While looking at a recent posting by Jesse Liberty, he mentioned his tendency to “hyper focus” because of his ADD. I had heard of the term before but had never associated it with ADD. So I did a search. I came across this article on the topic, and I'm pretty certain I have ADHD. When I was a kid, I had taken my bike to a local arcade and was playing a game of spy hunter. By the time I finished playing it some creep had stolen my bike which was not five feet from me.
I was so focused on the game that I didn't realize someone was jostling with my bike and taking it out the door right next to me. I've had similar experiences (while programming, playing video games, playing sports) where similar lapses in awareness of my surroundings occurred.
For instance, I remember working overnight at a previous job cranking out code like a mad man when a co-worker tapped me on the shoulder at 6:30 in the morning. I was so startled that I had my fist cocked back before I realized who it was. The sad thing is that this has impacted a lot of my professional career. What’s worse is that until about 4 years ago, I also had sleep apnea (I stop breathing while asleep and have to wear a machine that forces air into my lungs) on top of ADHD. So I was sleepy all the time AND easily distracted. As you might imagine, I went through quite a few jobs in my early career.
Fortunately, once I got rid of the sleeping problem, I was in a career that intrigued me enough to get over MOST of the obstacles of ADD. I LOVE solving problems with technology. Unfortunately, once I’ve solved the problem, the actual implementation is not as interesting to me as the next problem. You see where this is going? So I think it’s time for me to talk with my doctor about this and see what my options are.
It’s scary because I’ve seen kids on ritalin and the like and it seems to take away their personality. Also, that hyper focus thing turns into an asset at times. However, I think there is a lot to be gained from getting this monkey off my back. Especially since I’m managing my own business now.
Why Am I Sharing This?
If me sharing my story can help one person avoid some of the catastrophes I’ve run into, then I’ve done my part.