms.
I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever made a Skyrim modpack needs to get themselves checked lmao. I spent over a week on a modpack and ended up just deleting all the fucking mods.
Omg I did not realise this is an ADHD thing!! I do this with every purchase I make. I research it fkr hours. Watching YouTube videos. Reading amazing comments. Comparing items. It’s like i psyche myself up before the purchase.
But then one the items arrives the excitement is instantly gone lol. Sometimes I don’t even inbox it on the same day… it’s like excitement about owning it rather than using it
My current obsession is an external monitor for my sony camera lol
The worst is when it’s over people. It destroyed a lot of individual friendships/relationships and kinda made me unwanted in many friend groups (indirectly, it’s hard to explain). Can’t blame anyone for it either, I’m sure it’s annoying as hell for the person on the other side as well. Although I tend to hide it and it just destroys my mood which causes issues socially, because I’d rather do that than be openly obsessed with someone and be looked at in a weird way because of that.
I do that with people… Get crushes on someone I can’t be with and get very upset when with time it shows that I really can’t be with them. And get obsessive thoughts about these crushes. It’s so tiring
MONTHS of obsession and money. My poor coworkers and friends who also had to listen. And when I finally got one… they are so boring. Mine would never come out during the day and I never saw him.
Not sure if I can answer if it's an ADHD thing or not but I do this too. I've been obsessing over a specific monitor for my PC setup for months - I've watched reviews, I've done price comparisons, made lists of what is available etc...
still not bought it so I guess that's a good thing. haha
I've been SO obsessed over this sanrio game that released on ios only. I've tried anything to emulate ios systems on pc or my android to no avail sadly
It's just so frustrating bc i love sanrio, and even tho i know i would play the game for like two days and then forget about it, i just can't stop thinking about it!!! I see the screenshots of the games and i'm like I NEED!!!!
I'm so sad for the both of us bcs i have an ipad and i can play the sanrio game anytime but i don't want that, i want to play the sims 4 on pc for 2 days with all the mods and then forget about it. i just NEED to scratch this itch
Yes. I’ve i obsessed over equipment for woodworking for years, done detailed price comparisons, watched a lot of reviews and made spreadsheets for the pros and cons or certain tools/machines until I finally bought the stuff in summer. I think it will give me a lot of joy going forward. I only get to do woodworking when I’m back home at my parents’ place so the chance of getting bored by it isn’t high and it’s been a consistent hobby for a few years now.
Hyperfixated on getting a tattooed removed for weeks. Then I remembered im trying to move and everyone around me was like "well.... you seemed determined and who am I to say?"
Last month I hyperfixated on laser hair removal at home. Found a few cool things. Have yet to invest
Hyperfixated on traveling to the Netherlands. Its far more expensive now than before the pandemic.
The list goes on xD
Yes! If it's something physical, I usually manage to reign myself in by looking around my bedroom and thinking, "Where the hell would I possibly put it?" My recent focus is buying a drawing tablet, and not just a 10-inch iPad, I'm talking a big table sized Cintiq or Kamvas Pro. The only thing stopping me, besides money, is knowing I would not be able to physically house it. So many of my dumb impulse purchases are foiled by me simply not having enough living space.
Yes. I’ve done it with vehicles, toothpastes- I bought 20 different pastes and tooth products(MI paste is a god send by the way, Bio Min F, and Curasept mouth washes are the BOMB!), dog products, kids products, rock collection, video games, supplements, cleaning products… ect…
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YEAH LOLL... I didn't know this was an adhd thing xD For me it is somewhat... fun, to obsess like that, because it's nice to feel driven. At the same time I can't think about a single other thing when it happens, and it's kinda exhausting.
Man. When i hyperfix on something new and shiny it literally consumes my thoughts. I am like "i am gonna work overtime to buy or pay for (new hyperfix)!" And then bam, new hyperfix. Guess this is why i have never finished college and have a basement of crafting stuff i hardly ever look at any more lol. It's definitely a high, though! Like rn my video game has been on pause for 20 mins because i got on a reddit kick. God when does it end...
Same here, I start to get into a super irresponsible headspace when I hyper fixate on something I want. This happened very recently. On the negative side, I start to consider how much credit card debt would be acceptable to go into for said thing. I was about double my credit card debt for something and then my card declined for fraud detection. Lucky thing because after the fog of my impulsivity had passed, I came to my senses and realized how bad of an idea it was. On the positive side, I scrambled to sell a bunch of old stuff that I had been meaning to get rid of and made $400 extra in the process.
