What is something you realized was the result of your ADHD or autism?

I've been known to rock back and forth during lessons. However, in my case it's usually because I'm stressing out such as when I'm having a difficult time in a coding class and worrying about failing. Although I have gotten a little antsy before when I've been sitting in class for a while. I'm always fiddling with something and hate sitting still. Sometimes I absently drum on my desk if I'm not careful. Apparently I've been known to kick the wall when I'm concentrating, it's a bad habit of mine. I can relate to getting distracted by something happening two classrooms over. However, when I'm truly in the zone then I forget everything else, and I have to be careful otherwise I'm there for hours and suddenly I've missed a meal.

...Maybe the other autism thread had a point. Perhaps I should look into ADHD. Weirdly, I get days when I'm really concentrated and it's bizarre. I'll wake up and it will feel like I'm an entirely different person. Sometimes I get these streaks, the longest they last is usually about three days. I am uber productive and get so much done I don't even understand. My mind is just clearer somehow. Then I'll go back to normal with the knowledge that I'm functioning at 75% capacity rather than at 100%. It's so bizarre having that much focused energy and clarity.

Do you find that your creativity is all over the place? I sure do. Although I'm aware that it's normal to get creator's block, when I break out of that block it hits me quite intensely. I'll just be doing something else, such as going for a walk or making pizza and seemingly out of nowhere I get flashes of detailed mental images of what my project is going to look like. Everything just comes together and the ideas come rushing in. Rather annoying when I didn't have any ideas when asked by my teacher but the moment I go do something else I suddenly have a bunch of them.

 

I haven't officially been diagnosed with ADHD, but did receive an 'unofficial' diagnosis when I was getting diagnosed for something else. The assessor strongly suggested I get tested (which I still have yet to do) because the test they gave me came out with a really heavy score and a high likelihood that I do have it.

I struggle to read all the time. I read a few lines and a key word will get me drifting off into a million other thoughts. I struggle to sit still watching a tv program or a film. After about 10-15 minutes I just can't stand it and I have to get up from my seat and walk around.

When I was at university, being stuck in 1-2 hour long lectures was pretty awful. I would struggle to concentrate the whole way through because I would get distracted by what everyone else was doing in the lecture theatres. It was a combination of what I'd see, what I could hear, and sometimes the smell of perfume people would wear. I always fidgeted to try and keep my focus on what the lecturer was saying, but sometimes the way the lecturer would speak would make me feel tired (which I suppose was better than me fidgeting and annoying everybody else).

When people have conversations with me, I struggle to just sit and listen to them. After even just 2 minutes I zone out and start thinking about so many other things. I don't even do it intentionally. One time a friend was helping me with something, but they got really annoyed with me because I came across like I was uninterested. They started snapping their fingers at me yelling 'Focus!'. As if I wasn't trying to...

I think the first time I really noticed something was wrong was when I'd play computer games. I absolutely love gaming in my spare time, but sometimes I just can't concentrate, even if I enjoy the game.

There have been other times where I'm so into something I'll get really hyperfocused on one thing and end up forgetting about important daily activities, like eating... or actually going to the bathroom and not holding it in for 4 hours... whoops.

 

I've not been diagnosed, but I can relate to the things you're all saying. I'm doubting whether or not to get myself tested. I've had difficulties concentrating since I was a kid and later on I also had a huge fear of failing in anything, cause I was smart, yet I couldn't do what I was supposed to (concentrate and study). Especially this year when writing my thesis I noticed I can't stick to a plan. I constantly shift between ideas and it doesn't lead me anywhere. Which brings back this fear of failing cause I just know I'm not gonna graduate with this. I don't know if these are symptoms of ADHD/autism, but I'm surely gonna watch this thread to see all of your stories.

 

I have had trouble with concentration quite a bit. When I was in college, I hated the 1-2 hour classes, even worse was the few times I took a 4-hour class. I always had trouble studying, and worst of all was tests in college. The tests that had 100+ questions and took over an hour to complete. After about 50 questions I started just glancing at the question and giving it a quick guess instead of thinking it through. A little later on in the test I would just start randomly choosing answers. I literally didn't care if I passed or failed at that moment, I just couldn't take the test any longer. I managed to graduate college. It took six years to get a four-year degree and I finished with a GPA in in the 2 range. Even now< i had to mute the TV in order to fully read the replies.

The rocking back and forth thing I noticed in the past couple of years since I started anti-depressants. I've heard that that can be a side effect. The creativity has also happened to me. I'd get a spark of creativity at a bad time and then usually by time I had a chance to write it down, it was half gone. I've always said that ideas start in my head and then get lost on their way to my mouth and/or hand.

Here's one more that hasn't been mentioned. I'm the fifth different person to post in this thread and the third who is genderqueer. I have heard that there is a connection between autism and gender dysphoria.