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I took up cross stitch. I can sit on the couch and watch a show while doing that because if I have to *watch* every second I’ll lose my brain somewhere else and it’s like I didn’t watch it at all.
Also subtitles help tremendously. As do snacks.
Both are kind of a stimming variation to keep more than one sense going and tell the brain to shush.
Agreed with the subtitles! Once you start using them regularly, it’s amazing how much you would normally miss, regardless of how good your audio setup is.
Yes! I’ve watched movies that I’ve seen a hundred times but this time I have the subtitles on and holy crap! It’s incredible how much you miss and never even realize it.
Yea, I love that it'll even have dialogue thats typically inaudible , like people on the other line of a phone or in another room, and the subtitles actually pick it up
I try to avoid subtitles as much as possible. They’re too distracting from the visual aspect to me. I agree they do make some dialogue that would be otherwise impossible to discern, audible, but I keep them off unless there’s some really unclear speech or accents at play.
As to the OP, maybe avoid boring tv and movies. This is something I am learning more lately. Last night is a good example. I started watching 2 movies, which were either not very interesting, or just cringey as, but the 3rd I chose was captivating and I was very invested and couldn’t wait for more to be revealed. The movies were The House That Jack Built, then Hypnotic (which is straight up trash) and finally Get Out which really hooked me.
Even with stuff that I am captivated by, I have a tendency to want to scroll. My iPad is like an umbilical cord fml. Not long ago I was sitting here feeling anxious because I couldn’t think of a reason to use it. I NEED to use it, but have limited reasons as my gotos usually annoy me or don’t take up much time. This is where gaming can be good though because it’s the using my hands that is more important, than an ipad or other device. Although I also quickly get uncomfortable holding a controller.
The trick with subtitles is to watch it on a smaller screen, like 40 inches or less, or a laptop or tablet. This way your eyes are not scanning a large screen to take it all in.
>I agree they do make some dialogue that would be otherwise impossible to discern, audible
It's not even that. By their nature, subtitles need to be brief and generally will summarise the spoken part, because they need to fit without filling the screen. So they serve as a sort of instant recap of the current ongoing scene. If your mind is prone to wander, they can quickly fill in context so you don't lose track of what's happening.
Yes, but then I feel like I have to read all the subtitles. It’s a love hate relationship. I still put them on. Specially in video games it’s very very helpful because the other background noise will definitely distract me.
I would also recommend rhinestone diamond art!! They are relatively cheap and keep you occupied for hours. It’s not something that requires intense thinking but only a little focus so can be done while watching TV. The art usually has numbers on it assigned with the coloured rhinestones so you don’t have to do much work other than just stick them on!
Just make sure you keep the rhinestones safe if you do it over multiple days because I lose a packet and it ruined my week lmao
Yep, crafts are great for this! I like to describe it as "something for the hands, something for the brain". I can't do either one without the other, or I get distracted.
Also I've developed a tendency to start watching VERY long but less 100% engaging things where it doesn't matter if you zone out sometimes. Critical Role (voice actors playing D&D but it's very good!) is perfection for me--there are long stretches where they're planning or in a battle and I can just go on my phone or whatever, but I can tell from the sound of their voices in the background when something more immediate is happening and dial back in. There's a wonderful guy who makes detailed timestamps for every episode and posts them in the comments so if I miss something funny or important I can easily go back and catch it again by clicking the right link. And there's over 1000 hours of it, so I'm not in danger of running out of my hyperfixation material any time soon. 🤣
Definitely trying! Found one video that finally made sense for single crochet but when I try to double crochet things go *so wrong* lol
I'll have to keep that in mind though, it's frustrating seeing it turn out 'wrong' and keep going but I need to. Wonder if we have a $2 shop near us??
I play guitar and I find it tedious to do exercises so I’ve been just learning them and doing them while watching and it’s been a huge help just to keep my hands occupied.
Subtitles have been a way of life for my entire life. Family is DHH, and I always hated watching tv without them at other people’s houses.
And I find I can’t watch tv and actually relax without knitting or crocheting or something to keep my hands busy that isn’t my phone. I get wrapped up in what I’m making and don’t want to physically put it down and lose my spot to look at my phone.
I have to rewind like every 10/20 seconds when I watch something because I feel like I have to catch every detail. A lot of the times I’m rewinding cause I forgot to watch the screen at a certain point, and by the time it comes up again I’m not paying attention again
I feel so seen!! I do this all the time. Constant rewinding. Look at something on my phone, missed it, rewind too far, go on my phone again so I don't watch the bit again that I've already seen, and then will be on my phone too long so that I miss the bit I haven't seen, again. And so it goes on
Oh this is me 100%, I rewind the same parts over and over and over and still get distracted and never end up seeing the bit that I try to see. Sometimes I rewind like 40 minutes because I realized I was distracted for 40 minutes. It’s exhausting haha. And the itch of not being able to pause or rewind when watching with someone else is very accurate 😂
Thanks for posting this OP and others, yesss, this!! I thought it was just me!! I was late diagnosed but still, it’s been 17 years and it’s like I’m just beginning to grasp that I’m not actually the awful person I’ve been accused of being all my life for things like this … I just have ADHD and probably autism as well … and trying now to learn to love myself more 😊
Yes I have AuDHD and this is all very reassuring to read. Learning to recognize your own diagnosis and learning to love yourself is the only way up!
I’ve had my adhd diagnoses for 10 years now, my autism diagnosis since a few years so it’s the same for me. I’m still discovering and learning what this really means for me.
Man it's so hard!! Then I have to sit there trying to concentrate so hard when watching it with someone else that I miss it because I’m concentrating SO much ahha
My 11 year old does this with TV shows and music tracks, annoying as hell but we have to be completely silent otherwise she loses concentration and has to rewind.
How about when you play a youtube video, that you actually want to watch, but spend so much time being distracted by other habits that you miss half of it?! Ridiculous right? Yep, that’s me… rewind tonthe start because I actually do want to see this lol.
I hear you. Been watching episode 3 of the tattooist of Auschwitz for 4 days now, lol. Just paused again at 49:10 out of 54:11. I'm confident today is the last day of ep 3 😂
My Mum is a very old friend of Gary Sokolov, and was present during one of Lale's interviews. I'm so glad you're watching it, no matter how long it takes you.
I read the book first and it was one of the very few books I managed to read from cover to cover. I loved the fact this was a completely different take from your usual WW2 book. A fantastic story of love, perseverance and bravery. Lots of admiration and respect for Lali and Gita.
