Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

301–310 of 401 posts

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#301

Post by dhanna »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #106

You may have "non-problematic" ADHD, or not consider it a problem. But there may be a few things you struggle with that you aren't telling. Emotional stability. My girlfriend had massive ups and downs, almost bipolar; the medication (slow release, concerta or its cheaper but equivalent alternative) evened things out. I have a friend who doesn't want the diagnosis or treatment because he's fine with it, and you can te…

>>Another one is things being "loud / busy" in your head, maddeningly so. I've heard that taking the meds quiets things down, and it's a relief.

I agree, this is a big issue. It’s like having a lightning storm in your brain. I literally count how long it takes for a random racing thought to pop in my head when this becomes an issue. I also talk to myself way more than an average person.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#302

Post by Jiocus »

bluefirebrand wrote: post #179
globular-toast wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does "10x on productivity" mean? I thought ADHD would lead to lower productivity.

This is a common misconception about ADHD. People with ADHD have a tendency to hyperfocus on things they enjoy, to the detriment of other things. ADHD is not a lack of focus, it is a lack of Executive Function. Sometimes the Executive Function looks easily distracted because it doesn't want to do chores so it bounces from room to room cleaning one single surface in each one. Sometimes the Executive Function looks lik…

You're totally right about it being an executive function disorder.

There's a variant of ADHD that tilts to the other end of the scale. Where the executive function doesn't fire by stimulus that ought to "execute". Less things overall catches the attention and leads to action, but the things that do, does so in the focused, engaged way.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#303

Post by dhanna »

reducesuffering wrote: post #289

I've recently considered if I've always had ADHD and have gone back and forth on it in my head. On one hand, symptoms sound common to most people. On the other there's a lot of anecdotes that match my life to a tee. I was "gifted" in school growing up. I breezed through school ages 5-12 with ease but loathing homework. At 11, a teacher told my parent and I that I'm able to get great grades now by intellect, but when…

Yeah, go to the doctor man.

Not taking care of yourself is one of the worse symptoms of ADHD/mental illness. I stopped taking my meds back in December and just started seeing my psychiatrist today.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#304

Post by brailsafe »

Loughla wrote: post #12

So my take maybe isn't the healthiest on this, not sure. If you believe you have ADHD, and your therapist believes you have ADHD, BUT your life isn't negatively impacted by it , why start treatment now? Ask yourself if you have any negative impacts from ADHD. Ask your spouse. Personal relationships, professional work, all aspects. If the answer is no, then why bother? Source: ADHD treatments that left me a zombie whe…

I don't think treatment is always a necessary outcome, but awareness probably is. Medication helps with doing things, but if all you did was take medication, your family would still have no idea why you constantly lose your housekey or why you chronically show up late. Simply being able to establish that "these are things I'm not going to be good at" or something along those lines is an improvement.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#305

Post by annie_muss »

I was diagnosed almost a year ago at age 30.

I think 'How would this help me?' is a great question to explore. I'm quite different to you as I struggle to maintain a full time job or a consistent relationship. Adults with ADHD have often developed coping methods and systems that work well for them.

Even if you are diagnosed you don't have to take any particular course of action. Medication is not mandatory.

After I was diagnosed I tried concerta. I didn't really feel it helped me a lot. I am currently in part time work but struggling to progress in my career. 8 years in and I'm still a junior and I think my condition is a big contributor.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#306

Post by brailsafe »

After being diagnosed 3 years ago, the improvements are that I now have a tool to help me get things done, I can set expectations more sensibly with others that respect me, and I at least have a framework for setting my expectations of myself. It hasn't helped me keep a job yet, in part because my last employer didn't accept that I couldn't be expected to respond to customers in a timely manner or that I really couldn't tolerate the open office eating sounds. It hasn't yet helped me recover from burnout which I have a tendency to succumb to, and I'm now more than a year out of work for the 2nd or 3rd time this decade. It doesn't help me respond to stress in the way that society is kind of set up to take advantage of. No amount of external pressure will influence me to do anything differently than I'd do otherwise, unless I'm able to internalize a need to do it. As soon I feel like an external pressure is arbitrary, the structure around it collapses. It hasn't helped my horrendously offset sleep cycle, memory (which might be negatively impacted also by concussions or whatever else). It does help me understand how I get into conversations with random people on the street that can last for hours, and my partner isn't all that surprised anymore.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#307

