Concentration Problems

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I always have problems in concentrating. When reading a book, I often can't concentrate for more than 5 lines (on "good" days still only a page or 2) after which I find myself thinking about nonrelevant things and it really messess up the story. When learning, I often find myself after a while looking straight forward with closed books, thinking about nonrelevant things. In class I gave up concentrating 4-5 years ago, and, since then, I truly haven't concentrated one full lesson (except some chemics lessons, that's why I study chemics now ) I don't even have much confidence in getting a driving license, I think I'll be a real disaster on the road for losing concentration, so I'm not even having driving lessons, while all my friends do have.
Anybody having the same problems?

I had trouble too concentrating when i was reading something. My reading comprehension was not good unless i was really interested in what i was reading, but it has no affect on getting my drivers license which i got 13 years ago.

so do you have add?

Yes inattentive ADD or ADHD-I my guess is atleast 50% people on WP have it.

We need some sticky thread on it because my own ADHD-I means this is close to
the last time I'm answer a post like this.

I guess if they could look to see if the subject is already being discussed they wouldnt need help?

Good Point!!

Oh no, I don't have ADD at all. Just poblems to focus on things I don't find interesting. You see, if I read books I really like, I can manage to concentrate, or with really good computergames or so, sporting, tv, radio...it's just, if I'm not interested, I can't in any way concentrate.

Dito, my friend.

Sounds like you need to improve your self-discipline. Unfortunately that can be quite challenging to do. You have to be really determined to improve your self-discipline, and force yourself to concentrate on something for the length of time you decided you would. It is a valuable skill to learn.

I can focus myself easily on a mindless task like a physical task that I'm familiar with or even a mental task that doesn't take much of my mental faculties, like entering values in a computer form. That allows the rest of my mind to wander which it seems like it must do or I will go nutz. However, my current task is a creative problem solving one-- software engineering. Sitting there and focusing on that task is a herculian effort that's growing. I've been telling myself that I just lack discipline and it's destroying my self-esteem. It's bad enough that I realize I need to seek outside help.

Every moment of every day, my mind is raging about something. I'm so used to it that I haven't thought much of it until it's started to cause problems. I'll be having a very vivid dream and then wake up. Within a few seconds, my mind is right back to thinking deeply about whatever subject I was thinking about when I went to bed. Last night it was Asperger's Syndrome and this message board. Here I am at this message board again for the last 40 minutes since I woke up at 5:30. (Went to bed at 1am) Reading and posting on message boards on the few subjects that occupy my mind constantly is like using a relief valve.

From your statement, I would guess that you don't have some form of ADD yourself and you don't really understand it. It's like someone who doesn't have epilepsy telling someone who's having a seizure, "Just stop it. You lack self-discipline."

Okay Pug since you know you do not have ADD , how about you define ADD? To not be
able to focus on something you do not find interesting is like the key factor in
inattentive ADD, I would say others include: excessive daydreaming, getting bored often,
coming up with losts of good ideas and getting few if any real world results from them,etc

How about you do some web searches on ADD.

Whats that over there?

dude got add.

Heheh reminds me of the old "me? I can easily concentr...hey, did I just see a red car?"
But I'm sorry, no, that doesn't count for me.

Ah, no add. It occurs when I'm tired, have a "bad" day or am somewhat depressed. Not just all the time, what happens with add.

I too have trouble with concentration and thinking about irrelevent things (especially when I'm thinking about a moment or moments that happened during the day). I sometimes can't think straight when I'm doing schoolwork on some days (though not on all days), and I think that my concentration is getting worse for some reason. Anyways, I usually can't concentrate nearly as well when I'm tired from crosscountry practice or I've had something sweet (like chocolate) to eat, yet it's not horrible. I do have endurance for the most part, to get things done and all, but sometimes my concentration is horrible! lol