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ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

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Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#281

Post by cbsmith »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #67
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…

> Unless it happens to magically coincide with their hyper-focus topic of the moment! It's funny. People with ADHD suffer from attention deficit but at the same time they display hyperattention when they encounter a subject they like. I've experienced it as well: once I start programming I have no problem doing it for 12 hours straight. I've found this trait in many ADHD patients. There's usually something that reall…

Hyperfocus is a coping skill if you suffer ADHD. Everyone can do it, but people who suffer from ADHD learn to get very good at getting into that state, because without it they struggle to maintain focus.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#282

Post by steve_adams_86 »

Mirioron wrote: post #12
vslira wrote: post #2

About getting treatment: it's extremely irritating that some people judge using Ritalin is somehow morally wrong. Yes, I get that "lifestyle changes" could help, but I don't want to change my lifestyle. Imagine if there was a pill to reduce risk of cardiac arrest, with some increased risk of something relatively minor. Can you imagine the uproar if cardiologists denied prescribing the pill, instead forcing people to…

> Imagine if there was a pill to reduce risk of cardiac arrest, with some increased risk of something relatively minor. (Some?) Antihypertensive drugs can contribute to harm to the liver. They're unlikely to cause anything on their own, but if your liver is already not the healthiest it can make things worse. > Yes, I get that "lifestyle changes" could help, but I don't want to change my lifestyle. As far as I've rea…

You're probably right when it comes to those of us who medication works well for, but there are some people who medication doesn't help much. In those cases I think diet and exercise tend to be the best line of defence against symptoms.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#283

Post by cbsmith »

zarmin wrote: post #170
matheusmoreira wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Unless it happens to magically coincide with their hyper-focus topic of the moment! It's funny. People with ADHD suffer from attention deficit but at the same time they display hyperattention when they encounter a subject they like. I've experienced it as well: once I start programming I have no problem doing it for 12 hours straight. I've found this trait in many ADHD patients. There's usually something that reall…

It's less of an attention deficit and more of an _intention_ deficit.

There's plenty of intent. Just no ability to connect that to outcomes.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#284

Post by steve_adams_86 »

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…

Likewise, diet made a huge difference for me. I really like eating once in the evening and sticking to a super-low carb diet. I'm sure it's different for everyone, but for me it's a miraculous contrast to eating carby breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When I eat regular meals I'm _constantly_ hungry and my focus goes to total shit. I tend to have to manage my weight because even when I expressly try not to, I eat too much. It's weird. I also eat worse food. It seems to be a vicious cycle.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#285

Post by pixelrevision »

Keverw wrote: post #211
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…

You have to get permission to change doctors or just a limited amount in your network? I was under the assumption you could just switch doctors whenever you wanted as long as in-network, but I hate this whole in-network thing and out of network. Seems so stupid insurance companies dictate your care, but I guess even with socialized medicine than the government decides on your care instead. It just seems like a whole…

Kaiser and mental health are a brutal combo. I had Kaiser in my 20’s and got depressed. It took them 3 months to see me in their mental health department. I told them I just needed someone to talk to for a bit but they saw me twice, asked me if I needed meds and handed me a flyer for a group that was not associated. I finally just went to a place that had student therapists which worked out well.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#286

Post by cbsmith »

munk-a wrote: post #256
wahern wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Warning: there can be a honeymoon phase where after diagnosis and beginning medication you enter this ecstatic period of normalcy on the one hand and insane productivity on the other. Don't get lulled into complacency. Use this period to improve lifestyle routines and get to a place where you can cruise at a better pace than you otherwise might once the acceleration stops. By lifestyle I don't mean some of the things…

Not to be too depressing, but there are two factors that can contribute to this honeymoon phase that I'm aware of: 1. Weight change, either bulking on muscle or fat can change your optimal dose for medication... And it's my opinion (and totally just my opinion) that starting to treat ADHD usually leads to a weight gain, either by getting you more able to exercise or increasing your activity and caloric intake. 2. Res…

> And it's my opinion (and totally just my opinion) that starting to treat ADHD usually leads to a weight gain, either by getting you more able to exercise or increasing your activity and caloric intake.

In my experience, it's totally the opposite. More exercise, more activity, and less caloric intake... leading to weight loss.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#287

Post by [deleted] »

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…

[deleted]

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#288

Post by callesgg »

falcolas wrote: post #255
callesgg wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD has no known causal model. It is not a singular thing. Downs syndrome as a counter example has a known messurabe causal model. It is truth, regardless if it is offensive or not. Regardless of your interpretation.

> ADHD has no known causal model. Perhaps not, but there are discernible differences in the brain in people with severe ADHD symptoms. And the (current) lack of a causal model doesn't stop it from being real, nor does it stop the current treatments from helping people operate at a closer-to-normal level.

It would be shoking if there were no differences in the brains of people with ADHD behaviour. Your brain regulates your behaviour.

No one here is saying that ADHD is not real, well I am certainly not. What is being said is that ADHD is not the cause of behaviour, it is the behaviour.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#289

Post by sobellian »

ohbleek wrote: post #125
sibeliuss wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 NOT found that, when taken at a therapeutic dosage, people with ADD/ADHD thinktheir medications are fun other than the "fun" feeling of satisfaction you get when you complete a task. I have found that people who do not have ADD/ADHD find those same medications to be fun, however, even at a therapeutic dose. Otherwise your comments on the effects are spot on. Personally I had to make a choice in my mid-twenties…

You're right. Any psychiatrist that prescribes Adderall will tell you that it affects those with ADD differently than those without. Personally, I have never gotten high from it. In fact my medication made me drowsy as a child.

A lot of the medical advice in this thread is dangerous. If anyone reading this thinks they have ADHD, seek a qualified professional's opinion - they aren't guaranteed to be right but (respectfully) the odds are much better than some dude on HN.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#290

Post by klipklop »

munk-a wrote: post #276
klipklop wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can avoid becoming resistant to the medication by taking "holidays". I usually do this Friday-Sunday most weeks. A daily alternative can be wellbutrin or aplenzin as well. Also most people can get away with generics so even without insurance the meds are cheap. The psych visits will cost $300-400 a pop though....

Most of these are still schedule 1s though, so if an insurance change forces you to a new GP you can get the prescription yanked - there's no guarantee of access to methylphenidate in the US, there aren't any over the counter methylphenidates and any other acquisition route would probably break the law (like buying it in Mexico or from a friend). That said, at some point it's going to be worth it to just pay out-of-p…

For some folks wellbutrin/bupropion can be used to treat ADHD. It is schedule IV so access is easy and generics (I think generics kinda suck for me with this med) are very cheap. Does it work as good as stimulants? Nope, but its certainly easier to get and can help some people.

I feel going to a GP to get a very restricted stimulant is a uphill battle. Go to a ADHD specialist psych. Despite having diagnosed ADHD since I was ~6, my GP looked at me like I was crazy when I explored getting back on meds. I went to see a specialist instead.

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