This includes intensely focusing to a degree that you cannot turn down, to the point of excess. That is a sign, and once you stop saying “no, I have no trouble focusing, in fact, I have the opposite problem” to diagnostic tests the diagnosis is more explainable.

My son and I took the same test for ADHD - parsing visual and auditory numbers and clicking appropriately. Made me climb the walls - I got diagnosed. He stayed focused and if they timed him, he would have done it again to try to beat his time. He did not get diagnosed. He should have, though!

I had a very similar experience when first realizing I might have ADHD! And so have many people I know!

The “I haven’t shifted position not even to take a sip of water or go to the bathroom in oh god three hours?!” session

It recently dawned on me that “can’t stop working on this problem until it’s fixed” is a. an ADHD symptom, b. unhealthy, c. the cause of a HUGE percentage of my overall stress

I think of it as AR(egulation)D. Ten years before my fairly recent diagnosis, a therapist said he thought I might have ADHD. My immediate response was, “But I can focus. I can focus for *hours*.” He didn’t look convinced, but he dropped it. If only he’d asked more, and explained more, instead.

Learning exactly these things and also about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria have changed my entire life in the last few years.

I am...having a moment. I think have just figured out why I almost always leave jobs that I previously enjoyed at the ~3-4 year mark, when everything gets miserable, unless I manage to change up the job itself significantly.