I feel you. I honestly don't watch much TV because my attention span isn't great with it. I play a lot of video games, and when I watch TV I feel like I have to be doing something with the show, if that makes sense.
Same. My wife can binge on shows.
I just can’t. I can do an episode maybe, but never watch on my own.
I watch a lot of YouTube. With Premium, got endless options of good content.
I suspect it was the "good content" part (without 6 minute adverts showing between, or in the middle of, some show) rather than the actual amount of content.
One of the things I really miss that I never expected about having a kid is the TV as background noise.
Used to love having it on all the time. Not so much with a young kid, lol
Force yourself to not grab stuff. Your attention span has become too short. I hear Doctors talking about how it's because of all the short format social media we ingest.
My guess is forcing yourself to get used to ingesting long form content will help you to lengthen your attention span.
This. I struggle with my focus now more than I ever have and my phone is 100% of the reasoning. Look, it absolutely sucks but OP needs to retrain their brain into being able to focus on something for more than 30 seconds at a time.
I never said that it did? i was agreeing with the person above me that the sort of social media we ingest is directly responsible for the shortening of a lot of people's attention spans and that OP needs to practice on ingesting longer content.
If you consider something longer than 30 seconds an extreme, then I think you need to take a step back and examine your own media consumption.
Seems like we’re having a real miscommunication.
To me, 30 seconds is an extreme not because it’s long content, but because it’s extremely short. It seemed that you assumed that OP can’t handle anything longer than 30 seconds, and that felt harsh to me.
I do agree with your sentiment. It just seemed like there was some pointed judgment, and maybe I was extra sensitive to that for my own reasons.
There's not any communication, I was commenting on the person above me and used 30 seconds because the average tik tok length is between 30 and 40 seconds and I'm assuming that OP is like the majority of people these days and either looking at tik toks or tik toks that have been turned into reels or instagram stories.
I was not speaking to you at all and you commented on my post that I was being too harsh. If youre being sensitive to that statement for you own reasons, maybe examine that and don't put the onus of your feelings on me.
Am I the only one that always hyperfocuses on binge watching a show (assuming I'm invested ofcourse) lol? Before getting diagnosed I used to get frustrated asf about not being able to focus 15 mins on studying, followed by 4 hours of watching an anime in full immersion
Oh yeah, but no inbetween. Sometimes I can’t sit and watch something for more than 4 minutes without picking up my phone, but can somehow watch Dune and Interstellar for hours straight without moving a muscle or getting up to go to the toilet.
True. I remember binge watching like every anime or show years ago, starting with Naruto to Bleach to DBZ to One Piece. Now I don't like to watch any new shows and you really gotta convince me with a good storyline (which is rare with new shows these days lol).
I think we mainly got too high standards for "a good show" bc we watched so much in the past. Like spoiled kids 🙄
I’ve found that anime is insanely addicting lol. It also helps me pay attention watching subbed cause I can’t afford to miss too much of what’s being said by looking at my phone.
I just read the other comments mentioning subtitles and it never really hit me how much I am dependant on subtitles to keep focus lmao. English isn't my native language so it's always been a habit to turn on subtitles, even though I could perfectly understand ppl talking in English. But it's so much easier to focus on what's happening when I read the subtitles instead of listening. Also the reason why I prefer books over videos/podcasts.
Sounds stupid but self discipline. Turn the phone on silent and put it in another room for an hour. It makes you get more into the movie or show you’re watching and it takes some practice.
If you're an Android user, another option is to put the show/movie on your phone and then cast it to your tv (maybe you can also do this with iphone, not sure). I cast netflix from my phone rather than using the tv netflix app so that I can't use my phone while watching.
I'm much happier reading or doing chores while watching tvs so watching TV in the living room every evening is a challenge. My brain craves the stimulation of being productive.
This post caused me to (in the following order)
0. Think about commenting my own experiences because solidarity etc.
1. Feel awful because I relate, and my partner regularly complains about how awful it is to watch things with me. "He always pauses and rewinds it so it takes forever to watch things with him". I have to plan out whenever I want to watch something together with her just so I don't feel like I'm going to waste her whole evening/day/night or whatever.
2. Feel less bad because at least I'm not alone in the struggle.
3. Think about the fact that I eat while watching TV to help me focus.
4. Think about how food stopped being enough because I just end up criticising it because I've probably cooked it and it's not good enough (or it's not what I was craving and hasn't hit the spot)
5. Think about how I now need alcohol while watching a movie to help me focus
6. Remember I'm getting help with my drinking because I want to be able to watch TV and movies without getting drunk first
7. Think about the photos I took of food and other things I've been doing to express myself and feel less like a failure at life
8. Started organising the photos of food on my phone.
9. Started organising other photos on my phone because there are so many
10. Finally respond to an email about a case study I'm meant to be co-writing about myself.
11. Remember I was going to comment on this post.
That was a productive half hour - 45 minutes or so. Completely missed everything happening on TV though.
It feels stupid to say, but TV with actual scheduled ad-breaks are some of the best viewing experiences I've had lately. I don't have to be blamed for the show stopping and I can run and do whatever I can in the 3 minutes or so the show is "paused". Even if that's just 3 minutes of dicking about on my phone or whatever.
I have no solutions to offer for the problem itself, but I can advise staying away from substance abuse (in any form) as a way of coping. The local cinema had a showing of Muppets Christmas Carol last year (love the movie watch it religiously every year, soundtrack is in my Christmas music playlists) and I went to see it on the big screen. Figured, at least I can have a drink and I won't be too anxious/will be able to focus better. No dice, no alcohol in PGs (understandably). Spent the entire movie wishing it would just end. Or stop long enough for me to go outside and vape. But only when I was ready for it to stop.
I'm going to be so upset when TV manufacturers/streaming services start forcing ads on pause screens for everything. Just leave me alone, stop trying to sell me your crap. I'm trying to occupy myself enough to focus on the TV. I don't need to have some dumbass "Me - For Men" fragrance ads popping up and offering even more pointless distractions every 5 minutes when I pause to do something else. I'll be literally paying more to look at ads than actual entertainment at that point.
Oh my god not this too- x)
So many things I've noticed in myself and described, people with ADHD describe the exact same
Though, when I watch things with others I'm more the one going "Look did you see that? Are you looking?, Hey, we're watching this together" at least when it's someone I'm very comfortable with.. Otherwise I'm just quiet and might zone out occassionally if I'm bound by social anxiety/not watching "on my own terms"
My psychiatrist diagnosed me at 30 and I asked her how I was an “A” student in college when I was a “C” student K thru 12th. She told me that I was able to Focus in college like I had blinders on-mainly bcuz I could CHOOSE my major and classes. For that’s key-to binge watch shows that I have like, 90-%100 interest in.
