Trouble completing tasks

[rikki]

Does anyone else have trouble completing tasks? I swear I am always starting a project but never seem to finish it. I have trouble doing anything at one time. I have about 6 half done projects on my desk, piles of stuff I plan to do all over my apartment, etc. I start a task and then get distracted by the internet, tv, etc. I can't remember the last time that I sat down and did something from start to finish without taking a break, wanting to check something online, etc.

Is this a sign of ADD? Any advice on how to better concentrate?

[mellymel]

I'm glad you posted this. I have the exact same problem. Hoping others can weigh in on this.

[luvmagoldn]

I was thinking about this yesterday too. I am very disorganized at home and at work and seem to need the pressure of a deadline to even think of finishing something.

[StJess80]

psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

It could be. Take this quiz and see where you land.

[ijack]

I have ADD and it's a huge problem of mind. Adderall helps, but not entirely because I still struggle with it.

[dr.girlfriend]

Honestly, I think everyone does that. Keep in mind that individuals with ADD / ADHD have symptom onset before age 7. Unless you feel that you've been undiagnosed since childhood, I think this is just part of the human condition. Minimize distractors, set yourself a time limit, and go one by one down a task list.

[rikki]

Dec 19, 2012 9:34:03 GMT -5 StJess80 said:

psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

It could be. Take this quiz and see where you land.

Results of your
Attention Deficit Disorder Quiz

You scored a total of 62

You appear to be suffering from a moderate amount of attention and concentration difficulties according to your responses to this self-report questionnaire. You should not take this as a diagnosis of any sort, or a recommendation for treatment. However, it would be advisable and likely beneficial for you to seek further diagnosis from a trained mental health professional soon to rule out a possible attention disorder.

[dochas]

I have this problem. My husband pointed it out to me when we had been dating a while - it's as if I have to leave the last piece of something undone. The thing I remember him pointing out was I was organizing CDs and got through everything but left like 5 CDs on the floor by the shelf. When he pointed it out I started to try really hard to finish something. And I noticed that in the last few steps of something I would get completely exhausted. It was like I was swimming through quicksand and wanted to go to sleep. So for me I think it's a weird mental thing beyond ADD. (although I scored a 49 on that quiz)

[rikki]

Dec 19, 2012 9:37:48 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Honestly, I think everyone does that. Keep in mind that individuals with ADD / ADHD have symptom onset before age 7. Unless you feel that you've been undiagnosed since childhood, I think this is just part of the human condition. Minimize distractors, set yourself a time limit, and go one by one down a task list.

My mom tried to have me tested for ADD when I was young, but my teachers were never on board because my grades were stellar and I was always on my "best behavior" at school. I should ask my mom why she thought I had ADD.

[karinothing]

Sometimes I think this is more a problem with the internet/tv access than it is about ADHD or ADD.

ETA: I am horrible at getting work done at work do to the internet. One day it was out and I could concenrate just fine. BUT the internet is more fun!

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2012 9:37:48 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Honestly, I think everyone does that. Keep in mind that individuals with ADD / ADHD have symptom onset before age 7. Unless you feel that you've been undiagnosed since childhood, I think this is just part of the human condition. Minimize distractors, set yourself a time limit, and go one by one down a task list.

I was diagnosed according to my mother when I was 7 but the dr. told her I would out grow it.

I've just chosen a career that allows for my ADD. My first choice (Law) didn't

[mbcdefg]

I have a problem starting tasks. Like, right now I'm dicking around on the Internet instead of getting some work done.

But I chalk that up to me being lazy.

[winnied]

It could be, I would talk to a doctor. My brother has ADD and in addition to taking Ritalin he has to set up his surroundings to avoid distraction. This means steamlining his work area, setting time aside for completing that task alone, having a quiet work area, etc. He's worked with a psychologist most of his life to really work with his ADD because Ritalin isn't enough.

ADD and ADHD are really hard to work with. Meds are only part of the solution. Not to discourage you, but it's even harder to deal with as an adult v. my brother who was diagnosed as a child and started treatment immediately.

