Don't know if I have OCD, ADD or it's something else? :S

[NatanEpsilon]

Hi there!
I'm new here and I have a question that really bothers me for more than a year.
I've watched more than a hundreds of videos on internet about OCD and ADD and I can't find my self in either of this.
My problem is that I can't stay focused on one thing or one goal.
I have plenty of interests and great enthusiasm for all of them. But I have not persistence and I jump from one thing (one area) of interest to another. I quickly get bored with the previous action and therefore started new. My computer is full with e-books, audio courses and videos from all sorts: science, music( this is my primary - I'm singer/songwriter), spirituality, history etc. All that stuffs are here in order to "not get bored". And when I'm tired from all that things I than become frustrated like "I'm not doing anything for my success in singing and songwriting" and compulsively start to do something in that direction. After a while I see my compulsion and start to take things slowly (and that is, I start again with all kinds of different interests). And again and again I walk in this circle. I'm now 26 years old and I decide to do something about this. I get really frustrated about not enjoying and always unsatisfying.
Earlier in my life, (cause of my involving into spirituality) I was thinking that is only lack of patience and perseverence. But now I'm more convinced that is maybe some type of disorder.
Please, can someone help me with guessing if not with advice?
I want to know what this thing may be?!
I'm now in confusion and any kind of direction and advice (guessing) from you will be appreciate.
I'm from Macedonia. Macedonia is a small country and from some of my friends experience I know that we do not have good psychiatrists. Therefore I ask here for advice and direction, in order to at least know what is my problem. A wide knowledge from the spiritual and Jungian psychology will give me, I hope, more clear path to go alone through this, whatever may be. At least in the beginning.
I'll appreciate any kind of replay.
Thank you.

P.S.
I must add that I don't have problem with attention, because I'm a quick learner. I have read that peoples with ADD are finding hard to concentrate and to remember what they have read. I don't have that problem.
Once when I was doing some type of spiritual exercise of holding one object in my mind for 5 minutes, I found myself that I can't do that neither for a minute. On one side, that is maybe associated with ADD but on the other side I very quick remember things and was one of the best student in my college.
I'm really confused..

 

[guessed]

hi and welcome to SPW

I'm new here and I have a question that really bothers me for more than a year.

Do you recall if you did anything around a year ago that came before your concentration problems? Like start a new medication, or change your diet, or deal with a stressful personal situation?

Have you only had this concentration problem since about a year ago? or did you ever remember having less frequent episodes at a younger age?

 

[NatanEpsilon]

hi and welcome to SPW



Do you recall if you did anything around a year ago that came before your concentration problems? Like start a new medication, or change your diet, or deal with a stressful personal situation?

Have you only had this concentration problem since about a year ago? or did you ever remember having less frequent episodes at a younger age?

Hi!
Thank you for your quick replay and warm welcome.
No, I'm healthy person and didn't remember when I was last time visit some kind of doctor.
I haven't change diet or have personal stress situation also.

I'm now looking back into my life and I see that I have this problem since kid.
When I was a kid I was doing 100 things. Go to swimming classes, football, music, karate etc etc. And anything of this didn't last for long. My mother used to say: "Everything that you see you want to have or be". I was hyperactive boy and my parents didn't see this as a problem. Neither I later in my life. But know I started to suspect more and more that there is a problem.
I watched some videos about ADD and OCD but all examples that I saw didn't fit with my problem. Yes, there is some kind of attention (focus) problem. There is a compulsion problem also, especially when I get frustrated of "not doing anything for my success and must do it right now". But I can't mixed them into one-name problem. Now it seems that is ACD - Attention Compulsion Disorder : )) (I'm just kidding)
Any guessing?

 

[Feathers]

Hi Natan and Welcome!

Have you read Barbara Sher's book Refuse to Choose? It describes people like you and me: she calls us scanners. (Because we always scan the horizons for something new ) She has several categories - some are 'cyclical' (people who return to their previous interests) and some people just move on to new things constantly. I found the book very interesting to read.

She says that in the past, people like this were highly valued. And even today, some people like this can be highly successful in one or several of their interests. The trick is to find the logistics - to somehow coordinate time and space, organize oneself well..

Some people like this have a 'good enough job' and then other interests/hobbies. Some have one or several profit centers. Some are entrepreneurs or freelancers... (Ideally we could be independently wealthy and just have hobbies/interests, no? )

I can relate to what you write, was one of the best students at school too.. Mum actually said to me that some kids who excel academically may have trouble later in life.. Barbara Sher writes about this too: she says that school structure, with different things every day, could be great for some people - and that some may find use in a 'school timetable' of own interests too. (I tried and haven't really managed to make it work, she gives several ideas though. It seems that various things may work for different people.)

If you can find a way to earn money with any of your interests or skills, you can just try to organize the rest into an interesting 'schedule'... (?) At least that would be the ideal.

People can be scanners and have ADD and/or OCD or any other conditions too.. Have you looked into inattentive ADD too? There are gifted people with ADD too.. (even professors or such)
I am thinking that maybe in my case it could also be related to some form of Avoidant disorder, not sure.. (There's a sub-forum for that here.)
I've had some anxiety and ADD-ishness and bipolarish-ness and such too, am learning about it and trying to combat with natural means... (nutrition, exercise, CBT journalling etc) I think these things are not either-or, it's a continuum of certain symptoms and life circumstances and of course there are always causes too, and I think it's important to find the causes and work on them.. Other things are sometimes just labels, and we are more than labels..

Maybe you are just one of artsy and creative people? And we ROCK!! Ha ha...

Would love to hear some of your songs!

As for meditation, some people find 'active meditation' easier - it's walking in nature/movement or such.. And creativity can be seen as meditation too..

 

[NatanEpsilon]

Hi Feathers,
Thank you for your replay.
I heaven't read the book but it will be the next in my reading schedule, that for sure.

"Because we always scan the horizons for something new"

Yes, this is a good thing in a case when one has no conflicts.
The problem with me is that I have conflicts that need to be resolved.
One of the problems is that I don't have any payments for my interests (except by making songs, but this are unstable incomings).
I think that the other problem is the conflicts in self-expression.

"If you can find a way to earn money with any of your interests or skills, you can just try to organize the rest into an interesting 'schedule'... (?) At least that would be the ideal".

I think this is a great advice!

"Have you looked into inattentive ADD too?"

I hear for the first time about this. I need to look up. Also about "Avoidant disorder".

Thank you so much for your advices and opinions.

Best,

 

[Notafraid]

This sounds just like me. I can't choose what i want to major in! At first I was thinking about joining the Navy or Coast Guard, then I wanted to major in Criminal Justice, now I am thinking about Journalism and the military again. I just can't keep my mind on one area. I constantly get distracted by other interests. It drives me crazy!