Post by Spivak »

Dma54rhs wrote: post #284
LastManStanding wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone reading this comment should be extremely skeptical of internet strangers like Matlin who do not have the condition thinking they know what is best for you. These medications do not work the same way on people who do not have ADHD. I get zero euphoia from these medications, and they got rid of serious insommnia problem. If you don't have ADHD your experience will be far different.

This is junk science you're repeating. There's no validity in claim people who have adhd don't experience euphoria. Some people get more euphoric than others, adhd symptoms or not and surprise stimulants make people more productive.

Except, ya know, the lived experiences of ADHD sufferers like myself. I get zero euphoria from my meds.

The idea that you think people with ADHD are just normal people who have trouble focusing are missing it by a mile. Caffine makes me sleepy.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#308

Post by Spivak »

dk775 wrote: post #293
Dma54rhs wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is junk science you're repeating. There's no validity in claim people who have adhd don't experience euphoria. Some people get more euphoric than others, adhd symptoms or not and surprise stimulants make people more productive.

Right, I’m extremely add and get euphoria. I also feel a lot of the people who treat this as “my medication” types (they’re common) should realize the worst thing about adderall is that it makes you happy doing stupid menial stuff

Uhhh... no. Like that's not at all how stimulants affect people with ADHD. If you need me to waste 6 straight hours of my life stuffing wedding invitations I'll skip taking my meds that day. Stimulants help me have focus when I am physically unable and let me direct it at at what I want to be doing instead of it being outside my control.

Like it doesn't make you happy. That's silly. If the only issue with me doing menial tasks was that it made me unhappy I would be so much better off because at least I would be able to do the task.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#309

Post by Spivak »

dkdk8283 wrote: post #294
Ancapistani wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After moving halfway across the country in 2013, I had trouble finding a doctor who would prescribe Vyvanse - after having been on if for years and basically relying on it to remain productive. If not for the exact discussions you’re speaking about at work, I would likely have ended up unemployed.

I can’t agree with your anecdote. Your previous doctor could have forwarded your medical records. If multiple doctors are of the opinion they won’t prescribe it I don’t think that justifies drug seeking behavior.

You clearly have never experienced medical gatekeeping. It can be really frustrating to be forced to change doctors or insurance and have to fight for years to continue the treatment regimen that actually works for you.

Your PCP is the tier-1 tech support of the medical world. They have basically zero specialized knowledge to evaluate different medications outside the brochure the sales rep gave them. There's a reason PCP's punt the responsibility for a diagnosis to a psychologist and then play the game of "spin the wheel of stimulants" to find something that both alleviates their symptoms and has tolerable side-effects. Having to go through the process all again for no reason other than weird politics or a doctor on a power-trip is the worst.

Ugh.

Re: Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

#310

Post by username90 »

globular-toast wrote: post #260
username90 wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you spend 40 hours mentally preparing yourself to do a task then you are extremely productive when you actually do it. But the overall performance is still horrible.

I honestly can't comprehend what this means or why it's called "10x productivity". You're productive, but overall performance is horrible? So you do lots but do it badly?

If you spend 40 hours mentally preparing yourself to do a 4 hour task. Then during those 4 hours you are way more productive than other people, but since you had to spend all those extra hours to even get started your productivity sucks. It isn't hard to understand.

So then you take medication and now get started on the task immediately, but the task now takes 10 hours to do instead of 4. Your productivity during the task thus got reduced, but your overall productivity greatly increasied.

Post reply on HN