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Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

adhdevidence.org

81–90 of 114 posts

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#81

This looks cool, but it's not useful or interesting to me. I don't need to "heal from stigma and internalized ableism", I need to get things done and my brain is resistant to this. "stigma" and "ableism" is just psychobabble to me.

Stigma is psychobabble to you? Even if you somehow don't care what other people think, stigma gets in the way of medication.

Even if stigma gets in the way, it's not something about which I can do anything. Reading about it is not useful to me.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#82
The issue with an "evidence-based" approach is that conducting studies to generate evidence requires substantial capital, and that capital is most available for treatments that are supported by major companies. In this case, pharmaceutical companies make substantial profits from selling stimulants, and medical insurers favour CBT for a variety of reasons, including relatively short treatment timelines. Consequently, evidence will be biased towards those therapies, so the volume of evidence isn't really a good basis for comparing different treatments.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stigma is psychobabble to you? Even if you somehow don't care what other people think, stigma gets in the way of medication.

Even if stigma gets in the way, it's not something about which I can do anything. Reading about it is not useful to me.

You can learn how to navigate against and around other people's biases.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#84
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think maybe you answered the wrong comment

Not the wrong place; stigma is a huge part of why fulfilling these subscriptions is so awful.

I don't understand the connection at all. The pharmacy doesn't know if I'm diagnosed with ADHD but I have all those same problems. Also why would they want to withhold drugs from you? Aren't pharmacies usually parts of money-grubbing conglomerates that just want money out of you? What is in it for them to use "stigma" as a way to reduce service to you? Conversely, can you imagine the blowback if this were discovered to be the case?

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#85
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the wrong place; stigma is a huge part of why fulfilling these subscriptions is so awful.

I don't understand the connection at all. The pharmacy doesn't know if I'm diagnosed with ADHD but I have all those same problems. Also why would they want to withhold drugs from you? Aren't pharmacies usually parts of money-grubbing conglomerates that just want money out of you? What is in it for them to use "stigma" as a way to reduce service to you? Conversely, can you imagine the blowback if this were discovered…

It's not stigma against you, personally. It's stigma against ADHD-havers in general that encourages policy-makers to keep the system this broken.

> Also why would they want to withhold drugs from you?

Stimulants are bad drugs!!

Though the pharmacy itself is more worried about getting in trouble for making things too easy, because the laws are that awful.

> Conversely, can you imagine the blowback if this were discovered to be the case?

I imagine it to be quite negligible.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if stigma gets in the way, it's not something about which I can do anything. Reading about it is not useful to me.

You can learn how to navigate against and around other people's biases.

I simply do not care about other peoples' biases; they do not affect me nearly enough to be worth navigating against. I care about my own (in)ability to sit down and get something done. That inability is far and away the prime detractor from my quality of life.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#87
"No objective test can confirm or rule out the diagnosis of ADHD" [1]

"hyperactive impulsive and/or inattentive symptoms for at least 6 months...five or more for adults...no other disorder better explains the symptoms"

Probably the most well-organized effort in the world to push drugs. If they work for you without side effects, good for you. But all drugs have side effects. Would I would to mess with my dopamine levels to optimize my economic output, no fucking way.

[1] Download Slides - https://www.adhdevidence.org/resources

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#88
post #27

Earlier 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.

I honestly had far more profound "mental calm" moments after a time-bending DMT experience than anything else.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Aren't you worried about side effects and addiction?

Say you find some really bad side-effect in the future, can you live a normal life without it, and then you have to think how has your mind changed since getting used to the drug compared to before? And then if you have some other health problem, you always have to worry is it because of the substance or not...so you will think maybe I need to stop just in case...and then you realize you are addicted.

Re: Evidence-based conclusions about ADHD

#90
post #87

"No objective test can confirm or rule out the diagnosis of ADHD" [1] "hyperactive impulsive and/or inattentive symptoms for at least 6 months...five or more for adults...no other disorder better explains the symptoms" Probably the most well-organized effort in the world to push drugs. If they work for you without side effects, good for you. But all drugs have side effects. Would I would to mess with my dopamine leve…

I wear glasses to see better. Not that much different to be honest. It optimizes much more than productivity.
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