Could ADD be the sole cause of my problems?

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Well as I wrote, I seem to have both AS and ADHD in my family. My father is very daydreamy and very in his own world and into his interests. He is very innattentive to things around him when interested in his thoughts, which is often. But he is a very focused person. Though he works slowly, he has not had problems focusing on his tasks at work. He can go outside and work for hours.

Me, though I have similar traits to him in that respect, I completely lack focus. If you give me a task to do my mind starts screaming: "BORED!" I try and do it but I lose interest in it very easily. I just dont have his ability to put my mind to something and bumble my way through it. If I try and do something I often find myself doing something else, almost like I have this insatiable thirst for variety and change, which is the opposite to my fathers liking of routine and sameness.

We're pretty sure he's the hyperactive sort. He used to do a lot of extreme sports. He's always up for a new adventure. He's always late, always on the go. He has a lot of energy. He can't go from point A to point B without many detours. He acts impulsively most of the time. He's prone to rage-fits. He barely sleeps.

But still he can sit down and do nothing for awhile. It's a very odd contrast.

All I can say is that I don't have that sort of energy.

I've a lot to say to all your posts, but I don't think my brain can do it justice at the moment. I'll be on to it soon.

I relate to what you're saying and just wanted to add my experiences too.

I like variety in my life to the point where I have trouble doing things a certain way more than once. This is one of those key points where I differ from the typical "Aspie". I can't handle sameness in a normal way. It's also something that's given me a lot of trouble because it makes me incredibly indecisive. For me the pattern goes as follows.... I find a topic I like, I exhaust it for awhile, burn out, then move onto something else. Sometimes I'll return to a previous topic, but not always. These are my "obsessions", though, and I usually have some sort of pet project going on at any one time.

I also go directly to tasks that interest me to the neglect of all others. This is a major problem I've had in classes. I'll sit down to read a textbook and, without realizing it, I'll find myself doing something entirely different. If I DO manage to force myself onto the task at hand, it's like my brain goes into shut-down mode. The information I take in dwindles out slowly. Many times I'll end up falling asleep. I've managed to do as well in classes as I have only because when I do manage to study, I have an excellent memory. But many times it's really hit and miss, even with taking medication. Some days I just can't study to save my life.

Strict routines help me, but they don't come naturally. I get very anxious when my day is planned and it can also lead to mild depression sometimes. Days when I have a lot planned, even if it's fun stuff, sometimes upset me because I realize I won't be able to do what I want to do. I too wish that I had the ability to just plod through a boring task and get it done. :/ I wish I were able to maintain routines better, too.