• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Does distraction really distract you?

Pats

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Does distraction distract you? I don't think it does me. I've always been like this but it really stood out to me thanksgiving day. I was going to go upstairs for dinner and join my son, his wife, his three boys and their girlfriends. I had done some research on our ancestry and was going to tell them about it. Just an interesting tidbit that I thought they would enjoy knowing about our ancestor being part of the first thanksgiving. So the story was on my mind. I wasn't afraid I'd forget it and it wasn't important how it was told, but the story stayed in my mind ALL day long. It was actually getting on my nerves that it wouldn't leave the forefront of my mind. I tried playing my games, working my puzzles, doing some cooking, etc etc. I had hundreds of other thoughts shifting through my mind but the story stayed right there. No matter what I did, there it was.
It made me wonder if that's why it's so hard for me to let go of things sometimes - because no matter how hard I try it just won't leave.
 
I'm pretty forgetful about most things, even without distractions. But if there was something important or interesting that I wanted to share, it would probably stay in my thoughts for a while, too.
 
Does distraction distract you? I don't think it does me. I've always been like this but it really stood out to me thanksgiving day. I was going to go upstairs for dinner and join my son, his wife, his three boys and their girlfriends. I had done some research on our ancestry and was going to tell them about it. Just an interesting tidbit that I thought they would enjoy knowing about our ancestor being part of the first thanksgiving. So the story was on my mind. I wasn't afraid I'd forget it and it wasn't important how it was told, but the story stayed in my mind ALL day long. It was actually getting on my nerves that it wouldn't leave the forefront of my mind. I tried playing my games, working my puzzles, doing some cooking, etc etc. I had hundreds of other thoughts shifting through my mind but the story stayed right there. No matter what I did, there it was.
It made me wonder if that's why it's so hard for me to let go of things sometimes - because no matter how hard I try it just won't leave.

That is almost like getting a song stuck in your head.
 
I can certainly relate. If there is something on my mind, it will stick and be replayed over and over. Getting it off my mind can be really hard.
 
I wish I knew why that happens, sometimes it's really frustrating. It gets so that it becomes like an echo over and over in my mind. Somehow not wanting to forget something makes it happen for me. And it can be so annoying.
 
I wish I knew why that happens, sometimes it's really frustrating. It gets so that it becomes like an echo over and over in my mind. Somehow not wanting to forget something makes it happen for me. And it can be so annoying.
I wonder if it's a type of echolalia - only not spoken out loud.
 
Huh. I actually can utilize this in some fashion. Scanning something into my permanent memory. Having imprinted it into my memory. Though it is not a perfect technique.
 
I wonder if it's a type of echolalia - only not spoken out loud.

It just might be, as the 'try not to forget' gets repeated in the same way as pieces of pop songs, news. I think of the recall of those pieces of songs as elevator music in the brain, when its taking a break.
 
Last edited:
Distraction very much distracts me. I can't get the rest of the noise out of my head to focus on what I need to.
 
I get so focused on things that distraction isn't an issue. Somebody trying to talk to me may never get through. If I am doing something that disinterests me, yet still requires concentration, everything is a distraction.
 
Relates, I wake up thinking of my interests and trying to elucidate mysteries about something, and no thinking is enough to solve it.

Im curious, what exactly you have thought about it? i also think it's nice that you're so interested in things that help you connect with your family and close ones, and I can see how it helps in making them stronger.
 
The repetitive thinking was not to remember - just repetitive thinking. Kind of when I passed by two people talking about having to work night shift for a week or two weeks and I said in my head that I've worked nights for20 years. I've worked nights for 20 years. I've worked nights for 20 years. The phrase would not go away. I shopped and was able to look at my list and get what I needed, but the statement went through my head the entire time.
Thanks @Rexi for your comment. I had traced our tree back to Stephen Hopkins and thought the kids would enjoy knowing a few facts about him. Appropriate for thanksgiving and they all thought it was pretty neat. :) And, ya know, it still didn't leave my head once I told it. That's why I wonder if it's a form of echolalia.
 
I tend to forget things within moments. It might come back again and again, but it's almost always forgotten again and again as well.
 

New Threads

Top Bottom