alright buckle up guys, gals and nby pals. i have a LOT to say on this as someone who has adhd, takes medication for it AND hyperfixates

first things first,

i was diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist about 5 years ago. i have been on medication since then. i hyperfixate a LOT, anyone who actually knows me can testify to that. if you look at my twitter, you probably wouldn’t guess so.

i am also autistic, and in

the process of receiving a formal diagnosis, as my previous psychiatrist refused to test me despite me, my parents and my therapist all agreeing that it makes a lot of sense and explains the way i’ve acted all my life. because of this i also have special interests. these are

similar but DIFFERENT. they are symptoms of two different disorders. this will address HYPERFIXATIONS in align with ADHD only.

my hyperfixations dont last that long before they develop into special interests and can be set on the back burner for me.

for people with only ADHD, they can eventually set past hyperfixations aside when they no longer feel as passionate or a new one appears.

how long each

hyperfixation lasts can vary both from person to person and fixation to fixation.

my first hyperfixation that i can actually remember is twilight. it became all i talked about, all i read, all i thought about. textbook definition of a hyperfixation. it lasted YEARS. i first

read the books at like. 8-9. it was my absolute favorite thing long into 2012-13. I showed up for midnight movie releases in theaters and EVERYTHING.

HOWEVER, you say that it becomes the one thing. you care about in life above anything else and thats not entirely true. that could be your experience and that’s understandable and valid, but it absolutely is not everyone’s experience.

i would lose track of time and things like

that but never, EVER did i consider twilight more important than my family. and that doesnt make the hyperfixation any less real. i know others who are similar.

my current hyperfixation is mdzs. literally i talk abt it all the time and i am constantly stressed trying to find

MORE content to consume and enjoy.

i don’t tweet about it nearly as often as i am consuming content and thinking up theories and aus and all the things that couldve been done differently or made better.

that doesn’t make my hyperfixation on it any less real.

by saying hyperfixations only take one form you are being ableist and disregarding real life experiences from people with adhd and hyperfixations.

i doubt it was your intention but the way you are choosing to address this comes off as condescending and makes you seem like you

think you’re somehow *better* than mae because you experiencing hyperfixations in the most intense way, and someone else doesn’t.

why dont *YOU* consider this?

TL;DR: everyone‘s hyperfixations affect them in different ways and its unfair to treat your experience as the end all be all, especially when dealing with a disorder that has such varied symptoms, thanks for coming to my ted talk