Me and ADHD • Hacker News Board

Re: Me and ADHD

#421

Post by 542354234235 » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 2:41 PM UTC

vmception wrote: post #337

bootstrapping wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> I'm a serial founder who was diagnosed with ADHD in his mid-forties. I've seen this a lot. A lot of parents were in complete denial about their children having ADHD, and the rampant diagnosing of ADHD at a point in time. Turns out a lot of children actually had it, and it is not the most compatible with the environment they are in and will be in. All things did happen: rampant diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and parents i…

Or in my case, I was a legit diagnosis during the period of over diagnosis and over medication. I hated being “different” and got off the meds as soon as I could and was in denial for the next 20 years and just brute force handled symptoms. Now after a couple years of reengaging with mental health and getting medicated, it is so much better than researching compression algorithms and ancient Roman battle formations while procrastinating my 2 month project until it is already past due and then working 18 hour days for a week to get it done.

Re: Me and ADHD

#422

Post by blueridge » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 3:39 PM UTC

scottlamb wrote: post #335

blueridge wrote: post #219

In case it's helpful for anyone else who, broadly speaking, has trouble with attention or learning though isn't convinced its ADHD: get your eyes checked. "Due to similar symptoms, an undetected visual dysfunction can be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia or a reading disability. A comprehensive eye exam, which rules out a binocular vision dysfunction, is critical to determining if vision is a contributing factor." S…

> "Due to similar symptoms, an undetected visual dysfunction can be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia or a reading disability. A comprehensive eye exam, which rules out a binocular vision dysfunction, is critical to determining if vision is a contributing factor." Does a standard eye exam cover that? An optometrist recently told me that my eyes are "boring" and my mild prescription hasn't changed in years. So I've b…

I'd suggest finding a doctor with the F.C.O.V.D qualification for the exam. In my experience, an exam focused on binocular vision issues is very different from standard eye exam. I had to do a few drawing exercises on paper while looking through a range of devices I had never seen before, along with all sorts of tests for eye tracking, visual-motor coordination, convergence, and perception. Hell, my imbalance was responsible for a cocked and crooked neck and funny left-leaning posture. Posture was never a point of discussion when seeing different optometrists throughout the years.

If it turns out that you don't have any muscular issues, they'd still be able to help with your standard prescription if you're trying to get it right!

Re: Me and ADHD

#423

Post by kirillzubovsky » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 3:52 PM UTC

username90 wrote: post #388

kirillzubovsky wrote: post #382

lol. I find it interesting that ADHD makes for such a vogue discussion. The first paragraph describes me since I could remember. Call it what you want tho, it is what it is, and most of the world doesn’t care what you cannot focus on. Just because other people have easy time doing boring work tho, why do we call this “attention deficit?” Why not call it “boring works sucks, and distractions are awful,” or whatever. T…

> As I am reading other comments, many focus on how other people have perceived them as better/easier after medication. People don't give me money unless they perceive me as valuable. That is pretty important for me. Also I care about delivering on my personal projects for my own sake. Other than those two I don't care what others think.

Correct. It sounds like “being able to persist at mundane tasks” is perceived as valuable, and people who don’t, try to accommodate that illusion. While your superpower is actually “easily ignores bulls8t”, and it should be celebrated! Just an opinion...

Re: Me and ADHD

#424

Post by 4ggr0 » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 5:06 PM UTC

heimatau wrote: post #348

99_00 wrote: post #165

I'm in my 40s and have suffered with undiagnosed ADHD my entire life. Two days after I suspected I had it I saw my doctor. One month later I was on medication. A few more months and I am in weekly counselling. For me personally, the positive changes from medication and counseling have been dramatic and immediate. After only 4 months, my coworkers impression of me is starting to shift for the better. ADHD is a serious…

It's great that you're also going to therapy. I hope the therapy is for the habits of ADD (if it's for other things, I suggest you include any ADD habit that's impeding your life). I waited until 25 yrs old. Took a break for a bit but restarted at 33. I don't think I'll look back. The medication is such a night/day experience but it's only half the battle for me. Gotta break the bad habits (not filing away, not revie…

There's no point to the story below. I never meet people with ADHD, and I just felt like writing about my experience. To summarize, I know that I have ADHD, but I don't know what to do with that information. It's either, take that pill and turn into a robot, or don't take the pill and continue living an unorganized, chaotic life. I'm only 22, don't know at what point I'm supposed to figure out what life is and how it works :D Got a job, GF and my own (rented) apartment, if that's it then I want to be a kid again. God damn, can't even summarize without writing a wall of text...

