Lots of people think that people with ADHD can’t focus ever. This is a common misconception. We can focus, but we can’t control when it happens or how well, no matter how much we wish we could. The term is “hyperfocus”because we get drawn into something so deeply we often can’t be ripped away from it. For example, I’ll be reading something and someone will say something to me, and I won’t even notice.

We also can’t always determine what we are going to hyperfocus on, because if we COULD direct and control that hyperfocus, we would be unstoppable. We’d rule the world. So instead of that, we get to hyperfocus on whatever catches our fancy at that time: skin diseases, plant propagation, rabbit breeds, Beyoncé… you name it. It’s like having a great superpower, but only being able to use it for stupid things.

So that’s what happened to me tonight. I started by just watching Thor Ragnarök for fun, which led to me reading more about the characters, which led to videos and a trip down the spiral of Wikipedia and all of a sudden it’s 12:30 in the morning and I’m awake but seriously tired but still reading about superheroes. I was finally able to rip myself away and write this, mainly because I fell asleep and the phone hit me.

I’m a mess.