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ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

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Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#241

Post by munk-a »

doboyy wrote: post #138

I thought most of this was just normal life tbh

And it sort of is - most people get distractable on occasion and feel like this - ADHD is being constantly stuck in that state (with varying intensities). It's similar to the issues of empathy around depression, people get sad and get over it - that's not clinical depression it's just being sad... but since they're confusable people assume that the things they did to get out of sadness themselves will work on people with depression - but no, petting a puppy sadly doesn't fix clinical depression... everyone likes to pet a puppy though, so don't stop bringing people with depression puppies... it's just not going to suddenly switch the person into being fine.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#242

Post by rtikulit »

joshlittle wrote: post #186

Everything in this article is correct, at least for me. I got fired for performance at my last job about 2.75 years ago. The first two years of working there I had great performance reviews, things went well. It was a high performing YC-backed success story, and I felt just as successful. I was promoted to Lead QA Engineer, and oversaw several projects going at once that I was interested in. About two years in, it st…

I find it hard to do my actual job, which is often boring. So what I do instead is I find something else to do, that is even more valuable than my actual job and significantly more difficult, but which is inherently interesting to me. Then i go all ADHD hyperfocus on it. I've been lucky... management goes “wow, initiative, thanks!”

Many of my ADHD friends say something similar... they can't follow orders, so they have to make sure they find something in the work that they can obsess over.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#243

Post by falcolas »

adamrmcd wrote: post #71
rustybelt wrote: post #51

Thousands of words and no mention of diet. I was diagnosed ADHD in 5th grade, tried just about every medication out there, and never landed on a workable long-term solution until I modified my diet. Medication always had mixed results. Many allowed me to focus and better control impulses, but the emotional crash at the end of the day was too much. Others caused insomnia or palpitations. Cutting sugar and limiting car…

Nor coffee or other "normalized" liquid stimulants. The coffee sweet-spot-of-productivity is so difficult to attain, or even find. Is it even worth experimenting with if other avenues have failed? It would be interesting to hear the author's thoughts on this, and on alcohol. EDIT: ...and on exercise.

For me, to have a meaningful effect on ADHD, I have to drink so much coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) that I have heart palpitations.

That's one of the advantages of the prescribed stimulants; they're effective at doses that have no physical side effects.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#244

Post by rubyn00bie »

tartoran wrote: post #205
zepto wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

May I ask what treatment is working for you?

Probably stimulants. I’d be curious to know because I’d rather not take stimulants...

I would encourage you to really ignore the stigma that comes along with it, because I think it's endlessly harmful and only delays treatment for folks.

The best way I can put it, was the first time I got a pair of glasses, I didn't know how bad my vision was (I was like 12)... when I put them on for the first time, I was shocked, I was in disbelief, "this is how everyone else sees?"

Glasses are a tool to help you see better if your eyes don't work correctly, a "stimulant" is a tool to help your brain if you can't focus. The world, in both cases, I was missing, was one I had no idea existed until I had a tool to do so.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#245

Post by falcolas »

rustybelt wrote: post #238
monadgonad wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but everyone with ADHD should at least try cleaning up their diet. It's a no lose option. It is extremely difficult for someone with ADHD to change their diet. It's difficult even for neurotypical people. I know that it and exercise are obviously beneficial, but from experience there's a "loss" in that trying and failing consistently to improve my lifestyle really takes its toll on my motivation and self-esteem. No…

My trick is to cook a roast and just eat roast beef and frozen vegetables for a few days. Very little effort required, and once ketosis kicks in and the brain fog lifts you have the clarity to make more sustainable diet changes. I'll do this when I find myself slipping, too.

> once ketosis kicks in and the brain fog lifts

No such effect exists for me. Plus, it would require following through on going shopping so I have roast beef and frozen veggies in the house (or remember to take them with me to work). That's not happening in an unmedicated state. I'm lucky if I can put together a remotely healthy meal while unmedicated.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#246

Post by mcphage »

khalilravanna wrote: post #80
vonseel wrote: post #47

I’m 31 and have ADHD (diagnosed in my teens) and I’m pretty sure NOBODY with ADHD is going to have the wherewithal to read this entire article! Unless it happens to magically coincide with their hyper-focus topic of the moment! In all seriousness, I skimmed parts of the article and kept scrolling and it just kept going and going and going... like the Energizer bunny. I guess the author found a doctor to prescribe sti…

That's interesting to hear about ADHD causing mood swings/anger/irritability and the stimulants doing away with them. Is that a common trait of the illness? I only noticed that after I started taking stimulants my temper became a lot more short. It's to the point that I have to be really cognizant of it lest I inadvertently snap at someone due to some biological response (really not good as a leader in an organizatio…