---

In the end of 2019, YouTube randomly recommended a video to me, in which a guy talked about his experiences of growing up with ADHD. I never thought that I had it, but what he said resonated with me so strongly that it scared me. At about the same time, my GFs younger brother was diagnosed with ADHD. Started reading more about it, because my knowledge at that point was "kids who can't keep still".

A book which particularly shocked me back then was "ADD stole my car keys" by Rick Green. It felt like reading my own diary, it was very creepy.

So I started wondering if I had it. Talked about it to my doctor and he recommended a specialists who diagnoses ADHD. So I went there, and after months of questionnaires, tests etc. I got the confirmation which said, that I indeed had ADD.

After that, there was a time period where I was able to live with ADD and actually start organizing my life etc. Then Corona hit, I was fired (got a new, better job, no worries) and it kinda reset my progress.

Now the critical thing was the medication. It seemed to work, but in a way I didn't completely like. I was able to focus more, and my emotions were in check. But I wasn't hungry, it made me apathetic and my creativity went away. Granted, my job does not require creativity, but it feels weird to take a pill, which sole purpose is to make me compatible with the capitalistic world we live in. I was able to work, but my personality was lost while being on meds.

Re: Me and ADHD

#425

Post by daniel-cussen » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 5:35 PM UTC

bootstrapping wrote: post #342

username90 wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got diagnosed as an adult and it was life changing for me, has been on them for 5 years. Here are some tips: 1. Never take stimulants to have fun, just take them to do tasks to progress your life. ADHD doesn't prevent you from having fun, and having fun with stimulants is what makes them addictive. 2. Take regular breaks from the medication. You wont get much done the first day or two after, so don't plan on doing…

> Take regular breaks from the medication As others have said, this is definitely something you must discuss with your personal brain care specialist first. What others have not suggested, and again this is something I have been able to arrange in conjunction with my shrink, is medication switching. Since each has slightly different benefits, I use a different medication on a workday than at the weekend or holiday/so…

Everyone always says "consult your doctor", it's safe advice, but the consensus from doctors I've spoken to, books I've read, and the fact sheets that come with medication make it very clear that you can totally take a day off. This is nothing like medication for bipolarity, epilepsy, or HIV where you can't miss a dose without terrible consequences.

On the other hand, you may forget to take your medication, that can really be a problem. The rule of thumb is, if you forgot if you took it, it's because you forgot to take it.

Re: Me and ADHD

#426

Post by scottlamb » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 5:40 PM UTC

blueridge wrote: post #422

scottlamb wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "Due to similar symptoms, an undetected visual dysfunction can be misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia or a reading disability. A comprehensive eye exam, which rules out a binocular vision dysfunction, is critical to determining if vision is a contributing factor." Does a standard eye exam cover that? An optometrist recently told me that my eyes are "boring" and my mild prescription hasn't changed in years. So I've b…

I'd suggest finding a doctor with the F.C.O.V.D qualification for the exam. In my experience, an exam focused on binocular vision issues is very different from standard eye exam. I had to do a few drawing exercises on paper while looking through a range of devices I had never seen before, along with all sorts of tests for eye tracking, visual-motor coordination, convergence, and perception. Hell, my imbalance was res…

Thanks for the advice! I expect my problems will just go away with general self-care improvements, but I'll try that if not.

Hmm, is there any relation between this sort of problem and eyelid twitching ("blepharospasm")? WebMD doesn't seem to think so, but maybe you've heard differently.

Re: Me and ADHD

#427

Post by heimatau » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

4ggr0 wrote: post #424

heimatau wrote: post #348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's great that you're also going to therapy. I hope the therapy is for the habits of ADD (if it's for other things, I suggest you include any ADD habit that's impeding your life). I waited until 25 yrs old. Took a break for a bit but restarted at 33. I don't think I'll look back. The medication is such a night/day experience but it's only half the battle for me. Gotta break the bad habits (not filing away, not revie…

There's no point to the story below. I never meet people with ADHD, and I just felt like writing about my experience. To summarize, I know that I have ADHD, but I don't know what to do with that information. It's either, take that pill and turn into a robot, or don't take the pill and continue living an unorganized, chaotic life. I'm only 22, don't know at what point I'm supposed to figure out what life is and how it…

First, I really appreciate that you're opening up about your life. It's not easy to do, even with strangers on the web.

> It's either, take that pill and turn into a robot, or...

Might I suggest you think of it this way: Take that pill and realize my enlightened self or try to love myself in spite of my chemical imbalance in the brain.

> can't even summarize without writing a wall of text...

