My friend's hobbies take over his life, and he doesn't know how to stop it
Hello, dear people.
I want to share my friend's situation and ask for advice. Maybe some of you have experienced something similar. I'm sharing this story with my friend's consent.
My friend likely has ADHD and autism (he is still working with professionals), and one of the biggest challenges in his life is hyperfixations or special interests that become too intense and start affecting his normal routine.
For example, he may start a new hobby because friends invited him to watch a movie, try pottery or play padel. Then it turns into something he can't stop thinking about.
If we're talking about padel, for example, he will watch all the tutorials about how to hold the racket, how to play properly, and how to improve. He will try to attend as many training sessions as possible. He will research and buy the best gear. He will invite all his friends and acquaintances to play with him. Basically, the hobby takes over a huge part of his attention.
I know this may sound like passion, dedication, or simply being excited about something. The problem is that the new hyperfixation drains all energy from other parts of life.
Sometimes he can't fall asleep because he can't stop thinking about how to become better at the hobby, what to learn next, or what else he should do related to it. During the day, he often finds himself thinking about it as well, and because of that he may forget about other activities and responsibilities that are also important.
Another difficult part is that these hyperfixations often disappear as suddenly as they appear. After some time, he can wake up one day and realize that he doesn't care about the hobby anymore. Sometimes he even starts to dislike it. So a new interest takes a lot of time, energy, attention, and resources, and then it suddenly fades away. Sometimes it never comes back, and sometimes it returns years later.
My question is: how do you stop these thoughts from becoming so obsessive? How do you keep the interest enjoyable without letting it completely take over your life?
If you've experienced something similar, what strategies helped? What worked and what didn't?
At the moment, my friend is working with psychiatrists and trying different medications, but it's been difficult to find the right balance. Some medications come with unpleasant side effects, while the hyperfixations and the mental health struggles are still there.
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences and advice. Thanks