I’m new to the group so hello for the first time and I really appreciate that people are sharing their stories. This thread really hit a nerve for me. I also use hyper-focus as a means to cope with ADHD. I learned how to do this very early on, in elementary school. I wasn’t diagnosed with disorder until I was in my mid thirties.
The focus has been both a blessing and a curse over the years. It’s great when you can really dig in an get something done or optimize your attention to block stress in a good and constructive way. It’s really negative when you hyper-escape from stress that is critical to deal with. I have also experienced growing feelings of emotional isolation even as I had great success on work related tasks. This isolation can build up to a dangerous level.
I literally prefer noisy and busy environments because I find that small distractions have a calming effect that tends to even out my more major disruptions. Some of you might find that even with your hyper focus you work better and feel more emotional well being in a busy coffee shop. When I started in my current office I had to listen to podcasts and music because the culture here values quiet.
JH