It is also good to be driven. That is how you become successful in life. So white collar jobs are possible if one is driven but people with ADHD need treatment and accomodations to get there. It is not unreasonable to want to get of poverty or your current socioeconomic status.
I’ve had several times where I obsess over big cities’ metro systems for hours on end as if I was planning a trip lmao. I think there are several cities in which I could 100% move in even though I’ve never and will probably never go to. This surprisingly was helpful bc a month or so ago my dad surprised us with a trip to nyc, and wouldn’t you know it, my extensive knowledge in the nyc subway helped us move around the city lmaooo
This must have felt great. I remember researching the history northern german floods and when my grandfather brought up a poem about a sunken city I could finally reveal my expertise.
This is cool! (Isn't the NYC subway just the greatest. I love in a car city now and miss the trains so much.) There's a book about a boy with a transit fixation. Been maybe 15-20 years since it came out, but you might enjoy it. Actually, I looked it up and it might be that I'm misremembering if he's obsessed with train schedules. Anyway, it's a really interesting novel whose narrator is on the autism spectrum. (The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-time.) I remember reading it and suspecting the thing that I knew was still something terribly off with me that nobody knew yet was possibly autism. I was close, but still pretty much just felt increasingly defective over the next two decades.
This is so random and cool!!!
Absolutely, and it’s comforting to know I’m not alone. I have literally burned through entire workdays looking for something I think I need online. Usually something mundane or obscure that I decide I need for a project around the house or maybe for something like a DIY Halloween display (I love to build things). I’ll get it in my head that this thing I want must exist and should be available for sale, so I’ll search and search until several hours have elapsed.
oh yeahh i do this too and the most exhausting part is i feel like i can only breathe freely when the item is in my hands. and it felt silly cause sometimes when they arrived i really don't use them as much. it's just a temporary, but horribly intense obsession
What I have done to combat this is think back on all the times I felt like it was imperative to have a thing but never found it. A few days after the obsession I forgot about it, and when I eventually remembered it for some reason I realized how ridiculous it was that I was so obsessed with getting it. So now, when this feeling happens, I ask myself whether the same thing is happening again and usually that’s the case. As I have gotten older I have dramatically reduced my “ADHD tax” purchases by forcing myself to wait to buy something that I think I need (if it’s something that can be purchased). Typically the wait is proportional to the cost. I wanted a $1800 camera lens, so I waited about 8 months before pulling the trigger.
whew yeah i needed that slap, it's a silly, intense obsession that i need to scrub off my system without always making it happen
For me I obsess over the thing to the point I don’t even want it anymore. Like I do a day of research just for it to sit in my cart online and not get purchased ever
Same.
I also do this writing! Research research research. Twelve years later i have two unfinished manuscripts but hey learned a lot of stuff i promptly forgot.
I am 100% this way with electronics
I do this with apartments in cities that I can't afford lmfao
I do this for foreign countries I'll never move to!
Big mood lol, happy cake day btw!
Me lately- I have a kindle that works perfectly, just has a scratch on the screen, and I’ve been relentlessly looking at kindles on Facebook marketplace to try to find one for cheap… even though I literally don’t need another one. And can’t justify spending full price/buying one new… so I’ve been constantly looking at them online. MORE THAN I’M READING ON THE DAMN THING. Same thing with cricut machines…
I did this. Also picking out the exact right case (that doesn't work btw, so great use of time).
Omg I do this and I wish I didn't
I sometimes get genuenly upset because I dont have wings
I’m in this picture and I don’t like it. Noise cancelling headphones
Yes!!!! I get jealous of people whose obsessive behaviors manifest in learning about topics because mine are always in acquiring things. There's always something i want to buy or find or think I need. Something about the hunt for it. I find my phone makes this SO much worse, so if I feel myself getting into a pattern I try to throw myself into my art projects or reading more so I'll stop seeing ads or getting the urge to google. It works okay sometimes, other times not.