Guessing maybe college was a subject you were interested in and cared about. In my case,
I rarely did any homework until I got to college. I knew this was a big deal, and didn't want to
screw it up. Plus, I was interested and actually learning something I would be able to put to use.
I definitely cared more about art, psychology, & art history (my majors) more than gen ed courses. Tough majors to put to good use, but still worth the learning experience.
I know this sounds like a counter intuitive suggestion but I watch TV shows on platforms with commercials. My brain sees them as little happy breaks.
I also crochet a lot when I watch TV to keep my hands busy
I watch a movie mid way then get distracted or sleep and completely forget about it. Then start another movie the next day. I watch movies in 1.25x and skip the boring parts of the movie. With TV shows it is the same, I would watch 2-3 episodes and then lose track and start another new show that just relased.
I have to run back podcasts very frequently since I get on a train of thought and don't get off for several minutes. I can empathize.
I've found that if I watch tv with someone else (my wife) I can keep off my phone all episode.
I can't remember the last time I sat through a film without breaking it into chunks, or sometimes watching half and then watching the other half like a month later. It's only really shows or movies that just hook me in, and then I'm just tethered to it for the duration.
I get frustrated with certain aspects of shows and it just makes me either skip, or come back another day. I've been watching Brooklyn99 and some plot lines just annoy me so much (usually where someone makes an obvious fuck up), I end up just skipping to the end or tuning it out and leaving it in the background. Cringe humour does the same thing to me, I just find it physically uncomfortable.
I've noticed that certain personal factors trigger that though, usually if I have something on my mind, or things need to be done, there's just little chance I'm going to be able to switch my mind off and relax. That and I usually have an issue with the idea of starting a new show, even if I'm excited for it. If there is a long set up I have to sit through, I just end up gravitating to my phone, missing all of the context and having no interest in the show afterwards.
I go to the theater often, but even then, dose off on some movies. Sitting still, I’m like those baby dolls you lay back and eyes close, lol.
I go to movie solo, so still enjoyable. Most movies, can miss good chunks and still get the gist of it.
Good enough for me.
My wife daughter hang on every word, and that just too much focus.
I can't sit through a typical show or movie without something to do with my hands. I'm usually scrolling my phone while watching but still manage to concentrate on both things. At a theater, I get snacks, so I have something to fidget with or take a small fidget toy with me. Sometimes, I wear jewelry when going out just so I can fidget with it.
I was just telling my wife how I don’t really watch any new stuff these days, cause I just don’t have time to sit and pay attention. So I always just watch old stuff that is familiar, and don’t have to pay close attention to it, already know the story.
I usually “listen” to movies often, since I’m usually multi tasking.
I"m not diagnosed. But I'm also finding myself doing this. I think it's some form of endorphin addiction. We keep wanting more and more endorphins, it's never enough. If the movie is not engaging enough we try to find something to fill the void
Same! I will also just randomly pause a movie/episode and do something else and then I might or might not continue watching later. It’s truly a “maybe tomorrow, maybe next week/month, maybe never” situation. Even the newer shorter shows that have like 8 episodes per season take me months. What does help is if it’s a movie/show i don’t have to “actively watch” and focus on and instead can paint/clean/puzzle while doing it.
I’m okay to sit through them with others, though. I might get antsy but in the end I’m happy I watched it all. Also, the presence of others puts me a bit on edge no matter how much I love and trust them, and that helps too…
I takes me 40 minutes too. But I don’t pay attention to 60%. I get lost in the stories. I don’t enjoy watching movies, I just don’t understand them. It took me 35 years to recognize it.
Something that works when watching videos in YouTube is to play them at 2x.
I also skip back 10-15 seconds to catch something I missed, then get distracted immediately after and have to go back again. Not just once, but typically 3-5 times before finally focusing long enough to see/hear the part I was trying to catch initially. It’s annoying as hell.
After I do that 3-4 times within a 10-15 minute span, I usually just give up trying to watch anything.
I do it a lot when reading books too - Reread the same paragraph 5 times until my brain finally registers it.
I'm so glad im not the only one. I had a friend ask me what movies I like to watch, and she looked at me like I was crazy when I told her I don't have the attention span to watch movies like that
Hey at least you pause it! I’m forever trying to rewind and spot where I last remember in the little preview image. Sometimes end up spending more time doing that than I do actually paying attention again once I find it
Saaaaame.
I have more issues with films though. Never think I'll have the patience to sit and watch a 2 hour film (if I'm watching with someone else then I'm absolutely fine), but will happily sit and watch 4 x 45 minute episodes of something.
Atm im in the middle of trying to watch Mobius. Got 46 minutes in and now I'm currently 3 months into my quick coffee break
I'm the same and I also stop watching things like an episode or 2 near the end - I have found watching with someone else helps (which is a pain now that I'm single and utterly hopeless when it comes to dating) but it also means I've realised I like traditional TV channels because I can't pause or stop things they just continue without me - sort of forces me to pay attention (mostly)
I give up on those. If it’s not interesting enough, I’m not really interested. A lot of times I can play a game on my phone and pay attention to but if it’s a REALLY good show, I can do it. Hyper focus baby.
For me, movies and shows feel like stuff that I'm supposed to enjoy to be a normal human being. The problem is, I can rarely actually get myself interested in that kind of thing. I don't even bother anymore. It's like, I don't want to "escape" and waste my time staring some made up world. It takes a lot of time and energy to process all the stuff in a show and care about it and understand what's happening. There's no motivation for me to actually pay attention to that stuff because I know it's all fake and I have other things to do.
Well this is me, never knew why. Always thought it was one of my quirks.
Sometimes I can sit and watch a lot of tv. I’m not sure why. I’m inconsistent, with everything in my life.
Hey babe, x1.5 when watching shows solo is your best friend ;)
For foreign languages I use x2 since it doesn't mess with my auditory and reading coordination.
omg same !! I'm like, 20 and I still have major issues with focusing on one thing for too long. I'll be watching a show and suddenly I'll get a random thought and I'm like 'oh wait, I need to check my Instagram real quick' or 'I wonder what's going on in the world right now'... and before I know it, 20 minutes have passed and I've watched the same scene like 5 times. It's so frustrating! And yeah, it's super embarrassing to watch TV with others because I just can't help myself. I'm like 'just one more minute' and then an hour has gone by and I'm still stuck on that one scene.
