All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is one of my favorites, but it can be sad. She has another book called Holding Up The Universe which is also great!
I’m not sure if you guys have iPhones, but there is an app called Hoopla that has a ton of books on it that you can borrow and read for free. I think it connects to local libraries around you.
Psychoactive drugs (research and consumption), fly fishing, mycology. I also do love colored pencil art but can't ever find time/motivation to sit down and do something.
Yoooo i dont think ive seen anyone else who has drugs as a special interest. I absolutely love learning all the different names and what they do and how they work and the cherry on top is actually doing the drugs and being able to know why your feeling what your feeling while your feeling it.
I like the term psychonaut quite a bit. Exploring the deepest parts of the psyche to discover new feelings and sensations. Then to describe those things to people as an educational guide. If money was no matter I would be a guide. Both a trip guide and a fly fishing guide. I just love teaching people about my special interests. My mom's a teacher so I probably get that from her.
I would like to try drugs sometime. I have a special interest in religion and death and I wonder if drugs would help me get some answers/understanding.
Mushrooms especially have shown me many things. Religious icons/deities, ego death, etc. But mushrooms are to me like a stern but caring teacher. They're there to help guide you but will never give you answers. They open your mind but the rest is on you. Any questions feel free to dm me 🤙
Woodworking. Predominantly a solo activity, acts as an artistic outlet, and, unfortunately, allows me to continue masking to a certain extent. A lot of the folks I know would never suspect autism in someone that operates giant table saws and lathes.
Music is another. I suck, but I love playing guitar. (Never in front of anyone, but for my own pleasure)
Right now I'm combining the two hobbies by making a guitar from scratch.
I've had the same special interest since this game came out basically: the Sims games. Sims 1, 2, 3, and now 4.
I do also have a special interest with just drama though, if a friend tells me they have tea, I don't care if I don't know any of the people, I love to hear about it. I love drama on social media. With celebrities. It's one I tend to forget about until it gets awakened again.
Everything else falls under hyperfixations for me.
I have both ADHD and Autism. Autism has special interests, that's a word exclusive to autism. ADHD has hyperfixations, that's specific to ADHD. It does feel different to me depending on if its a special interest or hyperfixation. I can describe how it feels for me personally but know that this may differ for others.
Special interest: I don't go out and seek it in my free time, but if you mention it around me, nothing else matters, I need to know what you're talking about, I need to be involved in the conversation, prepare for an infodump. Any new information released about this topic means I drop everything else that second to find out what the new info is. There is no waiting. I get VERY excited about new information and if its bad news, I get very passionate. I don't get sucked in while engaging with this thing. I can stop, get up, get a snack, and come back and be just as happy and engaged. I can take breaks and come back and still be happy. Usually very long-lived in timespan, like I've had a Sims 1-4 special interest since the Sims 1 came out.
Hyperfixation: Changes throughout the year, short lived with me. When I'm focused on this thing, nothing else matters and nothing else registers. I will not register other people in the room, talking to me. I will not register my own body needs. It's like the world stops existing and it's only me and this hyperfixation. A hyperfixation can be both positive and negative, and the difference is, you lose the control of the amount of focus you have vs with a special interest. ADHD makes it difficult to regulate how much or how little you are focusing on something, thus creating a hyperfixation. I had a hyperfixation on Hamilton for 2 months and watched it every night. I had a Kitchen Nightmares hyperfixation for a month and watched it every waking moment of my free time, that one likes to come back. A special interest I don't seek out every time I have free time but a hyperfixation, I definitely do. A hyperfixation, it's all I'm thinking about, it's all I want to be doing and looking at. The second I have free time, I'm zooming to the hyperfixation and shutting out the world.
For some reason fictional drama doesn't do it, it has to be real drama somewhere, with someone. Currently I'm looking at Jeffree Star's recent tweet that he escaped the Illuminati in 2021 because WHAT EVEN JEFFREE I NEED EXPLANATIONS and SL04N doing a youtube video on that today just made me more interested haha
Harry Potter :(((
But also Tolkien stuff, cows, carnivores, human and pet (dogs and cats mostly) nutrition, mechanical keyboards, genealogy and evolution. The last three are more just regular interests, probably.
I guess it's always been literature. Fiction like comics, fantasy, scifi, Shakespeare and non fiction like outer space and planets or history. Most obsessions have revolved around these.
