Can anyone help my with my concentration troubles?

This is something that has troubled me for most of my college career. Wasn't really a problem in high school because I didn't need to concentrate on things to make decent grades. Right now I am trying to study for a final in one class and write a research paper for another and I have just been having hell concentrating when I am studying or trying to write. It is so ******* frustrating. Its so maddening at times that I want to go see a doctor to see if I do have something wrong. Like I notice whenever I am in class I am always moving around and can never get comfortable, and no one else seems to really be like that. Anyhow...that is probably just another issue, but who knows maybe it is connected. Back to what I was talking about, I am graduating in a few weeks and I have dealt with this for the last 5 years I have been in school, but lately I have just been having more and more trouble keeping things organized in my head. Say I am trying to take an essay test I will have absolute hell organizing my thoughts when I am trying to write even after I outline things and do the necessary things to get organized before a test.

So here is my question...has anyone experienced this problem? and to anyone who has can you give me help on ways I can work on my ability to concentrate? Also, if anyone has any advice on what I can do to help my concentration problems please give me some help because I am about to lose it if I have another pointless night of studying nothing.

One more thing I wanted to add that I thought was interesting and could be connected...I was taking this supplement 1-AD to help gain muscle. It increases your testosterone level, anyhow I stopped taking it after two weeks because it flat out killed my sex drive and my girlfriend wasn't happy with that. I noticed that during the time when I had a very low sex drive that I could concentrate better and my mind wouldn't be as off the wall when I tried to study. Just wanted to throw that in if that helps anyone with my problem.

 

Well here is what I found on adult ADHD

1. Do you have difficulty concentrating or focusing your attention on one thing?
2. Do you often start multiple projects at the same time, but rarely finish them?
3. Do you have trouble with organization?
4. Do you procrastinate on projects that take a lot of attention to detail?
5. Do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?
6. Do you have trouble staying seated during meetings or other activities?
7. Are you restless or fidgety?
8. Do you often lose or misplace things?
9. Do you post on Clutchcity.net at odd hours of the night when you have other obligations?

I answered yes to all of them....how many of those did you guys answer yes to? This little test seems like it could apply to many people.

 

You sound exactly like me when I am trying to write papers and study and stuff. Its like I will get going and make some progress, but the second I start getting something done and figuring out what I want to write I want to go do something else. If I am on my computer then that means I check out fantasy baseball for a few minutes...if I am at a coffee shop then it usually means my mind will just wander and start thinking about other things.

What you are like when it comes to simple tasks? For me I can do simple, repetitive type things, such as memorization of number or something like that, for extended periods of time.

 

I think I am the only one who has noticed my fidgeting and stuff like that. So you brought up a good point with the ADD and not ADHD. When I was just doing some research on this there is almost like a continuum for this disorder going from attention deficit problems to hyperactivity and a combination of both. I think I lean much more to the attention deficit part, but some hyperactivity is exhibited through my constant movement. Like I can't hold still for the life of me. I'm not bouncing off the walls, but like when I am in class I notice I am the only one who ever moves around as much as I do. It drives my girlfriend mad when I am trying to fall asleep too. Thats another thing that might be related to this too. I can't go to sleep unless I am dead tired, so that has caused me to have very odd sleeping habits. Like I will stay up for 20 hours whereas a normal person might only stay up for 16 hours. That's something that didn't really get fixed until I met my girlfriend. I am able to sleep easier when I am with her and I don't stay up until I am exhausted enough to fall asleep fast. Anyhow...enough of my rambling...

Your points about coping strategies are good too. I think I have developed my fair share of them in order to deal with how I am, but what I am going through now with my lack of concentration is more than I have had to deal with in the past and it is almost too much and its frustrating. My last two essays on tests I have taken I have done horribly on because I could not get things organized. I knew what I wanted to say I just couldn't get it out, and I am having this same problem writing this research paper. I wish I would have seen a doctor about this before my finals and stuff was finishing up because I could actually do something to fix this. Maybe I will go make an appointment on Monday and see what I can do about this problem.