Have you ever got so engrossed with something(computer, television, manual or mental task) that you have not heard people talking to you?
My late wife made this observation several times that I was so engrossed with the computer that I would ignore her when she spoke. In fact I just didn’t hear her.
Tests for epilepsy were negative and the pdoc wrote in the notes it was probably something to do with the mental illness.
It’s multitasking 101 @firemonkey us men are useless at it.
It’s a common ADD trait, especially among men. I think the term is hyper-focus - when the person is doing something they enjoy, they focus on it to the exclusion of other stimuli - such as someone talking, noise in the background and other goings on that would normally distract other people. I have ADD so even though I might hear someone talking - my brain just doesn’t focus on it if I’m doing something engrossing.
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i wouldnt worry about it, its just like louisa84 said , hyper focused , it can be a good thing!
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Happens to muggles too. Anyone can get so caught up in what they are doing that they don’t pay attention to other things.
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I feel like I’ve had both… hyper focused where I’m doing something and I don’t absorb any other stimulus. There could be a chaos event in the house, and I’m absorbed and don’t even hear it.
then there are times where I’m sinking into my head. I don’t do it as often as I used to. But if I sit too still for too long, I start zoning out and sinking into my head.
Looking at the Wiki article it mentions ADHD/Aspergers/and gifted but learning disabled.
Have done tests online for ADHD and the results were mixed .
Results of Your Adult
Attention Deficit Disorder Quiz
You scored a total of 20
Inattention Subscale: 13
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Subscale: 7
Based upon your responses to this adult ADD/ADHD screening quiz, you appear to have some symptoms consistent with a possible diagnosis of attention deficit disorder, but may not qualify for a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. Some people with scores similar to yours have sought professional treatment for this concern; others have not.
If you were diagnosed with ADHD, it would likely be of the Inattentive presentation, as you indicated primarily significant symptoms of inattention.
S C O R I N G K E Y
If you scored…
You may have symptoms of…
34 & up Adult ADHD
26 - 33 Moderate ADHD
18 - 25 ADHD Possible
12 - 18 ADHD Symptoms
0 - 11 No ADHD symptoms
. Scored 37 on the autism quotient but non verbal learning disorder, which is similar, is a better fit. I have been diagnosed with neither and in fact NVLD is not recognised in UK. Although not mentioned in the article a google search reveals that NVLD can involve hyperfocus.
If I was a child nowadays there is a possibility I would be diagnosed gifted but learning disabled. I have a very high verbal ability but a low average/average non verbal ability. Due to areas of cognitive difficulty I seriously underperformed academically in comparison to my overall IQ. Back from 1961-75 there wasn’t such a recognition of ‘gifted but learning disabled’ , and if you were bright but struggling the word ‘lazy’ got bandied about.
Wow, I was going to post something very similar to this. Yesterday I zoned out twice.
I was driving back from my therapy appointment with my Dad, and I almost missed the exit, I ended up driving on the side of the highway for a while - totally had a blank moment.
Also, at a traffic light, I made a left turn, and my Dad said that I was going really slow, to the point of almost stopping in the middle of the road - a pickup truck behind me startled me and started honking the horn. I veered to my right to let him pass because he started to tailgate me. Again I totally blanked out! I was unaware of my actions, my Dad had to point them out to me. I know I lowered my Risperdal dose, I am hoping that its not related to my illness.
I have had cognitive impairments in the past when going low on an antipsychotic. This probably puts me in the SZA side of things
i do that. i used to do it all of the time as a kid and got diagnosed with adhd because of it, along with a number of other things i do/did–my level of hyperactivity, especially from childhood until my early twenties was just out of control though and that was likely primarily why. and i was never prepared for anything. never had the proper materials, never on task, etc. i think as an adult i also just don’t register people being around unless i’m more on edge and then they’re everywhere. it’s hard to explain.
That almost sounds like daydreaming.
I only zone out when I have too much noise in my head, or I have no interest in the conversation around me. I don’t really get too engrossed in any specific thing to say I’m zoned out, its more a personal choice to zone out when I feel I can’t handle or don’t need to hear something. My dad is a constant rambler, and I’ve gotten good at just letting him talk and ignoring what he’s saying simple because 98% of it is babble.
I sometimes forget where I’m going. My mind just gets blank. Also I can not listen and read or write at the same time. It’s my adhd doing that.
I have the tendency To zone out like that. its like i dont hear or see anything other than my focus. Or if i have no real focus then im just deep deep inside my head and my wife has to yell or physically touch me to snap me out of it. But being touched when im like that freaks me out.