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

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

#381

Post by avtg »

msrenee wrote: post #267
vlunkr wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even as Americans we find these amusing. They tell you to "ask you doctor about x." Does anyone do that ever? They're also unintentionally hilarious now that they can't read the side effects at super speed, so 50% of the commercial is watching someone play with their dog while you learn that this allergy medicine is going to give you diarrhea and suicidal thoughts and maybe a heart attack. They must work somehow beca…

I'll bite. I actually figured out I had narcolepsy through a pharmaceutical company's big campaign to push a couple newer drugs they have the patents for. "Are you more than tired?". Well, yes. I'm tired all the time and a couple times a week have bouts where I'm staring at a concrete floor thinking I could just lay down and go to sleep. But I don't have narcolepsy. I'm not that tired. I don't pass out randomly. I ca…

Narcolepsy is not about passing out randomly, most doze off very quickly when doing simple or repetitive things. If you also have cataplexy there is hardly any question. Read more about it, join a local group the symptoms are very divers.

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

#382

Post by dubidabidubidu »

A lot of people are speaking about medication, which is great, but I will give a different perspective. Getting the diagnosis made me a better and more empathetic human being.

Getting the diagnosis allowed me to be open about this with my peers, and understand that while I am flawed in a way I can't really control anymore. I will never have focus, but I pay off by being passionate. It helped come to terms that I will never be a specialist, and accept that I am a generalist, and that's how I bring value to the world. Nowadays, I bring ADHD and generalism during interviews, because not every company has processes setup for the kind of work I enjoy doing.

It made me better understand why my partner is not able to take the same risks as I do. For example, if I don't like my work I just quit, I don't overthink. But risk-taking behavior is an ADHD trait, so it makes sense that other people don't want to take as much risk as I do, and in our relationship it's actually good we have someone more stable.

The diagnosis helped explore my frustrations, helped me be ok with the fact that I will change hobbies all the time, that I will change jobs all the time, that I will change roles all the time, because that makes me happy.

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

#384

Post by repulsivegoose »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #361
lostmyoldone wrote: post #345

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A typical characteristic of people with ADHD is that typical doses of - say Ritalin - creates no euphoric effect at all. Every adult I met that is "on" stimulants has echoed the sentiment that they don't understand why on earth anyone would take them recreationally. Ergo, they don't feel euphoria, because then it would certainly be obvious why. If you get euphoria from those doses, well then what you suffer from is p…

People who take stimulants as prescribed for many years don’t understand the euphoric effects because they built a tolerance long ago. Their experience cannot be compared to someone just starting the medication. The idea that ADHD medications do not cause euphoria in ADHD patients is a myth. It’s one of the reasons some practitioners are moving to titration schedules that start with low doses and move up over time.

As an adult-diagnosed ADHD person and someone who's taken Concerta (time-released ritalin) for about 12 years, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a differing experience of stimulants as a myth. I had stopped taking it for about one year while I was undergoing chemotherapy, and recently started taking it again, so I have a pretty clear recollection of what it feels like to get started. No euphoria, but a feeling of mental fog clearing.

I've never experienced euphoria from stimulants, and I've always felt like I've processed caffeine differently than neurotypical individuals. I've spoken with several people with ADHD who have the same experience. Perhaps it's more accurate to say that not everyone feels euphoria from stimulants and there's some correlation between ADHD and stimulant non-euphoria.

I do agree with the titration schedule being a good idea. With any potentially mood-altering substance it seems wise to start slow. It gives time to gradually understand its effects (some good, some less so), and after some experimentation, I decided that a low dose was best for me to provide just enough of the "glasses for the brain" effect without otherwise affecting my mental state.

Anecdotal, perhaps. But enough anecdotes to point to some signal in the noise.

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

#385

Post by solracanobra »

My Psychiatrist that I"ve known for around 10 years told me at my last meeting with him that I am his most successful case when it comes to coping with ADHD and trying to brute force my way through it. Even with the recognition from him who has consistently seen hundreds of patients over the years, I have to put an immense effort to move forward in the direction I want to go.

I wouldn't say not to explore it, but it has been debilitating in my case. If it isn't in yours (or hasn't been), I personally think you might not get much of a perceived benefit.

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

#389

Post by retests »

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…

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