I have a short attention span. I don't have ADD. What else can there be?

Question

People said I don't listen. In class I can't pay attention to the teacher that much. The only time I pay attention is when I'm taking notes, but then I forget what I was learning.

Answer 1

I had a professor who was a clinician also. He had a patient/mother who was concerned her child kept pulling his hair out while studying. The mother was expecting to go deep into therapy and find the psychological reasons for this and was somewhat shocked that the psychologist simply suggested shaving his hair military style. Problem solved.

You may not need to find the cause; you may not have a short attention span but rather be lacking something you care about to pay attention to in the first place. Early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise. What makes you want to get up early and get started first thing in the morning?

Are you well rested with 7-9 hrs of sleep every night? Are you hydrated? Drink water between every class. Blood glucose/insulin levels could also be an issue. A one-time test in a doctors office is NOT sufficient. You need to track your levels throughout the day/week.

Don't allow yourself to be labeled. Talk to your teachers, parents, doctors, et al about this for help but don't expect an overnight solution. Like physical fitness, you can improve or decrease your attention performance at anytime throughout your life.

Answer 2

Go to your doctor for a correct diagnosis first. If he/she says you have ADD then take the damn pills. If you don't, you probably got what I got - lack of motivation. Maybe you're like me and feel that the teacher has a boring, monotonous voice. Or maybe you know the material so well you feel less motivated to listen. Or maybe there is so much focus on other events occurring in your life that your mind wonders. Do you get enough sleep? Taking recreational drugs? Feeling hungry? Hot day? Hot date?

Well at least you are taking notes. For some people, taking notes help them learn. Others need to take the hands-on approach. I don't think a lot of people have the imagination to grasp all verbal concepts unless the teacher is pretty damn good.

I am a lot like you when it comes to studying. Verbal messages buzz right pass but I take notes either way. Here is where we may differ. Why messages pass me is because I am very lazy and don't study. In high school my study material was doing the homework. In college there is no homework so it's all about free will and delayed consequences. Anyways, back to the studying, in my case, I am not prepared for the lecture, thus I can't grasp the concepts.

If you are like me, then it takes a lot more self discipline and work to succeed academically.

Answer 3

Maybe you are not eating well enough. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are good for the brain. (Omega 3 and 6 are found in fish, hemp seed oil, flax seeds) When your brain lacks certain vitamins and minerals it gets tired and does not perform well, just as if your body lacks the right nutrience then it gets tired...

If this is not the problem, get a second opinion... Maybe another doctor will tell you it is ADD.

If you have a bunch of stressful thing in your life maybe it is that. When you are stressed out about a bunch of different things then it is hard to focus on a teacher or on work or on another task you might find boring...

Good luck!

Answer 4

I was gonna say caffeine. There might not be a problem. How much do you really want to be there, doing that? If you don't your in good company.

Einstein didn't either. That is why he flunked 3rd grade.

Do you get much exercise outdoors, the rough and tumble fun stuff? Running, and sweating, and falling in the leaves? That can really help work off tension, and help ya relax.

As far as these people saying these things, tune these busy bodies out! They are a big part of the problem, I'll bet.

If you were to chart and measure them that way, you sure wouldn't find them perfect either, right?

Answer 5

it may be a learning cap disorder

like me with math, i can add,subtract and have difficulty multiplying, though i learned geometry and other math stuff i couldnt do them if my life depended on it

like they say, weakness in one area only shows strength in another

but it also depends what you mean by paying attention,
if you mean u cant stop thinking bout other stuff or cant stop gawking at somone in class, that would mean you have your priorities out of wack

if you mean you pay attention to what your supposed to be learning but forget it soon as the teacher stops teaching
then you may have a learning cap or other psycological disorder

Answer 6

I found out here in our school that the teachers were saying my son had ADD and they were pushing it, well come to find out the school gets 7 thousands dollars For each child that takes medicine for the ADD. No lie! I took my son off the meds. because he didnt need it and now they still say he is on the meds. For 7 thousand a month!!! your a child, what kid has not lost attention in class?

Answer 7

Try the B vitamins. A sublingual { under the tongue } B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid is a good start. The B vitamins help mental energy. I use vitamins from Wonder Labs....google them..

Answer 8

This is not good. You need to intentionally practice focusing your attention. Get tested too. This does not sound normal and it is robbing you of your education and putting you on the fast track to a less interesting future.

Answer 9

Why don't you think you have ADD? What you are describing is a classic ADD scenario. Not all ADD is marked by Hyperactivity, many people have the Inattentive type which makes it difficult to concentrate. I myself have both.

Answer 10

maybe your just not interested in what your supposed to be learning so you forget. it happens to a lot of people