The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Hyper-focus!

One of the main characteristics of ADD is the natural ability to hyper-focus.  Depending on the situation, that can be either good, bad, or ugly, just like the old Clint Eastwood Western movie, of the same name. 

Hyper-focus can be very helpful in working on projects, practicing talents such as music, or reading.  It can also be great for doing research on the Internet.  In fact, it can be your greatest ally, channeled in the right direction. So, hyper-focus can be GOOD.


It can turn BAD, if it is not channeled or controlled properly.  It can lead to time wasted on trivia, lack of energy caused by forgetting to eat,  lack of sleep caused by staying up too late, and unhappy friends, relatives, and bosses, due to undependability, caused by spending too much time on the computer, on the Internet, on video games, or other addictions you might have. 

Then, after turning BAD,  it can get down right UGLY!  It can get ugly when it causes guilt feelings and resentment, frustrations, and feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and low self-esteem.  Unfortunately, those feelings are often the result of improperly channeled or uncontrolled hyper-focus.  Even worse, if you hyper-focus on the wrong things, such as pornography, negative forums, etc.  it can become a very UGLY ADDiction.