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Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

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31–40 of 227 posts

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#31
post #8

> Also, I have ADHD. This is probably relevant, but I haven't quite figured out how I was going to suggest it but you already know it. I’m in the exact same spot as you and I I have yet to find solutions. Anyway the first step you must take is to seek for professional help.

The solution is to get medicated with the right medicine for you if you truely have adhd

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#33

> All I really look forward to these days is getting high and playing video games or watching Seinfeld reruns each weekend Not saying it's the only cause of your problems, but you shouldn't underestimate the affect that getting high can have on how you feel when you're not high (especially if it's an every day or most days thing). Consider a (say 3-6 month) detox.

Yeah it's interesting to me how little this gets talked about now days, but back in the 80s teenagers called it "antimotivational syndrome"[0] to describe what happens to stoners.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amotivational_syndrome

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#35

weed, adhd meds, you are scrambling and desensitizing the already compromised executive function center of your brain. you essentially need to do a dopamine detox and start back from ground zero. for weaning yourself off THC my strategy is to buy high-end CBD flower (online mail order in the US) and then taper my usage. At this point I am consuming about 1g of CBD flower every morning and loving it. Some vendors I li…

Agree with half of this. Speaking from experience the weed is toxic. The (correct for you) adhd meds are crucial but make sure you can take a break for a day weekly.

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#36
post #16
post #8

> Also, I have ADHD. This is probably relevant, but I haven't quite figured out how I was going to suggest it but you already know it. I’m in the exact same spot as you and I I have yet to find solutions. Anyway the first step you must take is to seek for professional help.

Are you medicated? I've been getting out of my rut since I got diagnosed. I'm finally excited for the future, and optimistic.

Yes and no. I tried methylphenidate multiple times the last years but I have a hard time tolerating side effects at useful doses.

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#38

I was feeling the same way in my late 20's. Sort of climbed all the hills I cared about climbing. I ended up getting married and having a kid. For me, life would be really boring without children. It's more fun to watch her have fun than it is to have fun yourself, if that makes sense.

> It's more fun to watch her have fun than it is to have fun yourself, if that makes sense.

It's hard to explain this to people without kids (and definitely shouldn't be used to say "hey you should have kids to make yourself feel better!").

That being said, when we go to amusement parks, I can have a joyful day without ever riding a ride. Just watching my kids have fun is sufficient for me.

Re: Ask HN: I'm in a rut. How did you get out of yours?

#40
Exercise, drop the drugs, ensure you have some part of your identity unrelated to work.

I was in a rut for years because my work was my identity and I wasn’t where I wanted to be (thank you effective altruism for the identity crisis lol). When I moved out to California I quit drinking (for a while, quit again more recently), focused on exercising, and set a goal of not seeing my whole identity as a software developer. It helped so much with my physical and mental health, and in turn that helped me with my work life.

Honestly if you just view work as a source of income to do the things you want to do, and get out and be a bit more active, you could get out of the rut pretty quickly.

And if you don’t care for any of these suggestions - just stay positive these things are temporary and you’ll feel better in time anyway :) We all have these moments.

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