Live data from Hacker News

Me and ADHD

linkedin.com

171–180 of 455 posts

Re: Me and ADHD

#171
post #151

A lot of comments here are warning about the addictive properties of stimulant medications. For folks without ADHD, you should know that stimulants, like Ritalin and Adderall, do not usually cause the same response as in non-ADHD people. I've spoken with many people on stimulants, and none of them enjoy taking the medication, beyond what it has done to improve their lives. Furthermore, most ADHD people develop tolera…

Do doctors suggest some kind of cycling regime? I'd imagine I would probably take it on weekdays, then skip it on weekends and holidays. Not sure if that would be enough though.

I believe 'weekends off' is a common suggestion from doctors prescribing these types of medications for ADHD

Re: Me and ADHD

#172

A lot of comments here are warning about the addictive properties of stimulant medications. For folks without ADHD, you should know that stimulants, like Ritalin and Adderall, do not usually cause the same response as in non-ADHD people. I've spoken with many people on stimulants, and none of them enjoy taking the medication, beyond what it has done to improve their lives. Furthermore, most ADHD people develop tolera…

For me, Ritalin works as it should, just focusing. dextroamphetamine on the other hand gets me all hyped up.

The difference between people is so subtle and so profound. For me, dextroamphetamine brings a still and composed calmness upon the world. Not euphora, just a calmness.

Re: Me and ADHD

#173
post #91

Am I the only one who feels a bit discredited when someone blames their ADHD for their shortcomings? To me, all the ADHD symptoms listed in this article sounds like nothing more but normal human traits. Also, author hasn't been diagnosed with ADHD, and the tips can be helpful to everyone.

You're not the only one that feels this way. Just like you're not the only one that probably feels like alcoholics should just learn to handle their liquor, bulimics should accept their body image, people with cardiovascular issues should just exercise more, stutterers should just stop stuttering, asthmatics should just breath better, etc. What you have is a lack of empathy and understanding for people that genuinely…

I don’t think this is a fair characterization of what he was saying. Many of people that post these stories are self diagnosed, which should give you pause. Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. No one — including the poster — knows. If they do not actually ADHD, then they are using this self diagnosis as excuse. You see the same thing with people declaring that they’re “on the spectrum”, when called out for bad behavior. As one diagnosed autistic friend put it, “They’re not autistic. They’re just an asshole.”

Re: Me and ADHD

#174

A lot of comments here are warning about the addictive properties of stimulant medications. For folks without ADHD, you should know that stimulants, like Ritalin and Adderall, do not usually cause the same response as in non-ADHD people. I've spoken with many people on stimulants, and none of them enjoy taking the medication, beyond what it has done to improve their lives. Furthermore, most ADHD people develop tolera…

I'll echo this; I'm a serial founder who was diagnosed with ADHD in his mid-forties. The stimulant medications do not make me "high", do not provide any kind of buzz. Rather, they have a moderating effect. Explaining this requires correcting the misunderstandings in the public realm of how adult ADHD presents, but in nutshell: * The (largely mental) hyperactivity is controllable, that is, I retain my creative ideas g…

> The (largely mental) hyperactivity is controllable, that is, I retain my creative ideas generation and interest in new things, but I am no longer governed by it, and

As a person who is in their 1st week of medication, that is a HUGE relief. Thank you.

I have a lot more to comment here but have a quiz (engineering undergrad) to do rn..lol. But I gotta say your description of you experience is the most comprehensive thing I was ever able to relate to. I found a lot of people on r/ADHD articulating individual feelings/experiences that I felt but was not able to talk about, but yours just covered a lot more base with me personally.

> anything from CSS to soldering and unable to sleep for the rush of ideas.

That hit hard XD.

> would be better titled "Attention Difference Disorder"

Yes, a lot of people are don't like that it was named mostly based on the symptoms most annoying to the people around the person ADHD with. Many people suggest something along the lines of "Executive Function Dysregulation" to remove the "hyper" part that many people don't suffer from and include emotional-dysregulation in the symptoms.

Ok enough. time to go.

Re: Me and ADHD

#175
Got diagnosed earlier in lockdown and started meds after many years of struggling through school and having my coping mechanisms barely being enough to keep things together at work/home. Once lockdown hit all my built-up coping mechanisms broke down and triggered a depression spiral.

I think what finally got me to do the thing was realizing how often I was now not able to parse my partner speaking directly to me even when I was 100% listening, no distracting noises, interested in what they had to say, etc. At the worst it was more than once a day for at least a minute or two. I could see their mouth moving and recognize that they were making words but was unable to understand a word of it no matter how hard I tried.

Vyvanse has been helpful. It's made it possible to put the work in and build routines to get stuff done. It's not a magic bullet but it brings me much closer to the starting line. I started struggling more with insomnia since starting it but that's a trade I'm willing to make to be able to function at all.

Re: Me and ADHD

#176

GABA supplements can help alleviate the symptoms of ADHD, if the source of it is anxiety.

Oh I'm sure benzos help for anxiety lmao good one dude. Of course they do.

Well, it is one of the documented uses for GABA.

https://www.healthline.com/health/gamma-aminobutyric-acid#us...

It makes sense to use a neuroinhibitor if you have hyperactivity.

Plus, they will make you sleep more and better, and good quality sleep will take care of a bunch of other issues you might be having.

Using stimulants for anxiety will push you deeper into anxiety.

Re: Me and ADHD

#177

Feels like its easy to have a false positive diagnoses for amphetamines, particularly in high stress & productivity roles such as tech.

Definitely, but that doesn't change the fact that some really need the medication and preventing them from receiving it ruins lives.

Re: Me and ADHD

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To paraphrase, "I think adderall is kinda like meth, so it's obviously addictive." The fuck? Adderall is one of many medical options for treating ADHD. Not all of which are stimulants. And some of which are chemically designed so they can't be abused (like Vyvance). EDIT: The OP pulled the "in my opinion" phrasing from their post, but I'm going leave mine as-is. There's a lot of anecdote based FUD about ADHD meds goi…

Adderall is 100% addictive and is like meth but with less bio-availability and neurotoxicity. All stimulants are addictive and you will have physical side effects from discontinuing use.

> All stimulants are addictive and you will have physical side effects from discontinuing use.

I love those side effects though. It is so nice to stop taking them and feel cozy and rest for a few days. The best description I have for it is that it feels like when you get home from a hard days work and are tired and go sit down in your sofa and just relax. Just that the feeling lasts for days! Awesome, right?

I hate being on the meds and I never take them when I don't work, but I have to take them to do any kind of work requiring focus like for example filling out a form.

Re: Me and ADHD

#179
post #52

Anybody else here thinks their ADHD influences some hoarding tendencies or fear-of-missing-out? I am basically a tab-opening machine. Whenever I come across any link that I feel might be helpful in some point in the future, I open it in the background knowing full well that I don't have time to look at it soon. Thank god for TheGreatSuspender, and SessionBuddy extentions.

I was probably trained by my IE6/400Mhz Pentium days, but I’m the opposite. As soon as I’m done with it, I close it. I’ve never understood how people can leave tabs open when they’re not actively using them.

Re: Me and ADHD

#180
I was diagnosed with ADHD around age 12 in early school. For about 10 years, I was on a lot of stimulant medication; Vyvanse, Adderall, Concerta, and tried many others. Only in the last couple years did I stop entirely. You get used to the sleep impairment after a while. It affected my ability to socialize. I was making excuses for my behavior and largely, I could summarize it as "feeling like a zombie, entirely reliant on a pill." My opinion on it now is that it can help you, but now I prefer to be in my default mode, unencumbered by meds.
Post reply on HN