Earlier quoted context omitted.
Where in European union?
Slovakia
How did the police situation happen?
Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
61–70 of 87 posts
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#62Have you tried work that comes to you? Like clearing a queue of tickets in technical support or even accepting calls? You basically have to show up to work and you are micromanaged by the queuing software. Sounds horrible, but it leads to consistent performance and when your shift is over your mind is clear from work. You are not stressed about procrastination - you just have to respond to stimuli. You don't have to…
> You basically have to show up to work and you are micromanaged by the queuing software. Sounds horrible
Sounds like a godsend to me!
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#63Some ideas that work for me: - become a freelance, only accept short time jobs so you can deliver, get paid, and enjoy the free time when you can focus - ideate, advocate, and work on short interesting projects that can give you dopamine when your regular job becomes too boring to do. Example? I was feeling like this and I proposed I'd create an internal tool to read sms messages from Twilio to be used internally whe…
Agree with the freelancer suggestion. Freelancers generally have a more equal business relationship with clients and clients will respect you when you decide to block off time for other projects, and/or your health.
Freelancing comes with its own challenges, especially when it comes to finding work, but the tradeoffs, higher remuneration and increased flexibility are worth it.
One caveat is you do need to be quite good, or quite specialized at what you do.
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
Slovakia
How did the police situation happen?
I tried to go there for third time in 4 months and they called them probably because the companies they sent me to gave them feedback that I am not working - because here it's mandatory to be trying to get a job to collect the allowance.
Fortunately the guys who arrived were the most reasonable guys I ever met and laughed at them, but suggested I don't go back there again.
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#65In broad terms, I see basically four options:
1. Try to fix yourself, with medication or otherwise.
2. Find a coding job at a badly managed company (something like a large bank etc.) where they won't notice your performance is minimal. This is suboptimal, because it will be stressful for you and you'll probably end up being fired in 5-10 years anyway.
3. Find a different line of work - one without monotony and which doesn't require constant focus. Perhaps some varied, strongly stimulating physical work, like firefighting or police? I imagine people with ADHD might do well there.
4. Apply for disability, if it's an option where you live.
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#66ADHD software engineer from Prague here. Here are some things I do to be reliably productive. To be clear, I don't do everything written below everyday (except limiting phonetime). They are tools to stop the downward spiral. Pick what works for you. - Get StayFree app to limit your fun unproductive screentime. Getting bored is good for you. - Generally limit things that gives you easy dopamine. It messes with your re…
What is your age?
28
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#67Quite honestly, programming doesn't sound like a good fit. Have you tried doing something physical? Like post office delivery or something.
These jobs don't pay enough to afford housing and food around here... It's done by older people who got their real estate when it was still cheap 10-20 (or more) years ago. Younger people have absolutely no chance of making enough to get by from this job. There's also huge competition on these jobs - older people who want to supplement their pension income, etc. I'm not averse to physical work (I like working on my g…
> In my downperiods I am unable to clean my teeth.
That sounds like a symptom of depression, not ADHD.
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#68A suggestion you might want to explore. Find a place that practices pair programming. If you're not very social this might sound intimidating, but 1-1 interactions are much more manageable than group interactions. Pairing gives you a setup that tolerates distractions, because you have two people to absorb it. In the extreme case, one person can be completely checked out, but the pair together can still deliver.
But more importantly, two heads can complement each other to overcome limitations of either. Your pair can support you with things like navigating, communicating, discovery etc. while you may support them in things like solutioning, refactoring, craft etc. Of course you won't be playing a role exclusive to these attributes, but depending on who you are pairing with you can lean more on one side and get support on the other as suitable.
Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#69Many unmedicated people with ADHD have this problem and have figured out their own process for working through the funk period. On a personal level, exercise and coffee have been magical for me. When I'm not feeling it, the task is getting to the coffee pot, but once I'm there the motivation comes on its own. Walking 40-60 minutes outside does wonders as well.
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Re: Ask HN: Experienced software engineer – but unable to consistently work
#70Many unmedicated people with ADHD have this problem and have figured out their own process for working through the funk period. On a personal level, exercise and coffee have been magical for me. When I'm not feeling it, the task is getting to the coffee pot, but once I'm there the motivation comes on its own. Walking 40-60 minutes outside does wonders as well.
AFAIK: caffeine blocks the neurochemical adenosine.
Adenosine and GABA downregulate neuronal activity such as dopamine, noradrenaline.
Dopamine and noradrenaline are the key transmitters where drugs like LDX inhibit their reuptake and causes more release of them.
For dopamine (and noradrenaline), you need L-dopa, for L-dopa, you need tyrosine, for tyrosine, you need protein.
For setotonin, you need tryptophane and thus protein.
For acetylcholine, you need choline.
You can also get enhanced release of noradrenaline for 5 h through cold showers.
Likely, you need to downregulate your neurons at a certain time.
You need GABA.
However, taking GABA directly does usually not work.
Lithium orothate does.
Creatine is likely also needed. Since creatine provides phosphates for your brain cells which keeps your energy metabolism efficient.