> I only noticed that after I started taking stimulants my temper became a lot more short. It's to the point that I have to be really cognizant of it

That scans closer to my experience. I’ve been on Adderal for years, and when I started it I learned that I have the potential to get angry much quicker.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#247

Post by munk-a »

sibeliuss wrote: post #83
verst wrote: post #78

I'm 34 and I am finally meeting a psychiatrist soon for what I suspect has been ADHD all along. I do not suffer from depression or anxiety (to my knowledge). I have a perfectly healthy lifestyle - I run 5 days a week, about 40 miles total, eat healthily and sleep well. During my runs (which physically feel painful) I have few moments of clarity in my head. Other than running though my mind has a thousand thoughts all…

Before going down a road that involves powerful stimulants that have a high likelihood of abuse or misuse -- the danger is that they're fun, and one develops a tolerance, just like other similar illegal drugs -- it might be worthwhile to investigate a mediation practice, or other exercises to improve your attention. If you're already high functioning its likely not as bad as it seems. From experience: First thing to…

I have been on an XR methylphenidate for going on two decades now - it's a pricey medication, I'm a rational person, I'm well aware of how many magic booster packs I could hawk my meds for in high school - I'm also aware that some folks take it recreationally, but a few times I've accidentally doubled up my meds and it feels terrible to me.

I haven't abused my meds personally or traded them on the street, and I do regularly trial myself off of meds to make sure the effect is still noticeable. I am happy you can get away with not using pharmaceutical aides, but a lot of folks can't and, while good life style changes are always good, please don't paint these medications in a negative light. They are really helpful and believe me it absolutely makes a difference - and a lot of people don't follow their GP's advice because they're afraid of being over medicated or becoming dependent.

People should do what they're comfortable doing, but for people with more severe ADHD stepping off that ledge can mean falling all the way down into a really dark place and needing the help of friends and family to get you back to stability.

And, there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed about in taking medication to help you maintain a healthy state.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#248

Post by wwright »

falcolas wrote: post #231
tartoran wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably stimulants. I’d be curious to know because I’d rather not take stimulants...

There are non-stimulant treatments, but they're not as effective. The increase in dopamine is what helps the ADHD brain work more closely to "normal", and stimulants are great at releasing dopamine. That said, stimulants at doses that affect ADHD don't necessarily to come with other physical side effects.

I take a non-stimulant ADHD medication named atomoxetine (marketed as Strattera) and I’ve found that it’s been life changing.

With untreated ADHD, I was not aware of my attention issues and had trouble understanding the way my mind and the world around me worked, even though I could have fantastic focus and attention to detail when excited about things.

With atomoxetine, I feel that my attention still drifts, but I am able to notice it and respond to it without stress and turmoil. I get distracted often, but it’s actually EASY to just put myself back on task. It still sucks to get distracted, of course :-)

For me personally, it’s been fantastic. I have basically no negative side effects and no physical dependence (if I were to stop taking it, I would miss the benefits, but there would be no extra downsides.) It’s significantly less invasive than stimulants in that way.

A psychiatrist is always the right person to make the call, of course!

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#249

Post by falcolas »

ranman wrote: post #60
40acres wrote: post #9

I was diagnosed in 2019 after a long series of conversations with a therapist following a work disaster that nearly cost me my job. Getting diagnosed was like finding the missing piece of the puzzle regarding my life. My schooling history suddenly made sense, the poor financial decisions, etc. everything became clear. The biggest thing I realized is how tightening feedback loops is the key to my productivity, I gravi…

How do you use it right? I was on stimulants as a kid and they worked but made me feel emotionally empty and suppressed my appetite and energy. I’m 28 now and I’ve started taking it again to help with work. The appetite suppression is gone but the emotional apathy remains. If you have suggestions or experiments to make the best use of these meds I’d love to hear them. I started with the lowest possible dose. Also, yo…

You may also work with your psychiatrist to try different stimulants. There's Adderal and its side chains, Ritalin and its side chains (mine is one of those - Dextroamphetamine), stimulants bonded to lysine to enforce delayed release, and non-stimulant options.

Don't feel trapped into one option that isn't working for you.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#250

Post by munk-a »

esch89 wrote: post #158

After reading this article, I think I have undiagnosed ADHD...

Please do seek professional care and don't try any of the self-medicating techniques mentioned here. From someone else with ADHD, there's nothing to be ashamed about and if it's hard right now - I hope it gets easier.
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