Unable To Focus When People Talk

[lymphomamama]

I don't pay attention I guess. I can't focus on what someone is saying usually long enough to hear their complete statement. Stories or instructions are worse. I can listen for a minute or so, even when am am trying hard to focus, but end up not having a clue what they said by the end.

I was diagnosed with adult ADD in a Neuropsychiatric exam (along with several other things). I can't follow instructions and forget things repeatedly through the day. I set my phone reminders, leave pot it's and fortunately my family is on it.

If so during stressful happens, or heaven forbid I have a meltdown I can't remember most of what happened or what I said (which is apparently often A LOT. I cuss like a sailor). Just wish somethings made more sense.

 

[Bloomy]

I hear you. Have the same problem. Guess trauma got to my brain and that this is the cause somehow.

 

[Ronin]

Are there any smaller bits or types of conversations you can focus on?

I focus on certain accents, no matter what. British RP I catch almost always. Ditto pidgin. US English got to listen to more times. Australian English leaves me at '... wait... what? Ok. Fine. I'm listening but can you please repeat. All the fail's mine.' Other languages, I tend to cherry pick.

It's words in conversations, & in everything listening for the pitch far more than the words themselves, the pitch and the tone and more about emotional state of the speaker than what's said right now. Plus gestures. Loooove gestures. Say so much that I don't grab from words.

So wondering if there's something /else/ about the speech that might clue you in faster, that you could work with, if its natural flow is too much?

 

[shimmerz]

I find that my dissociation but more so my hyper-vigilance really get in the way of focusing on anything, let alone the words of someone else. I have a difficult time processing and keeping up with what they are saying. It has gotten better, but still is not what it used to be.

 

[pixel]

Australian English leaves me at '... wait... what? Ok. Fine. I'm listening but can you please repeat.

Wait a minute... do you mean to tell me that you can't understand a word I say!?:banghead:
okay FINE! I will just slow. it. down. for. you.
:geek:

 

[Ronin]

I will just slow. it. down. for. you.

Thank you, you're most generous.

Here's :coffee: as a thank you for your time. :cool:

 

[pixel]

Now... what were we saying about getting distracted during a conversation?

*pushes thread back on track*
;)

 

[hodge]

I have this same problem since PTSD hit. I've never had ADHD. For me, I'm sure it's the PTSD.

Before I got this, I was a writer and editor. Sat through and followed and participated in long work meetings. Before that I went to grad school and followed long lectures and scholarly discussions with no problem.

Now I can barely make it through a therapy session or even a one-hour-long lunch with a friend without losing the ability to find words to say after about 20 minutes.

My psych thinks my concentration problems are due to PTSD and lack of sleep.

I wish I knew the cure. I've tried all kinds of therapies and meds. If I could get my concentration back, I could really work again.

 

[lymphomamama]

I never knew I had ADHD until the Neuro Psych evaluation but it made so much sense. Explained a lot about school and college, for sure. It's gotten SO much worse with the cPTSD My concentration and focus has virtually disappeared in daily conversation and activities. I function better online because the damn iPad knows what I'm gonna say before I do.I can go back and read what was discussed. It's much better. People talk to me and I have no clue later what we discussed. I watch tv shows over because I have no memory of watching them, this drives my family batty. I've had people think I'm rude or ignoring them and really I'm not even there.

 

[hodge]

Hmm, maybe I've developed a form of ADHD. It would make sense for me, too. But as far as I know, no one's ever diagnosed me with that.

 

[Ronin]

Lacking the big word for that, but ADHD's either born with, or not, it can't be developed through the course of the life AFAIK, @hodge. :hug:

 

[lymphomamama]

Not sure why I wrote ADHD, it's just ADD. It makes sense why school was such a nightmare, start to finish. I struggled with math big time, Still do. History was really my thing, a story you can read over again. University time was even worse, they assume you have some comprehension, some study skills and I had zero. That brings about the question of whether or not I ever should have had my nursing license but that's water under the bridge.

Paying attention to people really is a problem. Certain people it's impossible because my panic trigger is itchy the whole time.