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Well I want to start this thread here and see if we can get any discussion out of it and possibly some tips to help what I would guess is quite many people on this board.
To start of with, I'd say that we all as starcraft players have a need of getting mentally stimulated and that quite a lot. More so I'd guess than most other kinds of people which is why I think this is a good place to post this topic.
I have a hard time writing about this and formulating it into a problem and what solutions might be had. There has always been a thought that I need this kind of stimulation much of the time but I only thought of it as something good and just recently I've started thinking that it actually might be a problem and especially might become one in maybe 10 years.
Having lead a life of often being in front of the computer always thinking, considering, gathering information of issues around the world. Trying to solve starcraft problems, poker problems, watching a series or a movie and just having to play a flash game or browsing the web in the meantime or looking at 3 streams on TL constantly while browsing around because if not there is just not enough to make you feel content. I think many people feel like this these days, the human mind is made to make you satisfy it with information.
I feel that I have a big need to always get mental stimulation, it is difficult to go out just to take a walk to just relax in a manner I need music or a podcast to keep me busy and stimulated. Without this there is I would not call it stress but you just feel you are being unproductive with your time. A reason why starcraft is so good is that it just keeps you from thinking about anything else you just cannot do anything else at the same time.
Just to add the life I lead is a very happy one, have many friends a gf and all I could wish for but the thought of needing to so to say know everything at all times is quite bothersome.
Felt that I had to get this out and I've been considering whether to write and post it or not for quite a few days, sorry if it's not for this forums.
Anyone else here with the issue of needing this stimulus all the time and find starcraft to be one of the things which is good at it?
Any tips how to possibly decrease the need for this?
Or just any general thoughts on the topic at hand, I'd really love to hear your opinions and I'm sorry the post is as long as it is. I'm certain there are some aspects I forgot about that I meant to write too might add them later if I can remember them.
Thank you all for reading!
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Your post is all over the place. I don't see how your "many friends" or gf have anything to do with your "topic".
The only tip I have is to not post the stupid shit you think of while high, This topic is mental masturbation at its finest.
When you need to have 3 streams open at once to "feel content", it's called ADD and a doctor can help you with that.
User was warned for this post
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I myself really enjoy a break from mental stimulation when I get to enjoy a break from life. Try just taking a walk or a jog in some decent scenery, preferably away from traffic, with or without music. And just relax, don't worry about what thoughts pop up into your mind and just let go a bit.
edit: meant walk not talk, i can't type
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I feel you. It's not necessarily ADD; I don't have trouble focusing, socializing, or sitting silently in a car as I drive across the state. However, when I'm at home, it's like I constantly want to do something different. I play SC2 for awhile and then I'm like "Oh wait, I want to do this!" so I go do it, and in the middle, I have a sudden urge to watch Office reruns. Then in the middle of The Office, I start turning on random streams and SSF4 vods. It's like a neverending high of stimuli.
This is a pretty widely-studied problem in the internet generation. For me, it doesn't affect my life much, except when I start to procrastinate important activities. If it's interfering with your life, then it's a problem, but from the sound of things you're relatively normal and happy. Just enjoy it.
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Just spent a good hour or two watching the IBM Jeopardy computer shiz after clicking on it + Show Spoiler +, now just browsing Teamliquid and watching random Youtube videos but I need to start my homework!!!
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I know exactly what you mean, not sure what to offer as per advice but perhaps try doing something like reading for an hour a day, or any task that you need to focus on.
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Yea the same sort of thing happens to me i literelly cannot just do nothing I constnatly have to be stimulating y brain somehow, especialy on a computer. I don't think it's affected my overall life too much, but yea it can be weird. The posts above me are certainly interesting, thx for ur responses guys.
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I pretty much grew up with the internet and video games and I don't feel this way at all lol. Nothing I like more then a bit of quiet to get away from our hectic lives actually.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9933 Posts
it's your habitual use of the computer. i also feel massive withdrawal when i'm on vacation (or some other prolonged absence from the internet), but my mind adjusts very nicely to the relative calm in just a few days. upon using the computer again i often feel just totally overwhelmed.
this mental state is peculiar to our generation and will only become more pronounced in the ones to follow. sometimes i just sit back and feel amazed after a quick search in google: 30 seconds ago i wondered what duck poop looks like, and now on this screen before me is hundreds of closeups of duck poop, videos of ducks pooping, articles on the diets of ducks and constituents of their feces, and comparisons to the wastes of other species. absurd, really
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I recommend exercising for 15 minutes a day.
