Different skills/abilities at different times, or none at all.

[Passepartout]

It seems I have this pattern where I have access to different skills and abilities at different times, or none at all (as in regression). it's like their there and then they are gone.

Wondering if this is related to Autistic Inertia, Burnout or ADHD.

Where Inertia being a difficulty to get started/stop, so perhaps the skills are there it just takes some time to "reconnect".

In ADHD, where it could be something like a "fix" or hyperfocus which eventually burns itself out or looses interest and goes off doing something else.

It's like it can be sooo hard to get started on something, but once I do I only want to do that one thing, but eventually I'll get frustrated, bored, sidetracked or exhausted. Once I stop, those skills are gone as if there where never there. I'll then look back and wonder how I did it or completely forget about it as if it never existed.


Does anyone else experience any of this sort of thing?

 

[Tom]

It seems I have this pattern where I have access to different skills and abilities at different times, or none at all (as in regression). it's like their there and then they are gone.

Wondering if this is related to Autistic Inertia, Burnout or ADHD.

Where Inertia being a difficulty to get started/stop, so perhaps the skills are there it just takes some time to "reconnect".

In ADHD, where it could be something like a "fix" or hyperfocus which eventually burns itself out or looses interest and goes off doing something else.

It's like it can be sooo hard to get started on something, but once I do I only want to do that one thing, but eventually I'll get frustrated, bored, sidetracked or exhausted. Once I stop, those skills are gone as if there where never there. I'll then look back and wonder how I did it.


Does anyone else experience any of this sort of thing?

I can experience something like that, but wouldn't say it's loss of skills, just the energy and interest. And the window of opportunity is very variable. It might last a few weeks or even a few years. There is also a tendency to circle back around to it eventually and pick up more or less where I left off skill-wise.

 

[Passepartout]

There is also a tendency to circle back around to it eventually and pick up more or less where I left off skill-wise.

This seems to be the case for me as well, I'll always eventual come back to that interest or activity and pick up where I left off, whether it be weeks, months or even years later.

How does one remain consistent in doing things instead of being stuck in a cycle of going round and round, bouncing from one thing to the next only to eventually end up back where I left off.

 

[Tom]

This seems to be the case for me as well, I'll always eventual come back to that interest or activity and pick up where I left off, whether it be weeks, months or even years later.

How does one remain consistent in doing things instead of being stuck in a cycle of going round and round, bouncing from one thing to the next only to eventually end up back where I left off.

I think it depends on what it is, as in is it a hobby interest or something necessary.

With hobby things I just follow one rule which is never leave anything unfinished. Just push yourself to complete it. Then at least you don't have a trail of half finished projects. Other then that continuity doesn't really matter to me. It's just important to pick something else up to fill the time.

With necessary or much desired things, like say a big home improvement project I use a mix of pushing myself and finding 'carrots' to make it easier to sustain. This could be quitting at a certain time and then doing something I enjoy daily or treating myself once a week to maybe a fun purchase. I used the same principle with work before retiring and also now with a minor home side gig. It's the pushing yourself part that is difficult. When I don't want to do something, I really don't want to and also am very susceptable to inertia. I think having a military career helped in I became accustomed to having to do things whether I wanted to or not. A switch I can flick when needed.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I can't remember the correct wording now, but oe of the characteristics of autism is that abilities are inconsistent. I might be good at something one day and the next day unable to do the same thing.

I can no longer push through things without endangering my health. I am 70 with chronic illnesses. I could push through when I was younger.

 

[Outdated]

For me everything is dependent on my emotional state. As long as I'm happy I'm capable of pretty much anything but if I feel emotionally stressed the wheels fall off and I'm useless. For me this was very obvious in the workplace but I noticed at home as well that if I'm feeling miserable I am less intelligent.

 

[Roisin]

It seems for me to be related to my state of overwhelm, on a subtle level the contributions add up.
Looking at the basics, today for example, I didnt sleep well, so my sensory sensitivites will be amplified, if I forget to eat these will become unmanagable. If something unpredicted happens and anxiety takes hold, the day could well be a write off.
If I push myself too much in this state, tomorrow could be a write off also.

If I slept well last night, the potential for accessing my skills would be greater.