Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults • Hacker News Board

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#181

Post by jeznag » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 3:50 AM UTC

kevinqinhu wrote: post #76

Interesting concept. Personally, I'm not a fan of therapy (tried it 3 times and it didn't stick) because I felt like I wasn't learning anything tactical that I can apply to my life. I'm a founder with ADHD so I'm very focused on building and "unblocking" myself -- e.g. getting myself to do the thing I know I need to do but can't do for some reason. If having a coach who can help unblock me quickly when I'm in a state…

Another ADHD founder here. I got value from the first session. I've always had massive issues with punctuality (I got fired from a CTO job because I rocked up late to a crucial board meeting among other things) and talking it through with my coach helped me come up with strategies I hadn't thought of (using Alexa/Google Home style devices to give me audible alerts). I was able to implement the strategies immediately and have found the follow up sessions similarly valuable. My punctuality has been heaps better in the last three weeks :)

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#182

Post by jacobian » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 3:56 AM UTC

addthrowaway75 wrote: post #178

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

My friend it is you who should consider being ashamed. Suggesting stimulants as the first line of treatment rather than cardiovascular exercise, good sleep, and a healthier relationship with food is at best dismissive of the body of modern research and at worst introduction of a dangerous 'just pop a pill' crutch. Stimulants are not at all the only way out of the ouroboros of adhd symptoms making today hard and tomor…

> Suggesting stimulants as the first line of treatment rather than cardiovascular exercise, good sleep, and a healthier relationship with food is at best dismissive of the body of modern research and at worst introduction of a dangerous 'just pop a pill' crutch.

Literally none of this is true. The research overwhelmingly shows that stimulant medication is the most effective treatment for ADHD, and second place isn't even close. Show me a single paper that shows that "good sleep" is a more effective treatment for ADHD than medication and I'll eat my shoe.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#183

Post by workbytaylor » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 4:03 AM UTC

Just today I was thinking of a service like this for coaching of neuro-diverse couples (autistic/neuro-typical, etc.).

I'm happy to see this in the world.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#184

Post by curiousgal » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 4:18 AM UTC

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

I am curious, how do you explain the chasm in ADHD diagnosis between the US and Europe (or anywhere else really)? Surely if it's a purely neurological disorder, it should be somewhat "uniformly" detected across the globe, no?

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#185

Post by sdwr » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 4:37 AM UTC

addthrowaway75 wrote: post #178

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

My friend it is you who should consider being ashamed. Suggesting stimulants as the first line of treatment rather than cardiovascular exercise, good sleep, and a healthier relationship with food is at best dismissive of the body of modern research and at worst introduction of a dangerous 'just pop a pill' crutch. Stimulants are not at all the only way out of the ouroboros of adhd symptoms making today hard and tomor…

Thanks for this, you're being very evenhanded. Lifestyle changed sustained over time is the way to go, any remaining bad feelings can be taken as signals or just part of life. Pills aren't magic.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#186

Post by sdwr » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 4:43 AM UTC

jacobian wrote: post #182

addthrowaway75 wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friend it is you who should consider being ashamed. Suggesting stimulants as the first line of treatment rather than cardiovascular exercise, good sleep, and a healthier relationship with food is at best dismissive of the body of modern research and at worst introduction of a dangerous 'just pop a pill' crutch. Stimulants are not at all the only way out of the ouroboros of adhd symptoms making today hard and tomor…

> Suggesting stimulants as the first line of treatment rather than cardiovascular exercise, good sleep, and a healthier relationship with food is at best dismissive of the body of modern research and at worst introduction of a dangerous 'just pop a pill' crutch. Literally none of this is true. The research overwhelmingly shows that stimulant medication is the most effective treatment for ADHD, and second place isn't…

ADHD and stimulants are codefined. That doesn't prove anything, it's a circular definition.

The people who got exercise, slept well and kept meaning in their life avoided falling down the hole. They aren't in the study in the first place.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#187

Post by tsol » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 5:12 AM UTC

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

Stimulants don't work for everyone. Or like for me, they stop working after some time.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#188

Post by notRobot » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 5:27 AM UTC

Looks super cool, excited to try! Do you have any discount codes for students and/or plans of different pricing for non-NA countries?

I'm a working student living in a country where your price is almost 20% of my salary so it'll be very difficult for me and many others like me to afford.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#189

Post by riwsky » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 5:33 AM UTC

curiousgal wrote: post #184

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

I am curious, how do you explain the chasm in ADHD diagnosis between the US and Europe (or anywhere else really)? Surely if it's a purely neurological disorder, it should be somewhat "uniformly" detected across the globe, no?

Being purely neurological would strongly suggest uniform distribution of the disorder _itself_ — but absent a purely neurobiological _test_ for those symptoms, uniform distribution wouldn’t imply uniform detection.

“ADHD is primarily a neurological disorder” and “differences in ADHD diagnosis rates are primarily cultural” are not incompatible statements.

Re: Launch HN: Shimmer (YC S21) – ADHD coaching for adults

#190

Post by faeriechangling » Sat, Nov 05, 2022, 5:50 AM UTC

Uptrenda wrote: post #164

Oh look: another service that thinks ADHD is an inability to do scheduling or some other bullshit. ADHD is literally a neurological disorder that effects dopamine in the brain. It reduces wakefulness, concentration, the ability to filter out distractions, and the ability to motivate yourself. A software solution won't fix this. What ADHD people need isn't a normie couch to tell them to 'prioritize' differently or a b…

Even IF - even IF this service is effective for people with ADHD - how does this service deal with the problem of people believing they have ADHD when they actually have another problem which presents similarly?

Literally read their post, it's for if:

>If you have ADHD (or think you do)

Wow that's great and not exploitative at all. A service to treat a medical condition that people merely THINK they have. Don't suppose anybody is going to get a refund if they don't actually have ADHD.