How do you deal with hyperfixations?

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I get hyperfixations once in a while, and they usually last a few months. They're always something useless that I suddenly get intensely interested in and spend upwards of eight hours a day on.

A few years ago it was neopets, last winter it was a youtuber, and currently it's a browser game called PixelCatsEnd.

In contrast, my special interest (making art) can consume a lot of my time and energy but I usually balance it better with the rest of my life (plus I've had it since early childhood and it doesn't suddenly go away like my hyperfixations do). It's consistently fulfilling to me.

Does this happen to you? Do you have any tricks to make them go away faster, or at least manage your life while you ride it out?

I have these all the time, ongoing. They snowball from one to the next, but there are also lifelong ones, and shorter-term ones that can last a day instead of a few months. They coincide with the longer ones. I've started a new one about two weeks ago, after close to a year on something else. There are some I want to get back to but I can't force the obsession to happen. It has a mind of its own.

It's funny when I'm engrossed in something for 24-72 hours and then totally forget all about it like it didn't even exist. I saw something in my internet history which I rabbit-holed about a month ago, and at first I couldn't even remember WTF it was or what it was about, even with the pages open. Then I remembered it was the only thing in the world that mattered for that short period of time. Poof - it's gone like it never existed. Actually I did that again last week when I looked at duvet covers for about 18 consecutive hours online but didn't want any, and didn't order any. Then I forgot I'd even done that.

How do I deal with it? I just accept it. It's better to have interests even if they're temporary, than none at all.

It's hard for me to accept, especially since I have interests already which are objectively better.

Today I spent almost every waking moment playing the game I'm obsessed with, and even though I found it fun I felt physically awful by the end of the day. I didn't eat enough or move around enough, plus my brain just feels weird from lack of variety

I get so hyperfocused I don't eat or drink water for 24 hours at a time. When I finally stop I can't walk a straight line or speak in coherent sentences because I'm detached from my body and the real world. I usually have a hangover feeling afterward, even though I'll keep pushing for more. I've said before that my house could likely catch fire and I wouldn't notice, which actually happened two weeks ago when my dishwasher sparked up.

It sounds like your hyperfixations are more intense than mine, in that they're not just unhealthy, but dangerous

Do you ever wish you could stop them? Or does the enjoyment you get from them outweigh the negatives?

Funny, I've never thought about 'enjoying' fixations before.

I don't know how to have normal interests or hobbies.
I can't plan to do something with a start, middle, end because of ADHD.
It's all or nothing with me.

I guess I get some enjoyment at the time, but they're stressful.
I'm aware I'm neglecting everything else.
That causes me to feel irresponsible or bad about myself.

Even when it's information based material, I don't retain much of it.

Still, I'm home all day with nothing else to do so I don't mind.
I live in my head rather than doing physical chores, so it keeps me busy.

We should have a "Let's Trade Hyperfixations" Club.

You think about mine.
I'll think about yours.

I wonder if they'd engross us by default.

I enjoy them while I'm in them, I think it's fun and sort of comforting to be engrossed in something. It's like I can feel the reward centers of my brain firing

I wish it worked that way, I would pick useful hyperfixations and trade them in when I felt like I was overdoing it

Also known as "Special Interest Show-and-Tell"

I'm still in the midst of it, but I'm doing pretty well in general. I've been trying to at least change my surroundings throughout the day- sometimes I'll go to the park and play my game there (luckily it can be played on mobile). I think that helps keep me from feeling too icky

Last week I took on a bunch of art commissions in exchange for in-game currency, and I'm just about finished all of them. In hindsight I charged too little and have been putting way too much work into them, so I'm a bit burnt out

A couple days ago I had too much trouble pulling my brain away from my current fixation, and it slowed me down at work. Now it's getting in the way of a gift I'm supposed to be making for my friend.

I could still use advice for this, if anyone has any (something besides pure willpower, I've been trying that method since I was a teenager and I still haven't made it work)

In a few months the game is going to allow people to upload their own item designs to use and to sell to other players

I'm hooped now, I can't stop drawing items to use for later

The game is currently in beta and they open for registration in short windows every few months. It's opening again tomorrow, and my friend said they want to join too

At least now I'll have someone to share it with. I've already talked my partner's ear off about it, and even my parents as well (who I don't usually share this sort of thing with because it's kind of dumb)

i dont really deal with it outside of engaging in whatever my current interest is. most of the time they dont seem to be unhealthy.