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Re:Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work by PragmaticPulp on Tuesday June 22, 2021 @11:12PM (#27600365)
Yes, it's becoming common misconception online that hyperfocus is indicative of ADHD. That's a misunderstanding of the symptom.

The concept of hyperfocus in ADHD was introduced in certain literature to explain a reduced ability of certain ADHD patients to control their attention, such as having difficulty stopping playing a video game to do the dishes. However, that's ambiguously close to normal human behavior of preferring to do fun tasks more than un-fun tasks, so the distinction is best left to professionals.

Regardless, it wouldn't really apply to the OP's description anyway, as accomplishing necessary work tasks before deadlines when necessary isn't the same as someone drawn to fun activities like video games or TV.

As always, it's best to consult professionals. Internet medical advice, especially about ADHD, is increasingly wrong online. It's also worth noting that the concept of "hyperfocus" doesn't even appear in most accepted definitions of ADHD, and isn't considered in diagnostic tests. The idea of "hyperfocus" in ADHD is relatively limited to a few authors and one recent blurb in some European clinical definitions from 2019.

Re:Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work by borski on Wednesday June 23, 2021 @12:45AM (#27600887)
That is not true, and it is referenced as a symptom as early as 1993 in Driven to Distraction, the book I brought up earlier.
Re:Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work by PragmaticPulp on Wednesday June 23, 2021 @11:52AM (#27605947)
Driven to Distraction is a self-help book, not medical literature.

I was referring to official, medical definitions of ADHD and official diagnostic criteria.

Re:Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work by borski on Monday June 28, 2021 @04:02AM (#27659176)
It isn’t medical literature, but it references medical literature and is written by medical professionals. Also, whether it was mentioned in medical literature or not, the point is that the symptom was being talked about as early as 1993.