Hyper-fixation/monotropism - pros and cons. To be or not to be, how to do it best and how to not do it best.

Hi all

Hyper-fixation as maybe a form of "monotropic flow" - that thing where something takes over and completely absorbs thinking, doing and being is something that I personally find part of my own autistic profile and from what i gather on the topic and from observing and learning from others is also something other autistic people experience too.

With the utmost of irony and realising just how daft it may be to do so i thought a possibly hyper-fixated/monotropic thread on it might be useful for me and others!

So for me it seems to be the thing my mind and my doing is at it's best when I'm deeeply hyper-fixated and into something but...

Then I can't get anything else done and I forget to do other things that are the basics of survival - things like eating and putting a jumper on when I'm cold.

And it gets in the way of doing the socially essential too... like working and keeping up friendships and stuff.

And I can get so far into something that like Alice in Wonderland I'm so far "down a rabbit hole" that reality has somehow been left behind until I "wake up and realise it was all a dream...

So at the risk of creating a similar self fulfilling adventure for myself and others on the topic I wonder what other good people have to say about this - validation from others that I'm not the only daft so and so who get like this? And tips for how best to balance the abilities and disabilities that seem to come with this maybe?

Thanks

Parents
  • When I worked, I had to do the washing and dressing thing, and could only get into my interest in my thought until I got home. Now I don't work, my rules are: wash/eat at least every other day and keep hydrated. Keep the food stocked and touch base with friends at least once during the week. Go to bed by 2am at the latest (no more all nighters!)

Reply
  • When I worked, I had to do the washing and dressing thing, and could only get into my interest in my thought until I got home. Now I don't work, my rules are: wash/eat at least every other day and keep hydrated. Keep the food stocked and touch base with friends at least once during the week. Go to bed by 2am at the latest (no more all nighters!)

Children