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Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

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Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#471

Post by sizzle »

crashoverdrive wrote: post #461
leetcrew wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> i always wondered it the effect is stronger for somebody without adhd i've wondered this myself. i often hear people say stuff like "people with real adhd can't get high from stims", but i suspect that some of this is just that people want to distance their legitimate use from those tweakers over there. if there's any truth to it, i'd bet it comes down to the way the drug is used. when you take an extended release…

> "people with real adhd can't get high from stims", but i suspect that some of this is just that people want to distance their legitimate use from those tweakers over there. I don't know if "High" is the right word. I've accidentally taken too much, and it makes me super impatient, which makes me kind of an asshole. I've also taken WAY too much on accident, and it just made me paranoid and think my heart was beating…

Thanks for the explanation, really good imagery. I hope you took some acidic vitamin C when you overdosed to kill the metabolism of amps.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#472

Post by Spooky23 »

purerandomness wrote: post #39
whalesalad wrote: post #5

Adderall and Cocaine. I remember a CEO of one of my early startups would give me 5mg addies to help me get more done. I appreciated it because it was great to get the added boost to focus. I eventually worked my way up to taking 30mg of XR daily (legally, doctor prescribed) and it was the most productive I have ever been in my life. I worked 24x7. I was working a normal consulting job while also working on a startup/…

Seeing a manager go this path, and seeing his productivity plummet, I'm pretty sure the productivity boost is merely perceived. There was a story on HN with people trying to microdose on LSD, and the alleged benefits - long story short, when they asked peers about their performance, they noticed they're more distracted and not more productive, while those doing the microdosing thought they're on a super productive tr…

There was a book about systematic drug use in Nazi Germany called “Blitzed” that is worth reading.

Meth was extensively used in the German military and probably contributed to the victory over France. Basically to can stay awake and endure, but cognitive ability is impaired in some ways.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#473

Post by analogic »

ht85 wrote: post #454
btrettel wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll second this. I don't even drink coffee. I've encountered people who seem absolutely incredulous that I take no stimulants at all. "How do you stay awake?" is something I'm asked. My go-to response now is "I don't. If I'm tired, I get more sleep." Some of these people probably think that I'm lying. There are a lot of people who think that sleeping at work is a bad idea, but I think it's a lot better than guzzling…

When I used to smoke, one of my worries about quitting was that I wouldn't be able to do those intense, uninterrupted, full focus 10-12 hours coding sessions. Every couple hours, those 5 delicious minutes, the fresh air, the nicotine rush, then right back at it. I quit smoking a few years ago when my wife got pregnant and have smoked only twice since. I can actually grind more nowadays, and I'm less tired when it end…

ya its kinda crazy. the realization that nicotine doesnt actually calm you, just stops the lack of nicotine from stressing you out.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#474

Post by sizzle »

sedachv wrote: post #322
Bartweiss wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every study I've seen of Adderall (and amphetamine analogues like bupropion) says that it really does improve focus and productivity, even in non-ADHD users. There are two big hurdles, granted (apart from side effects). One is how long-term toleration works - users report continued efficacy, while objective tests seem to suggest decreased sensitivity. Two is how amphetamines mix with intelligence; normal-IQ users app…

> But if someone is showing up with "brain fog" and underperforming while feeling skilled, that really sounds like something else is up. One of the things that sustained stimulant abuse contributes to is sleep deprivation and the disturbance of sleep patterns. "Brain fog" - confusion, problems concentrating, memory problems, are all symptoms of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation experiments have also consistently p…

Wow never made this connection, very insightful observation.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#475

Post by Chriky »

btrettel wrote: post #431
Andrex wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a corollary to the OP, it seems like the people who deliberately don't take stimulants _also_ love talking about themselves and how it's a superior lifestyle. :) Not saying you're wrong, but the sanctimony from both sides can be a little exhausting is all.

Most people I work with don't know that I don't take stimulants. In fact, it only ever comes up when I decline coffee from someone. I rarely ever mention it, and I hope my post did not come across as sanctimonious. Let me know if and how it did, so I can be more clear in the future. I just wanted to state my preference and reasoning.

It seems utterly nuts to me that someone could sleep at work as a reasonable alternative to drinking coffee. Most jobs and workplaces are just not at all set up to sleep during the working day.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#476

Post by Dowwie »

I drink two to three cups of coffee a day. Black. No sweetener. However, I have a major sweet tooth. Oversized Trader Joe's dark chocolate bars are my drug of choice. I can eat two or three pieces from a bar a day. I enjoy the chocolate largely as a dessert after dinner. I find that it doesn't interfere with my coding.

I have an uncle who destroyed his heart by abusing stimulants to get through med school, residency, etc. Ultimately, he needed a heart transplant. As a child, I learned from his mistakes and so my only stimulants in life are sugar and caffeine.

I am also a pizzaholic. I would eat an entire New Jersey thick crust pizza under the right circumstances, such as there being a pizza in front of me and no one there to stop me from eating it all. When I see pizza wasted at a meeting I cry inside.

I'm 37.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#477

Post by jfv »

PedroBatista wrote: post #206
jfv wrote: post #200

Drug abuse is not a big issue in SV in general. There are a few general themes: 1) Some startups have a heavy-drinking bro-y environment. 2) Weed is common outside of work (in all of SF) 3) As part of the burning man culture a lot of people will occasionally let loose all weekend with molly, LSD, shrooms, and anything else you’d expect at BM 4) Some people will use adderall/modanfil to stay productive during work. 5)…

After all that.. "not big issue in SV"

I’d say having virtually nobody dying of overdoses, going through withdrawals or detox, or being dependent makes it not a big issue, yes.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#479

Post by 3pt14159 »

kelnos wrote: post #352
whalesalad wrote: post #5

Adderall and Cocaine. I remember a CEO of one of my early startups would give me 5mg addies to help me get more done. I appreciated it because it was great to get the added boost to focus. I eventually worked my way up to taking 30mg of XR daily (legally, doctor prescribed) and it was the most productive I have ever been in my life. I worked 24x7. I was working a normal consulting job while also working on a startup/…

> I remember a CEO of one of my early startups would give me 5mg addies to help me get more done. Jesus. If that happened to me, my first stop would be to the board/investors to report it, and my second would be out the door and to a new job. > It's only way to do some of the things that the really successful engineers are doing. You forgo eating, exercise, etc... and spend 110% of your time on working and chasing th…

Anecdotal, I know, but I've heard of this at two companies. One of which jokingly put them in Pez dispensers.

Re: Ask HN: I'm writing a book about white-collar drug use, including tech sector

#480

Post by analogic »

akvadrako wrote: post #393
darpa_escapee wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was much younger I was exposed to a variety of different drug users. Everything you said is 100% spot on with anyone that abused drugs. I've come to learn that there a few different kinds of drug users. The first are the users who have not yet had to face the reality of drugs or how drugs affect them personally, even if they are suffering consequences from use. The mental gymnastics at play serve to protect an…

You shouldn't be lumping all "drugs" together. Of course technically every drug has a downside, for some it's not significant. Basically food is just a drug too, except by definition.

"for some it's not significant."

where do i sign up?!?

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