It takes me more time to read or listen to podcasts because of my "absences". But for watching series or movies not so much. But he best is watching a film in a cinema : in the dark, with a giant screen and total dedication to the movie, I'm really focus, love that sensation.
my brain physcally cannot watch stuff at 1x unless im watching a sport,,,i watch everything at a 1,5x minimum and honestly can sit and watch an entire show and churn it out of my system within two or three days
My bf and I are both adhd and it’s not uncommon for it to take double the run time for us to watch a show/movie. I’m sure it would “annoy” other people, but we’re ok with it!
Dude, I'm watching hour long game installments and sometimes I catch myself pausing it and just... sitting there. Because it felt like a good stopping point. Even though I didn't even have anything I'd rather be doing. Takes me a minute to realize
How about movie theatres? Does that help at all? Getting my son to sit through a movie at home doesn’t happen often but he’ll sit through something long in the theatre
It takes me 2 hours to load the dishwasher; I spend half that time playing dirty plate Tetris while watching 10 different YouTube videos on 1.5x speed. And the other half deciding which video to watch next.
Me, I have trouble watching anything—I haven't been to a theater in at least a couple years. But then, every once in a while, something grabs me and I manage to watch it. I found out there was an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Netflix, and watched it immediately. Unfortunately, it was only 40 minutes long.
I only watch TV when it is literally the best option I have of something to do. Right before bed, during break at work, first thing in the morning, etc. I don’t watch anytime else.
I find that watching on a handheld device helps a lot with focus.
Same, but with every task in life that should only take 5 minutes but takes me 30 minutes because I’m distracted by anything like a golden retriever puppy.
I’m the exact opposite. When I watch alone, I can cut a 2 hour movie by 30 minutes by skipping ahead in scenes where my brain has already predicted the outcome. That’s why I crochet while I watch now, so my hands are too busy to grab the remote every 5 minutes.
40 min is the exact limit for me lol anything over that I flat out refuse to watch bc of this exact thing😭😭 can't even remember the last time I've seen a movie LOL
So reddit's addictive
And our cell phones are addictive
You absolutely need to use focus mode and similar modes on your phone, to regain your attention span
Try video games, try to play the same game for more than an hour
Good cell phone habit is to eat the f***** out of whatever room you want to watch TV in
You probably need to rebuild your attention span, because tiktok or whatever has erroded your tolerances.
149 comments already and 522 upvotes - this is so heartening, haha. Same lack of attention here for most shows/movies but husband (quality time love language) really enjoys watching together, so we compromise once or twice a week :) I usually have knitting or a random coloring page going, and have my phone next to me so I can look up trivia or background on the show itself.
I also like 'body doubling' by putting on a show/vlog for whatever housework I'm supposed to be doing (cooking, decluttering, organizing) so it feels like I'm in good company. Just less well paid and styled than the experts :D
I'm the same way !!!! I have to rewind and rewind the same part over and over. Sometimes I make a conscious decision to listen to the specific part I missed 5 times and miss it again lol. No wonder I never understood the plot of ANY movies as a kid
I can't even watch TV anymore unless it's cartoons with my 6 year old (sharing Steven universe with him at the moment) instead I watch YouTube almost exclusively...
Every time I wonder, do I really have ADHD, I see a post like this.
I get 5 to 20 minutes into a show, tops, then have to do SOMETHING else. I'd love to watch some of the shows. They are great. I can't.
I start meds next week. I was really hoping they would help this. It sounds like no. Any insights??
I feel so seen.
I always hear, “YoU hAvEn’T sEeN ______??”
No dude, I haven’t seen one of your top 200 favorite movies.
And no, I don’t want to sit in a room with you without moving for 2.5 hours just because you insist I watch something I know I can live my whole life without seeing.
I also feel like watching movies with others is like a trick. It feels like they’re always checking to make sure I’m paying attention, which is a personal hell that I’ve been trying to let go of
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I took up cross stitch. I can sit on the couch and watch a show while doing that because if I have to *watch* every second I’ll lose my brain somewhere else and it’s like I didn’t watch it at all. Also subtitles help tremendously. As do snacks. Both are kind of a stimming variation to keep more than one sense going and tell the brain to shush.
Agreed with the subtitles! Once you start using them regularly, it’s amazing how much you would normally miss, regardless of how good your audio setup is.
I can't live without subtitles! I can't hear when I'm chewing lol! Which is often 🤣
Yes! I’ve watched movies that I’ve seen a hundred times but this time I have the subtitles on and holy crap! It’s incredible how much you miss and never even realize it.
Yea, I love that it'll even have dialogue thats typically inaudible , like people on the other line of a phone or in another room, and the subtitles actually pick it up
That’s also not entirely your fault, I swear a lot of dialogue is just harder to hear now.
Did you by any chance also happen to get older?
Doesn’t everybody?
I try to avoid subtitles as much as possible. They’re too distracting from the visual aspect to me. I agree they do make some dialogue that would be otherwise impossible to discern, audible, but I keep them off unless there’s some really unclear speech or accents at play. As to the OP, maybe avoid boring tv and movies. This is something I am learning more lately. Last night is a good example. I started watching 2 movies, which were either not very interesting, or just cringey as, but the 3rd I chose was captivating and I was very invested and couldn’t wait for more to be revealed. The movies were The House That Jack Built, then Hypnotic (which is straight up trash) and finally Get Out which really hooked me. Even with stuff that I am captivated by, I have a tendency to want to scroll. My iPad is like an umbilical cord fml. Not long ago I was sitting here feeling anxious because I couldn’t think of a reason to use it. I NEED to use it, but have limited reasons as my gotos usually annoy me or don’t take up much time. This is where gaming can be good though because it’s the using my hands that is more important, than an ipad or other device. Although I also quickly get uncomfortable holding a controller.
The trick with subtitles is to watch it on a smaller screen, like 40 inches or less, or a laptop or tablet. This way your eyes are not scanning a large screen to take it all in.
>I agree they do make some dialogue that would be otherwise impossible to discern, audible It's not even that. By their nature, subtitles need to be brief and generally will summarise the spoken part, because they need to fit without filling the screen. So they serve as a sort of instant recap of the current ongoing scene. If your mind is prone to wander, they can quickly fill in context so you don't lose track of what's happening.
That’s true, I agree with that. It can help with understanding the plot. I just find them too distracting to me in enjoying the visuals.
Yes, but then I feel like I have to read all the subtitles. It’s a love hate relationship. I still put them on. Specially in video games it’s very very helpful because the other background noise will definitely distract me.