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Maybe not the same thing but I leave streams open while I play games so I don't feel lonely?
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Get more sunlight, even if it is just sitting outside for 15 mins in the sun.
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Yeah idk, OP, I've got no advice because I seem to be stricken with the same affliction. I was excited to see your thread because I had been really wondering about this myself over the weekend.
I guess I'll just share my experience, it's pretty much the same as yours. I HAVE to be doing something while I'm doing something, almost as if Xzibit visited and put a brain in my brain so I can do stuff while I'm doing stuff.
If I'm watching a show or a movie, I'm always finding myself looking up articles, surfing facebook, or reading a forum. Whenever I'm eating, it feels like a waste of time to just sit at the table and eat, so I'll read, or put on a movie(which means I'll also be researching something at the same time), etc. Even when I lay down to sleep, I have to have turn on music, or turn on this talk radio show I like that comes on super late. If I don't I have trouble sleeping. I try to catch 6 hours of sleep maximum per night, I feel like I've wasted time if I go over that amount.
I'm currently learning Korean, but just like with HS and College, I can't concentrate without some form of background noise.
Even when I go out to smoke a cigarette, I pull out my phone and start a game, a Korean vocab app, or cruise TL/Facebook. I do this when there's a line I've got to stand in, as well.
Like you I lead a normal, happy life- lots of friends, no problems with girls, a job, a band, all great stuff. Also like you, I know it isn't ADD at all, but it's like I've got this weird need to be constantly productive.
I don't think it's entirely related to SC, if at all. This started for me a long time before I began playing starcraft with hopes of being competitive. Maybe Intrigue has got it right, maybe it's over-stimulation from constant computer/internet use particular to those of us who grew up in the computer age. I've been wondering, though, if this behavior has started to hinder my ability to enjoy some of the simpler things in life like just taking a walk, working out without music, or watching a movie. Maybe it's some weird aversion to being lazy? Some crazy desire to multitask like a god? I'm not sure, but I'll think about it some more and post another reply with more thoughts if they bubble up to the surface.
On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
sometimes i just sit back and feel amazed after a quick search in google: 30 seconds ago i wondered what duck poop looks like
Thanks. I hope you know that immediately after reading your post I had to go search duck poop before replying to the thread lol
Edit: to the first reply: I'm pretty certain the OP mentioned his friends/gf etc, as did I, to demonstrate that this isn't having an adverse effect on his relationships or overall contentedness with life.
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You should try meditation. I agree with meegrean's suggestion to get some exercise as well. I also think you should keep a journal and force yourself to write in it at least 5 minutes a day. You might be surprised how hard it is to do that.
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You can, and you should, force yourself to concentrate on single pursuits for periods of time.
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I'm like this but probably much worse than you. I get very bored with people extremely fast. I do a LOT of games, stumbling, videos, music, tv shows, movies, news, etc and it's only gotten worse once I graduated and have been too lazy to get a job. It's as though I'm extremely interested in what I don't know but then once I feel I'm not learning anymore about it I just completely ignore it even if it might be a friend. The unhealthy parts I think are the things that are very hard to understand and understanding them does not help your life like politics, news, philosophy, even a lot of stuff about science and games.
I remember realizing that I had gone to far when I needed to buy a bag of chips and it was driving me crazy that there were so many kinds and I had to take into account health, previous tastes, what others would like,etc. I also cannot sit through a commercial when watching something on tv, it drives me crazy I have to change the channel constantly until I find something interesting and then I spam the last button to check if the show is on while everyone yells at me. I also find I have trouble even leaving small posts, it's like if I post it has to perfectly explain what I'm trying to say and that makes them end up way longer than I intended them to be. Sometimes I will spend an entire hour just to post some stupid comment and then I look back and I'm like wtf what a waste of time, then I continue to edit the post as I find better or more accurate ways to explain it. I will often do things like cook, eat, brush my teeth, dress, drive, extremely fast like korean progamer fast because they are just mundane things then I'll get on my computer having gone light speed think of nothing to do and listen to a dance song on repeat for 2 hours straight while I daydream. Pretty fucked up?!? This could be you!