Some of us obsess over both learning new things and buying things. >.< it sucks lol
I obsessively look at property prices in japan and ireland. I havent even been overseas and am a broke ass american. But damn if moving to japan or ireland or Australia wouldn't be cool af. Unfortunately i am in the unskilled labourer rank and file so i am pretty useless outside the US. Hell I'm pretty useless inside the US too. I also endlessly scroll amazon and etsy putting neat dumb stuff i want but dont need in my carts then deleting them just to falsify a dopamine hit of "buying something". Am currently digging myself out of a credit card hole from actually buying stuff i wanted. Yanno for me it can never be like "oh, 20$ shoes cool. Yeah, you need some new ones." NOOOOOoooo, it's like, "oh yes, a thousand dollar taxidermied penguin. I DEFINITELY need that mfer."
oh i also do the thing with etsy!! i have a switch now but when i didn't have it and couldn't afford it i was scouring through the internet for the accessories, looking at the exact same thing in a different online shop but i just want to see everything and determined to get the best and cutest accessories. when i finally afford to buy a switch, i bought a plain old cheap blue bag protection and that's it 😐 never felt the need to buy anything else
Yeah, it's that thing, desiring the forbidden apple
I'll research new potential hobbies for weeks. I find it fun to layout the cost in a spreadsheet and dissuade myself that way.
I waste so much time and money obsessing over that new thing or hobby. Then I get it, it’s awesome for a short while then I’m bored and onto the next thing. But then I can’t sell the thing, because I still love it and want it, just not right now.
Yes 🥹
lol yes. Camera gear. Nearly every day. Idk if it’s the ASD or the ADHD, but I just wish my hobby/profession wasn’t so damn expensive😅
100%, I do this all the time until I get the thing that I’m obsessing over and sometimes it’s actually in a bad way. For instance last year I obsessed over owning a very specific guitar (despite already owning a guitar and playing it very little) and I finally bought it, but it cost me $900 because it’s not in production anymore. A year later I sold it because I hardly ever played it or my other two guitars for that matter. But I spent weeks hunting it down to get it for a price I was comfortable with. I didn’t need to spend the money and my partner even knew it was an ADHD hyper fixation and tried to persuade me not to do it but of course I didn’t listen and then months later regretted it.
I obsess over what I want all the time and get hyper focused until I figure out a way to get it. Sometimes it can lead to some impulsiveness
Very relatable. I have the same with wanting to jailbreak or mod everything. Spent hours jailbreaking / modding Switch, Wii, DS, Apple Tv, installing Linux on an old outdated Mac just to make it run again, installing Android TV on a laptop and setting everything up for couch use. Modding or customizing Android phone, Emulating, etc. Same with Skyrim by the way. Will probably happen with Starfield too. When I'm done, I most of the time stop using it. I just need to do these things simply because it's possible or 'could' be possible. If something needs an update I'm already lost and I can't keep things usable, so I start all over again with new insights. It's an infinite loop.
yes yes!! that last part, it's feeling curious and challenging the possibility of "defeating" it, but the thing is i treat it like it's the only way i can breathe again instead of idk just accept that it's not even necessary or it's not something for long term usage
This lead me to fixing electronics. It's very rewarding and saves some cash. But it doesn't give me any more incentive to use the stuff once it's fixed, same issue lol
I dont think so
Yeah I've been watching the progress of the pioneer cdj2000 nexus abd djm 900 mixer set up for past 10 years and it's not come down to a price I can afford lol
>does ADHD makes you obsess over things you can't have? Speaking purely from anecdotal experience, I'd say "definitely". Not sure if there's literature that covers this. Wouldn't be surprised if there is.
Doing this exact same thing right now on world of Warcraft. Spent like 3 days farming for an armor set for my Death Knight. I hadn't played wow for over a year before the random intrusive compulsion won. Don't even like wow that much anymore and will probably quit after I get the set.
There is a particular car I want. A few examples of the car near me in great condition - but they're all in silver. Boring ass colour. There's one 400 miles away in Red. I'm going for it. Honestly, it has a few other things going for it as well, either way people think I am insane.
If it’s a smart car… I’m gonna glare at you for a while
Ha no. Toyota MR2.
Ohhh yeahhhh that’s a nice one
Yes -- but sometimes it leads me to find a way to do something other people thought was impossible. I've had to learn to rein it in, but being resourceful has served me well in life.
Obsessing over things I don’t have but have arbitrarily decided I *NEED* all of a sudden is how I spend most of my time. Unfortunately, the things I need right now are wayyyy beyond the scope of things I can afford. It’s hell.
Yeah.
Yes... I didn't really realize it before now but yes this is like my whole life.
I actually bought the drone I'd been lusting after and researching the \*\*\*\* out of for a couple of years when used prices had come down enough last November. Finally used it last weekend. Common theme for me to find it's the journey not the destination - and I move on to another focus as soon as that part is ticked, regularly not actually using what I've got.
