It is generally reported to occur when a person is engaged in an activity that is particularly fun or interesting. An example of hyperfocus is when a child becomes engrossed in a video game to a point where they do not hear a parent calling their name.
People with Over-Focused ADD get more anxious and worried on a stimulant medication. I use supplements first—L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, saffron, and inositol. If supplements don't help with symptoms, I prescribe Effexor, Pristique, or Cymbalta. I avoid a higher-protein diet with this type, which can make patients mean.
Typical treatments for Overfocused ADD range from counseling, nutritional supplements, and medications. Stimulant ADD medication could increase the over focusing. These treatment protocols are often sub-optimal solutions that may only provide temporary relief from symptoms.
Stimulant medication can reduce the tendency of an individual with ADHD to hyperfocus, but it won't eliminate the problem.
An individual with OCD may avoid or become inattentive to stimuli that cause stress and anxiety, whereas a person with ADHD will hyperfocus on a stimulating task and can even lose track of time. Typical OCD manifestations such as cleaning and organizing items can actually be a coping mechanism for those with ADHD.
Hyperfocus is a state of intense concentration where you lose track of time, you really enjoy what you're doing and you seem to be better at that than whatever it is you're doing.
Set Goals for Yourself. Hyperfocus is more likely to occur when you are engaged in a task that is challenging, that matters to you, and in which you can make progress. Take advantage of this! If you have a goal that's aligned with something you're excited about, you are more likely to stay on task and get the job done.
Vitamins — particularly zinc, iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, and magnesium — are critical to healthy brain function. Experts recommend that people should strive to eat well-balanced meals and maintain healthy levels of these key nutrients, experts say.
These medications include amphetamine salts, such as Adderall®; methylphenidate, such as Concerta® or Ritalin®; and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, or Vyvanse®. Many types of stimulant medications are available in short-acting or extended release varieties.
Vitamin B & C
Finally, supplementing vitamins B and C can also help alleviate ADD and ADHD symptoms. Vitamin C, like zinc, iron, and magnesium, is used to produce neurotransmitters like dopamine. Additionally, vitamin B deficiency is linked to irritability and fatigue in children.
The over-concentration or hyperfocus often occurs if the person finds something "very interesting and/or provide(s) instant gratification, such as computer games or online chatting. For such activities, concentration may last for hours on end, in a very focused manner."
Autistic individuals are also known to have the ability to remain intensely focused for prolonged periods. Fifty years ago, Lovaas et al. (7) coined the term “stimulus overselectivity” to describe patterns of focused attention seen in autistic children, although today the term “hyperfocus” is more commonly used.
It's when your thoughts get caught in a loop, and you go over and over the same thoughts without feeling better or finding a resolution. Your thinking might get stuck on day to day worries or on future events.
Take, for example, ADHD. While most people associate ADHD with hyperactivity and impulsivity, it can also manifest in more subtle ways, such as through intrusive thoughts and overthinking.
For teens with depression, hyperfocus can be a coping mechanism. Someone with depression and hyperfixation may hyperfocus on something that pulls their attention away from the despair or pain they're experiencing in their everyday life.
Although hyperfixation is not a diagnosable mental health condition, it can be a characteristic of several different disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Hyperfixation is most common in neurodivergent people, i.e. those with autism, ADHD, OCD, and other related conditions. For neurodivergent people, too, hyperfixation can make it difficult or impossible to focus on anything else other than the task they are immersed in.
Hyperfocus is highly focused attention that lasts a long time. You concentrate on something so hard that you lose track of everything else going on around you. Doctors often see hyperfocus in people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it's not an official symptom.
Hyperfocus refers to an intense fixation on an interest or activity for an extended period of time. People who experience hyperfocus often become so engrossed they block out the world around them. Children and adults with ADHD often exhibit hyperfocus when working intently on things that interest them.