aggh! distracted "driving"

[Ann T.]

Hi, Everyone:-)

I'd really like everyone's on this topic. Do epilepsy medications & epilepsy itself create short attention spans, or what I call distracted "driving"? My mom became horribly irritated when I did several things @ once. I did them because they popped into my head @ that moment: I wanted oatmeal for breakfast, so I opened the oatmeal box; then, I remembered mom wanted me to call electrician, so I looked up the phone#; then I uploaded a Korean drama she enjoys, but left the oatmeal box open & phone book open. That's when mom popped her cork. I'm beginning to feel like a burden.... :-{ Thank you & take care! :-)

[Endless]

lol.... that's not epilepsy. that's aging. my friends and I all laugh about it. they say that at least I have something to blame it on... the E!

I do feel I have extra trouble with paying attention to things, though. I'm so easily distracted. Hard to remember or finish anything.

[Elsie]

I think that's just a type of personality many of us have. Easily sidetracked. I am very stressed about life in general at the moment, several very important things going on, and huge project left undone at my desk because of no time. I am so sidetracked over all this, I almost had 3 accidents today in the car. I came to the conclusion that I needed to stay focused and concentrate on what I was doing, soon as I did that everything was ok.

Now where did I leave my water glass?...

[Nakamova]

I have some days that are just like that. But I know my patterns now, so that if the keys aren't where they're supposed to be, there are a few choice places I tend to leave them.

[Zoofemme]

Funny this should be brought up...my neurologist and i discussed this the other day because it is one of the things that really bothers me. SHe said in my case it is probably a combination of things; the E, my meds, fatigue, and "fibro fog". My guess is age doesn't help it any either

[hootie]

I was having a day like that yesterday...and I don't have E or take any meds.

[epileric]

I've always had a short attention span & always thought it was my meds.

Actually that's one reason I'm not in any rush to get my drivers license.

[carolyn]

Lol it sounds a lot like me

Begining million things one after another and then forgetting about half of them... But I've always been like that. Even when I study i can't read for more than 20 mins at a time and I often switch between different courses to keep myself engaged... If I stick to one thing for too long I just tune out. When I talk to my friends I also tend to be 'all over the place' sometimes- changing topics because one thing reminds me of another and so on. My neurologist said it fits ADD but the older I get, the more I am able to cope with this. I've become more organised, make lists etc. and just try to remember to finish things I begin

But my mom is exactly the same. For example, she can't sit down and see a whole movie at once. She hates cinemas for that reason lol. At home when she watches a movie she will be replying to emails, talking on the phone or doing some other things at the same time (not even looking at the tv). I watch most of my movies on dvds because then I can pause whenever I need and I can sometimes pause a 20 minute cartoon three times and decide to do 5 other things that are not even urgent during that time. Those distracting thoughts just enter my mind and I can't concentrate on anything else if I don't do what they say... But I am aware I have this problem and as hard as it is sometimes I just try to do my best to fight being so chaotic and it does work when I make an effort. I usually do that when I am around other people but when I am alone and I don't need be 'organised' I am very all over the place...

[RobinN]

I don't have Epilepsy, I don't have a short attention span, but my mind is always working, and I can have quite a few things going at once. I think it bugs my husband, but I think he would rather have a creative wife, than one that sat on the couch watching soap operas all day.

EX: I have a skirt half made on the dining room table (with sewing machine out), I have sketches here on the desk for two projects I am working on, and I have the orange press on the counter, where I just pressed a glass of fresh OJ, and I haven't cleaned up yet. I just make a good attempt to clean up before anyone gets home, so they are not put out with my "creativity".

"A creative mess is better than idle tidiness."
— Michael J. Fox

[carolyn]

"A creative mess is better than idle tidiness."
— Michael J. Fox

Lol, so true.

+ right now I have 45 tabs open in my Opera browser and around 10 in Firefox... seeing one thing makes me look for another without finishing what I started reading.. and I leave them all open because I intend to go back and finish reading sometime..

[Zoofemme]

Now you guys sound like my husband...I always give him a hard time about having adult add, lol.

[Endless]

When I'm talking about my short attention span, I'm talking about doing just one thing, and not being able to follow it and finish it. Right now even watching a 2 hour movie is almost impossible for me. I lose track. Or I see a bird out the window and forget what I was doing altogether.

[carolyn]

When I'm talking about my short attention span, I'm talking about doing just one thing, and not being able to follow it and finish it. Right now even watching a 2 hour movie is almost impossible for me. I lose track. Or I see a bird out the window and forget what I was doing altogether.

I am not able to follow one thing too, that's why I am constantly switching between many tasks because I can't stick to just one .

[Elsie]

Well, maybe the meds do contribute to it. My problems driving seem to be getting worse. Yesterday I pulled out onto 4 lane divided highway wanting to go east, but went into the median when I discovered in time, thank goodness if I went east there I would be on the wrong side of the road. Had to go west and turn around. Then today I'm driving DH and stopped at a light and totally didn't see everyone's signals going the opposite direction and just sat there when I should have been driving.

Maybe it is my level of stress. I'm starting to wonder, though.

[gr33nr0se]

my answer won't do much good but i have really bad ADD, i found out the the two are sometimes associated, but usually you are distracted and ADDish before seizures start