I look at my brother big house, rich, family, kids, lot of work and I just think how much it would suck to be in that situation where you cannot go on the internet, read, relax, not be stuck doing something you don't want to. I guess if you don't want to end up like me keep doing things you don't want to do just to teach yourself restraint, force yourself to keep in touch with ur friends, gf, try to act normal when you dont' want to and probably most important to get and keep a job. I gave up fighting it and now I usually just sit on my comp all day it's a lot of fun and I can trade the stock market which is fun it's like a new game but I keep getting bored of that off and on too. Sometimes I wish there was a switch I could turn on to be more normal and less obsessive about information but I dunno this is what I enjoy I guess we all do what we enjoy.
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Yeah I need mental stimulation pretty much all the time.
What I find stimulating: Science (it's what i do in school) Starcraft 2 (what i do at home)
What I don't find stimulation: Spending time with people. Having a girlfriend means a lot of this, and its pretty fucking annoying.
I think the need for mental stimulation is good, though it's also very good to relax from time to time. Try weed, you will find the oddest things mentally stimulating... =)
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Exercise helps me with this problem a ton. I bike around an hour a day, and do isometric ab workouts, and it makes me so so so much calmer. I'd give it a try if I were you, see how it works.
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I have that, too, though it gets harder every day to get the mental stimulation. As soon as i find a pattern in something i get bored by it, and sadly i'm extremely fast with finding pattern.
I learned programming because it's something complex, but now even that just bores me because for 99% of the problems i immedatly find the pattern and apply other patterns to solve them. It's just tedious work, no mental stimulation.
Walking, working out, etc... just boring repetition, nothing to distract me.
I think the main problem is that i'm trying to distract me from thinking thoughts i know i shouldn't be thinking (i have a serious depression), so i try to find anything that stimulates my brain to do something else than thinking, though i haven't found anything that works very long. This also causes problems when trying to sleep, since suddenly there is no more mental stimulation and it takes several hours for my brain to shut down.
ok, this post is not very coherent, but well... maybe i'm too tired...
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its called add
one of the many symptoms of add is the constant need for stimulation, which is why a lot of people with add play fast and intense video games (starcraft is one among many).
obviously there are a lot of different ways add can manifest itself, but the need for constant stimulation and mental challenges is one way, even if you aren't hyperactive physically
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I do this as well (what the OP describes). We should have a Skype support group or something where we can all chat! Morfildur your post about finding patterns and getting bored described some of my feelings exactly. Thirding the notion that working out can help with this. I haven't played badminton in a long time and that probably has had a bad effect on my recent mental state.
I also agree with intrigue's post and also relate to that. As for KillerPenguin, I unfortunately relate to a lot of his post (which is a bad thing) but fortunately actually financially support myself through playing poker (which has negatively led me to have the feelings shared in the OP).
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U need to go to school and get stimulated in a way that can help you in the future haha, try to get into a good school
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On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
it's your habitual use of the computer. i also feel massive withdrawal when i'm on vacation (or some other prolonged absence from the internet), but my mind adjusts very nicely to the relative calm in just a few days. upon using the computer again i often feel just totally overwhelmed.
Wow.. I'm glad I read that post.
I feel like you nailed down the problem/solution perfectly in 2 improperly capitalized sentences. I've noticed the EXACT same thing, but never stopped to think about it before. When I go on vacation, or go out of town for the weekend, or whatever, I feel really anxious/bored for the first bit. Then after I adjust, everything is more fun, I'm more outgoing, and I just enjoy myself more.
Wow. I'm just.. Wow... I will sleep on this and probably write a blog about it tomorrow.
Nice post, it was quite intrigueing + Show Spoiler +
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Haha i've noticed this. Right now i'm browsing tl, doing a problem for school and watching a stream. I can't seem to just focus on one thing i keep having the need to switch between different subjects :\. However i doubt it's add since when i try hard to focus i have no problem with concentrating on one thing. Also yes whenever i go on vacation without my pc i go into withdrawal lol ^^.
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if you're supercompetitive high energy you can try to be the best at sleeping, or meditating, or clearing your mind of all thought, leaving only thought of the void, of nothing, the thought of no thoughts at all... it's tough!
or you could study something complicated.
or you could read more English books, I don't quite understand some of your sentences >.<
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On February 16 2011 16:31 Godstorm wrote:
Haha i've noticed this. Right now i'm browsing tl, doing a problem for school and watching a stream. I can't seem to just focus on one thing i keep having the need to switch between different subjects :\. However i doubt it's add since when i try hard to focus i have no problem with concentrating on one thing. Also yes whenever i go on vacation without my pc i go into withdrawal lol ^^.
