ADHD - Boredom threshold

Axe_meister

After 53 years, I've come to the conclusion I likely have some form of ADHD (son officially diagnosed).
Like many with the condition, I get easily bored, with any task, which means I can get to a proficient level (say guitar/singing) then get bored. Any of you have a tips on breaking through that boredom threshold?
As a result I've become proficient in many disciplines but master of none.
Seeing retirement on the horizon has made it even worse in a workplace environment, where I can't be bothered to put in that extra effort anymore, but still need to survive the next 6 to 8 years.

octatonic

Get diagnosed if you can afford it.

I have ADHD (+ ASD) and I have no problem with carrying out high value tasks to a frankly excessive level.
High value tasks for me would be playing guitar, drums, doing studio work, roller skating.
I can do those all day, every day and never get bored.
The problem used to be that it was quite unfocussed about it.

Ask me do to something that is not high value and I will simply not do it for very long, or at all.

Everyone with ADHD is different though, so you can't extrapolate one person's experience out to another's.
The best thing is to get the right support- which for me is diagnosis -> treatment (medication and counselling).

Medication made all the difference to me.
I can now focus much more and there is less brain chatter.

fretmeister

A lot of ADHD medication is stimulant based.

Many ADHD people end up discovering that they have been unknowingly self medicating with obscene levels of caffeine.

When I spoke to my GP about the amount t I was drinking and that my productivity was basically zero when I didn’t he started the referral process. But as an adult who has managed so far the waiting list is about 2 years in my area.

Apparently 5 espresso in a big mug before breakfast and then a couple of filter machine jugs worth through the day isn’t the best way to deal with it…

Sporky

fretmeister said:

Apparently 5 espresso in a big mug before breakfast and then a couple of filter machine jugs worth through the day isn’t the best way to deal with it…

I had to stop drinking coffee. I was having a six-cup Moka pot in a mug with condensed milk at breakfast. It turned out that was causing 80% or so of my travel anxiety.

octatonic

fretmeister said:

A lot of ADHD medication is stimulant based.

Many ADHD people end up discovering that they have been unknowingly self medicating with obscene levels of caffeine.

When I spoke to my GP about the amount t I was drinking and that my productivity was basically zero when I didn’t he started the referral process. But as an adult who has managed so far the waiting list is about 2 years in my area.

Apparently 5 espresso in a big mug before breakfast and then a couple of filter machine jugs worth through the day isn’t the best way to deal with it…

Ding ding ding.
When I started on stimulants I dropped caffeine.
I was having 3 triple espressos and a few caffeine soda type drinks every day just to feel normal.

ToneControl

Amongst my ADHD family, half of us are frighteningly productive on the most interesting tasks, without meds, and the other half end up not even completing those, and struggle even with meds.

I have learned to get non-interesting paid-work tasks done, basically through fear of losing my job I suppose.

With something vague like music performance as a hobby, there are often no specific goals.
My playing improved a lot when I took a year off work and bought several pro-quality amps.
Previously my playing improved when I started composing and recording at home, and learned to hear my mistakes.

Have a think about how those wanting a professional career would approach music performance: They'd get lessons, they might be enrolled on a course where deliverables are due on certain dates - I think this is probably the key you need.
Basically the music performance equivalent of a gym buddy - someone or something that you have committed to delivering recordings, performances or whatever.

You could do an adult education course. Some are cheaper, some not.
I looked a a part-time MA in music production - £9k over 3 years, that looks interesting.

Also there are MOOC, I did a Berklee one on Jazz improvisation for free, other students peer-review your recordings - well worth a try.

stickyfiddle

I’ve been trying to cut caffeine lately in an effort to sleep better and have less anxiety, but my productivity is through the floor and my anxiety is therefore way up. 

I’m gonna get a referral. The fact that I have said this multiple times and not done it probably also speaks volumes.. 