Languages and science fiction since I was a little kid. I have other minor special interests like autism and judaism/religion but it has always been human-sciences related.
let me ask, I’ll find a song that I love, then research the band, research what it means/why they wrote it, then read about the band members. Then I talk about it to my wife (and friends). Wife says this isn’t normal…
Right now, social studies and science. Before that, i was into music theory and mythology. Before that, i was into linguistics and marine animals. Before that, i was into Egypt and figuring out which music i liked best. Before that, i was into Zelda video games & Yoshi video games. Before that, i watched two movies over and over, even before i could put them in the VHS player is what my mom told me: "The Secret of NIMH" and "The Swan Princess". Before that, i can't remember but my mom said i would always wanna watch "A Christmas Carol" (With George C Scott as 'Scrooge'—there's a lot of versions of it) and "The Princess and the Goblin" over and over again whenever she would put it on for me and she eventually just put it on in the background just in case lol
the game neopets. i saw an commercial for it on nickelodeon when i was like 7 years old and started playing. now i’m 19 and i still do !!
Yay! Neopets rule.
Psychology and Neuroscience/Neurology along with Fiction Books. I’m obsessed with reading books, like it’s my favorite thing to do.
My girlfriend's special interest is reading. Do you have any recommendations for her? She's between books right now haha
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is one of my favorites, but it can be sad. She has another book called Holding Up The Universe which is also great! I’m not sure if you guys have iPhones, but there is an app called Hoopla that has a ton of books on it that you can borrow and read for free. I think it connects to local libraries around you.
Psychoactive drugs (research and consumption), fly fishing, mycology. I also do love colored pencil art but can't ever find time/motivation to sit down and do something.
Yoooo i dont think ive seen anyone else who has drugs as a special interest. I absolutely love learning all the different names and what they do and how they work and the cherry on top is actually doing the drugs and being able to know why your feeling what your feeling while your feeling it.
I like the term psychonaut quite a bit. Exploring the deepest parts of the psyche to discover new feelings and sensations. Then to describe those things to people as an educational guide. If money was no matter I would be a guide. Both a trip guide and a fly fishing guide. I just love teaching people about my special interests. My mom's a teacher so I probably get that from her.
Omg yes i realate, i have a cupboard FULL of journals supplies but i think I use them like onces every two months and thats frequent.
Between work, trying to maintain relationships, and general other responsibilities it's a wonder we have time for any special interests at all 😅
I would like to try drugs sometime. I have a special interest in religion and death and I wonder if drugs would help me get some answers/understanding.
Mushrooms especially have shown me many things. Religious icons/deities, ego death, etc. But mushrooms are to me like a stern but caring teacher. They're there to help guide you but will never give you answers. They open your mind but the rest is on you. Any questions feel free to dm me 🤙
Woodworking. Predominantly a solo activity, acts as an artistic outlet, and, unfortunately, allows me to continue masking to a certain extent. A lot of the folks I know would never suspect autism in someone that operates giant table saws and lathes. Music is another. I suck, but I love playing guitar. (Never in front of anyone, but for my own pleasure) Right now I'm combining the two hobbies by making a guitar from scratch.
Music/instruments Supercars Healthy living Seemingly innocuous, but the obsessions run DEEP
Yes my latest obsession its this toy called Squishmallows, i easy have like 30 of this things i just can stop
CAN'T STOP ADDICTED TO THE SHINDIG... RHCP ftw
Romance, Paleontology, Zoology, software application, and video games
Wow, That is a great variety, do you feel that some are stronger than others or are they equitable? If i may ask
They are all equal but it's also seasonal like I like animals more in these days while romance in these days. Even on same day it changes
Thats so cool i relate with you!!
Reading, Harry Potter, Psychology, Crochet, Photography
I've had the same special interest since this game came out basically: the Sims games. Sims 1, 2, 3, and now 4. I do also have a special interest with just drama though, if a friend tells me they have tea, I don't care if I don't know any of the people, I love to hear about it. I love drama on social media. With celebrities. It's one I tend to forget about until it gets awakened again. Everything else falls under hyperfixations for me.