I agree with the doubt about ADD, i never had problems focussing on something if i wanted to, it's only when i get bored that my attention wanders, but if i want to solve a problem for which i don't already know the solution, i'm 100% focussed until i have the solution, even if it takes hours.
On February 16 2011 16:23 evanthebouncy! wrote:
U need to go to school and get stimulated in a way that can help you in the future haha, try to get into a good school
Why do you think we are young enough to still go to school?
I'm only a year younger than WhiteRa.
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Adderall will stimulate your brain quite nicely. Give it a shot.
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I think it's just being human, mate... I have the exact same thing. I don't like not getting challenged. When I'm browsing TL I watch poker/stream - if I'm not playing starcraft I write AI algorithms for my study. If I don't write AI algorithms, I write mathematical algorithms for sites such as projecteuler.net (problem/solution site).
I don't like reading - hmm...
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I experience this all the time. If I am on my computer I find it very hard not to alt tab and start browsing even if i am watching something. I have a hard time not fondling my mouse and keyboard.
I have a harder time just playing a game. I need to be playing and listening/watching something else at the same time. Good thing I have 2 monitors.
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Wow so much great responses, this really is quite overwhelming but still so fun and interesting to read through. Thank you all for replying it means alot just starting to further understand how it works and how people cope with it and how you can work with it.
Did reply to all the posts I found the most striking anyhow hope this will do, quite enjoyed replying once starting to do it but it took some effort (3 days) to start replying to it all.
On February 16 2011 16:07 Morfildur wrote:
I have that, too, though it gets harder every day to get the mental stimulation. As soon as i find a pattern in something i get bored by it, and sadly i'm extremely fast with finding pattern.
I learned programming because it's something complex, but now even that just bores me because for 99% of the problems i immedatly find the pattern and apply other patterns to solve them. It's just tedious work, no mental stimulation.
Walking, working out, etc... just boring repetition, nothing to distract me.
I think the main problem is that i'm trying to distract me from thinking thoughts i know i shouldn't be thinking (i have a serious depression), so i try to find anything that stimulates my brain to do something else than thinking, though i haven't found anything that works very long. This also causes problems when trying to sleep, since suddenly there is no more mental stimulation and it takes several hours for my brain to shut down.
ok, this post is not very coherent, but well... maybe i'm too tired...
Wow, I never thought anyone would have the exact same "symptoms" as me in this regard. The first sentence is extremely fitting, I have trouble really finding anything to burn/strive for, it's like you find a pattern as you say and then get bored and wants to try something else. It's like you can have a hobby but not for very long somehow I find it being somewhat similar with going out meeting new people, they are extremely similar to other people and it much often isn't very interesting or maybe that's just people in general?
On February 16 2011 14:47 TheAbysCries wrote:
Yea the same sort of thing happens to me i literelly cannot just do nothing I constnatly have to be stimulating y brain somehow, especialy on a computer. I don't think it's affected my overall life too much, but yea it can be weird. The posts above me are certainly interesting, thx for ur responses guys.
Yep exactly, it's not that the computer is addicting it's just that it's the only place where you can get as much information to digest. It's funny because when I was young starting using the computer I never had the trouble with having to do many things at once it's something more recent maybe the last 5 years and having been a poker player wanting to play many many tables at once, maybe that has affected the thing?
On February 16 2011 15:24 ckw wrote:
Maybe not the same thing but I leave streams open while I play games so I don't feel lonely?
This I don't find at all, just use them as stimuli I think anyhow
Long quote from ZombiesOMG
+ Show Spoiler +On February 16 2011 15:38 ZombiesOMG wrote:
Yeah idk, OP, I've got no advice because I seem to be stricken with the same affliction. I was excited to see your thread because I had been really wondering about this myself over the weekend.
I guess I'll just share my experience, it's pretty much the same as yours. I HAVE to be doing something while I'm doing something, almost as if Xzibit visited and put a brain in my brain so I can do stuff while I'm doing stuff.
If I'm watching a show or a movie, I'm always finding myself looking up articles, surfing facebook, or reading a forum. Whenever I'm eating, it feels like a waste of time to just sit at the table and eat, so I'll read, or put on a movie(which means I'll also be researching something at the same time), etc. Even when I lay down to sleep, I have to have turn on music, or turn on this talk radio show I like that comes on super late. If I don't I have trouble sleeping. I try to catch 6 hours of sleep maximum per night, I feel like I've wasted time if I go over that amount.
I'm currently learning Korean, but just like with HS and College, I can't concentrate without some form of background noise.
