Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Me and ADHD

linkedin.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 455 posts

Re: Me and ADHD

#21

Post by sneak »

madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do.

There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice.

> Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill you.

You can ignore those people because they're wrong, amphetamine is not methamphetamine. But do not ignore the people who tell you that even normal amphetamines (adderall) are not harmless. They cause harm, even at low doses.

The harm they cause may be mitigated by the benefit they bring; it may also be extremely difficult to estimate their harm in advance. Ceasing regular use of amphetamines for some people can result in subsequent YEARS of oversleeping, lethargy, and depression from dopamine receptor downregulation.

> I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction.

Amphetamines are a highly addictive substance, if you are taking them every day it is likely that your body has developed at least some physical dependence upon them. Addiction doesn't make itself known until you stop.

Re: Me and ADHD

#22

Post by birdyrooster »

madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Seconded on L-Theanine, definitely helps if I get jitters. I usually avoid caffeine bc of this, since the adderall at a correct dose seems to work great but socially it’s hard to avoid caffeine.

Re: Me and ADHD

#23

Post by birdyrooster »

sneak wrote: post #21
madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do. There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice. > Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill y…

Kidney damage? What effects?

Re: Me and ADHD

#24

Post by madamelic »

schneidmaster wrote: post #19
ThrustVectoring wrote: post #7

Not surprised at all that caffeine helps. ADHD is, bar none, the mental health diagnosis most amenable to medication. Specifically, stimulant therapy. There's no principled distinction between self-medicating and prescriptions here, other than various legal risks, costs, and side effect profiles. Caffeine is particularly poorly suited to this due to adaptation and anxiety, but it's certainly something , especially if…

Coffee consumption was actually one of the questions that I was asked when my therapist first suspected that I had ADHD. I used to drink 5+ cups per day (especially workdays) while feeling fairly little effect from it. I'm now on medication which works an order of magnitude better for managing my symptoms, and I rarely drink more than 1 cup of coffee per day. It's also worth noting that ADHD often comes with other me…

> I would often fall into a spiral of inability to focus -> feeling bad about myself for not completing work that I was generally more than capable of doing -> even less ability to focus. I still have depression, but starting on ADHD medication all-but-removed my most frequent trigger.

I had the same issue!

I told my prescribing doctor this same thing and she trusted me enough to try out Adderall before SSRIs again. Turns out my hypothesis of my depression + anxiety largely being tied to my sense of productivity was right.

After going in for an EKG check-up on orders of the prescribing doctor, I found a fairly benign heart issue that the cardiologist believes may be the cause of my "panic attacks" (eg: my attacks may be heart racing -> panic, not panic -> heart racing!)

All of that from just treating "I feel bad because I get nothing done".

Re: Me and ADHD

#25

Post by hombre_fatal »

sneak wrote: post #21
madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do. There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice. > Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill y…

We're talking about ADHD though, not someone looking to just pull some all-nighters or cram on a Sunday night.

When I realized there was a low dose medication that could basically cure me of ADHD (thus cure me of underperformance, procrastinating my ambitions, low professional self-esteem), the choice was obvious. Know what also does harm? Underperformance, procrastinating my ambitions, low professional self-esteem. Far worse than any side-effect from amphetamine. And I'd take on much worse harms if they would cure my ADHD like amphetamine does.

Edit: lol, when I started my reply to you, your comment was two sentences long. Take it easy.

Btw, I'm in my mid-30s and I've been taking amphetamine since I was 18. Perfect bill of health. Though, granted, there's plenty of life left.

Re: Me and ADHD

#26

Post by schoolornot »

madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

I'm still not sold on the medication and prefer to follow strict routines + good diet + exercise. To me, it's obvious who is taking ADHD pills. People are almost zombie like or they space out, or even on low-doses they almost can't "keep up" in conversation or meetings. Not being drugged and finding coping mechanisms has allowed me to plow through multiple degrees and find career success, albeit at the cost of "other things", relationships, social skills, health, etc. I'm not going to risk my livelihood when life is good-enough atm.

Re: Me and ADHD

#27

Post by imesh »

madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

> I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill you. Even with an addictive personality, it's very easy to avoid over-doing it (hint: only take it as prescribed).

Low dose meth does work pretty similar to Adderall. Everyone who does meth does not become a meth addict. Most don't. But the people who become meth addicts are the same people who end up using adderall like methheads.

Which is why I personally don't have an Adderall prescription. Because if I have a bottle of Adderall I'm going to attempt a prescribed dose on day one and start snorting it by day three.

Re: Me and ADHD

#28

Post by madamelic »

sneak wrote: post #21
madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do. There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice. > Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill y…

I do agree that it can cause harm long term. It's the same with all medications, that's why I pay doctors to prescribe medication and monitor my health while taking it. I already have physicals every six months because of another condition. With the Adderall, I get blood pressure taken monthly and an EKG every three months.

The goal of almost any medication is to create a stop gap to create or find non-medication solutions. Without Adderall, I can't focus on creating systems and tools to help me stay on track.

Demonizing Adderall isn't helping anyone. No one should be afraid of taking a medication that will change their life for the better. If someone goes through normal channels and gets properly prescribed it, they should be treated no different than any other ailment.

Re: Me and ADHD

#29

Post by falcolas »

sneak wrote: post #21
madamelic wrote: post #20

Fellow ADHD person: Get diagnosed and get a low-dose of meds. It helps _a lot_. You will likely hate the feeling they give you for the first week (you will genuinely feel high even on 10mg Adderall XR), along with nightmares and night sweats but after a few weeks, you'll suddenly be productive at a very normal level. I don't feel strung out nor is it some addiction. Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "l…

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do. There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice. > Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill y…

> Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do.

What's the alternative? CBT is not sufficient when your brain doesn't want to work. Executive function disorder is a huge part of being ADHD.

> There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly

Citation needed for therapeutic dosages.

> They cause harm, even at low doses.

Citation definitely needed for therapeutic dosages.

> Ceasing regular [...] subsequent YEARS of oversleeping, lethargy, and depression

Citation really really needed here for therapeutic dosages.

Anecdotal advice like this is exceptionally harmful to those who need these meds to just reach "functional adult" levels of normal.

Re: Me and ADHD

#30

Post by sneak »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #25
sneak wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counter-anecdata here: meds aren't always the best option for people. Don't bias toward taking amphetamines as the parent comment instructs you to do. There are serious negative long-term effects from taking amphetamines regularly. Such advice as above is very one-size-fits-all, and in my view is thus really bad advice. > Ignore the people screaming about Adderall being "literal meth" and how it will certainly kill y…

We're talking about ADHD though, not someone looking to just pull some all-nighters or cram on a Sunday night. When I realized there was a low dose medication that could basically cure me of ADHD (thus cure me of underperformance, procrastinating my ambitions, low professional self-esteem), the choice was obvious. Know what also does harm? Underperformance, procrastinating my ambitions, low professional self-esteem.…

Stimulant addictions are one of the most common functional addictions.

I don't think most people would consider someone servicing an active physical dependency to have a "perfect bill of health", even if you are totally free from disease.

Post reply on HN