ADHD issues - desperately need any advice I can get

Post Reply New Topic

I've been crying most of the day today, feel unbelievably frusturated and angry. I can't seem to focus on my work for longer than 5 minutes, and even though I told myself no internet after crying I ended up signing on and off WP for the rest of the day, and got no work done again.

I really really need help, if anyone has any advice about focusing now would be the time to give it, because I am on the brink of going back on ritalin again.

So you know, telling me to use more will-power is not good advice - I literally cannot focus for more than 5 minutes on any of my work, but for some reason I can spend hours posting on this forum and playing word games on facebook. I am really really angry at myself right now, so angry I want to hurt myself.

umm... is there a particular reason for your anger? Mabe you just need a break from working.
Just don't start hurting yourself, kay?

I know how you feel. It can be rough. I have the same kinds of issues. Don't beat yourself up too much..Take a break and try to reset and get back to it on your own pace. I wish I had Adderall again constantly even though that stuff really wrecked my mind.

Apart from what I said in the other thread, I was given a piece of information from a psycho at Attwood's:

She said that on average, 15 minutes of attention is about all that someone with AS should be expected to give to something that they aren't obsessed over. She said that a 30 minute break to do what you want to, and then another 15 minutes of your attention on the subject you aren't obsessed over, seems to help many. So it'd go, 15, 30, 15, 30, and etcetera, rather than trying to do it all in one sitting.

I don't know if it works, but it does make sense, as you have a reward for doing the 15 minutes of boredom.

If 5 minutes is all you can give, it'd go 5, 30, 5, 30 and etcetera. It'll probably take awhile, but since it's upsetting you so much, it might be worth giving it a try.

I have nothing else, sorry.

Something I do in those situations when I deal with this with myself... I change my surroundings... and also change what I am doing.... i would go for a ride with a destination in mind, goign to the store to buy a pop and blast music during the trip... I would go for a walk... go out in the yard and dig a hole (done that several times)...

No matter how hard I would try to focus, it just didnt work... i had to let it go and go to something else for awhile then come back to it later.... it usually helped...

Breaks inbetween studying help; I also find it helpful to change locations when I have to do something I'm really not interested in.

I used to become very frustrated with myself when I couldn't pay attention long enough to do things that I needed to do, but I eventually stopped getting frustrated once I realized that it wasn't one of those things I could really change.