Questions regarding special interest "hopping."

Post Reply New Topic

I've been having this internal debate regarding ADD and the longevity of special interests, and figured I would present it for public opinion to see if I can finally settle it in my mind. If this is common knowledge and I'm just not aware of it, I apologize for creating a new thread needlessly. I'll try to make this as concise and to the point as possible, as I'm prone to rambling.

So, here is what I'm wondering; is it possible that ADD (or something else entirely?) shortens the lifespan of your special interest(s), or even prevent you from having them? If not, would they be called "short-term" special interests instead? How stable does a special interest need to be in order to be considered "special?"

Though not professionally diagnosed yet, I do believe whole-heartedly that I am an Aspie (as do many people that have known me for a very long time.) When I was a child, I had very intense special interests throughout the years (the Titanic, Holocaust, dinosaurs, American Sign Language, and cats to name the major ones) that ruled my world. As I've gotten older, I find it difficult to say that I "traditionally" fit the special interest category of AS, not because I don't have them, but due to how often they shift in my mind.

I am fascinated by making things with my hands. In the past year, I've developed short-lived obsessions with watercolor painting, wire sculpting, collaging, making hemp jewelry, origami, and knitting. When I pick up a new "hobby," I am absolutely consumed by it and it is all that I do for weeks. I find that I learn these new skills at an abnormally quick pace. It will be all that I talk about and (as I've learned) frequently annoy people with my enthusiasm. Then, usually after a few weeks to months, something new will catch my attention and I will drop said interest in favor of the new one. It's not that I do not enjoy the former interest, it just doesn't hold my attention so intensely anymore. I have seen similar patterns in my music/film/literature/game preferences, career desires, etc., though some have remained throughout my life thus far (Star Wars, David Bowie, and the Legend of Zelda games in particular.)

My room has relics of my past interests scattered about (boxes of beads and hemp cord, stacks of magazines, spools of wire, an easel filled with paints and brushes, etc.) and I often go through bouts of depression and anxiety when I feel as if I'm "between" interests and lost the ability to focus on something that was once so captivating.

Are you a "special interest hopper?" Have you found ways to combat the sudden loss of interest in your interest? Why do you think you lose interest? I'm interested in hearing what everyone has to say.

It sounds like I could've written this post. I've been through many special interests. The ones that seem to stick around the logest is my fascination with making music and writing. When my sepcial interests really get turned on intently, I focus on nothing but that, often to the detriment of my meds, food, etc. This seems to be common aspie behaviour and, in fact, defines us. Like you, when I'm between interests, I go into a deep funk. Last earlier this year. I wrote a novel then, for a few months, did nothing. My doctor increaed my Risperdal and I'm back to writing again. I used to average one short story a day. I'm making do now with one per week with a poem or two so it's not so bad.

I think I lose interest when i go as far as I can with a subject. I spent an entire year writing and recording an album. When that was done I went into a funk for a few months then started writing. My depression trigger, then, is not being productive. As long as I'm doing something, I'm alright.

Addendum: I just bought a force feedback wheel so you know what that means - for the next few weeks I'll be immersing myself in nothing but driving simulators.

A lot like me too .

When I was a kid it was different , I two things drawing and gardening ,when not doing one I would be doing the other . The drawing was usually plant based though. This all came to an end when my step dad decided he wanted the garden back so he used a flame-thrower and burnt everything that I spent years working on . Then just left it looking dead.
I do wonder if subcutaneously that is why I lose interest in things I am obsessed with for months or even years . Or I could just be common thing. I have also found that a lot of things my fine motor control gets in the way of ,I research everything I can about something for months then when I try to do it I get so frustrated and stressed that it isn't working out the way I have it in my head that it becomes dead to me and I just move on.
Also I have this strange unbreakable conviction that I should be great at something ( better than anyone in the world ) and things end up making me feel useless.
Another problem I am having is , I used to collect information in my head . Then I had a head injury and lost this ability . As I am very disorganised doing this in the real world is hard to achieve

Yes, I can identify with this.

However, I also noticed that there are patterns to the interests I pick up, and many are variations on a common theme, or are cyclical in nature. As a child, I was obsessed with archaeology and paleontology. As a teenager, I studied American colonial history and material culture. Now, my passions include natural history (I am curatorial coordinator for a small university collection) and archaeology. Many of my favorite naturalists are early Americans (Bartram, Catesby, Wilson) so there is still a connection to my teenage interest. But I have also had a number of interests and hobbies which were tangential to those interests: an interest in sewing, for example, which derived from an interest in historic clothing and textiles; watercolor painting, which was tied to an interest in natural history illustration; gardening, which is tied to botany; etc.