TeleMaster

I've got ADHD which was diagnosed as a child and I was medicated throughout my teens. This condition caused me to have an extremely disruptive childhood with a lot of impulsive and compulsive behaviour. I was very disruptive, found focusing on tasks extremely difficult and this followed me into adulthood. Luckily being medicated as a child leads to better adult outcomes but I will still hyper focus on things I enjoy to the point where everything goes to shit. Food can be ruined because I forget to check it, I can miss appointments, be late for everything unless I'm very organised. I impulse buy stuff, sell stuff on a whim, spend money poorly and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There are a lot of mindfulness, self awareness techniques but ultimately this is a neurological condition, you can't just trick yourself out of having ADHD, it is very difficult to manage for lots of people.

There seems to be this trend of self diagnosing and saying you have a condition without a formal diagnosis and I don't agree with it. It trivialises the condition when everyone says they have it, It might be ADHD, you sound like you have some traits of it so maybe you do have it, but you also haven't described some other very common features so it's worth remembering that most people get bored, lose enthusiasm or procrastinate when they find a task boring and it's hardly ever ADHD, so the best thing to do is get an assessment from a reputable source (too many charlatans out there) because it could be diet, sleep, depression or a myriad of other things. Going on medication for this condition is not an easy experience because doses, medication type can take quite a while to get right, so it can be a difficult process.

octatonic

TeleMaster said:

I've got ADHD which was diagnosed as a child and I was medicated throughout my teens. This condition caused me to have an extremely disruptive childhood with a lot of impulsive and compulsive behaviour. I was very disruptive, found focusing on tasks extremely difficult and this followed me into adulthood. Luckily being medicated as a child leads to better adult outcomes but I will still hyper focus on things I enjoy to the point where everything goes to shit. Food can be ruined because I forget to check it, I can miss appointments, be late for everything unless I'm very organised. I impulse buy stuff, sell stuff on a whim, spend money poorly and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There are a lot of mindfulness, self awareness techniques but ultimately this is a neurological condition, you can't just trick yourself out of having ADHD, it is very difficult to manage for lots of people.

There seems to be this trend of self diagnosing and saying you have a condition without a formal diagnosis and I don't agree with it. It trivialises the condition when everyone says they have it, It might be ADHD, you sound like you have some traits of it so maybe you do have it, but you also haven't described some other very common features so it's worth remembering that most people get bored, lose enthusiasm or procrastinate when they find a task boring and it's hardly ever ADHD, so the best thing to do is get an assessment from a reputable source (too many charlatans out there) because it could be diet, sleep, depression or a myriad of other things. Going on medication for this condition is not an easy experience because doses, medication type can take quite a while to get right, so it can be a difficult process.

I think we need to have compassion for people who might not be able to afford to get a full private diagnosis.

I agree that it is sometimes counter-productive to label oneself with a condition that is not actually present but given that the waiting times are so long and private diagnosis so expensive what else are people to do?

TeleMaster

octatonic said:

TeleMaster said:

I've got ADHD which was diagnosed as a child and I was medicated throughout my teens. This condition caused me to have an extremely disruptive childhood with a lot of impulsive and compulsive behaviour. I was very disruptive, found focusing on tasks extremely difficult and this followed me into adulthood. Luckily being medicated as a child leads to better adult outcomes but I will still hyper focus on things I enjoy to the point where everything goes to shit. Food can be ruined because I forget to check it, I can miss appointments, be late for everything unless I'm very organised. I impulse buy stuff, sell stuff on a whim, spend money poorly and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There are a lot of mindfulness, self awareness techniques but ultimately this is a neurological condition, you can't just trick yourself out of having ADHD, it is very difficult to manage for lots of people.

There seems to be this trend of self diagnosing and saying you have a condition without a formal diagnosis and I don't agree with it. It trivialises the condition when everyone says they have it, It might be ADHD, you sound like you have some traits of it so maybe you do have it, but you also haven't described some other very common features so it's worth remembering that most people get bored, lose enthusiasm or procrastinate when they find a task boring and it's hardly ever ADHD, so the best thing to do is get an assessment from a reputable source (too many charlatans out there) because it could be diet, sleep, depression or a myriad of other things. Going on medication for this condition is not an easy experience because doses, medication type can take quite a while to get right, so it can be a difficult process.

