That site feels like a cruel joke. Every aspect is either distracting or unreadable - collapsed panels, un-explained acronyms, zero discernible order, etc. Even if you think you don't have ADHD, this site will make you question it!
Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
51–60 of 114 posts
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
In situations where there is a dopamine deficiency, stimulants like amphetamines counterintuitively have the opposite effect than you would expect.
This is so counterintuitive for folks. Anecdotally, you can find a lot of stories out there from folks with ADHD who will tell you that their medication calmed their brain for the first time. It could be compared to a sensory deprivation experience. "I didn't know my brain could be this quiet," is a common refrain from people with ADHD on taking a stimulant for the first time.
That was my experience. I was astounded that my mind became so calm, and I could just sit and focus on what I needed to.
Having since been medicated for some time, I now take this for granted, but it was a real watershed moment for me, that first day.
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#53Relatedly I want to recommend The Adult ADHD Handbook. I don't have time to write a spiel right now but I found it very helpful.
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#54Not much evidence on here, other than “avoid food colourants.”
I would suggest to the creator that they make it clear that the consensus statement is the centerpiece and link to it more clearly. I found it kind of confusing that there was a section of the homepage that promoted the consensus statement without giving me a way to get to it in the body of the page. There is a huge amount of information and evidence that seems to be presented really clearly, its just not front and c…
Oh wow thank you. I really tried to find info on this site, and I completely failed except for the few tidbits from the AMA.
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#55I remain highly skeptical that there is a common neurological physical pathology in children that is treatable by a steady lifetime use of amphetamines and amphetamine derivatives. It's all comparable to the other major pharamceutical scandal of our era, i.e. the opiate prescription business.
I would agree that children who appear incapable of paying attention to their teachers (who may not be very good teachers) in often-overcrowded classrooms will be better able to 'stay on task' if given amphetamines, but I don't see this as being much different from the heavy use of amphetamines in, for example, sweatshop factories in Asia where workers are doing repetitive tasks for hours on end. For example:
> "Dignity Returns was founded by women who worked for a Bed Bath & Beyond factory in Bangkok, where they were often forced to work up to 60 hours at a stretch, making clothes for international brands like Nike, Gap or Reebok. They were given amphetamines so they could work multiple shifts, and their pay was sometimes docked if they complained of exhaustion."
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2010/10/25/global-garmet-...
Constant use of amphetamine-type drugs, from Ritalin (methylphenidate) to Adderall (amphetamine) to Desoxyn (methamphetamine) does have numerous negative side effects, from skin acne to amphetamine psychosis, and also results in severe withdrawal symptoms (which accounts for the users tending to justify their diagnoses of ADHD because if they stop taking it, they feel terrible). This has not raised as many red flags as the opiate prescription epidemic, because overdose fatalities are rare in comparison.
That said, I'm relatively libertarian in my views on drug use, and it is possible that some people may benefit from judicious use (I drink rather a lot of coffee, after all, and it helps me stay focused) but I think if people were well-informed they'd be much more cautious when it comes to taking such powerful stimulants (and painkillers).
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#56I can't believe they're making a site for individuals with ADHD that uses that many carousels.
Funnily enough, ADDitude is a decent online magazine with some insightful articles- it's the first place I discovered the concept of RSD in detail- but it also falls prey to the content marketing school of web design.
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#57> This information War on ADHD stigmatizes affected people,
On the contrary I see tons of accommodations made by both private and public organizations. Many, many people seem to enjoy diagnosing themselves with this condition. Can someone point to evidence of stigmatization?
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#58I have a feeling that the massive quantities of prescribed amphetamines we've dumped into the population, including millions of children, is going to age about as well as using radium for wristwatches. But I guess we'll have to see the "evidence" for that.
Setting aside that Ritalin is the more common drug of choice for treating adolescents…
I’m in my 40s, and have been taking prescription amphetamines for ~20 years now. To this day, my experience is consistent and predictable. Before I take my first dose (which isn’t always in the morning), I have little ability to control where my attention goes. It’s not that I lack attention, mind you. There’s plenty of water in the tank, I just can’t control the firehose, and the nozzle just sprays water everywhere. My brain is a “noisy” place, different aspects of my cognition demanding to be the one that is heard. It’s a firehouse full of firefighters demanding to direct that wide-stream firehose. Every interruption, every slow driver, every unexpected sound, they’re all adding to the din, each one a firefighter demanding the firehose for their own purposes. If I’m lucky, I can fight them off and direct the hose where I want…until a new firefighter (distraction) walks in.
As a result, I’m anxious, irritable, fidgety, and impatient. You’d think I was on speed, given how quickly my attention jumps from one thing to another, and how quickly I lose the ability to focus on non-novel, boring things. It doesn’t matter if they’re “fires” that require my attention, I’m just ill-equipped to battle for the firehose.
About 20–30 minutes after a dose, the noise abates. The firefighters disperse. The flow to the firehose is narrowed and slowed, and I’m able to consciously hold on to it; I can direct the water (my attention) wherever I need to. Sometimes, I don’t even need to hold on to it, and it just stays where I pointed it (“hyperfocus”).
At the end of the day, when my meds wear off, I’m not exhausted from fighting my own brain all day long. I’m more relaxed. Peaceful. Calm. Patient.
I’ve seen no cognitive or physiological deficits as a result of taking prescription amphetamines for ~20 years. Because my wife and other adult friends/family members knew me before my diagnosis, they have a baseline to compare to when evaluating my behavior. I’ve asked outright, several times: they’ve seen nothing but positive improvements in my attitude, my ability to work, and my relationships with them and others.
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#59I can't believe they're making a site for individuals with ADHD that uses that many carousels.
Funnily enough, ADDitude is a decent online magazine with some insightful articles- it's the first place I discovered the concept of RSD in detail- but it also falls prey to the content marketing school of web design.
Is RSD as a common trait of ADHD actually backed by evidence, or is it just one doctor's theory?
Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD
#60One of the recommendations, CBT, is inspired by NLP (heavily). I can say that NLP did wonders for me. Site is attrocious :)
Can you cite sources that CBT was inspired by NLP? They have similarities, but CBT is evidence-based and NLP is not.
I'd say the two fields are very different. In the case of NLP - they watched very successful therapists in the 1970s, noticed some common themes, and extracted out a model. So for example, Milton Erickson would tell artfully vague stories to his clients, which were clever metaphors for healing, tailored to the individual. It's difficult to run scientific experiments to prove the efficacy of this - it depends on the skill of the practitioner and every client will need something different, so flexibility is key, not replicability of a technique which can be codified and taught.
CBT on the other hand, definitely ticks all the evidential boxes.
I think the two can be complementary - CBT has strong evidence for success, but maybe, the codified, procedural nature of it limits it somehow.
An NLP practitioner could try something completely different outside of any rule book if the client wasn't responding to something.
Anyway, I don't have a horse in this race, just a very curious lay-person with a few favourite classic books on these subjects.