katwithhat
Toucan
Joined: Mar 01, 2012
Age: 37
Posts: 271
Location: Who knows
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 Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:45 pm Post subject: Hyper-focus and not knowing what's going on around you |
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I tend to hyper-focus when I'm on my computer and completely block everyone out. Time just seems to pass and what feels like a few minutes can actually be an hour or so. It's never freaked me out until today. My daughter came home, using her house key and walked right past me (so she says). I had not heard her and it freaked me out that I didn't hear her and am wondering what else I have blocked out. Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a good way to have someone grab your attention to 'snap' you out of it?
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I see your lips moving, but all I hear is, oh, look!!! A cat... |
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smudge
Your worst nightmare
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Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Age: 25
Posts: 2109
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Get them to turn the lights on and off. That's a subtle notice that they're present. |
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DonkeyBuster
Phoenix
Joined: May 12, 2009
Age: 55
Posts: 1298
Location: New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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When I am on the computer, my partner calls my name & waits for me to turn & look at her. Otherwise, I can even answer questions & have no recollection of it. And the waiting allows for a smoother, gentler transition for me, so less irritation. If I'm drawn off hyper-focus suddenly, I'm a real b***h.  |
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questor
Hermit
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1983
Location: Twilight Zone
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:40 pm Post subject: Hyperfocus |
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Yes, I am very subject to that. It can be while I'm on the computer, or reading, or in my daydream universes, watching TV, or while doing anything else that I get engrossed in. When I was still able to work, it also happened on the job, as I would sometimes get very focused on the work, and everything else would be in null space--or maybe I was.  |
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kirayng
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 13, 2011
Age: 36
Posts: 745
Location: Maine, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:48 pm Post subject: Re: Hyper-focus and not knowing what's going on around you |
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| katwithhat wrote: | | I tend to hyper-focus when I'm on my computer and completely block everyone out. Time just seems to pass and what feels like a few minutes can actually be an hour or so. It's never freaked me out until today. My daughter came home, using her house key and walked right past me (so she says). I had not heard her and it freaked me out that I didn't hear her and am wondering what else I have blocked out. Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a good way to have someone grab your attention to 'snap' you out of it? |
Yes, it happens all the time and I get made fun of for this at work. Someone once called me as*hole very loudly to get my attention and it caused me to meltdown it was so suddenly a part of my internal world.
I'm curious to hear what others' do or tell people to do to snap them out of it too so I can be more proactive at work. |
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TalksToCats
Toucan
Joined: Jun 02, 2012
Posts: 255
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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I hyper-focus / deep concentrate and loose track of everything else much as others have described here.
I find people calling my name tends to snap me out of it.
My husband know this, and will call my name to get my attention when I'm in this state - he can recognise when I drifting off  and call me back out...
At workplaces I've been at I've warned people then when I'm really concentrating I can go a bit deaf as I get absorbed, so if I ignore them, if they call my name I should snap out of it, this seems to have worked ok for me.
I'm also usually a bit hyper-vigilant (my natuarally slightly anxious self), so a loud bang, or the sound of a door being unlocked will usually jump me out of it, so I may snap out of it a bit easier than others.
My parents use to call me by name, sometimes several times, when I was a child to get my attention, so I guess I got use to it being a signal to come back to the world then. |
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DonkeyBuster
Phoenix
Joined: May 12, 2009
Age: 55
Posts: 1298
Location: New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Hyper-focus and not knowing what's going on around you |
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| kirayng wrote: |
Yes, it happens all the time and I get made fun of for this at work. Someone once called me as*hole very loudly to get my attention and it caused me to meltdown it was so suddenly a part of my internal world. |
Ouch! Did the person apologize?
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I'm curious to hear what others' do or tell people to do to snap them out of it too so I can be more proactive at work. |
See my post above. |
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Alfonso12345
Velociraptor
Joined: Apr 23, 2012
Age: 20
Posts: 422
Location: Somewhere in the United States
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I guess I don't normally become that focused on things, but I do sometimes and then I don't notice other things going on. Sometimes if I am distracted by something, I focus on whatever it was that distracted me, and then when someone says something to me, I don't even notice. |
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Kinme
Dinosaurlicious
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theWanderer
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 13, 2010
Age: 54
Posts: 975
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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This kind of thing happens to me all the time. I can do it on the computer, while reading, while writing; I've held conversations on 'auto-pilot' that I can't recall a few minutes later.
At least in my case, disrupting this state is not a good thing. It "jars" my mind and leaves my thoughts jumbled; the equivalent perhaps of sneaking up behind an NT and shouting "Boo!" so loud they jump and their heart is racing for some time afterward.
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In the country of the blind, the one eyed man - would be diagnosed with a psychological disorder |
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FireBird
Can't think cows will eat me!
Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Age: 30
Posts: 2296
Location: Cow Town
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| With researching things I love on the computer I tend to hyper-focus. I have music blasting in the background and sometimes I can't even hear it! Then people can call me all they want and sometimes I don't hear it! Hours can pass by and I wouldn't know it. But I also have the opposite extreme, where I can't focus for more than a few seconds and my concentration lacks. Then I can't even read a sentence. With me I have opposite extremes in literally everything. |
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Radiofixr
Punished daily for being me and different
Joined: May 31, 2010
Posts: 1435
Location: PA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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yes I hyper focus quite a bit when I am working on a project I lose all track of time and what is going on around me.
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Matt62
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 05, 2012
Age: 51
Posts: 1155
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| Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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When I first got access to the World Wide Web, this happened every time. But for me, this kind of thing happens mostly while on long automobile drives, listening to favorite music/group, or reading a GOOD book. Then I just zone out & 10 hours can easily go by. Unless my bladder decides otherwise! LOL
Sincerely,
Matthew |
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slave
Always stuck between 13-38Hz and tired of it.
Joined: Feb 29, 2012
Age: 100
Posts: 1312
Location: Dystopia Planetia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:37 pm Post subject: Re: Hyper-focus and not knowing what's going on around you |
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| katwithhat wrote: | | I tend to hyper-focus when I'm on my computer and completely block everyone out. Time just seems to pass and what feels like a few minutes can actually be an hour or so. It's never freaked me out until today. My daughter came home, using her house key and walked right past me (so she says). I had not heard her and it freaked me out that I didn't hear her and am wondering what else I have blocked out. Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a good way to have someone grab your attention to 'snap' you out of it? |
yup, got it bad 
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Since the birth of civilization, masters have controlled the masses.Our Masters rule over every nation and no one can defy them.They will attain Absolute Power as we reach the Singularity. Any who resist will be destroyed.I will not resist. |
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kirayng
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 13, 2011
Age: 36
Posts: 745
Location: Maine, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Hyper-focus and not knowing what's going on around you |
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| DonkeyBuster wrote: | | kirayng wrote: |
Yes, it happens all the time and I get made fun of for this at work. Someone once called me as*hole very loudly to get my attention and it caused me to meltdown it was so suddenly a part of my internal world. |
Ouch! Did the person apologize?
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Nope. It was during lunch service at a busy restaurant so I just left the line and had a smoke. Cigarettes used to stop meltdowns for me but I quit them due to a heart condition.
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I'm curious to hear what others' do or tell people to do to snap them out of it too so I can be more proactive at work. |
| DonkeyBuster wrote: | | See my post above. |
I'm very responsive to my name, so that definitely helps. Hubby does the same thing, he'll pause in talking to me until I turn around and pay attention to him because he knows otherwise I won't hear a word he says. |
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