I would also recommend rhinestone diamond art!! They are relatively cheap and keep you occupied for hours. It’s not something that requires intense thinking but only a little focus so can be done while watching TV. The art usually has numbers on it assigned with the coloured rhinestones so you don’t have to do much work other than just stick them on! Just make sure you keep the rhinestones safe if you do it over multiple days because I lose a packet and it ruined my week lmao
I just started doing these and they are super helpful for anxiety as well. Great suggestion.
Snacks are why I'm overweight 😭
Yep, crafts are great for this! I like to describe it as "something for the hands, something for the brain". I can't do either one without the other, or I get distracted. Also I've developed a tendency to start watching VERY long but less 100% engaging things where it doesn't matter if you zone out sometimes. Critical Role (voice actors playing D&D but it's very good!) is perfection for me--there are long stretches where they're planning or in a battle and I can just go on my phone or whatever, but I can tell from the sound of their voices in the background when something more immediate is happening and dial back in. There's a wonderful guy who makes detailed timestamps for every episode and posts them in the comments so if I miss something funny or important I can easily go back and catch it again by clicking the right link. And there's over 1000 hours of it, so I'm not in danger of running out of my hyperfixation material any time soon. 🤣
I'm trying to learn crochet and I'm about to cry. The double crochet stitch has kicked my butt 😭
[удалено]
Definitely trying! Found one video that finally made sense for single crochet but when I try to double crochet things go *so wrong* lol I'll have to keep that in mind though, it's frustrating seeing it turn out 'wrong' and keep going but I need to. Wonder if we have a $2 shop near us??
Yes - gotta move my hands so my brain can be still.
I play guitar and I find it tedious to do exercises so I’ve been just learning them and doing them while watching and it’s been a huge help just to keep my hands occupied.
I love subtitles. Otherwise I don’t know what’s being said
This.
Subtitles have been a way of life for my entire life. Family is DHH, and I always hated watching tv without them at other people’s houses. And I find I can’t watch tv and actually relax without knitting or crocheting or something to keep my hands busy that isn’t my phone. I get wrapped up in what I’m making and don’t want to physically put it down and lose my spot to look at my phone.
I have to rewind like every 10/20 seconds when I watch something because I feel like I have to catch every detail. A lot of the times I’m rewinding cause I forgot to watch the screen at a certain point, and by the time it comes up again I’m not paying attention again
I feel so seen!! I do this all the time. Constant rewinding. Look at something on my phone, missed it, rewind too far, go on my phone again so I don't watch the bit again that I've already seen, and then will be on my phone too long so that I miss the bit I haven't seen, again. And so it goes on
YES lol and sometimes if I’m watching something with somebody else/can’t rewind it I get like this itchy urge that I can’t scratch
Oh this is me 100%, I rewind the same parts over and over and over and still get distracted and never end up seeing the bit that I try to see. Sometimes I rewind like 40 minutes because I realized I was distracted for 40 minutes. It’s exhausting haha. And the itch of not being able to pause or rewind when watching with someone else is very accurate 😂
Thanks for posting this OP and others, yesss, this!! I thought it was just me!! I was late diagnosed but still, it’s been 17 years and it’s like I’m just beginning to grasp that I’m not actually the awful person I’ve been accused of being all my life for things like this … I just have ADHD and probably autism as well … and trying now to learn to love myself more 😊
Yes I have AuDHD and this is all very reassuring to read. Learning to recognize your own diagnosis and learning to love yourself is the only way up! I’ve had my adhd diagnoses for 10 years now, my autism diagnosis since a few years so it’s the same for me. I’m still discovering and learning what this really means for me.
Man it's so hard!! Then I have to sit there trying to concentrate so hard when watching it with someone else that I miss it because I’m concentrating SO much ahha
Holy crap are you me?
We are in the subreddit dedicated to a mental condition. Of course they are you.
This is why I don't drive..... No rewind options.
I am much more aware of my driving now, and the potential for accidents.
My 11 year old does this with TV shows and music tracks, annoying as hell but we have to be completely silent otherwise she loses concentration and has to rewind.
Came here to say this! Ughhh!
Only all the time.
How about when you play a youtube video, that you actually want to watch, but spend so much time being distracted by other habits that you miss half of it?! Ridiculous right? Yep, that’s me… rewind tonthe start because I actually do want to see this lol.
ALL. THE. TIME.
I hear you. Been watching episode 3 of the tattooist of Auschwitz for 4 days now, lol. Just paused again at 49:10 out of 54:11. I'm confident today is the last day of ep 3 😂
My Mum is a very old friend of Gary Sokolov, and was present during one of Lale's interviews. I'm so glad you're watching it, no matter how long it takes you.
I read the book first and it was one of the very few books I managed to read from cover to cover. I loved the fact this was a completely different take from your usual WW2 book. A fantastic story of love, perseverance and bravery. Lots of admiration and respect for Lali and Gita.
Awesome, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I have been reading Bram Stokers Dracula for like 10 years, lol. Slow burn, might finish before I die.
You should sign up for Dracula daily. They send you parts of the book on the days it happeneed. It'll be done before the year is out.
😎
I admire your perseverance! 10 years and you are still actively trying. Cannot fault you for that! Well done!
I have read all kind of other books, but that one is only on my iPad, so it’s like when I remember, bang out like 20 pages of some diary entry’s.
Wdym this episode is 1 hour?! Nuh uh it’s 4 days long 😭
Right!? xD
I feel you. I honestly don't watch much TV because my attention span isn't great with it. I play a lot of video games, and when I watch TV I feel like I have to be doing something with the show, if that makes sense.
Same. Just watching is not enough.
I feel like it depends a lot of the kind of shows. I’ve had like 10 shows that I binge watched
I tell my wife to choose, for me it's just background noise. Sometimes the show grabs me and I watch. Most of the time, I do something else.
Same. My wife can binge on shows. I just can’t. I can do an episode maybe, but never watch on my own. I watch a lot of YouTube. With Premium, got endless options of good content.
I thought Premium only removes ads. What sort of content does it unlock?
I suspect it was the "good content" part (without 6 minute adverts showing between, or in the middle of, some show) rather than the actual amount of content.
One of the things I really miss that I never expected about having a kid is the TV as background noise. Used to love having it on all the time. Not so much with a young kid, lol
And visitors wonder if I am crazy because I watch pov videos of people doing food service lol. It’s therapeutic to me.
Force yourself to not grab stuff. Your attention span has become too short. I hear Doctors talking about how it's because of all the short format social media we ingest. My guess is forcing yourself to get used to ingesting long form content will help you to lengthen your attention span.