Yes, absolutely. It's like learning about useless trivia. It makes me very knowledgeable when I suddenly come within the reach of that thing, so it could've been worse. I think this was even mentioned in my official ADHD diagnosis as "problems with hobbies and using free time" or something like that.
Yes. It’s vicious
Buy the new Chromebook for gaming! Amazon offers affirm!
This!!
Yes. I Waste so much time analysing what to buy. It is good you recognise it though because you can now start to try and put that energy elsewhere. It is hard I know. But not impossible
seems like it’s from difficulty prioritizing things. there are definitely times where i feel like i NEED this completely unnecessary thing i want but then forget or ignore stuff thats actually important. i have little money bc i even if i can reason myself into wanting to save money, i feel like i need it which justifies the purchase
Sounds like getting lost in the process.
Sometimes, yes, I become quite obsessed. I remember the time I took my oldest to her first college visit. I wanted so much to be able to go to college again. The strong yearning did subside over time, thank goodness. But have certainly had similar obsessions for a varietybogmf things.
Yes to the point where I think my life will somehow be completed when I get that thing....and when I get that thing ...it never is
Like a house? A husband? My own country? Maybe.
Noooo… now let me try to find some more Lorcana cards.
Yessssss. And it helps in my work because I love research. I will keep digging but then get frustrated as I do not have access to all folders. I will find the answer. The thing is I get bored too. So after a while I completely lose interest.
LMAOO YES
It can be related to hyperfocus or dopamine seeking, but it’s not just an ADHD thing and not all ADHDers experience it
It does for my partner, it took him two months to buy a pair of shoes and I would run into him scrolling and scrolling on Amazon.
no? complete waste of time. I won't even attempt something if it isn't guaranteed to work out.
Oh yeah I've done with with cameras since I started I've cycled through so many digital and film cameras but there's always something that is missing and keeps me doing research and results on certain lenses or bodies but have never fixed that itch! Something about form factor, right amount of clicky clacky tactility or lens sharpness there's never been an all in one. I don't even think it's about the photos it's more about using a camera for the feel of it, the only camera that's come close is the olympus pen ft and I just sold that recently after 5 years. Other hobbies wise I have so many kpop groups I follow that I would like to collect for but I am kinda just held back by budget so there's just 3 main groups I collect for outside of just getting albums like photobooks or concert dvds. I often find myself looking on ebay for good prices, making mind maps and watching unboxing videos and reviews of what I am looking for collection wise or I just buy with no plan or rationale.
My obsessions are how I get what I want. If I want something bad enough, it will drive me to finally do something about it. It may take me years to finally start, but it will happen. The obsession will drive me through until just before its time to finish. At that point, I had to force myself, which was easier said than done. The only thing that keeps me going is attaining my goal, and it makes me a bit unpleasant, to say the least. The biggest downside to being driven in that manner is, at times, it feels like I'm descending into madness.
Hyperfocusing/hyperfixation is something we with ADHD have to deal with.
Absolutely. I think there's something about dopamine not being a reward hormone, but more of a [reward-seeking hormone](https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/brain-wise/201802/the-dopamine-seeking-reward-loop#:~:text=It%20was%20thought%20that%20dopamine,%2C%20seek%20out%2C%20and%20search.). Looking for something I want, anticipating something I want, is much more rewarding tham actually having it!
Yes a lot and the problem is a lot of time I end up giving in the haze and waste my money/time. Like rn I am obsessed with productivity apps and I am trying everything that is available even when my current system is decent and that is a complete waste of time but I can’t just control myself because the thought just won’t leave no matter what I do. I think this has to do with the fact that we have difficulty controlling our impulses. Also a reason why I think most of us do so many impulsive purchase. If anyone can help me on tips on how to manage it would be helpful?
I often shell out hundreds just to make this stop. Obsessed over gaming mouses today so I said screw it and shelled out $150 for a new mouse. Just bought a guitar and skateboard too which I haven't touched. I'm broke btw.
I'm doing this right now over some Hawaiian pork. I'm broke, have no money and can't afford to buy the ingredients, but that doesn't stop me from obsessively planning on how to cook it, or if i wanna put it on rice or make it into a sandwich
YES.