Even when I go out to smoke a cigarette, I pull out my phone and start a game, a Korean vocab app, or cruise TL/Facebook. I do this when there's a line I've got to stand in, as well.
Like you I lead a normal, happy life- lots of friends, no problems with girls, a job, a band, all great stuff. Also like you, I know it isn't ADD at all, but it's like I've got this weird need to be constantly productive.
I don't think it's entirely related to SC, if at all. This started for me a long time before I began playing starcraft with hopes of being competitive. Maybe Intrigue has got it right, maybe it's over-stimulation from constant computer/internet use particular to those of us who grew up in the computer age. I've been wondering, though, if this behavior has started to hinder my ability to enjoy some of the simpler things in life like just taking a walk, working out without music, or watching a movie. Maybe it's some weird aversion to being lazy? Some crazy desire to multitask like a god? I'm not sure, but I'll think about it some more and post another reply with more thoughts if they bubble up to the surface.
Thanks. I hope you know that immediately after reading your post I had to go search duck poop before replying to the thread lol
Edit: to the first reply: I'm pretty certain the OP mentioned his friends/gf etc, as did I, to demonstrate that this isn't having an adverse effect on his relationships or overall contentedness with life.
Haha so true with the Xzibit thing. Compaired to you I never really have trouble sleeping, I love sleeping and that for a long time as it's a time to just chill out and enjoy the warmth of the bed. When lying there I never really feel the need for all the other stuff.
It brings back memories from Thailand a few years ago, was on a small Island with electricity just a few hours each day and no internet or connectivity. In the beginning it was kind of different but after just a few days you really could start enjoying being there. There was no way for you to get information even news which was kind of scary but once you got used to it it felt just amazing and you could enjoy life in a totally different way. In a way this is the way I want to live and I felt very happy about it but there is no way to do that in todays society, maybe if I make some money in these 10 years and then try it out but I wonder what will happen in these 10 years continuing doing all this stuff.
Funny still with the ADD stuff, don't think it's so although some aspects are similar but some others the total opposite of it. I mean isn't it something you are born with, because when I was smaller not having used the computer I never had any real trouble with these aspects. Have had great grades and never had to put in much effort, also going to a good uni right now am 24 years old but I find myself being quite lazy and have always been.
I do find it has stopped me from enjoying the simpler things, because you have trouble to enjoy them to their fullest without having some extra distraction like I love the nature and all but still can't find the effort to enjoy it by itself.
On February 16 2011 15:40 lOvOlUNiMEDiA wrote:
You should try meditation. I agree with meegrean's suggestion to get some exercise as well. I also think you should keep a journal and force yourself to write in it at least 5 minutes a day. You might be surprised how hard it is to do that.
Yeah I need to start getting more exercise again have been slacking on that part lately, don't really get the point of a journal but meditation might actually be good even though it sounds stupid. But can't see how it would stop me from doing these things all the other time
Long quote from KillerPenguin
+ Show Spoiler +On February 16 2011 15:48 KillerPenguin wrote:
I'm like this but probably much worse than you. I get very bored with people extremely fast. I do a LOT of games, stumbling, videos, music, tv shows, movies, news, etc and it's only gotten worse once I graduated and have been too lazy to get a job. It's as though I'm extremely interested in what I don't know but then once I feel I'm not learning anymore about it I just completely ignore it even if it might be a friend. The unhealthy parts I think are the things that are very hard to understand and understanding them does not help your life like politics, news, philosophy, even a lot of stuff about science and games.
I remember realizing that I had gone to far when I needed to buy a bag of chips and it was driving me crazy that there were so many kinds and I had to take into account health, previous tastes, what others would like,etc. I also cannot sit through a commercial when watching something on tv, it drives me crazy I have to change the channel constantly until I find something interesting and then I spam the last button to check if the show is on while everyone yells at me. I also find I have trouble even leaving small posts, it's like if I post it has to perfectly explain what I'm trying to say and that makes them end up way longer than I intended them to be. Sometimes I will spend an entire hour just to post some stupid comment and then I look back and I'm like wtf what a waste of time, then I continue to edit the post as I find better or more accurate ways to explain it. I will often do things like cook, eat, brush my teeth, dress, drive, extremely fast like korean progamer fast because they are just mundane things then I'll get on my computer having gone light speed think of nothing to do and listen to a dance song on repeat for 2 hours straight while I daydream. Pretty fucked up?!? This could be you!