Sometimes it seems to me that it is not the subject matter itself, but some element of the subject which is the special interest. For example, archaeology and natural history both utilize my propensity to focus on details and also my ability in pattern recognition; there is little difference ultimately between the taxonomy of birds or insects or plants and the type categories of pot shards, they are all classification systems which are based upon patterns of defining characteristics. My fiddle playing is also a form of pattern recognition, and I can be quite happy playing no tune in particular, just repeated sets of notes or scales or sounds that mimic bird calls. Sometimes I joke that I actually have Holmes Syndrome (think Sherlock), because I have a lot of disparate interests (large and small) which are ultimately related by my ability to pick out the minute details which pertain to them, and to recognize the relevance of such details in other contexts or disciplines. Ultimately, there only a handful of interests which I retain or return to time and again. But having some of the other tangent interests for a short time helps me to be a little better rounded in the long term, and allows me to put my core interests in a broader perspective than I might otherwise do.

Are you a "special interest hopper?

Yup. But, as naturalist mentioned, mine can be cyclical and "new" ones tend to be tangential. It sounds like you have that too, with "making things with your hands." So you jump between physical art mediums. I like doing things with my hands, which is why gardening has been really huge for me the past few years. I tried to explain it to my brother, maybe you can relate? I have this feeling in my hands, like an urge to do something with them. If I had to give it words I'd say I can feel my hands welling up with energy, kind of tingly? and if I don't find a way to let it out, i get hyper and it turns into stimming. Which is actually why I've just taken up piano again.

I'll usually go nuts for a few weeks/months, read books/watch stuff about it, etc, abandon it, and sometimes eventually come back, but not as "full-force" as the first time. For example, one of my special interests was human health, and I went through a period of severe, nothing else exists mode. I would stay up all night reading medical literature, instead of sleeping, which is really ironically unhealthy and pretty funny now that I think about it.. I've since cooled off that one, but presently retain the interest and probably still spend a few hours a week reading over various topics on it. more of a low-grade interest than short-term. i think if something holds my interest for more than a few years, then it's considered one of my special interests. Still very interesting but no longer all-consuming.

I also can relate to the despair of not having an interest to engage in. Although video games and music have been pretty steady fallbacks. Coincidentally, they are the interests that have remained throughout my life. I'm glad there are some that just stick around. I've had periods of dismal nothingness, but it's been a while.

Have you found ways to combat the sudden loss of interest in your interest?
I don't really try to combat a loss of interest, I just try to find another one or revisit an old one. I can usually think of potential new interests or things I am interested in but haven't pursued yet for various reasons. This makes me think of what thegreataturn said. I don't want to be the best anything really, but I'd like to be very good at something.. but the scattered way I approach my interests lends more towards me being "okay" at a bunch of things and not "really good" at any one thing, so I can relate to that useless feeling. :\


Why do you think you lose interest?
ADD may play a role in it, but I'm not diagnosed with that (or AS).. I figured it was natural to lose interest in a thing, like for me if it's a subject of interest, I will keep trying to consume more information about it, and right about when I can't find anything new, my interest starts to wane, kind of like what redrobin said. Also for video games, even just plain old burn-out or frustration, like hitting a dead end with it or something can do it for me.

I'm in the midst of dealing with my interest-hopping, as I need to choose a PhD program fairly soon, but I am worried I would lose interest in it after only a couple of years.

Plus, once you get a PhD, apparently you spend the rest of your life working in that area - that sounds terrifying! and claustrophobic!

So, yeah, I interest-hop - and I like it. But how to translate that into a career?

_________________
Diagnosed with High Functioning Autism well into adulthood.
It's never too late to get a diagnosis.
Hell, I thought I was just weird.

i can (obviously) come off as really abrupt and my tone can sound sharpish, so feel free to ask me to clarify

@beth, i've been thinking about that too. not about getting a PHD but just about school.. I'd hate to pick a subject and then lose interest after a year or so.

I hop as well.

Electronics (Radios/Computers)
Drums
Jeep
Airsoft
Trains

Those five I mainly bounce to and fro. Lost interest in one, regain interest in another.

