Hyperfixations: Definitions, Examples, and Causes

What is a hyperfixation?

Hyperfocus is exactly what it sounds like: a period of extremely focused attention. We often talk about attention deficits in today’s fast-paced world. Hyperfocus is the opposite problem: people can’t stop focusing on their task. During a hyperfocus episode, they won’t eat, drink, or go to the bathroom, move only as much as is required by the activity, and can be deaf to outside stimuli. 

A hyperfixation is not always a sign of a mental health disorder, although it can be. It’s also not always a bad thing. Usually, people hyperfixate on things that bring them joy and that they are passionate about. Quality of performance typically increases during a hyperfixation as well. 

Knowing when a hyperfixation is healthy and when it’s gotten obsessive is an important tool to have if you experience hyperfocus. Let’s review the symptoms of hyperfixation so you can identify hyperfixation when it occurs. 

Hyperfixation symptoms

People can hyperfixate on anything, but it is usually a pleasurable, interesting, or satisfying task. It is different from an obsession in this way; obsessions are unwanted and intrusive. Although hyperfixations can be intrusive as well, especially when they are frequent, they lack the repetitive consumption of obsessions. 

For example, it is possible for people to hyperfixate on cleaning their house, even if they aren’t particularly passionate about cleaning. They made it their goal to clean the house, started cleaning, and found themselves in a flow state: hyperfixation. This is different from someone with an obsession with cleanliness, who feels compelled to clean the entire house until it’s just the way they want it. (The second example is a prime example of OCD.)

The line between obsessions and hyperfixations is difficult to see, especially since there is some overlap. People with ADHD who commonly experience hyperfixations may also experience some obsessions, and occasionally can hyperfixate on their obsession. But they are two separate phenomena. 

There are some common symptoms that everyone experiences during a period of hyperfocus. These include:

• Losing track of time 
• Feeling detached from your surroundings
• Being unable to recognize personal needs like bathroom, food, or hydration 
• Deafness from the outside world (ex: unable to hear your name being called or an alarm going off)
• Difficulty switching activities (and likely won’t unless prompted to)
• Strong desire to finish the task to total completion, even if it is unpractical to do so 
• Not wanting to do anything else but the hyperfixation 

A hyperfixation doesn’t just have to be hobbies and activities; it can be centered on a person, relationship, or otherwise inanimate object of focus. In these situations, you may be more present in the “real world” but exhibit heavy signs of obsession in your thought patterns and actions.

Examples of Hyperfocus

You can hyperfocus on pretty much anything, which makes recognizing it hard. Remember that the two biggest marks of a hyperfocus are an obsession to engage in or with the object of your hyperfocus, and a narrowing of your focus to your object until that is all you’re consciously aware of. 

Examples of hyperfocus include:

• Playing video games for hours and not hearing your partner calling your name. 
• Starting a new project and sitting for hours working on it, past the point of discomfort. 
• Spending hours researching a special interest, at the expense of real work you have to do. 
• Becoming obsessed with a relationship, and spending hours with each other.
• Fixating on an athletic goal and making everything you do about reaching your goals. 
• Obsessing over a TV show or book series, spending hours rewatching the media, searching for other media discourse around it, and thinking about it consantly. 

These are just a few examples of hyperfocus. As you can see, hyperfocus occurs in a myriad of ways. Not all of it is harmful though. 

What is the difference between a hyperfixation and special interest?

Although a special interest and hyperfixation are similar, and may occasionally overlap, they are two different things. A special interest is an enthusiasm for a topic that can span years. It may be a hyper specific interest of very niche, but it does not qualify as an obsession and does not pose the more intense hyperfixation symptoms.

What is hyperfixation a sign of?

Hyperfixation can be a sign of mental health issues, but isn’t always. Although hyperfocus is more common in people with neurodivergence like ADHD or OCD , neurotypical people can also experience hyperfixations. 

Still, if you frequently experience hyperfixations, it’s worth checking out these mental health issues and neurodivergence, as it could be a sign of them. 

ADHD and hyperfixation

Hyperfixation is most commonly associated with ADHD. Despite its name—attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder—ADHD is less a problem with attention deficit and more a problem of a surplus of attention. People with ADHD tend to pay attention to everything all the time, and their brains can’t label what is a priority or not. So the background music in a restaurant is just as pressing to their brains as what their partner is saying. Likewise, the buzzing fan in their office is just as important as their to-do list. This can make it incredibly difficult to pay attention to what they have to do. However, sometimes all of this attention becomes narrowed onto one object: creating hyperfixation. 

Curious if you have ADHD? Take our free, online ADHD assessment!

Autism and hyperfixation

Autism and hyperfixation is also common, although for different reasons than those with ADHD. People with Autism are likely to engage in a hyperfixation because it aligns with a special interest or is immensely satisfying or interesting for them to learn about. In people with autism cases, it’s less a matter of attention control like ADHD and more of interest control. Reading a nonfiction book about your favorite topic is much more interesting than anything else going around you, and people with autism may slip into a hyperfocus because of this. 

OCD and hyperfixation

The line between hyperfixation and obsession is a thin one. But in general, the object of a hyperfixation is something enjoyable or wanted. An obsession is something intrusive and usually unhealthy. They do not bring feelings of satisfaction or pleasure. People with OCD have obsessions that they cannot let go, leading to behavioral compulsions. 

Curious if you have OCD? Take our free, online OCD assessment! 

Trauma and hyperfixation

Hyperfixations in the context of trauma are similar to that of OCD: they are likely obsessions. People who’ve experienced a trauma may fixate on details of their trauma and how they can prevent something like it from happening again.

Can you have hyperfixations without ADHD?

Yes! Hyperfixations are also very common in people with Autism and can be found in people with anxiety disorders like OCD and Trauma as well. (Although in those cases people should receive therapy for possible obsessions that may be present as well.) 

Also, it is entirely possible for neurotypicals (people without a mental health issue or developmental disorder) to experience hyperfixations. It is not always a sign of a deeper condition. 

Do I need therapy for hyperfixations?

Although hyperfixations can be a positive experience—enjoyable, even—it can also take over your life. You should talk to a therapist about your hyperfixations if they:

• Intrude on your ability to complete daily tasks like personal hygiene or work
• Continuously disrupt your sleep cycle
• Prevent you from making friends or engaging in your support system 
• Have signs of being an obsession (You feel compelled to engage in the task, even if you don’t want to, and can only finish when it feels right.)
• Feels out of control 
• Is a drain on your energy, finances, or time 

If your hyperfixations are preventing you from living the life you want to live, therapy can help. Therapy for hyperfixations can help you understand why you fixate, if there’s a mental health condition behind it, what triggers a hyperfixation, and how you can stop hyperfixations from becoming all-consuming. 

Lifebulb Counseling and Therapy employs therapists who have experience and training for hyperfixation therapy. If you would like to know more about how therapy for hyperfixations can help you, give our team a call. Or, browse our list of therapists near you to find a perfect match for your therapy needs today. 

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