I think we need to have compassion for people who might not be able to afford to get a full private diagnosis.

I agree that it is sometimes counter-productive to label oneself with a condition that is not actually present but given that the waiting times are so long and private diagnosis so expensive what else are people to do?

I agree, and my post is compassionate, I'm not saying that Axe doesn't have it but that an assessment is needed to really know if you have it, The issues with being assessed are very difficult for people, there are many barriers, a lot of demand and people are being under diagnosed. But it can also lead to wrongful diagnosis if we self diagnose, especially when some of the causes for poor concentration are related to diet, mood, sleep, lack of exercise and can be remedied by addressing that, so what I'm saying with that comment is that without that diagnosis you can't access the right help at work, medication, counselling etc so if suspected it's imperative that people get assessed.

ToneControl

What swung it for me was doing the standard questionnaires for my kids, and remembering my own experiences.
In the absence of a formal diagnosis, I'd recommend filling in the standard form used in diagnosis

There are a few variations, but basically the same questions:

https://www.abbeyroadmedicalcentre.co.uk/files/2021/04/ADD-Adult-Self-Report-Form.pdf
https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
https://www.advancedassessments.co.uk/resources/ADHD-Screening-Test-Adult.pdf
https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/application/files/7216/0865/2064/Parent_Vanderbilt_v2.pdf


we were asked to complete the forms several times for each child:
They ask for some mixture of partners, siblings, parents to cover different periods and perspectives: filling it in for when you were at school and current observations on separate forms.

we had some extra pages from Phoenix that asked about managing daily adult stuff like family life, work, money, driving a car etc.

Grunfeld

Axe_meister said:

Like many with the condition, I get easily bored, with any task, which means I can get to a proficient level (say guitar/singing) then get bored. Any of you have a tips on breaking through that boredom threshold?

Not really. 

I don't have anything debilitating, but it's a spectrum.  For me the issue is not unlike the description @octatonic gave:  if something interests me I'm into it pretty much to the exclusion of all else -- this does not make for good relationships, and it can be tricky if someone is paying you wages.  (And I have form for being tricky with both of those.)  

But I've learned how to rein this behaviour in -- essentially with a bunch of cognitive skills from CBT, DBT, and ACT.  Those cognitive and behavioural skills have also really helped gain the "big picture" perspective which I previously lacked -- which led to a sort of unfocused focus, and I don't mean this literally but it was as if I would obsessively untangle mental paper clips before I could start on anything.

The harder issue has been putting effort into things which don't interest me.  "I don't want to and you can't make me" is pretty much my head.  Again, clearly leads to difficulties with pesky entities, aka other people.  I genuinely think this is why I've been happiest being alone and every gf/ partner has lived at least 100 miles away. 

So, no useful tips on breaking through a boredom threshold unless you count, "get rid of all the stuff and people you can't be arsed with and just do what you want."

Also a prodigious consumer of caffeine.  I suspect I'd benefit in some ways from medication.  But I don't (yet) want to bother my GP with something which I don't find debilitating and isn't interfering too much these days.

Adey

I've come to understand that we are all "on the spectrum" of Asperger / ADHD, the only question is "where on the spectrum?" And we're all a bit odd in one way or another. And we're all normal because of that.

Without wanting to be rude to people, internet forums do attract people on the spectrum and those who are more so will be the ones who "find something/someone wrong on the Internet and need to correct it." So you will find a lot of ADHD / Asperger people on line.

As you get older, you understand yourself better I think, and realise that you are "odd" in some ways and less so in most others.

octatonic

Adey said:

I've come to understand that we are all "on the spectrum" of Asperger / ADHD, the only question is "where on the spectrum?" And we're all a bit odd in one way or another. And we're all normal because of that.

This is a highly problematic statement.

Whilst a spectrum does, by definition, include everyone from Neurotypical at one end to Neurodivergent at the other, to say 'we are all on the spectrum' goes some way to minimise and shame people who are actually unable to do anything about their disability whilst being a defacto denial that anything needs to be done at all.

