Obsessions with small things that is not a special interest

Page 1 of 1 [ 6 posts ] 

Purpledragon
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 19 May 2018
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 46

12 Dec 2018, 2:10 pm

I have my special interests that I've had most of my life and some that are just a period of time. But sometimes I get obsessed with doing small things, I just have to do them. For example, I recently ordered a christmas gift for my son online. Once I decided to get it, I spent hours and hours finding the right thing, checking out different stores and comparing prices. It feels like when I'm occupied with a special interest, lots of time goes by without me noticing it, I get super focused. That's all I can think about and I just have to do it, I would get really annoyed if someone interrupted me. It also happens with other seemingly small things, once I set my mind to do something it just have to happen. Sometimes I also do things without thinking about consequences, just because I've already decided to do it.

I was wondering if this is something you can relate to, is it an autism thing? I've only heard of this kind of super focus when it comes to special interest, not with other small, daily things. I just got my autism-diagnosis a few months ago, so I'm still trying to figure things out. And this seems like the right place to ask, with so many nice people. :)



IstominFan
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Nov 2016
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,114
Location: Santa Maria, CA.

12 Dec 2018, 5:20 pm

I get preoccupied with things I need to get done. It helps me to write them down and approach them one by one.



RichardJ
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Jul 2013
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Posts: 536
Location: USA

12 Dec 2018, 5:50 pm

Very common for that to happen to me, I can spend a whole day on a "mini-special interest", or get lodged in a task so much that I shun everything else. Doesn't help that I'm easily distracted as as such I will get one idea while doing something and go off on a long tangent with that idea for hours. For example I could be loading the dish washer and then go off reading about the best way to do it for hours.


_________________
******************************************************
-Richardj / richard3700hz


TUF
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 10 Dec 2018
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,464

13 Dec 2018, 4:02 pm

I do this when buying a book off amazon, I have to do a competition head to head for all of the books on my wish list (I have hundreds) instead of just buying one. I'm only allowed to buy books on Amazon when I've finished all the ones on my shelf.
I used to do it when I worked in a book shop too. It was second hand and my boss said we were supposed to charge an average of what everyone else charged so I spent ages trying to figure that out mathematically. That was probably partly a misunderstanding verbally though.



Bagpuss7
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 3 Nov 2018
Age: 52
Gender: Female
Posts: 10
Location: UK

15 Dec 2018, 1:52 pm

I do this all the time whenever I am considering buying anything. Recently it was buying a new toothbrush - I was tracking minute price changes on Amazon, and watching about 10 on Ebay. Eventually after about 2 weeks of this I did actually then bid for and win one on ebay, so the obsession has finally ended. But whilst it lasts it is all consuming.


_________________
diagnosed as Aspie July18


Prometheus18
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Aug 2018
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,866

15 Dec 2018, 4:13 pm

I'm a stickler for dress; I'd feel naked if I weren't wearing a three piece suit and hat in the city.