Faddy behaviour

[superticklemonster]

Posting for traffic mainly.

I've always had a bit of a streak of becoming very fixated on something for a period of time.

It could be a celebrity, a hobby, a project. It always follows the same pattern of behaviour. Something interests me and I become really fixated on it, throwing myself in head first and finding out everything I can about it and then as quickly as it starts it stops.

I can never finish a project. I've got sewing machines and half finished patterns, bags of wool for jumpers that are half knitted, half finished books that swore I would read, paint samples and Pinterest boards for rooms that I ended up getting fed up with and just painted magnolia and filled with IKEA furniture to get it done.

Is this normal behaviour? It really gets me down that I never seem to finish a project but it's like the initial interest is so intense and I'm the urge to finish things burns so brightly that it just fizzles out and becomes an annoyance.

Are you worried about it?
Is it causing problems in your life?

Are you neglecting things you should be doing to obsess over a celebrity, or just doing it in time that you would otherwise spend watching TV?

Can you afford to buy craft materials and then decide that knitting is not for you, or are you spending money you need for essentials?

One positive way of looking at it is that you are enthusiastic and curious, and find things that you enjoy very easily. It's a great thing to be about to look at the world and constantly be thinking 'wow... isn't that amazing? I want to know more!'

I'm like that but I think I have undiagnosed ADD

Also sounds like me and I think I have undiagnosed ASD.

Nearly all crafting hobbies are 10% excitement and planning and 90% fiddly slog.

Nothing has been to an extent detrimental. I've long wondered if I'm undiagnosed ASD, but it's not something I'd pursue.

It's the same with friends as well. I have very few long-term friends and those I have I see very infrequently. I get over excited at the thought of "making friends" but nothing ever comes to fruition. I tend to make a good first impression but then people avoid me.

It used to bother me a lot more but I've just started looking at doing some additional learning (again) and I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it because it'll be another flash in the pan.

ASD springs to mind but there would be other issues not just this one thing in isolation. It's only a problem if it actually negatively affects your life.

The ASD thing is more related to other things as well. I have issues with simple things like brushing my teeth, bathing and stuff like that. I have to force myself because it makes my skin crawl and I have to set myself reminders or I just won't do it.

As a child (and still do if I'm not concentrating) I would only walk on my tiptoes. I also spoke in a weird "Minnie mouse" voice my parents used to say and I'm renowned for constantly interrupting, listening and not registering stuff. My dh will tel me things ten times over and I just won't register it or pay any attention. I try really hard but it's like I just zone out and don't retain the information. However I could tell you what I had for a school dinner back in 1994, even down to the colour of the plate.

I've also been known to just walk off if a conversation doesn't interest me and I can't mask when I don't care about something, even I try. I hate upsetting people but I physically can't make myself do it.

My dm used to just say I was just an awkward child and would constantly remind me that people didn't "think like me".

It's something that I've got better at as I've got older but I have to keep on my toes and remind myself to do certain things and act certain ways.

I've also noticed I can give eye contact when people talk to me but if I speak I can't look at people. I will look at everything but their face and try and look "past" the person I'm speaking to give the impression I'm speaking to them.

It's not something that I'm too worried about but I've felt very "weird" for most of my life. I get very attached to people very quickly and it can come across as super intense.

I've always felt like friendships and relationships (with a few exceptions) feel a bit like "cardboard cut outs" like, they're there and they look the part but they're actually super shallow and there's nothing really to them.

I often wonder if I'm pretty much incapable of having meaningful connections with people sometimes. I get super frustrated with my kids as well. I absolutely adore them but my tolerance for bad behaviour is quite low and if they don't do things logically I get really upset and ready and I have to step away to another room because I just can't "deal with it". They're great kids though, well loved and cared for and super well behaved 99% of the time though.