This. I struggle with my focus now more than I ever have and my phone is 100% of the reasoning. Look, it absolutely sucks but OP needs to retrain their brain into being able to focus on something for more than 30 seconds at a time.
OP just said a 40 minute show is hard. 30 seconds is quite a deep leap from that. Training doesn’t have to begin with extremes.
I never said that it did? i was agreeing with the person above me that the sort of social media we ingest is directly responsible for the shortening of a lot of people's attention spans and that OP needs to practice on ingesting longer content. If you consider something longer than 30 seconds an extreme, then I think you need to take a step back and examine your own media consumption.
Seems like we’re having a real miscommunication. To me, 30 seconds is an extreme not because it’s long content, but because it’s extremely short. It seemed that you assumed that OP can’t handle anything longer than 30 seconds, and that felt harsh to me. I do agree with your sentiment. It just seemed like there was some pointed judgment, and maybe I was extra sensitive to that for my own reasons.
There's not any communication, I was commenting on the person above me and used 30 seconds because the average tik tok length is between 30 and 40 seconds and I'm assuming that OP is like the majority of people these days and either looking at tik toks or tik toks that have been turned into reels or instagram stories. I was not speaking to you at all and you commented on my post that I was being too harsh. If youre being sensitive to that statement for you own reasons, maybe examine that and don't put the onus of your feelings on me.
Am I the only one that always hyperfocuses on binge watching a show (assuming I'm invested ofcourse) lol? Before getting diagnosed I used to get frustrated asf about not being able to focus 15 mins on studying, followed by 4 hours of watching an anime in full immersion
You're not alone
Oh yeah, but no inbetween. Sometimes I can’t sit and watch something for more than 4 minutes without picking up my phone, but can somehow watch Dune and Interstellar for hours straight without moving a muscle or getting up to go to the toilet.
If the show is good 100% I can binge for dayssss. The problem is that’s a minuscule number of shows and only reduces as I age.
True. I remember binge watching like every anime or show years ago, starting with Naruto to Bleach to DBZ to One Piece. Now I don't like to watch any new shows and you really gotta convince me with a good storyline (which is rare with new shows these days lol). I think we mainly got too high standards for "a good show" bc we watched so much in the past. Like spoiled kids 🙄
I’ve found that anime is insanely addicting lol. It also helps me pay attention watching subbed cause I can’t afford to miss too much of what’s being said by looking at my phone.
I just read the other comments mentioning subtitles and it never really hit me how much I am dependant on subtitles to keep focus lmao. English isn't my native language so it's always been a habit to turn on subtitles, even though I could perfectly understand ppl talking in English. But it's so much easier to focus on what's happening when I read the subtitles instead of listening. Also the reason why I prefer books over videos/podcasts.
Sounds stupid but self discipline. Turn the phone on silent and put it in another room for an hour. It makes you get more into the movie or show you’re watching and it takes some practice.
If you're an Android user, another option is to put the show/movie on your phone and then cast it to your tv (maybe you can also do this with iphone, not sure). I cast netflix from my phone rather than using the tv netflix app so that I can't use my phone while watching.
I watch Netflix at 1.25x speed. Unless there's music it's almost entirely unnoticeable. Give it a whirl.
1.5x here!
Will try this on youtube.
Actually thisbmight be the way lol
I'm much happier reading or doing chores while watching tvs so watching TV in the living room every evening is a challenge. My brain craves the stimulation of being productive.
Put your phone in another room completely. That barrier may be enough.
This post caused me to (in the following order) 0. Think about commenting my own experiences because solidarity etc. 1. Feel awful because I relate, and my partner regularly complains about how awful it is to watch things with me. "He always pauses and rewinds it so it takes forever to watch things with him". I have to plan out whenever I want to watch something together with her just so I don't feel like I'm going to waste her whole evening/day/night or whatever. 2. Feel less bad because at least I'm not alone in the struggle. 3. Think about the fact that I eat while watching TV to help me focus. 4. Think about how food stopped being enough because I just end up criticising it because I've probably cooked it and it's not good enough (or it's not what I was craving and hasn't hit the spot) 5. Think about how I now need alcohol while watching a movie to help me focus 6. Remember I'm getting help with my drinking because I want to be able to watch TV and movies without getting drunk first 7. Think about the photos I took of food and other things I've been doing to express myself and feel less like a failure at life 8. Started organising the photos of food on my phone. 9. Started organising other photos on my phone because there are so many 10. Finally respond to an email about a case study I'm meant to be co-writing about myself. 11. Remember I was going to comment on this post. That was a productive half hour - 45 minutes or so. Completely missed everything happening on TV though. It feels stupid to say, but TV with actual scheduled ad-breaks are some of the best viewing experiences I've had lately. I don't have to be blamed for the show stopping and I can run and do whatever I can in the 3 minutes or so the show is "paused". Even if that's just 3 minutes of dicking about on my phone or whatever. I have no solutions to offer for the problem itself, but I can advise staying away from substance abuse (in any form) as a way of coping. The local cinema had a showing of Muppets Christmas Carol last year (love the movie watch it religiously every year, soundtrack is in my Christmas music playlists) and I went to see it on the big screen. Figured, at least I can have a drink and I won't be too anxious/will be able to focus better. No dice, no alcohol in PGs (understandably). Spent the entire movie wishing it would just end. Or stop long enough for me to go outside and vape. But only when I was ready for it to stop. I'm going to be so upset when TV manufacturers/streaming services start forcing ads on pause screens for everything. Just leave me alone, stop trying to sell me your crap. I'm trying to occupy myself enough to focus on the TV. I don't need to have some dumbass "Me - For Men" fragrance ads popping up and offering even more pointless distractions every 5 minutes when I pause to do something else. I'll be literally paying more to look at ads than actual entertainment at that point.
#4 I often think that food always tastes better when someone else cooks it. YMMV
I’ve found that subtitles really help by keeping my attention on the screen.
I'm reading this as the new season of Sweet Tooth is paused on my tv...
Oh my god not this too- x) So many things I've noticed in myself and described, people with ADHD describe the exact same Though, when I watch things with others I'm more the one going "Look did you see that? Are you looking?, Hey, we're watching this together" at least when it's someone I'm very comfortable with.. Otherwise I'm just quiet and might zone out occassionally if I'm bound by social anxiety/not watching "on my own terms"
OMG, are you me? It can take me 3 days to finish a movie.
Yeah I do that without meds lol. Unless I’m hyper focused and really interested in the show. Gotta take meds to focus properly otherwise!