[winnied]

Dec 19, 2012 9:45:22 GMT -5 rikki said:

Dec 19, 2012 9:37:48 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Honestly, I think everyone does that. Keep in mind that individuals with ADD / ADHD have symptom onset before age 7. Unless you feel that you've been undiagnosed since childhood, I think this is just part of the human condition. Minimize distractors, set yourself a time limit, and go one by one down a task list.

My mom tried to have me tested for ADD when I was young, but my teachers were never on board because my grades were stellar and I was always on my "best behavior" at school. I should ask my mom why she thought I had ADD.

So you could focus at school but not in other places? Then, in my unprofessional opinion, you probably don't have ADD. In my experience, people with ADD are consistently distracted.

[mrssavy42112]

My mom thought I was hyperactive & had ADD also, but they told her that I was just an 'active' child & needed to kept busy. I do have projects that I start & leave half done, but it's usually because I run out of time to do it. It doesn't affect my job or when I was in school. It's more in my home.

ETA: I scored a 33 which is borderline. I'm always on the go & constantly busy.

[ijack]

Dec 19, 2012 9:46:13 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Sometimes I think this is more a problem with the internet/tv access than it is about ADHD or ADD.

ETA: I am horrible at getting work done at work do to the internet. One day it was out and I could concenrate just fine. BUT the internet is more fun!

I definitely agree with this. I have ADD without a doubt, but the internet and my phone make it SOOOOOOO much worse. There is always something waiting to catch my attention.

[hlke]

Dec 19, 2012 9:49:00 GMT -5 winnied said:

Dec 19, 2012 9:45:22 GMT -5 rikki said:

My mom tried to have me tested for ADD when I was young, but my teachers were never on board because my grades were stellar and I was always on my "best behavior" at school. I should ask my mom why she thought I had ADD.

So you could focus at school but not in other places? Then, in my unprofessional opinion, you probably don't have ADD. In my experience, people with ADD are consistently distracted.

Or it could be that school just wasn't challenging and was structured enough that she could compensate. I was diagnosed at 19, and a few teachers had suggested testing in elementary/middle school, but my mom didn't do it because my grades were good and I wasn't getting in trouble. But I do have ADHD. Smart kids are often underdiagnosed because they can compensate, and the shit only hits the fan when things get harder in college/adulthood.

[imojoebunny]

We are having DD tested for ADHD, as part of a larger question of why her performance does not seem to coincide with what her apparent relative intelligence in a school setting. Keep in mind that ADHD does not necessarily mean hyperactive. In attentive AdHD presents differently, and is often not helped by meds, and can also be related to something called Executive Function deficiencies. There are also numerous physical problems that can cause AdHD like symptoms, everything from thyroid to diabetes to poor diet. If you have been able to get thought school without having a lot of problems, you might want to look at some of these things too.

[hlke]

Concentration problems can be from other things too though. Trouble concentrating is a symptom of anxiety and depression, and some physical medical problems too.

[winnied]

Dec 19, 2012 9:54:21 GMT -5 hlke said:

Dec 19, 2012 9:49:00 GMT -5 winnied said:

So you could focus at school but not in other places? Then, in my unprofessional opinion, you probably don't have ADD. In my experience, people with ADD are consistently distracted.

Or it could be that school just wasn't challenging and was structured enough that she could compensate. I was diagnosed at 19, and a few teachers had suggested testing in elementary/middle school, but my mom didn't do it because my grades were good and I wasn't getting in trouble. But I do have ADHD. Smart kids are often underdiagnosed because they can compensate, and the shit only hits the fan when things get harder in college/adulthood.

Perhaps. As I said, I'm not expert. My brother is very intelligent though and got good grades but it was a struggle to complete homework and focus. He wasn't bad in school, and did very well, but you could still tell concentration was an issue.

[ijack]

Dec 19, 2012 9:54:21 GMT -5 hlke said:

Dec 19, 2012 9:49:00 GMT -5 winnied said:

So you could focus at school but not in other places? Then, in my unprofessional opinion, you probably don't have ADD. In my experience, people with ADD are consistently distracted.