Saying 'we are all a bit autistic' is like calling someone a surgeon because they once removed a splinter.
Yes, technically removing a splinter is functionally a similar process that surgery entails but there is also a big difference.

If we were all on the spectrum why do you think there is such a huge push for ND people for get awareness and accommodation for their disability? 

This is because it can trivialise the challenges we face on the spectrum as though we are saying we have just climbed a mountain and the response is ‘who hasn’t?’

Furthermore, one of the largest objections ND people have to the ‘everyone is on the spectrum’ conversation is that, the moment someone utters these words, it often feels like that person has closed their mind off to the possibility of learning more about neurodivergence.

After all, to them all 7.5 billion people who are both on the planet and on the spectrum are doing just fine, so why do adjustments need to be made for the few diagnosed people who are calling out for change?

In short, please stop it.

'As you get older, you understand yourself better I think, and realise that you are "odd" in some ways and less so in most others.'

For some people it is quite a bit more debilitating than just being 'odd'.
I am not going to go into what my life is like, but I couldn't disagree with you more.

Adey

No comment.

DefaultM

I got diagnosed with autism but I always wondered if I should have done this as well. They did mention it and it seems like much more of a problem for me because I’m just all over the place.
Yesterday my wife asked me to listen to a song, so I asked Siri to play it for me. Instead it played a video of a guy talking about the song. I thought I need to open YouTube and search it manually but I must have got distracted in those few seconds.
Suddenly it’s about 4 hours later and she asked what I thought to the song. I thought eh? I didn’t listen but I asked Siri… Thought back through what had happened since that and all I could remember was this guy talking and then me going off on 5 tangents.
I opened YouTube again to listen to it and then here I am next morning being reminded again I didn’t actually listen because I went off on 5 more tangents. 

Sporky

Also Aspergers isn't a current term for autism, quite possibly because Asperger was a Nazi who experimented on autistic people, and that shouldn't be celebrated. 

My view is that we're not "all on the spectrum", for two reasons. Firstly it's more useful for "the spectrum" to refer to a particular neuro divergence at a time, and secondly because the spectrum is not a linear scale with "quite into trains" at one end and "can't really function unhelped" at the other. It's more a model of how all the people on it share a condition, but have different sets of traits. Like a cloud, or a starfield. Not a line.

Also everything Octatonic said. Particularly that "well, we're all on the spectrum" is completely dismissive of the individual struggles people who are actually on a spectrum have. 

fretmeister

There's some superb "No we are not all X" vids on youtube by actual professionals in the subject.

None of them agree with the "we are all..." premise.

fretmeister

Sporky said:

fretmeister said:

Apparently 5 espresso in a big mug before breakfast and then a couple of filter machine jugs worth through the day isn’t the best way to deal with it…

I had to stop drinking coffee. I was having a six-cup Moka pot in a mug with condensed milk at breakfast. It turned out that was causing 80% or so of my travel anxiety.

With condensed milk you say?

I might try that.

M1ck

ToneControl said:

There are a few variations, but basically the same questions:

https://www.abbeyroadmedicalcentre.co.uk/files/2021/04/ADD-Adult-Self-Report-Form.pdf
https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
https://www.advancedassessments.co.uk/resources/ADHD-Screening-Test-Adult.pdf
https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/application/files/7216/0865/2064/Parent_Vanderbilt_v2.pdf

Oh dear, I had quick a look through these and can tick (in my opinion)  too many of the boxes! I too find it extremely difficult to get motivated and can lose interest in a heartbeat. I have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression which is covered in those questionnaires but there are so many right hand boxes I could tick if I’m being honest with myself. 

Sporky

fretmeister said:

Sporky said:

fretmeister said:

Apparently 5 espresso in a big mug before breakfast and then a couple of filter machine jugs worth through the day isn’t the best way to deal with it…

I had to stop drinking coffee. I was having a six-cup Moka pot in a mug with condensed milk at breakfast. It turned out that was causing 80% or so of my travel anxiety.

With condensed milk you say?

I might try that.

(and sugar)