ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018) • Hacker News Board

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#321

Post by klipklop » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:07 AM UTC

eq_sd_ wrote: post #318

munk-a wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My personal experience here is a bit limited - I grew up in the states but after college I emigrated up to Canada so... yea I generally get scripts from my gp up here for a full year's supply at a time and end up paying something like 1/30th of a cent (CAD) per pill for it. While I was in the states I had to fight to keep my script when I transitioned from my parent's insurance to my employer's in college, and ended…

My experience with US ADHD medical providers is that they require an appointment every 3 months where you get another 3 scripts (with 2 being dated for the future months). One let me go a whole year without having an appointment but I also didn't ask for a script every month. Generics stimulants have been cheap with and without insurance (or with GoodRX). After I moved and got a new GP and asked for a stimulant presc…

Yeah I have to go in monthly to get mine as well. Thanks to college kid abuse and the opiate crisis doctors cover their ass when it comes to writing stimulant scripts. This means monthly visits (and they get $300 each time) and sometimes drug tests.

Wish my psych would do 3 month scripts.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#322

Post by zigzaggy » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:09 AM UTC

caleb-allen wrote: post #267

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…

My favorite explanation is that of a hunter. Those with ADHD spend 90% of their time imagining, thinking, doing everything and nothing. And to any observer they look stupid, or undisciplined, or lazy. Like the hunt, when somebody with ADHD encounters an situation with very high (perceived) consequences, they will lock into intense hyperfocus, completely singular in their goal. So the modes of operation are 1) philoso…

So strange that I have said almost exactly these words. The characteristics that we depended on for survival as hunters now make life difficult in the middle class.

My theory extends to my desire for action and my risk taking behavior as a younger person.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#323

Post by sosodev » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:14 AM UTC

Diederich wrote: post #217

rubyn00bie wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I personally used marijuana for years to help me. The best strains I've found were high potency sativas (like 28%+) like Super Silver Haze or J1. I find the higher the percentage the sativa high tends to be more clear, energetic, and cerebral. If it's too low it's usually "muddied" so to speak. Additionally, ummm how can I put this, if I took a break from smoking it wouldn't help with my ADD as it would make me anxio…

Ok thanks for the info. I had previously used a hybrid, and only edible. I've never been able to tolerate putting anything in my lungs. I'll try a pure sativa later on and see how that feels. > If it's too low it's usually "muddied" so to speak. So I think you're saying that even if you take a high potency sativa, but at a lower dose, you don't gain any focus/ADHD relief? That it's only therapeutic at high doses? I w…

I’ll chime in and say that I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and that I love the way marijuana makes me feel and sativa strains are by far the best.

It makes me feel like I’m finally how noticing how beautiful the world is and like I can face all of my challenges head on. I feel like with ADHD it’s easy to focus on something that’s fascinating and weed makes anything I want to focus on fascinating.

Edibles can be hit or miss even while sticking with the same brand.

I bought a PAX so I could vaporize bud rather than smoking it and I think that’s probably the best experience since you know exactly what you’re getting without having to smoke.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#324

Post by DudeIsJammin » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:25 AM UTC

eq_sd_ wrote: post #319

DudeIsJammin wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sometimes wonder how much gaming, and stimulating websites like youtube, reddit play a roll in actually creating ADHD. It's kind of a chicken or the egg situation, do people have ADHD and because they have ADHD they are more susceptible to gaming addiction? or do they become addicted to these sites/games which then creates ADHD type symptoms. Not saying ADHD isn't an actual thing, but I've noticed a reoccurring the…

ADHD (especially untreated) and substance abuse/addiction is pretty common

Yeah, I agree. But also it's curious that so many people feel like they have it. Makes me wonder if in addition to people that were born with ADHD, these sites like youtube/reddit and video games can create ADHD symptoms over time as your brain adjusts to constant dopamine.

