Ask HN: How did an adult ADHD diagnosis help you?

Post by throwasquirrel » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 3:57 PM UTC

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #215

matlin wrote: post #107

Anyone reading this should be extremely skeptical of internet strangers recommending drugs that gave them "superpowers", changed their life, etc. Taking these drugs will make anyone feel more focused, motivated, etc because these drugs are strong stimulants that cause euphoria, focus, and bursts of energy. Anecdotally, I've seen a huge uptick in posts of the format "how an ADHD diagnosis changed my life" on Reddit, T…

I recommend discarding any anecdotes from people who recently started taking stimulants like Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin. The parent comment is correct in that early stimulant usage is associated with euphoria and motivation that do not last. If someone describes Adderall like the magic drug that Bradley Cooper takes in the movie Limitless, they probably haven't been taking it very long. Tolerance quickly builds to…

Post by jbotz » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 4:09 PM UTC

codpiece wrote: post #160

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #106

You may have "non-problematic" ADHD, or not consider it a problem. But there may be a few things you struggle with that you aren't telling. Emotional stability. My girlfriend had massive ups and downs, almost bipolar; the medication (slow release, concerta or its cheaper but equivalent alternative) evened things out. I have a friend who doesn't want the diagnosis or treatment because he's fine with it, and you can te…

Getting overwhelmed is totally spot-on. I do need to remove myself on occasions. My family always remarks on my sensitive hearing and sense of smell.

Post by adhdthroway » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 4:18 PM UTC

jspash wrote: post #85

kmarc wrote: post #55

Living in Europe, my perception (AKA: anecdotal / unscientific / non-measured) is that most of the ADHD-diagnosed people I know live in the US, while I only know one European person in my network who received similar diagnosis from a professional psychiatrist. Counterintuitively, I know way more European people than Americans, which makes my perception feel even more skewed. I very well know that my sample(ing method…

American here. Lived the first 30 years of my life in the States, the next 20 in France/UK and have worked (temporarily at least) in most major European cities. I think you are on to something with you last point. One long-standing joke about Americans is that within 5 minutes of meeting them you'll know more about their bank account, hopes/fears/dreams, and their lower colon than you'll ever know about your best Eur…

Post by LurkersWillLurk » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 4:23 PM UTC

stevewodil wrote: post #165

tootie wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did you get your diagnosis? Every time I read the symptoms it sounds like me, but it also kinda sounds like everybody. What's the signal that it's a pathology worthy of treatment?

Not the person you are replying to, but generally speaking I look at getting a diagnosis (for most mental health problems) like so: Do these symptoms cause me struggle with my everyday life? Are things that normal people do all the time oddly difficult for me to complete? If so, go get a diagnosis. Everyone struggles with procrastination to an extent, but if you try to sit down and try to start the work and just CANN…

Post by username90 » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 4:30 PM UTC

kmarc wrote: post #133

jnovek wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One hypothesis is that, in the country where you live, there is more stigma around ADHD in adults and it is more frequently ignored or dismissed. It is an easy condition to ignore —- adults with ADHD are frequently not very “hyperactive” because even if they were as children, they’ve learned to modulate that behavior through experience. The traits of inattentive-only ADHD are often written off as laziness when in rea…

Which raises another question: - How bad can it be, if it stays undiagnosed?