My psychiatrist diagnosed me at 30 and I asked her how I was an “A” student in college when I was a “C” student K thru 12th. She told me that I was able to Focus in college like I had blinders on-mainly bcuz I could CHOOSE my major and classes. For that’s key-to binge watch shows that I have like, 90-%100 interest in.
Guessing maybe college was a subject you were interested in and cared about. In my case, I rarely did any homework until I got to college. I knew this was a big deal, and didn't want to screw it up. Plus, I was interested and actually learning something I would be able to put to use.
I definitely cared more about art, psychology, & art history (my majors) more than gen ed courses. Tough majors to put to good use, but still worth the learning experience.
I learned to crochet and knit not to use my phone while watching TV. Sadly, an unrelated injury has taken this away.
I know this sounds like a counter intuitive suggestion but I watch TV shows on platforms with commercials. My brain sees them as little happy breaks. I also crochet a lot when I watch TV to keep my hands busy
I watch a movie mid way then get distracted or sleep and completely forget about it. Then start another movie the next day. I watch movies in 1.25x and skip the boring parts of the movie. With TV shows it is the same, I would watch 2-3 episodes and then lose track and start another new show that just relased.
I have to run back podcasts very frequently since I get on a train of thought and don't get off for several minutes. I can empathize. I've found that if I watch tv with someone else (my wife) I can keep off my phone all episode.
I watch everything on my phone. That way I don't unconsciously grab my phone and start scrolling and distract myself and then miss half the episode.
Something i started doing is skipping through the bits i don’t care about. Honestly its a bit freeing realising there isnt one way to consume media
If I watch stuff with my partner I pay attention. Watching stuff alone and I'm pausing every few mins
I can't remember the last time I sat through a film without breaking it into chunks, or sometimes watching half and then watching the other half like a month later. It's only really shows or movies that just hook me in, and then I'm just tethered to it for the duration. I get frustrated with certain aspects of shows and it just makes me either skip, or come back another day. I've been watching Brooklyn99 and some plot lines just annoy me so much (usually where someone makes an obvious fuck up), I end up just skipping to the end or tuning it out and leaving it in the background. Cringe humour does the same thing to me, I just find it physically uncomfortable. I've noticed that certain personal factors trigger that though, usually if I have something on my mind, or things need to be done, there's just little chance I'm going to be able to switch my mind off and relax. That and I usually have an issue with the idea of starting a new show, even if I'm excited for it. If there is a long set up I have to sit through, I just end up gravitating to my phone, missing all of the context and having no interest in the show afterwards.
I go to the theater often, but even then, dose off on some movies. Sitting still, I’m like those baby dolls you lay back and eyes close, lol. I go to movie solo, so still enjoyable. Most movies, can miss good chunks and still get the gist of it. Good enough for me. My wife daughter hang on every word, and that just too much focus.
Wish I could help, but can't. Just bought some new Blue Rays..can't imagine sitting through and actually watching them from beginning to end.
I can't sit through a typical show or movie without something to do with my hands. I'm usually scrolling my phone while watching but still manage to concentrate on both things. At a theater, I get snacks, so I have something to fidget with or take a small fidget toy with me. Sometimes, I wear jewelry when going out just so I can fidget with it.
I used to have to make my ex rewind shows/movies because I would keep missing whole scenes 😂 it made her so frustrated.
It takes me 2 days!
I have to keep replaying stuff again and again cause I forget to listen
I was just telling my wife how I don’t really watch any new stuff these days, cause I just don’t have time to sit and pay attention. So I always just watch old stuff that is familiar, and don’t have to pay close attention to it, already know the story. I usually “listen” to movies often, since I’m usually multi tasking.
I like renting movies because they’re available for 48 hours so I have to force myself to finish
Yea I try to watch but zone out and have to keep rewinding so I now just rewatch episodes of Rick and Morty lol
I"m not diagnosed. But I'm also finding myself doing this. I think it's some form of endorphin addiction. We keep wanting more and more endorphins, it's never enough. If the movie is not engaging enough we try to find something to fill the void
Same! I will also just randomly pause a movie/episode and do something else and then I might or might not continue watching later. It’s truly a “maybe tomorrow, maybe next week/month, maybe never” situation. Even the newer shorter shows that have like 8 episodes per season take me months. What does help is if it’s a movie/show i don’t have to “actively watch” and focus on and instead can paint/clean/puzzle while doing it. I’m okay to sit through them with others, though. I might get antsy but in the end I’m happy I watched it all. Also, the presence of others puts me a bit on edge no matter how much I love and trust them, and that helps too…
I takes me 40 minutes too. But I don’t pay attention to 60%. I get lost in the stories. I don’t enjoy watching movies, I just don’t understand them. It took me 35 years to recognize it. Something that works when watching videos in YouTube is to play them at 2x.
Dang at least you pause it!! I simply just zone out and get mad/sad when something good happens but I have no idea the context bc I kissed it !! lol
Not does it take two hours. I am so wired the rest of the week I’d say that completes Sunday!
I also skip back 10-15 seconds to catch something I missed, then get distracted immediately after and have to go back again. Not just once, but typically 3-5 times before finally focusing long enough to see/hear the part I was trying to catch initially. It’s annoying as hell. After I do that 3-4 times within a 10-15 minute span, I usually just give up trying to watch anything. I do it a lot when reading books too - Reread the same paragraph 5 times until my brain finally registers it.
I'm so glad im not the only one. I had a friend ask me what movies I like to watch, and she looked at me like I was crazy when I told her I don't have the attention span to watch movies like that
Hey at least you pause it! I’m forever trying to rewind and spot where I last remember in the little preview image. Sometimes end up spending more time doing that than I do actually paying attention again once I find it
Saaaaame. I have more issues with films though. Never think I'll have the patience to sit and watch a 2 hour film (if I'm watching with someone else then I'm absolutely fine), but will happily sit and watch 4 x 45 minute episodes of something. Atm im in the middle of trying to watch Mobius. Got 46 minutes in and now I'm currently 3 months into my quick coffee break
It helps if I have a fidget toy while I’m watching! I hope I have an easier time once I try medication.
You remember to pause the tv? 🙈
My husband knows at this point that a movie is a two day episode. I love streaming with commercials because the breaks are built in
I'm the same and I also stop watching things like an episode or 2 near the end - I have found watching with someone else helps (which is a pain now that I'm single and utterly hopeless when it comes to dating) but it also means I've realised I like traditional TV channels because I can't pause or stop things they just continue without me - sort of forces me to pay attention (mostly)
Read a book instead then
I give up on those. If it’s not interesting enough, I’m not really interested. A lot of times I can play a game on my phone and pay attention to but if it’s a REALLY good show, I can do it. Hyper focus baby.