----------------------------------edited to add:-------------------------
WARNING this post sounds pretty hostile, and I think it is hostile but definitely NOT at the OP.
It sounds (to me) like she's voicing some self-doubts that someone(s) with unkind intentions have been seeding in her. For some reason that makes me feel very protective of her, even though I don't know her. I do know pain and unfairness.
Reading your post AinsleyHarte of your special interests and I see a woman unabashedly dancing through the joys of life. No one dances -only and exactly- one move over and over in one spot (except me). Your flow and variety is your joy and the joy of others to watch. Except for haters, they want you to stop.
OK back to the interrupted post
-----------------------------------------------

this question really gets under my skin for some reason(s)
my statements here are for anyone, not specifically for the OP.

first- why is it bad? this "question" definitely has a "this is ungood" tone. Please don't tell me it doesn't, because it does.
second- you've a right to unapologetically be interested (or not) in anything. why is this even a question? did someone else ask it?
third- does it really affect your life to change interests, or are you just embarrassed if someone went through your life closet/old projects? who wouldn't be at least a little for what ever reason?
fourth- interests are paths, you can't know where they're going to go. maybe only the first bit's interesting.
fifth- there's only so much to know about anything. when you have it 99.9 or 89.9 maybe your interest/adventure is satisfied, and wants to go someplace else.
sixth- if you turn it into a chore it wont be fun, stop it, enjoy the fun. you can vacuum or do laundry if you wanna do chores.
seventh- I dunno why I numbered these but I dont feel like changing it now. sorry. =/

we've enough stuffs to ruin our day(s) without impeaching our strong/fun points too.
if I wanna play with rubber bands, that's my business, if I get teased/mocked for it I'll have to learn to cope but that doesn't mean THEY are right.

maybe this looks too much like 'self guilt-tripping' which pisses me off because it is unfair and damaging, and it's usually really caused by other bullies.
anyone who tries to make you feel bad for this is (at least acting like) your enemy* because your friends will try to make you feel good about you.
*(even your mom)

as a bit if a side note - ADHD like behaviors are so ubiquitous to aspies that it makes me cringe when ppl act like its a separate and additional indignity rather than seeing the benefit and power behind it. Again, the ADD ADHD only annoys other ppl. usually left alone when I'm spazzing I'm not really having a bad time, in fact it really works rather well for me and just because one CAN figure out how it's not perfect for every possibly conceivable situation through out all of time and space doesn't mean it's not really really good in it's area.

I used to be. My parents called them "farts".

It's settled in my Thirties to a couple of strong ones and a few milder ones.

I really appreciate all of the responses I've gotten on this subject. I posted this question mainly due to my own misconceptions of the finer-workings of special interests and how to recognize your own. I was feeling very depressed for a long time because I had noticed that I don't have that driving force behind my interests like I used to.

The tone of my original post, upon re-reading, may have come across like I thought this "hopping" was inherently "bad." That was not my intent. I was more expressing a lot of introspective questioning that I could not answer for myself. The only time I dislike my interest hopping is when I drop an interest (say, knitting) and cannot get myself to pick it back up, no matter how much effort I put into trying. What with the frequency of my shifting to new interests and hobbies, I often feel incomplete and unsettled, like I have things to do and cannot bring myself to complete them.

The notion of having a broader interest with many sub-interests had never occurred to me, and I thank those of you that brought this to my attention. I am able to look at my clutter of abandoned hobbies and think of them as outlets for a greater interest, rather than a bunch of lost causes. I never felt like I should stay on the same interest of subject for the rest of my life, but it was getting disheartening to lose steam so quickly on things that I had become so passionate about.

These posts certainly describe me as well.

I think a big reason why I burn out is when my reality is no longer able to keep up with my imagination. The OP mentioned hemp jewelry; I had a very intense hemp macrame phase in high school until it came to the point where my ability to imagine complex designs in my mind outstripped my ability to actually produce these designs. As is often the case, my disappointment in myself was catastrophic.

While I do not feel as though it is bad or wrong, I do think it has been the greatest source of difficulty in my life. I haven't gone to college, nor have I managed to start a career because of this. I have not experienced a more miserable feeling than that of being stuck in a job involving a former special interest with which I am done. I feel I have wasted so much time and money on hobbies which have come and gone, and I am here right where I started. No progress made in life.

Sorry to be a downer...

Hmm, this sounds familiar.

I hop less now that I've aged a bit, but I developed areas of excellence in a few areas through repetition and practise

I could have gained notoriety and maybe even income, if I pursued less interests with the same or more passion.

To get to the top level you need to eat and breathe your interest, every day for years ....from a very young age.....