Ask HN: Should I medicate my ADHD?

Anyone who's experienced it will understand.

I've described it as feeling like you're thin, stretched, like butter spread over too much bread. And people promptly reply "like a robot, am I right". It's definitely a thing.

I think the problem is that a lot of people are written a prescription and told “ok, go get on with things”.

I worked with a psychiatrist over nearly 18 months titrating up and down on various different medications until we found one that worked best. And the we played with not only dosage but dosing patterns until I felt it was working without making me robotic (which some of them did for sure). It was a lot of work and required a LOT of input and self reflection on my part (and a lot of logging of things!) but worked out very well.

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Ok so these are my personal experiences as an “intelligent” scattered ADHD type. Meditation works, exercise works, medication works, talk therapy works, organisational systems work. Organisational systems emerge as a result of effort applied and previously mentioned interventions. Read about your disability and understand it. Learn to understand your own limitations. Medication may be the spring board to form habits that do not cure your ADHD but manage its impact.

Some psychiatrists feel that ADHD is a manifestation of a deep discomfort with societal rules that were forced upon someone from birth, without consent. I feel some truth to this. This paragraph is not advice but speculation.

First, get advice from a psych.

Anecdotally, after much dithering for the same reasons as you, I was diagnosed with mostly inattentive type in my 30s, and started on Adderall XR. I got better at work. I didn’t lose hyperfocus, I just gained the ability to turn it off if I wanted to. Also, boring work like Jira backlog cleaning became possible.

The only downside is it’s an appetite suppressant, so if you already struggled to eat enough, that’ll get harder. Put some trail mix by your desk; it’s a lot easier to munch on a few handfuls than it is to stop working and get up.

Personally, I’m now on Mydayis, which is a triple-release XR, because Adderall XR wasn’t lasting long enough for me – turns out it’s very helpful to have your brain working properly in the late afternoon / evening as well, especially if you have kids (which I do).