@autism101@actuallyautistic This comes up a bunch in software development, where your thoughts and plans extend out into flowcharts and schemas in the mind; interruptions can wipe it all out.
I’ve found that my meds make it easier to get back into focus but my focus overall tends to be a little more shallow. Not nearly as many “I blinked and the day disappeared” episodes, now I’ll actually stop to eat
The hyperfocus is easier to aim at what I want instead of whatever shiny the ADHD spotted first. I still have to wrestle it into submission but it takes a lot less time now.
@autism101@actuallyautistic I experience this when I'm writing! Some writing teachers advise writing in little bits of time here and there, but it never seems to work for me.
It takes me so long just to get into the right headspace, pick up the threads, etc; and then after I have to stop I'm just wandering round in a daze for a while because my brain hasn't properly detached from the writing yet.
Thanks for sharing this!
FWIW, although I'm not autistic, I am hyper focused when landing an airplane. As a result, I'm really good at it. Whatever else is happening, I only think about the landing. So the few minutes in doing that are like the purest form of vacation, free from any other troubles or threats in the world. No distraction succeeds in those minutes.
@jackcole@autism101@actuallyautistic autistic glider pilot here.
Yep, a landing is one of those moments where my brain just stops going all over the place, and just lands the plane.
Unfortunately I'm currently grounded, since I'm taking Lisdex for ADHD, and medical weed for PTSD.
@nina@autism101@actuallyautistic
Sorry, hope you fly again.
In any case, once a pilot, always a pilot. People who fly are changed forever, even if not actively flying.
For me, my perfect vacation would be to be teleported to end of downwind repeatedly for hours to make landings regardless of wind or runway. My habit of close in high approaches paid off once when I had a deadstick landing (engine idle speed was set too low).
@jackcole@autism101@actuallyautistic I fly gliders, coming in high, and using breaking flaps and slipping to get rid of altitude before landing is just a normal landing. ;)
@nina@autism101@actuallyautistic I tried to fly a Piper Cub as much as I could before it went down for fabric replacement, then after awful new fabric as much as I could until our Army club equipment was sent to another state. It had a VSI showing + or - 2500 fpm down. I could pin the VSI in a slip, so pretty good descent. A Cub is basically a STOL acft with lots of wing lightly loaded, a high-lift wing. Not as good as glider, but very good. Extremely good angle of climb.
@nina@autism101@actuallyautistic Should add, some powered planes I flew were like bricks with power to idle, flaps down, gear down. Those you always wanted a close-in, high approach. You'd never make the runway otherwise for a power failure. In those, you could be extremely high almost on the numbers and still make the numbers. Example: Aerocommander 112.
@autism101@actuallyautistic this describes a long term friend’s behavior when switching tasks to a T. She thinks she is ADD…but this task switching challenge is just another indicator of being on The Spectrum .
And constantly amazed at my womanly multitasking abilities as if I were from Outerspace or something
@autism101@actuallyautistic I relate very strongly but I think I need better terminology to promote understanding universally.
Switching “tasks” is technically correct but does not feel widely encompassing when taken in its colloquial meaning. “Task” colloquially means “deliberate series of actions done for a specific purpose,” and has a lot of productivity or work related connotations.
I feel better using “state switching” as an all-encompassing alternative to “task switching”.
I go into hyperfocus states frequently while not doing anything that would be considered a “task” in its everyday meaning. Things like getting lost in my imagination of nice things. From the outside, it looks like I’m sitting there idly but the invisible tendrils are still very much there. When I’m distracted or pulled away in that state, it feels exactly as bad as if I was focused on something the average person would call a “task”.
I don’t know if this is too pedantic but I can’t help noticing some sort of ableist undertone with the word “task” in this context.
@autism101@actuallyautistic I liken it to being pulled out of hyperspace, and then your engines overload and it takes some time to get them running again.
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