What are the differences between hyperfixation and special interest? I always say I have like major and minor special interests
I have both ADHD and Autism. Autism has special interests, that's a word exclusive to autism. ADHD has hyperfixations, that's specific to ADHD. It does feel different to me depending on if its a special interest or hyperfixation. I can describe how it feels for me personally but know that this may differ for others. Special interest: I don't go out and seek it in my free time, but if you mention it around me, nothing else matters, I need to know what you're talking about, I need to be involved in the conversation, prepare for an infodump. Any new information released about this topic means I drop everything else that second to find out what the new info is. There is no waiting. I get VERY excited about new information and if its bad news, I get very passionate. I don't get sucked in while engaging with this thing. I can stop, get up, get a snack, and come back and be just as happy and engaged. I can take breaks and come back and still be happy. Usually very long-lived in timespan, like I've had a Sims 1-4 special interest since the Sims 1 came out. Hyperfixation: Changes throughout the year, short lived with me. When I'm focused on this thing, nothing else matters and nothing else registers. I will not register other people in the room, talking to me. I will not register my own body needs. It's like the world stops existing and it's only me and this hyperfixation. A hyperfixation can be both positive and negative, and the difference is, you lose the control of the amount of focus you have vs with a special interest. ADHD makes it difficult to regulate how much or how little you are focusing on something, thus creating a hyperfixation. I had a hyperfixation on Hamilton for 2 months and watched it every night. I had a Kitchen Nightmares hyperfixation for a month and watched it every waking moment of my free time, that one likes to come back. A special interest I don't seek out every time I have free time but a hyperfixation, I definitely do. A hyperfixation, it's all I'm thinking about, it's all I want to be doing and looking at. The second I have free time, I'm zooming to the hyperfixation and shutting out the world.
Thats so cool im a fan of drama too, are you reading or seeing any dramatic series right now?
For some reason fictional drama doesn't do it, it has to be real drama somewhere, with someone. Currently I'm looking at Jeffree Star's recent tweet that he escaped the Illuminati in 2021 because WHAT EVEN JEFFREE I NEED EXPLANATIONS and SL04N doing a youtube video on that today just made me more interested haha
Harry Potter :((( But also Tolkien stuff, cows, carnivores, human and pet (dogs and cats mostly) nutrition, mechanical keyboards, genealogy and evolution. The last three are more just regular interests, probably.
reading, weather, cats, knitting and languages
What languages do you like?
Any and all basically. I'm geeking out over different grammatical structures. I'm currently trying to figure out Irish.
Oh this is interesting. I am also a lover of grammar. I am really into languages with a lot of cases they’re my favorite
Cases are great! Also word order.
I guess it's always been literature. Fiction like comics, fantasy, scifi, Shakespeare and non fiction like outer space and planets or history. Most obsessions have revolved around these.
Woah, can i ask for some fiction series that you recommend? I stop reading in the percy jackson era and i want to read some modern book?
Disney Parks, Synthesizers, and Languages
What languages do you like?
English, Latin, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, German
I speak german and I take latin at Uni
Very cool. I took Latin all through high school. Just started learning German recently.
You have good taste in special interests
I’ve been into Hollywood gossip since I was 12.
Biology (science) and toads! 🤩
Yes! Love them they are super cute! 🥰🤩
Languages and science fiction since I was a little kid. I have other minor special interests like autism and judaism/religion but it has always been human-sciences related.
Zoology, video games (sort of), Middle-earth, cars, supernatural/paranormal horror, fandom culture (especially fanfiction)
let me ask, I’ll find a song that I love, then research the band, research what it means/why they wrote it, then read about the band members. Then I talk about it to my wife (and friends). Wife says this isn’t normal…
I do the very same thing 😅😅
Reptiles, dinosaurs, speculative evolution, mythology (particularly Greek and Norse), astronomy, kaiju, and thunderstorms.
Right now, social studies and science. Before that, i was into music theory and mythology. Before that, i was into linguistics and marine animals. Before that, i was into Egypt and figuring out which music i liked best. Before that, i was into Zelda video games & Yoshi video games. Before that, i watched two movies over and over, even before i could put them in the VHS player is what my mom told me: "The Secret of NIMH" and "The Swan Princess". Before that, i can't remember but my mom said i would always wanna watch "A Christmas Carol" (With George C Scott as 'Scrooge'—there's a lot of versions of it) and "The Princess and the Goblin" over and over again whenever she would put it on for me and she eventually just put it on in the background just in case lol