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Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#11

Post by ddorian43 »

throwy555 wrote: post #8
Lila006 wrote: post #6

Just take some good vitamins and change your diet.

I take a daily multivitamin and eat very healthy by most college-student standards.

See the amount of mg each vitamin has on the multi and compare to a minimum daily. Say D3 you may want 5000ug/day, while the multivitamin has 100ug/day.

Do you train ? It fixes your head too. Something that you like or run/swim/box/kickbox/muaythai(no headshots)

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#12

Post by gaspoweredcat »

it depends, are you using or abusing? it only really becomes abuse if you take doses in a recreational capacity. as long as you are using standard doses and remember to stay healthy, eat and get enough sleep theres not too much harm in using stimulants, they can be incredibly useful and the potential side effects are minimal enough that in many cases its probably worthwhile

(full disclosure: im actually diagnosed with ADD and am prescribed elvanse/vyvanse for it )

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#13

Post by gaspoweredcat »

ddorian43 wrote: post #11
throwy555 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I take a daily multivitamin and eat very healthy by most college-student standards.

See the amount of mg each vitamin has on the multi and compare to a minimum daily. Say D3 you may want 5000ug/day, while the multivitamin has 100ug/day. Do you train ? It fixes your head too. Something that you like or run/swim/box/kickbox/muaythai(no headshots)

i tend to disagree with this, i hear people say that exercise is helpful for cognitive enhancement but i found doing any significant amount of exercise leaves me drained and i find my mental performance slips

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#14

Post by ddorian43 »

gaspoweredcat wrote: post #13
ddorian43 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See the amount of mg each vitamin has on the multi and compare to a minimum daily. Say D3 you may want 5000ug/day, while the multivitamin has 100ug/day. Do you train ? It fixes your head too. Something that you like or run/swim/box/kickbox/muaythai(no headshots)

i tend to disagree with this, i hear people say that exercise is helpful for cognitive enhancement but i found doing any significant amount of exercise leaves me drained and i find my mental performance slips

Exercise after work. Or do light one before work. But you need it. Or before sleeping so the day is closed.

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#16

Post by bjourne »

It's still an open question whether stimulants are good or bad for you. For example one of 20th century's most famous mathematicians, Paul Erdős, was dependent on amphetamine.

Perhaps the disagree-downvoters can point to some evidence showing moderate usage of stimulants being harmful?

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#18

Post by stocktech »

I think there's a perspective you're missing. If you're in school and need drugs to keep up, what's going to happen when you're out of school? Instead of developing strategies for success now, you're using drugs. I think it'll be a crutch you'll find difficult to get rid of.

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#19

Post by SHOwnsYou »

The way you talk sounds like you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself. If you do that, it will manifest with unhealthy ways - stimulants, breakdowns, etc.

My first year of undergrad was by far the hardest. Weed-out classes are a real thing. It will get easier after year 1.

Taking adderall a few times is hardly abuse, but taking it when you don't need it is definitely a bad habit to begin during university.

Re: Ask HN: Should I keep using stimulants?

#20

Post by jrowley »

If you feel you need it, proceed with caution. Make a pledge to take care of yourself and ensure you don't become dependent/you develop healthy usage patterns. I've been taking prescription stimulants (prescribed to me) for a decade and half and there are certainly times when the benefits outweighed the side effects - other times that wasn't the case and the drugs were causing more harm.

Finally, this is off topic, but I have say that the drugs are really life changing for someone with ADD, and I feel like more people should have access to them in a safe manner. There has to be millions of people in the general population that are not diagnosed and should be receiving some kind of treatment. Unequal access to mental health services without a doubt results in some people being less effective in the workforce, which leads to further inequality.

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