So, I was diagnosed with Asperger's at age 6, but for a while now I've suspected that I probably also have ADHD. I was wondering how many of you can relate to this specific experience I have, and which of the two disorders (or both) you have.

I have a lot of small passions, things I know a lot about and can really get into. Some examples of these are vintage computers, old versions of Minecraft, the Civilization series, typewriters, twisty puzzles, analog media formats, D&D, etc. I've heard this phenomenon referred to as "microfixation," and I think this applies well. I'm usually only primarily fixated on one of these until something in my life reminds me of another one and I transition to the next microfixation for a few weeks to a few months. Occasionally I pick up a new microfixation, but usually I go back to things that have interested me in the past.

Is this characteristic of ADHD, autism, or both?

  • Abraxiel
    ·
    4 years ago

    Yeah, I know that experience.

    But I kind of think it's a characteristic that's very common in humans, period.

  • kimilsungist [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    i have adhd and autism. i see it as my autistic self being extremely interested in really odd shit but my adhd prevents me from being able to motivate myself to stick with things

  • crime [she/her, any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I have both (only formally diagnosed with ADHD tho) and I honestly can't really separate them too well.

    I do the same thing, though — I'll have accumulate encyclopedic knowledge about a Special Interest niche topic over a period of months and eventually lose interest, either in favor of a new niche topic or even just to kind of be adrift for awhile. I always associated the niche topic fixations with autism, and me wringing them for every drop of dopamine until they don't stimulate me anymore with ADHD, but there's so much overlap between the two it's really hard to say.

  • SirLotsaLocks [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    old versions of Minecraft

    bro I have a similar microfixation but its more obscure versions of minecraft like the pi edition or the 3ds edition or the 4k edition.

  • Ho_Chi_Chungus [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I believe that's an autism thing but that's just my personal guess/ personal experience. But now you have me curious

    the Civilization series

    which one is your favorite?

    • Fakename_Bill [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      4 years ago

      Either 4 or 5. They're very different but have their own aspects that set them apart from each other.

      • Ho_Chi_Chungus [she/her]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Yeah, I definitely get the idea of "they're both good in their own ways". Personally I'm an elitist snob who thinks that everything after Civ 4 was no good but I'll still play myself playing even the weirder games like Beyond Earth because while I don't believe they hold up as well, I enjoy the varied experience

        I just like to see if leftists/neurodivergent people tend to have a preference in civ games. From what I can tell leftists seem to much more attuned to Civ 4

  • OneThreeOneTwo [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I have ADHD, but I'm pretty sure I don't have autism. In my case, I have a bad habit of focusing really passionately on one thing for a while and then just moving on to something else. While this may be because of ADHD, I do think that most people deal with this problem. ADHD definitely makes it worse, but a lot of people struggle with this.