Kind of like how constant sugar can spike insulin and with weight gain over time can creates insulin resistance/diabetes. It's like type 1 vs type 2. So in this analogy Type 1 people with ADHD would be people who are born with it and it's lifelong, and type 2 ADHD people acquire it after indulging in these dopamine producing addicting web products for years and your reward system/executive function is messed up, impacting daily life similar to people who are born with ADHD.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#325

Post by jreese » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:29 AM UTC

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…

It can manifest differently in anyone. My father, my sister, and myself were all diagnosed with ADHD around the same time. My father has taken medication regularly for years without issue, and my sister used it "tactically" for the purposes of doing schoolwork and testing, and would be focused but really drowsy.

I, on the opposite end of the spectrum, would get strong symptoms of depression, and a constant feeling of nausea and lack of appetite to the point of being suspected of anorexia/bulimia by my physician. I tried a wide variety of medications throughout grade school and high school, and eventually gave up because they all gave me negative side effects of some kind.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#326

Post by rtchau » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:36 AM UTC

easton_s wrote: post #17

I was told by my doctor that since I have a successful career as a software engineer I do not have ADHD. I'm still fighting to get a prescription. What he doesn't understand how my coping mechanisms are probably more unhealthy then the drug. I have allocate recreation time to work, use a lot of caffeine, and sleep deprivation to overcome my ADHD. Sleep deprivation is probably the strongest tool to combat ADHD but as…

I can relate to this. I was diagnosed at 31, and my doctor at the time asked me "so, are you having issues at work? Is anyone pulling you up on your effort?"

The answer was "No". His response was "well, then what's the problem?"

The longer answer from me should have been "no, but keeping up appearances requires Herculian effort, and I pay a tremendous emotional and personal cost, I am distant from my wife and 2 kids, and at night time, the anxiety is enough to materialize a cold ball of steel in the pit of stomach".

I managed to get a diagnosis anyway, and my psychiatrist got me started on Ritalin, and then onto Concerta (I take Vyvanse now). The difference was like flipping a switch. My work output improved out of sight, I stopped being a zombie at night time because I didn't have to go through a cycle of wake up -> work -> burnout -> sleep -> recover every day, and I'm earning more than twice what I was at the time of my diagnosis, and I don't think any of that would have been possible if I'd remained in the same situation.

What I've learned over the years is that the problems associated with ADHD don't "go away" with medication, they just become more manageable, and knowing how my brain works both on and off medication has been TREMENDOUS tool for increasing self-awareness and understanding that the anxiety/procrastination/apathy etc is a function of neurochemistry, and not a harbinger of doom or destruction.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#327

Post by omgwtfbyobbq » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 2:58 AM UTC

mdthrowaway wrote: post #106

SirSavary wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to break it to you, but the OP's edited comment is far less harmful than yours. I've been suffering from a myriad of symptoms that happen to match up with Segawa's... a disease I learned about less than ten minutes ago. > please don't write them Please don't make statements requesting that other's don't share their experiences with misdiagnosis and rare conditions. It's rude and furthers the stigma that some con…

> Hate to break it to you, but the OP's edited comment is far less harmful than yours. It has been significantly, damned near whole cloth, edited in several ways since I said something, so I'd ask a little consideration that I'm coming from a good place. I'm not asking for anyone to avoid discussing Segawa's; I'm specifically responding to the speculation, across multiple comments, that the common element of dopamine…

It has not been edited near whole cloth. I added two sentences and modified two others. I think I've been very understanding of your skepticism, but at this point you're literally making stuff up.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#328

Post by firediamond » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 3:02 AM UTC

samuelmtimbo wrote: post #229

I offer you my genuine personal point of view. ADHD people are incredibly creative! They are those whose brain naturally refuses to conform to "what is not fun", in the words of the author. This feeling is right behind Artistry itself! Your mind is trying to say something very important. I advise you to invest in finding what your flow is. For a moment think the way your brain works is a gift of the universe and thin…

You probably mean well, so as a usual lurker, I'll make an account to offer my genuine point of view in return.