I look at my brother big house, rich, family, kids, lot of work and I just think how much it would suck to be in that situation where you cannot go on the internet, read, relax, not be stuck doing something you don't want to. I guess if you don't want to end up like me keep doing things you don't want to do just to teach yourself restraint, force yourself to keep in touch with ur friends, gf, try to act normal when you dont' want to and probably most important to get and keep a job. I gave up fighting it and now I usually just sit on my comp all day it's a lot of fun and I can trade the stock market which is fun it's like a new game but I keep getting bored of that off and on too. Sometimes I wish there was a switch I could turn on to be more normal and less obsessive about information but I dunno this is what I enjoy I guess we all do what we enjoy.
Interesting this, though I don't really see this part as too fitting compared to some of the other posts. Except the part about editing your post/reply that way I work too when I'm writing something I really care about, took me 3 days to just muster the effort to reply to all this in this thread even though I really wanted to all the time.
On February 16 2011 16:18 exalted wrote:
I do this as well (what the OP describes). We should have a Skype support group or something where we can all chat! Morfildur your post about finding patterns and getting bored described some of my feelings exactly. Thirding the notion that working out can help with this. I haven't played badminton in a long time and that probably has had a bad effect on my recent mental state.
I also agree with intrigue's post and also relate to that. As for KillerPenguin, I unfortunately relate to a lot of his post (which is a bad thing) but fortunately actually financially support myself through playing poker (which has negatively led me to have the feelings shared in the OP).
Interesting this too, just wonder do you hate poker like you found it really fun the first few months but then started to play it just for the money and don't really have alot of interest in it? (this I have found is very common in other poker player friends of mine, also it's what keeps them from getting addicted to the game I think compared to some other people)
Skype support, hmm maybe :D But I think that exercise actually might be a good start for many of us to begin with?
Thanks once again, funny how similar some of you guys' experiences are.
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On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
it's your habitual use of the computer. i also feel massive withdrawal when i'm on vacation (or some other prolonged absence from the internet), but my mind adjusts very nicely to the relative calm in just a few days. upon using the computer again i often feel just totally overwhelmed.
this mental state is peculiar to our generation and will only become more pronounced in the ones to follow. sometimes i just sit back and feel amazed after a quick search in google: 30 seconds ago i wondered what duck poop looks like, and now on this screen before me is hundreds of closeups of duck poop, videos of ducks pooping, articles on the diets of ducks and constituents of their feces, and comparisons to the wastes of other species. absurd, really
i thought i was the only one who searched duck poop on google before.
in response to the op, i feel exactly how you do. its so bad that having to visit my family (im visiting my grandma right now) i have to sit on a laptop, while talking to her to feel satisfied. i just cant sit there and talk to her, its not that shes boring, she just doesnt talk fast enough to satisfy my constant need for stimuli. while i type this, im also talking on facebook to a few people, while listening to the cast of complexities "v" tourament. its so bad that i can do all of this, while concentrating on every individual thing.
p.s i also have rank adhd.
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ok, I love you for starting this thread. the first thing, and probably my only advice, is just to keep finding things to do, eventually, you'll find the one(s) that make you keep coming back,a nd when you can/do process data the way I do (if its really as similar as it sounds), you'll become "pro" or whatever super fucking fast, then continue to push it to it's limits. Poi is my thing. Poi Wikipedia article
But other things that tend to be good to look into would be any "skill toy" (poi, staff, juggling, hooping, rope dart, contact juggling), and any sort of physical exercise that your body can handle for excessive amounts of time (bicycling and swimming are the only two that really get me, and swimming is sorta in spurts between resting anyway lol).
I'd love to hear any other good ideas, suggestions, etc that help for you guys.
But yea, I have mad ADD. shit's no fun. Can't focus on things when I try, mind racing when I try to turn it off for sleep, get bored of just about everything (and most people for that matter) extremely quickly. This affects my daily life the most as I will quickly stop caring about jobs, classes, people, etc. I'm not getting too far with life lol. ADD meds (both stimulant and non-stimulant) tend to make me "level out" and be able to focus on things and be generally more calm and productive. Gave up programming right about when I got my degree cuz I got bored with it. Have serious issues changing my mood in general, pretty much constantly have to be doing at least 2 things at once (usually primary focus plus at least one other sense, but to the point where if I know the song i'm listening to at least reasonably well, I can sing along while reading and still retain what i'm reading.