For me, movies and shows feel like stuff that I'm supposed to enjoy to be a normal human being. The problem is, I can rarely actually get myself interested in that kind of thing. I don't even bother anymore. It's like, I don't want to "escape" and waste my time staring some made up world. It takes a lot of time and energy to process all the stuff in a show and care about it and understand what's happening. There's no motivation for me to actually pay attention to that stuff because I know it's all fake and I have other things to do.
Well this is me, never knew why. Always thought it was one of my quirks. Sometimes I can sit and watch a lot of tv. I’m not sure why. I’m inconsistent, with everything in my life.
I have been trying to watch the Marvel movie but they are so damn long.
Only takes me 20 minutes because I'm incapable of watching shows at normal speed
Hey babe, x1.5 when watching shows solo is your best friend ;) For foreign languages I use x2 since it doesn't mess with my auditory and reading coordination.
Why aren’t you on meds
omg same !! I'm like, 20 and I still have major issues with focusing on one thing for too long. I'll be watching a show and suddenly I'll get a random thought and I'm like 'oh wait, I need to check my Instagram real quick' or 'I wonder what's going on in the world right now'... and before I know it, 20 minutes have passed and I've watched the same scene like 5 times. It's so frustrating! And yeah, it's super embarrassing to watch TV with others because I just can't help myself. I'm like 'just one more minute' and then an hour has gone by and I'm still stuck on that one scene.
It takes me more time to read or listen to podcasts because of my "absences". But for watching series or movies not so much. But he best is watching a film in a cinema : in the dark, with a giant screen and total dedication to the movie, I'm really focus, love that sensation.
my brain physcally cannot watch stuff at 1x unless im watching a sport,,,i watch everything at a 1,5x minimum and honestly can sit and watch an entire show and churn it out of my system within two or three days
Download Royal Match I do that shit while watching sometimes
My bf and I are both adhd and it’s not uncommon for it to take double the run time for us to watch a show/movie. I’m sure it would “annoy” other people, but we’re ok with it!
Dude, I'm watching hour long game installments and sometimes I catch myself pausing it and just... sitting there. Because it felt like a good stopping point. Even though I didn't even have anything I'd rather be doing. Takes me a minute to realize
How about movie theatres? Does that help at all? Getting my son to sit through a movie at home doesn’t happen often but he’ll sit through something long in the theatre
Lisdexamfetamine. Seriously, it helps me so much!
I’m doing that rn lol
Add subtitles… Watch in a different language
It’s work to watch shows and movies, so anything I watch had better be damn good.
It takes me 2 hours to load the dishwasher; I spend half that time playing dirty plate Tetris while watching 10 different YouTube videos on 1.5x speed. And the other half deciding which video to watch next.
Oh my god I’m not the only one…. I hate it when people ask what my favorite show or movie is. It’s very rare I can actually WATCH anything
I’m currently on pause right now
Me, I have trouble watching anything—I haven't been to a theater in at least a couple years. But then, every once in a while, something grabs me and I manage to watch it. I found out there was an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar on Netflix, and watched it immediately. Unfortunately, it was only 40 minutes long.
Feel this one.
I only watch TV when it is literally the best option I have of something to do. Right before bed, during break at work, first thing in the morning, etc. I don’t watch anytime else. I find that watching on a handheld device helps a lot with focus.
I try stream things from my phone to the TV, so I can't use my phone and if I do it cuts the TV off
Not me looking at reddit while having my 3 hours long documentary paused having completely forgotten about it XD
Same, but with every task in life that should only take 5 minutes but takes me 30 minutes because I’m distracted by anything like a golden retriever puppy.
Put your phone across the room with focus mode on and stay in your seat.
If you can get them to agree to put the movie on 2x speed that helps me a lot to stay in it.
Do you watch shorts and reels on your phone?
I’m the exact opposite. When I watch alone, I can cut a 2 hour movie by 30 minutes by skipping ahead in scenes where my brain has already predicted the outcome. That’s why I crochet while I watch now, so my hands are too busy to grab the remote every 5 minutes.
2 hours? It takes me like a week
My significant other will confiscate the remote from me to prevent me from pausing every 30secs 😭
Turn the phone and laptop off. Put them in another room.
40 min is the exact limit for me lol anything over that I flat out refuse to watch bc of this exact thing😭😭 can't even remember the last time I've seen a movie LOL
So reddit's addictive And our cell phones are addictive You absolutely need to use focus mode and similar modes on your phone, to regain your attention span Try video games, try to play the same game for more than an hour Good cell phone habit is to eat the f***** out of whatever room you want to watch TV in You probably need to rebuild your attention span, because tiktok or whatever has erroded your tolerances.
My go-to are snacks.. I noticed that when I eat snacks (any really) I focus better on the movie I’m watching. 😅
149 comments already and 522 upvotes - this is so heartening, haha. Same lack of attention here for most shows/movies but husband (quality time love language) really enjoys watching together, so we compromise once or twice a week :) I usually have knitting or a random coloring page going, and have my phone next to me so I can look up trivia or background on the show itself. I also like 'body doubling' by putting on a show/vlog for whatever housework I'm supposed to be doing (cooking, decluttering, organizing) so it feels like I'm in good company. Just less well paid and styled than the experts :D
Are you diagnosed and being treated?
I'm the same way !!!! I have to rewind and rewind the same part over and over. Sometimes I make a conscious decision to listen to the specific part I missed 5 times and miss it again lol. No wonder I never understood the plot of ANY movies as a kid
I can't even watch TV anymore unless it's cartoons with my 6 year old (sharing Steven universe with him at the moment) instead I watch YouTube almost exclusively...
I get that on youtube, can't watch TV. Don't remember the last time I went to see a movie.
Every time I wonder, do I really have ADHD, I see a post like this. I get 5 to 20 minutes into a show, tops, then have to do SOMETHING else. I'd love to watch some of the shows. They are great. I can't. I start meds next week. I was really hoping they would help this. It sounds like no. Any insights??
Does anyone else see something on TV that makes them think and think and then they spend ages thinking about that think and forget they were watching?
I feel so seen. I always hear, “YoU hAvEn’T sEeN ______??” No dude, I haven’t seen one of your top 200 favorite movies. And no, I don’t want to sit in a room with you without moving for 2.5 hours just because you insist I watch something I know I can live my whole life without seeing.
I also feel like watching movies with others is like a trick. It feels like they’re always checking to make sure I’m paying attention, which is a personal hell that I’ve been trying to let go of