I'm an artist and a programmer, the kind of 'creative' you are talking about, and see myself mirrored almost exactly in the original post. There are many things I care so much about I 'will likely always be motivated by them'. I am in love with all of these.

The problem is that same motivation likes to vanish for weeks, months, years at a time. I have no control over this. That's what ADHD does. That's why it's a disorder, not just misunderstood creativity. We ghost on our own dreams, inarticulately.

I already consider myself "blessed" to know what I like. I would just really like to be able to like it for more than one maniacal sprint at a time.

A solution to the problem of our clumsily entering and exiting a role (above the level of temp work, turking, etc) would be nice - in no small part because it seems like this would help people without ADHD too and, therefore, scale. I've been looking for a solution to this for most of my adult life. The only remotely consistent one I've found is 'long tail' type things - things one makes once and doesn't have to think about, like resources (books, writing, references), assets ('crafts', reusable design, etc).

That isn't enough to build a career off unless you get astronomically lucky - or come upon the necessary resources to delegate the less ADHD-friendly parts of this kind of business - promotion etc - to someone else.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#329

Post by thonos » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 3:06 AM UTC

My journey with ADHD has been a mix. I got diagnosed with 25 after someone here on HN pointed out that my motivation issues might not be normal and something worth checking out. Well surprise surprise, they were right and I have ADHD and always had it. Just noone really noticed but in reflection it makes sense now.

At first I was relieved to get meds. Then I started to learn more and more about what ADHD is actually doing to me and my life. I read through dozens of papers and probably know more about it now than my doc who just gives me whatever his book says he should prescribe.

I hate ADHD and I would pay a lot to get rid of it. I hate not being able to focus like a normal person (despite hyper focus bursts) without meds. I hate that my mood is impulsive and all over the place like an emotional hurricane. I am very sensitive to negative feedback (thanks RSD, but also thanks to guanfacine for now being somewhat able to treat this) and can't deal with conflict.

I can't push through with things, my focus and thoughts play ping pong. One moment I obsess with a new hobby and throw a lot of money at it, then a few weeks later I don't bother touching it again. I start a dozen software projects, finish it 80% then lose interest and do something else.

If I have no interest in something I can't do it at all. It's like getting a tooth pulled out. If something grabs m attention I have to drop everything and do it now and if I don't it will bounce back and forth in my head until I do it (like writing this comment).

I procrastinate everything until the last minute. If something doesn't have external consequences I just won't do it. If there is a deadline or it will impact something, I will push it until it's due, then panic and rush through it.

My brain feels like it's always on overdrive and works in extremes without middleground. Either I hate or I love, either I'm interested or not a single bit. Either I'm fully committed on something or I won't touch it at all

But thanks to ADHD I became a very good software engineer. I was able to quickly pick up new technologies and hyper focus through it in no time. I am very good in designing systems because of how fast my brain works. I can quickly sort through heaps of ways to do something and look at things from many different sides at once to find the optimal path (though sometimes overlook things due to gaps in working memory).

Still I hate it. It's also a completely mislabeled condition. If it was just attention I'd be so much happier.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#330

Post by firediamond » Fri, Jan 24, 2020, 3:06 AM UTC

yellow_viper wrote: post #77

omgwtfbyobbq wrote: post #16

For anyone diagnosed with ADHD, taking stimulants is associated with 8+x increase of being diagnosed with a basal ganglia and cerebellum disease later in life. I believe this is NOT causative, but is instead a correlation between other diseases associated with Dopamine production and ADHD. I take and have continued to take stimulants for ADHD. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0207-5 In my family's case, we…

Yep - these conditions are closesly linked https://scientonline.org/open-access/dystonia-and-its-treatm... Neurodevelopmental Disorders (Autism, ADHD, Delayed Speech/language, dyspraxia) >"hyper mobile joints are an uncommon finding in those who do not have attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." >Differences in the structural integrity of temporal and parietal cortices may underlie wide…

I always noticed a pattern of 'see one, and the other is never far behind' with autism and ADHD but I never made the time (irony much) to pin studies to it. Thanks for collecting these.