Speaking of which, I love reading, I can totally focus on reading almost anything at all. No clue why it seems to be counter to how I react to almost everything, but it's such a strange and wonderful anomaly.
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It's interesting how some of you think it's ADD/ADHD, it cannot be it the symptoms just doesn't match neither from birth nor at an adult age it feels for me and from the responses of the other people too that don't agree. This is more of a thing that has grown with time and sitting on the internet generally and lets say after going on vacation and after 1 week might even be totally disappearing symptoms.
But still all that input is really interesting and some of the things you guys do seem like great ways to focus on something else.
Still it sounds quite tough for you guys, going through that all your lives and having a hard time focusing on things which so to say are important. If I get what you are saying right that is, if not I excuse myself.
I love all the replys it really gets you thinking though, also maybe what might happen if things continue like this. The advice to continue searching and finding something you do like constantly is something I always wanted. There are many things I love doing but not too much of, would want to see what will happen if I put all my heart and soul into task for a long time and what results it might reap, money and happiness hopefully =) So thank you again for the replies!
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On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
30 seconds ago i wondered what duck poop looks like, and now on this screen before me is hundreds of closeups of duck poop, videos of ducks pooping, articles on the diets of ducks and constituents of their feces, and comparisons to the wastes of other species. absurd, really
Might be time to change your icon from a cat to a duck.
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i find myself doing extreme multitasking too. and guise its not necessarily add
try manifesting your attention into exhaustion
go for an overly long run. with your ipod and a puzzle if need be
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made a blog about this a couple days ago. just leave the ipod at home, its been a nice change not to listen to it. plus the songs have stopped playing in my head!!! sweet silence
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On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
it's your habitual use of the computer. i also feel massive withdrawal when i'm on vacation (or some other prolonged absence from the internet), but my mind adjusts very nicely to the relative calm in just a few days. upon using the computer again i often feel just totally overwhelmed.
this mental state is peculiar to our generation and will only become more pronounced in the ones to follow. sometimes i just sit back and feel amazed after a quick search in google: 30 seconds ago i wondered what duck poop looks like, and now on this screen before me is hundreds of closeups of duck poop, videos of ducks pooping, articles on the diets of ducks and constituents of their feces, and comparisons to the wastes of other species. absurd, really
So, who else just had to google ''duck poop'' after reading this post? XD
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Add is an interesting thing. People tend to talk about it like a sickness, like you "have" the flu, you can "have" ADD/ADHD, and really that isn't the case. My understanding, based on reading a lot of newer books on brain function/activity, is that ADD/ADHD is just a term used to describe having certain symptoms to the point where they interfere with your life. Everyone is going to have issues with one or more symptoms every now and then. But when you have multiple symptoms bad enough to affect your life, they call it ADD/ADHD. Someone who has a few light symptoms may feel that he/she "is" ADD/ADHD, but a lot of it is natural and can be overcome. The issue is when you have multiple symptoms that are severe enough that even once you've realized you have a problem, and begin to work at fixing it, you find yourself unable to overcome a lot of it.
And saying "Oh, well, he just doesn't care, he could pay attention if he wants, this disorder is made up", is nonsensical bullshit. From what I remember, the main issues/areas affected are:
1.) Trouble focusing on something
2.) Trouble stopping focusing on something
3.) Trouble changing focus at command
4.) Trouble with moods/emotions (violent flare ups, unable to change emotive state, unable to control it, wild swings from one to another)
...I need to go home and pull out my books, I believe theres 3 more. But as you can see, these are all fairly inter-related, and many other disorders can be "diagnosed" based on levels of symptoms in these areas. The lines between autism, bipolar, add, depression, etc, are actually very blurry.
So, OP, i'm not saying you "have" ADD/ADHD by any means, just that you seem to exhibit some of the symptoms that could lead to such a diagnosis. If you personally say it isn't negatively affecting your day-to-day life, then I doubt many people would try to diagnose you.
And tbh, I think a lot of this is our brains adjusting to new conditions of life. Now that (most of us) don't need to "fight or flight" survive for food, shelter, etc (again, for the most part), there's honestly no reason for a lot of the natural tendencies/instincts that we still have from survival days. Time to move up :-) I just think our brains are finding a way to prepare themselves for large influxes of data allowing us to make better, more well-informed decisions, rather then just "reacting" to stimuli in our nearby environment.