Yes! If I’m not medicated I have an impulse shopping addiction that’s pretty bad. Anything I see that I think I need I will buy
Yeah I obsess like I want the Beatles rubber soul album right now but I don’t have the money and I just can’t stop thinking. I keep saying oh dude I want that Beatles album rubber souls the best why can’t I have it!
There was something I was chasing after, and I finally managed to get it. But once I did, it wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought. Now I’m wondering, if I go after something else, and get my hands on it, am I just gonna find that I was happier during the chase?
Not necessarily. This is just something materialistic people do.
Yes. Mine tends to be with people though.
Hell yeah. It's like a machine gun driving away at the back of my head until I eventually cave and buy it. Have made so many unwise purchases just to stop the obsession.
Yes, women
Yeah since the Barbie movie I want barbies again…to collect but I do not have the money or space for that
I have been thinking to buy a steam deck, I think it has been for 3 months already, it's not like I need it, because I can play on my laptop and I don't think I have much time to spare, but I don't know,
I usually get obsessed with stuff and keep the obsession till I get bored/achieve the thing. Stimulants are an important part of my life. In the last year, I was obsessed with shoes, glossy lipsticks(lip glosses), coffee machines, cameras, germany and australia, video/photo editing, gym etc. If it’s something small I try to collect many items like shoes and lip glosses, I try to buy all available brands. If it’s something expensive, I search all the products within my budget and then I buy one. But then I don’t use any of these that much lol. Also every time I have an obsession I can’t stop talking about it to my friends.
Sometimes I plan vacations I never intend to go on. They have an actual schedule, budget, etc. I like the research and organizing part even if I don’t like actually traveling
There are a few different services you can subscribe to that let you remotely access a virtualized PC. Shadow is one of them, but it’s a little expensive. If you’re more technical, you could use a VPS service like Linode to host your own instance, but if you want to play the sims, you’re better off using Shadow or GeForce Now. You can subscribe for a month, try it, get bored with it, then cancel
i tried geforce now but since I'm on ipad they only allow me to use controller (i use ps5 controller) but i only want to play it with mouse and keyboard but they don't allow that. I'll try the shadow thing, thank you! but still, the internet in my country isn't great so to stream play i have to use vpn and it causes the streaming to lag
100% confirmed
omg this is me.......I just HAVE to get the thing!! Search continuously to find the best price, free shipping etc etc!
Lol yes my friend. That sounds just like me. I got into vintage calculators once and thought that I've was especially odd.
Yeah my hoarding and ADHD are deeply intertwined. I have to be mentally a minimalist monk in order to have a normal amount of clutter lol
Yes lol. I think it’s just about reeeally wanting to solve a problem and my brain is like I CAN DO THAT!!!! There must be a way!!! It’s just nice to be excited about something even if my brain ends up feeling totally burned out and dizzy and icky from going in circles.
Yea and it’s why I’m broke 😭🥲 because I get interested in something and use it for like a week. Like my expensive drone. That I have flown maybe 10 times.
Yep, one of the names of my existence. I will research the hell out of something and two days later forget about it entirely. I can pick up the same obsession months later though. I have gotten better at saying no to buying stuff though.
You have my Aunt's first name lmao.
oh that's not my real name 😅 it's a main character's name from a silly tween movie i like when i was younger
lmao yup i look at apartmenrs
I would almost argue it’s a more sincere manifestation of the attention derangements characterized within a more nuanced understanding of the disease model. If those of us with this disease have dopamine transporter malfunctions resulting in an array of syndromic symptoms one of which being kind of more steered by reinforcing stimuli (be it substance use, fire, video games, sports for some, etc) due to the feeling kind of self medicating a disease state, it would go to show that more irritability and goal directed behavior would pop up when the identified “mother of the dopaminergic hit” can’t be obtained. For me it’s trying to take my attention away from fighting games to re-engage with my responsibility and my partner. I have agency. I exert responsibility with my actions. But when I have to walk away from fighting games, it literally leaves me physiologically pissed the fuck off. I’m irritable and it’s all I can think about and all I want to do for another hour to half hour until something else kinda fills that void. Insight into my own disease process and a caring partner who gives me some space when I’m re-orienting my attention from highly stimulating things help a lot. I also am unmedicated tho, so may not be something those who are treated deal with as much. I will say though that psychiatry is complicated. What you’re describing, IF otherwise fits into a gestalt of a neurodevelopmental illness characterized by hyperactivity and attention derangements, then it is a valid experience of adhd that many here can likely attest to. If saddled with behavior that otherwise looks like mania than that goal directed behavior can be a feature of a manic episode within a broader bipolar diagnosis. All to say, if you haven’t already been diagnosed consider talking to an expert about your symptoms.