Although I'm not currently taking my advice here. Might I suggest that if you JOURNAL your personal thoughts, it's really helpful to realizing what you're trying to say to yourself. There is nothing wrong with a wall of text, even for summaries. I found that journaling was a great way for 'someone to listen to my random rapid thoughts'. (Note: This doesn't need to be everyday, nor some big burden. Just do it as often as you think about it and for as long as you desire in any given moment :D This will pay dividends for your awareness in just a few months of sporadic posts, even without the meds)

> But I wasn't hungry, it made me apathetic and my creativity went away.

Hmm. I'd suggest you try a different medication. There are multiple meds that help with this. (spelling probably wrong) Modfinil, Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, Dexadrine, etc

I've tried them all and honestly, if I was able to, I'd want a few different meds, at different dosages because I know it would be a better combination for me than just one med. Ritalin is a non-starter for me, the side effects are too serious. Vyvanse and Modfinil were 'gentle' but not aggressive enough on my symptoms (no side effects but maxing out the dosage still felt too little of a positive effect on me). Dexadrine worked with another med I was taking (prozac) but I wouldn't 'get things' done as efficient. Then I changed my other med to Wellbutrin (a better depression med, imho, super cheap too) and Adderall worked perfectly in concert with it (this is now affordable for out of pocket care in the USA). [Note: This is my personal experience. This paragraph is over 2 years of trial and error. Some things worked for a few months but didn't actually work, after some introspection. Try things and be aware of what's happening to your body. My situation is unique to me, yours will be different but try to understand your situation better]

Finding the right meds, for your unique biochemical makeup, is a very large task. Most doctors aren't as detailed and provide a Bespoke service. Try to give yourself a Bespoke level of care. Do it with the counsel of a doctor, many doctors will be okay with this because you're under their care and they tend to only put in the level of effort that you request. So, talk with them and try to find something better for yourself. It make take years but realize, being on some meds, you're learning about yourself and you're making progress on what you want (not what capitalism demands).

Re: Me and ADHD

#428

Post by 99_00 » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 6:13 PM UTC

heimatau wrote: post #348

99_00 wrote: post #165

I'm in my 40s and have suffered with undiagnosed ADHD my entire life. Two days after I suspected I had it I saw my doctor. One month later I was on medication. A few more months and I am in weekly counselling. For me personally, the positive changes from medication and counseling have been dramatic and immediate. After only 4 months, my coworkers impression of me is starting to shift for the better. ADHD is a serious…

It's great that you're also going to therapy. I hope the therapy is for the habits of ADD (if it's for other things, I suggest you include any ADD habit that's impeding your life). I waited until 25 yrs old. Took a break for a bit but restarted at 33. I don't think I'll look back. The medication is such a night/day experience but it's only half the battle for me. Gotta break the bad habits (not filing away, not revie…

Right now it's focused on emotional control, connecting with my values for motivation, and mindfulness. All related to ADD.

Re: Me and ADHD

#429

Post by heimatau » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 6:18 PM UTC

99_00 wrote: post #428

heimatau wrote: post #348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's great that you're also going to therapy. I hope the therapy is for the habits of ADD (if it's for other things, I suggest you include any ADD habit that's impeding your life). I waited until 25 yrs old. Took a break for a bit but restarted at 33. I don't think I'll look back. The medication is such a night/day experience but it's only half the battle for me. Gotta break the bad habits (not filing away, not revie…

Right now it's focused on emotional control, connecting with my values for motivation, and mindfulness. All related to ADD.

> , and mindfulness.

Me too! I've been identifying more with my Quaker belief system and meditating more. I'm trying to be more consistent with it but man, it's opened up a whole new world.

Keep up the great work! :)

Re: Me and ADHD

#430

Post by JHonaker » Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 6:22 PM UTC

JHonaker wrote: post #141

commandlinefan wrote: post #75

> hard time focusing on things that I don’t like or want to do Not trying to be insensitive, but doesn't that describe everybody? At what point does difficulty motivating yourself to do something unpleasant become an actual pathology? I identify with a lot of the symptoms he lists, but I've never thought that meant there was anything "wrong" with me, I thought everybody felt that way. Are there really people out ther…

I didn't get diagnosed until my late 20s, so I feel like I can articulate some of the differences. One of the things that contributed to that is that I am incredibly lucky in that math, statistics, and computer science are the things that most capture my interest. It never really manifested itself in my school work until now, graduate school, where things become a lot more open-ended and self-driven. I need increment…

Also, as you can see. It makes me a terrible editor. I missed several parts where I'd taken out the part introducing my wife into the story, and I made a quite a few silly mistakes. It should read "undiagnosed ADHD" not "diagnosed ADHD".