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i share the same. When i am doing household chores i HAVE to be listening to music or podcasts. I get frustrated and annoyed if i dont have something to listen to while falling asleep. I like browsing with 0958102830192 tabs opened. I play sc and listen to lectures at the same time, but usually end up tuning out the lectures. I dont have too much trouble focusing on 1 task if have to get it done, but i dont have quite the stamina to keep it going for long periods of time, i'll need to take breaks, and once i've started taking a break, i'll end up exploring some other nook and cranny of the interwebs.
i dont have to be doing 3 things, but i feel the need to be listening to something interesting while doing 1 other thing.
That said, i dont have massive withdrawal when i am disconnected to the PC, i still have a mp3 player, so maybe i'm not 100% disconnected, but i really only use it when i'm doing something solitary.
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Wow, lol, this thread is full of people like me :D
On February 16 2011 14:59 intrigue wrote:
it's your habitual use of the computer. i also feel massive withdrawal when i'm on vacation (or some other prolonged absence from the internet), but my mind adjusts very nicely to the relative calm in just a few days. upon using the computer again i often feel just totally overwhelmed.
Can't be, I was like this even before I started using a computer (when I was 10~), I'd always be drawing while watching TV. Though computers kinda amplify the effect.
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its common when youre trying to replace feelings/emotions with logic/reason. the former are much more complex; they 'use' the brain on a larger extent.
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First off Id like to say that im not sure that im comforted by the fact that many people have very similar traits as me or dissapointed that Im just another guy.. haha
I am currently having a lot of trouble with school, because I dont find it interesting enough.. I am considering quitting SC2 so that Ill get a massive need for mental stimulation and perhaps school will be more fun. Will I ever find a vocation that I find interesting enough to do it for years? I get a job but its only interesting the first 2 weeks.
I also dont find people that interesting, I kinda have to be drunk to really enjoy their company for extended periods of time. I find it hard talking to someone for extended periods of time. But in a
small timeframe I can talk a lot.
I can rarely watch movies alone without getting bored and there are few books I can read, but the good ones like Atlas Shrugged I can read for seemingly forever..
The pattern I see here is also that the people in this thread consider themselves pretty intelligent (I do myself) and that may be the case. I feel like people with less analytical minds or whatever enjoy things like conversation more.
And this is deffinately a thing that does not get better with time, only worse.
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+ Show Spoiler +Morfildur Germany. February 16 2011 16:07. Posts 464 PM Profile Quote #
I have that, too, though it gets harder every day to get the mental stimulation. As soon as i find a pattern in something i get bored by it, and sadly i'm extremely fast with finding pattern.
I learned programming because it's something complex, but now even that just bores me because for 99% of the problems i immedatly find the pattern and apply other patterns to solve them. It's just tedious work, no mental stimulation.
Walking, working out, etc... just boring repetition, nothing to distract me.
I think the main problem is that i'm trying to distract me from thinking thoughts i know i shouldn't be thinking (i have a serious depression), so i try to find anything that stimulates my brain to do something else than thinking, though i haven't found anything that works very long. This also causes problems when trying to sleep, since suddenly there is no more mental stimulation and it takes several hours for my brain to shut down.
ok, this post is not very coherent, but well... maybe i'm too tired...
Dude, im exactly the same O,o I was actually thinking about it some time ago, and come to some depressing conclusions ;(
While watching some SCII streams I have to: eat - drink, browse net, read e-books or books (O,o) ,listen to music etc. While reading a book I like to listen to music or some lectures , streams etc. I can force myself to just focus on one thing like reading new book, however after 30 minutes my mind just need more so I turn on the GSL stream or smth. Sometimes Im really excited reading a certain book and after few minutes realize that I would be better reading the other one. Its hard to explain (+ Im better with reading english than writing) I have really hard time to focus on one book, usually I start one read about 50 pages than start another do the same and return to the first one etc. I got like 6 started books while on two of them Im almost finished and in the rest im in the middle. From history to politics, economy based, fantasy...
I have problem with going to bed because I know I will have to:
1) silence my mind to fall asleep, which I find hard and frustrating
2) think about spent day (I often think I could spent it better)
So I turn on my mp3 or watch some political / historical lecture on laptop till Im really "ready".
So many things I find interesting and than quickly (for various reasons) Im just getting bored of. I got days in my job that I do more than I should and the other day Im lazy, focusing how to do less work. I lose "excitiment" quickly for some activities and later suddenly it comes back. Maybe my english skills are not good enough to express everything in few sentences or maybe I was just trying to write longer post wtf?
Anyway, sorry for long post and bad english.
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EPT
