Rather than not being able to focus on a given task, hyperfocus causes the inability to disengage focus from a given task.ĪDHD, in general, is caused by an abnormally low level of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. The condition of hyperfocus is shown in research to be linked to adults with ADHD, such as an article from Kordon, Khal, and Wahl (2006).īoth the inability to focus on a task and the failure to shift focus away from a task are also linked to ADHD’s impaired or paused executive functioning. While at most times, the inability to control focus leads to easy distraction, the same inability causes ADHD hyperfocus on the opposite side of the symptoms spectrum.ĪDHD hyperfocus describes the intense and narrow focus that we can engage for certain tasks, which usually comes at the cost of all else that requires our attention during that time of ADHD hyperfocus. ADHD distractibility and hyperfocus have a shared causal relationship with the inability to control focus. It sounds counterintuitive to most descriptions of ADHD symptoms because, in essence, it is the opposite of distractibility.ĪDHD Hyperfocus can be disastrous if not contained and can lead to an intense focus on one task, at the expense of all other tasks.Īlthough ADHD hyperfocus would seem to be in conflict with traditional symptoms of adults with ADHD, it stems from those same symptoms. Hyperfocus is an attribute of ADHD that describes the tendency to focus on certain tasks for hours while dismissing all other tasks.

It stems from the same cognitive issues that cause distractibility, but on the other end of the concentration spectrum. ADHD can create many obstacles to productivity, but it does have a few tricks up its sleeve.

Hyperfocus and adhd