---
title: ADHD and hyperfocus
description: "Can people with ADHD sometimes be very focused? Learn about hyperfocus and ADHD. Find out why people with ADHD can focus on some things but not others. \n"
slug: adhd-and-hyperfocus
author: Gail Belsky
reviewer: Ellen Braaten, PhD
published: '2019-09-18T20:30:04.617Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/6jeJizaKv88p57f4Abjiwy/326148f6c94b3f1137b71da48a62fa37/G724227445.png
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/adhd-and-hyperfocus
lang: en
---

# ADHD and hyperfocus

People with ADHD have difficulty focusing. But many can also *hyperfocus *on things they’re very interested in. 

The idea of hyperfocus can be confusing. How can a person who has trouble focusing on most things lose themselves in a video game, movie, or craft project for hours? It might look like that person doesn’t really struggle with attention. 

But having good focus requires two things. People need to be able to pay attention even if something isn’t that interesting. And they need to be able to *not* pay attention to something interesting — or something that’s bothering them — when they need to focus on doing what they’re doing.

---

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