It depends. If I get into a really interesting book, and then spend several hours reading, I sometimes feel like that. Like I got so sucked into the world of the book that I left this one. Sometimes at the end of a really long, really good movie I feel the same. It doesn’t feel as bad as you describe though. Just kind of disorienting.

If I get into a flow state at work it feels fantastic. At the end I feel tired, but in a good way. I can relax and usually kind of revel in whatever was created during the flow state. It feels so good, I have to be careful not to overindulge. If I don’t watch it, I’ll ignore all the boring work that’s not likely to get me into a flow.

I highly recommend anyone with ADHD to look into flow state theory.

My partner and I call it a hyperfocus hangover.

My psychologist explained that it is hard to feel happy, satisfied, or fullfilled if you’re exhausted. Happiness required energy.
Students who have just finished a long exam are a great example. They’ve just spent hours focusing as hard as they can, and they’re all exhausted. Not many would describe themselves as happy immediately after.

Hyper focusing can use a lot of energy even though you’re not aware of it. When you finally stop, you become aware of just how little energy you have left.

My psychologist recommended mindfulness. Recognise when you’re exhausted, be aware of the causes (lack of rest, food, water…), and accept that it will take time for you to start feeling better again.

Understanding what’s happening can make the symptoms more bearable.

I forget to eat all the time due to hyper focusing. I’ll hyperfocus on an activity as a way to avoid doing a chore, and then the chore never gets done. I’ll start hyper focusing at 8pm and next time I look at the clock it’s 3am. It absolutely has drawbacks. The best way to get out of it (for me, at least) is to set an alarm (if I can remember).

It feels like the activity is partaking of me rather than the reverse

Thanks for giving me these words to describe the feeling so well. I don’t feel interested and passionate… I feel consumed and dominated.

Now that I think about it, lots of words that describe focus have etymologies that feel appropriately sinister. Captivated, enthralled, enraptured, fascinated, bewitched, mesmerized, hooked - all related to being controlled against your will.

I don’t like to call it hyperfocus because of this narrative that it is a “superpower”. It is still inappropriate focus. Barkley calls it “perseveration”, which seems more accurate to me. Yes I can get things done, but at the cost of an inability to observe time and by causing me to forget everything else, including food.

Medication has been wonderful but it isn’t perfect, and I find that it takes work for me not to overcorrect and lapse into too deep a state of focus.

As for exhaustion, I used to get that when I was undermedicated. At the appropriate dose, I’m fine. My “natural” state of perseveration of focus usually comes with much larger baggage (eg. blind panic at a looming deadline) so it’s hard to ascribe the exhaustion to the act of focusing.