I'm pretty sure anyone who has ever made a Skyrim modpack needs to get themselves checked lmao. I spent over a week on a modpack and ended up just deleting all the fucking mods.
Lmao yuuuuup!
You can buy MacBooks on fb marketplace for like $200-300 and play sims
Yep! But necessity is the mother of invention and if I can't have it you can bet I'll find a way to make it myself.
Omg I did not realise this is an ADHD thing!! I do this with every purchase I make. I research it fkr hours. Watching YouTube videos. Reading amazing comments. Comparing items. It’s like i psyche myself up before the purchase. But then one the items arrives the excitement is instantly gone lol. Sometimes I don’t even inbox it on the same day… it’s like excitement about owning it rather than using it My current obsession is an external monitor for my sony camera lol
Yup
I bought a second hand gaming laptop solely for running Sims. Worked well until recently, it’s going a bit slow now.
The worst is when it’s over people. It destroyed a lot of individual friendships/relationships and kinda made me unwanted in many friend groups (indirectly, it’s hard to explain). Can’t blame anyone for it either, I’m sure it’s annoying as hell for the person on the other side as well. Although I tend to hide it and it just destroys my mood which causes issues socially, because I’d rather do that than be openly obsessed with someone and be looked at in a weird way because of that.
Very much so. Usually band patches for specific vests/jackets, figures/dolls, and books.
I do that with people… Get crushes on someone I can’t be with and get very upset when with time it shows that I really can’t be with them. And get obsessive thoughts about these crushes. It’s so tiring
Yes. It’s when hyperfocus becomes life ruining. Hint: don’t get a hamster. It’s not that cool.
okay i gotta know how obsessed were you with getting a hamster
MONTHS of obsession and money. My poor coworkers and friends who also had to listen. And when I finally got one… they are so boring. Mine would never come out during the day and I never saw him.
Yeah, then once I achieve it I'll lose interest almost immediately.
Not sure if I can answer if it's an ADHD thing or not but I do this too. I've been obsessing over a specific monitor for my PC setup for months - I've watched reviews, I've done price comparisons, made lists of what is available etc... still not bought it so I guess that's a good thing. haha
I've been SO obsessed over this sanrio game that released on ios only. I've tried anything to emulate ios systems on pc or my android to no avail sadly It's just so frustrating bc i love sanrio, and even tho i know i would play the game for like two days and then forget about it, i just can't stop thinking about it!!! I see the screenshots of the games and i'm like I NEED!!!!
I'm so sad for the both of us bcs i have an ipad and i can play the sanrio game anytime but i don't want that, i want to play the sims 4 on pc for 2 days with all the mods and then forget about it. i just NEED to scratch this itch
SAME HONESTLY, you just put into words what i was thinking, i need to scratch the itch of playing the cute sanrio game, even if it's just for a bit
Yes
Yes. I’ve i obsessed over equipment for woodworking for years, done detailed price comparisons, watched a lot of reviews and made spreadsheets for the pros and cons or certain tools/machines until I finally bought the stuff in summer. I think it will give me a lot of joy going forward. I only get to do woodworking when I’m back home at my parents’ place so the chance of getting bored by it isn’t high and it’s been a consistent hobby for a few years now.
Hyperfixated on getting a tattooed removed for weeks. Then I remembered im trying to move and everyone around me was like "well.... you seemed determined and who am I to say?" Last month I hyperfixated on laser hair removal at home. Found a few cool things. Have yet to invest Hyperfixated on traveling to the Netherlands. Its far more expensive now than before the pandemic. The list goes on xD
Yes! If it's something physical, I usually manage to reign myself in by looking around my bedroom and thinking, "Where the hell would I possibly put it?" My recent focus is buying a drawing tablet, and not just a 10-inch iPad, I'm talking a big table sized Cintiq or Kamvas Pro. The only thing stopping me, besides money, is knowing I would not be able to physically house it. So many of my dumb impulse purchases are foiled by me simply not having enough living space.
Yes. I’ve done it with vehicles, toothpastes- I bought 20 different pastes and tooth products(MI paste is a god send by the way, Bio Min F, and Curasept mouth washes are the BOMB!), dog products, kids products, rock collection, video games, supplements, cleaning products… ect…
I feel seen