Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Do I have Adult A.D.D.?

I'm reading a guide on being an Bicycle Race official and no matter what I do, I can't finish a page without wondering off in my mind. Here's how reading works for me: *read, read* Oh yeah, that reminds me about this time... (eyes are still reading, but brain is elsewhere)...Crap, I finished that whole paragraph and I have no idea what it said.

I noticed this problem happening more as my college years progressed. At the beginning, I was fine. I could read through anything and stay focused. Nowadays, if I'm not completely enthralled with the subject, my brain finds something else to do while reading.

This makes my head hurt to think about since reading is sort of an inner dialogue. Reading is your brain speaking words to yourself, correct? So how can you have an inner dialogue over your inner dialogue? Ouch - brain freeze. Or rather brain argument.

So is it just me? Do I have some form of A.D.D? Or does this happen to everyone? Or is this something that most people don't talk about out in the open for fear of being labeled a crazy person?

13 comments:

bryan said...

Adult ADD? Nah, just a short attention span. If I'm not into something, I stop reading, too. Why waste my time if my mind isn't digging it?

Sean said...

Yeah, I do that all the time. Though I really do have ADD, so... huh.

munsoned said...

Bryan, if I go by the, my mind isn't digging it logic, I will never learn anything new. I want to be a good official next year and the guide is very informative, I just can't stay focused because I start thinking about past races or race experiences.

I just wonder why that doesn't happen when I'm watching TV? Is it because more than one sense is being used, therefore requiring more brain attention?

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe my TV habits are the cause of my short attention span. I have ridiculous thumb dexterity due to channel surfing. I can't watch TV without a remote since I change the channel if a commercial comes on, or if I'm even slightly bored by the current show. So when it comes time for my brain to "sit there" and read one subject, it finds other "channels" to surf. I think I need to sell my TV if I ever want to become a book reader.

bryan said...

Then you need to get in the right frame of mind. I usually can't read at home. Oddly, I do best at work.

In your case, though, at least your mind is wandering to cycling while reading about cycling.

Shim said...

My mind wondered like ten times reading these four posts.

Dude your gonna be in some great company as an official, those are some cool dudes! I hear the after race D&D Games are unreal!

brady said...

I think that I've got both OCD and ADD, which causes a lovely cycle of wandering and compulsion to return and finish whatever I was reading. For example, I read half of your blog 4 hrs ago, I read another quarter a few minutes ago and tomorrow I will finish it.

munsoned said...

Brady, that sounds like Bryan watching his Race DVDs on the trainer.

Shim, I know you're an anarchist who would rather see racing be a free-for-all, but officials have the responsibility to make sure big macho MTB types like yourself don't bully the scrawny "true" roadie cyclists.

bryan said...

anarchist? please. Shim's a nihilist, Donnie. he's completely harmless.

Matthew Pavlovich said...

Munson,

One of my dental school professors suggested that I get tested for adult onset ADD. I talked to a psychologist and they said that no one would ever diagnose someone that late in life with add. I guess we are both just forgetful

But a (bad)joke:
Q:How many kids with ADD does it take to change a light bulb?

A: I want to go ride my bike.

Matthew Pavlovich said...

Munson,

One of my dental school professors suggested that I get tested for adult onset ADD. I talked to a psychologist and they said that no one would ever diagnose someone that late in life with add. I guess we are both just forgetful

But a (bad)joke:
Q:How many kids with ADD does it take to change a light bulb?

A: I want to go ride my bike.

bryan said...

My dad was actually diagnosed with adult ADD about two years ago. It makes perfect sense, too -- my parents' house has about two dozen projects that are 75 percent complete. Plus, he tends to just wander off sometimes ...

RF said...

what were we talking about?

Shim said...

Dude, a Nihilist? Ouch! Besides I go to church most Sundays, (ask Peter). But for those of you who were curious... Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that Being, especially past and current human existence, is without objective meaning, purpose, comprehensible truth, or essential value. Nihilists generally assert some or all of the following:
there is no reasonable proof of the existence of a higher ruler or creator,
a "true morality" does not exist, and
objective secular ethics are impossible; therefore, life has, in a sense, no truth, and no action is objectively preferable to any other.
The term nihilism is sometimes used synonymously with anomie to denote a general mood of despair at the pointlessness of existence.