One small typo: should be “stimulation” not “simulation” 😉 Source: I am a diagnosed ADHD pup (37yrs). That crash right after you stop doing something super engaging (reading a good book, playing a game, working on a project)…it is just that instantaneous sometimes! Fortunately, my dogs don’t mind take a nap with me wherever. :-p
Colette
Lee, ADHD is a form of Attention Deficit Disorder; where your mind and attention hop around like a bunny on steroids. You start something, but in the middle of doing that, you see something else that needs your attention, and you jump to that, only to find out that you can’t remember what you were doing before THAT.
I have ADHD, but I also have that tendency you described to fall into a deep sleep within a split second. Sometimes, it only takes a blink of an eye, and I’m “gone”… which is very scary if you happen to be driving a car.. It’s called NARCOLEPSY. I was diagnosed at 19 by the Head of Neurology at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital . I’m now in my 70’s and I’m still fighting against it. It’s very disorienting when you come “out of it”…. there’s a feeling of not knowing where you are, or how you got there. The doctor told me it has nothing to do with your health or body strength. It’s something related to the brain.
He had a narcoleptic patient who was a football player. He fell into a deep sleep, bent over in the middle of a group huddle…. or, there was another patient who was participating in a “forced march” in the Army but was overcome by sleep. He dropped out of the march and curled up on the side of the road, like a baby in sleep.
Google Narcolepsy, and see if those symptoms match up with your tendencies.
Lee
Thank you, Collette! I will look in to that. I always figured it was just part of the ADHD – once the hyperfocus was broken, my body recognized other needs.
Colette
Lee,
The reason I sought help was because of an incident at work. I worked in graphic arts my whole life. One of my co-workers called me over to her work station to get my opinion on a piece she was working on. While I was standing next to her, discussing it, I fell into a deep sleep…. at which point, the words coming out of me were making no sense to her. I had shifted from talking about the artwork to whatever the “character” in my dream was saying. She shook my arm and woke me up. Welcome to Narcolepsy Land! That’s when I realized something wasn’t right. That still happens, but at least my friends now know enough to wake me up when I check out!!
Within the last year, I went online again to see if there were any new meds to help with this, but according to patients’ reports, the ones they’re now offering create even more vivid hallucinations than narcolepsy causes on its own, so I’m staying away from them. I’m pretty much living with it “cold turkey” and adjusting how I approach things to keep myself as safe as I can.
Lee
Thank you for sharing this info and your experiences! As fortunate has it, I have my annual medical check-up appt coming up, so I will educate myself and talk to my PCM.
Lee
Kenny and Will: Thank you for your excellent conversation facilitation. 😉 Helping out the Humans in new ways every day. 🙂
One small typo: should be “stimulation” not “simulation” 😉 Source: I am a diagnosed ADHD pup (37yrs). That crash right after you stop doing something super engaging (reading a good book, playing a game, working on a project)…it is just that instantaneous sometimes! Fortunately, my dogs don’t mind take a nap with me wherever. :-p
Lee, ADHD is a form of Attention Deficit Disorder; where your mind and attention hop around like a bunny on steroids. You start something, but in the middle of doing that, you see something else that needs your attention, and you jump to that, only to find out that you can’t remember what you were doing before THAT.
I have ADHD, but I also have that tendency you described to fall into a deep sleep within a split second. Sometimes, it only takes a blink of an eye, and I’m “gone”… which is very scary if you happen to be driving a car.. It’s called NARCOLEPSY. I was diagnosed at 19 by the Head of Neurology at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital . I’m now in my 70’s and I’m still fighting against it. It’s very disorienting when you come “out of it”…. there’s a feeling of not knowing where you are, or how you got there. The doctor told me it has nothing to do with your health or body strength. It’s something related to the brain.
He had a narcoleptic patient who was a football player. He fell into a deep sleep, bent over in the middle of a group huddle…. or, there was another patient who was participating in a “forced march” in the Army but was overcome by sleep. He dropped out of the march and curled up on the side of the road, like a baby in sleep.
Google Narcolepsy, and see if those symptoms match up with your tendencies.
Thank you, Collette! I will look in to that. I always figured it was just part of the ADHD – once the hyperfocus was broken, my body recognized other needs.
Lee,
The reason I sought help was because of an incident at work. I worked in graphic arts my whole life. One of my co-workers called me over to her work station to get my opinion on a piece she was working on. While I was standing next to her, discussing it, I fell into a deep sleep…. at which point, the words coming out of me were making no sense to her. I had shifted from talking about the artwork to whatever the “character” in my dream was saying. She shook my arm and woke me up. Welcome to Narcolepsy Land! That’s when I realized something wasn’t right. That still happens, but at least my friends now know enough to wake me up when I check out!!
Within the last year, I went online again to see if there were any new meds to help with this, but according to patients’ reports, the ones they’re now offering create even more vivid hallucinations than narcolepsy causes on its own, so I’m staying away from them. I’m pretty much living with it “cold turkey” and adjusting how I approach things to keep myself as safe as I can.
Thank you for sharing this info and your experiences! As fortunate has it, I have my annual medical check-up appt coming up, so I will educate myself and talk to my PCM.
Kenny and Will: Thank you for your excellent conversation facilitation. 😉 Helping out the Humans in new ways every day. 🙂