Or it could be that school just wasn't challenging and was structured enough that she could compensate. I was diagnosed at 19, and a few teachers had suggested testing in elementary/middle school, but my mom didn't do it because my grades were good and I wasn't getting in trouble. But I do have ADHD. Smart kids are often underdiagnosed because they can compensate, and the shit only hits the fan when things get harder in college/adulthood.

I agree with this. Women are also missed a lot because they often don't have the hyperactivity part, which is a flag for most people. Looking back it's very obvious that I've had ADD my entire life, but no one would have ever brought it up because school was very easy for me.

[Susie]

I have that problem with home improvement projects. I usually have at least 3 in various stages of completion, and several lagging in various stages of unfinished-but-getting-dusty.

I am less like this at work. At work, I have deadlines, and those I respond well to. I do get like you describe when my docket's too full of soft dates. I've just learned that it's a weakness of mine that I will constantly work at. We've all got them.

I've learned to adopt the deadline strategy at home when things lag outrageously. I invite people over, and then rush around like mad to finish the offending project in the days before the event.

If you don't have a strategy that's working for you, that's no good.

[StJess80]

I was in the mid 90's on that quiz before meds. I wasn't diagnosed as a child, because I am the inattentive type (which is harder to dx) but they can back-diagnose you. It's sort of a pain because you have to have an appt w/ the dr and your parents, or get paperwork from school as a kid. Fortunately for me, my mom and I see the same dr (she has it too, as well as my brother) so that wasn't a problem.

Though really, the diagnosis isn't the issue. Lots of drs will prescribe the meds, and if it helps, you probably have it. If you don't have it, and take stimulants, you will likely act like you are on speed.

It might be worth the conversation with your dr, but they may try some other techniques first.

[ESF]

Dec 19, 2012 9:34:03 GMT -5 StJess80 said:

psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

It could be. Take this quiz and see where you land.

What does it say about me that I couldn't finish this quiz without checking my email?

Despite that, I apparently only have mild attention issues. LOL.

rikki - one thing that helps me is to shut off internet access. Unplug the cable or turn off the wifi signal. When that fails, I take my laptop to a cafe that does not have wifi. My productivity soars.

If you use a firefox browser, leechblock is an add-in that lets you create firewalls, so you can block sites or limit your access to them during certain days/times.

If your issues go beyond just internet distractions, then it may be worth running it by your doctor.

[Deleted]

I have a problem with this because I can become easily distracted. I find that making checklists and marking off the tasks as I complete them is simple but helpful.

[pitterwoo]

Dec 19, 2012 9:57:21 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

Dec 19, 2012 9:46:13 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Sometimes I think this is more a problem with the internet/tv access than it is about ADHD or ADD.

ETA: I am horrible at getting work done at work do to the internet. One day it was out and I could concenrate just fine. BUT the internet is more fun!

I'm in this boat. Normally when there is something critical that needs to be done and I stay off the Internet all day, I am shocked by how much I accomplish. (although certainly there are people who truly have ADD/ADHD).

This. I'm totally addicted to the internet.

[dr.girlfriend]

Dec 19, 2012 13:33:06 GMT -5 StJess80 said:

Though really, the diagnosis isn't the issue. Lots of drs will prescribe the meds, and if it helps, you probably have it. If you don't have it, and take stimulants, you will likely act like you are on speed.

Sorry, but this is really not true.

[FWP]

Dec 19, 2012 9:37:48 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Honestly, I think everyone does that. Keep in mind that individuals with ADD / ADHD have symptom onset before age 7. Unless you feel that you've been undiagnosed since childhood, I think this is just part of the human condition. Minimize distractors, set yourself a time limit, and go one by one down a task list.

This. I am a bit of a hypochondriac so of course I have talked myself into thinking I have ADHD before, but anecdotal evidence shows me that most people are this way. I just try to find ways to trick the short-term-reward part of my brain.

[w2w]

Honestly? I think almost everyone has trouble completing tasks. There are just so many distractions and other fun things to do. If you just sit in an office with no Internet, no phone, no people, no music, etc, do you still have trouble? I bet most people don't even know because they never do this and we have trained ourselves to function with so many distractions.