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Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

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Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#201

Post by vorticalbox »

rlemaitre wrote: post #167
smallerfish wrote: post #153

I think Slack is a silent killer of productivity, and terrible for an ADHD brain: You're either "engaged" and "available" (meaning you respond to messages in semi-real-time, pretty much nixing your ability to do deep work) or you feel like you're missing a lot of conversation that's going on behind your back, because you're heads down with Slack closed. Slack is good for (shitty) managers of remote teams, because you…

Hi, author here, You're right, but unfortunately, when your company uses it and teams are distributed, you don't have the choice, and you have to find some tricks to accommodate.

I disable the `pop up` notification and just let the counter in Ubuntu dock tick up. This lets me see that there is a message without the distracting words in my face.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#202

Post by rlemaitre »

pwillia7 wrote: post #56

This is great! So many people in the ADHD community don't dig in enough into the 'superpower' side of it, so I'm super glad you covered that here. We can't get rid of the bad parts so I think it's extra important to lean into the good parts too. I will also share this Historia Civilis video on the history of work, which really resonated with me as an ADHD person -- It's OK and even more 'natural' to have fast and slo…

Hi, author here,

> This is great! So many people in the ADHD community don't dig in enough into the 'superpower' side of it, so I'm super glad you covered that here. We can't get rid of the bad parts so I think it's extra important to lean into the good parts too.

Thanks for your comment, that's what I wanted to express. We can't run away from the bad parts, so let's try to deal with it and find some stuff to help us.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#203

Post by Fluorescence »

coremoff wrote: post #26
LeafItAlone wrote: post #14

What is everyone’s experience getting officially diagnosed and treated? I match up pretty closely with textbook symptoms and all of the free online “tests” indicate I should get treated for it… but how? I’ve found places that offer an ADHD screening at the tune of multiple thousands, not in network with any insurance, but those places don’t also treat it. I’m more interested in pharmacological treatments rather than…

you will need to tell us your location; it will vary greatly across the world. In the UK, for me, diagnosis wasn't too hard via BUPA - my phsychiatrist seeing me for my other mental health problems recommended me and it was relatively quick to get an ADHD diagnosis; now, however, I am stuck - there's a UK shorage of medication so my psychiatrist is unwilling to proscribe for a new patient whilst existing ones aren't…

The other option is "Right To Choose" through the NHS - you ask for a referral by your GP to a private ADHD specialist.

The NHS ADHD waiting list in my region was over 6 years but using RTC, I was diagnosed in around 6 months with no extra cost and prescriptions costing the NHS standard. Places like ADHD360 and PsychiatryUK focus on high throughput / low cost so the amount of time and qualifications of the practitioners won't match hand-picking a private psychologist but you can't argue with the cost.

https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#204

Post by Capricorn2481 »

coremoff wrote: post #15
jakey_bakey wrote: post #8

"Coping Mechanisms: Over the years, adults develop various coping strategies that can mask ADHD symptoms. For instance, someone might excessively rely on calendars, to-do lists, or alarms to compensate for forgetfulness." You're goddamn right I do

do you find that todo lists help you? I certainly agree with calendars/alarms but todo lists for me are a place to put things instead of doing them and then they become a separate problem all of their own

I mean the author in the article uses a to do list

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#206

Post by hiAndrewQuinn »

FuckButtons wrote: post #151
hiAndrewQuinn wrote: post #140

One of the more interesting things about ADHD is that some of the things ADHD sufferers call "coping strategies" (using calendars, writing documentation) are actually just really good ideas for anyone. The twin demons of diminishing returns and hyperbolic discounting mean that people who don't need to have these systems in place for the current demands of their lives, usually don't have them in place. ADHD sufferers…

Getting things done was written by someone with adhd, the entire system is one big coping strategy for not having a functioning working memory.

In the same way fire was discovered by an anemic woman, maybe. It seems most popular among my lawyer/paralegal friends, though, and "low working memory" is not a harbinger of success in those fields.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#207

Post by aidenn0 »

Mordisquitos wrote: post #40
jakey_bakey wrote: post #8

"Coping Mechanisms: Over the years, adults develop various coping strategies that can mask ADHD symptoms. For instance, someone might excessively rely on calendars, to-do lists, or alarms to compensate for forgetfulness." You're goddamn right I do

In my case I have to say that is only half true. As an adult-diagnosed ADHD sufferer I cannot say that I developed coping strategies on which I relied excessively that masked my symptoms. Rather, I used to try [0] to develop coping strategies, only for me to eventually drop them for unexplainable reasons at the slightest routine-messing incident or event, regardless of how effective the strategy was being or how good…

That's me too (except I was diagnosed as a kid). Only thing that has worked reliably with me is Dexmethylphenidate, but it messes with my sleep, so I get to choose between my brain feeling like mush in the morning or playing the focus-lottery for the rest of the day.

P.S. Nice Mitch Hedberg reference

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#208

Post by Podgajski »

rlemaitre wrote: post #181
Podgajski wrote: post #59

I read that whole thing and didn’t read one word about nutrition? I’ve come along way to understanding the nutritional metabolic pathways that may increase the symptoms of ADHD. Pyridoxine, or B6, is the most studied nutritional factor when it comes to reducing ADHD symptoms. I’m not saying this is the only cause of ADHD, but if this works other things might work as well. Zinc is a good possibility on the list also.…

Hi, author here, Nutrition is very important indeed, but it has always been a problem for me. I wanted to focus on things I tried and worked on me. Of course, it's not perfect, but at least the points I listed made the things better for me. Everybody's different, so it's not a silver bullet, just my personal journey.

Can you explain more about how nutrition is an issue for you?

Would you ever consider getting your serum B6 levels tested? It’s pretty cheap and you can do it without a doctors prescription if you’re in in the United States.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#209

Post by pc86 »

keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

Such a minor part of your comment, but I simply cannot focus on anything if my apps aren't all fullscreen. I have two monitors, and two applications visible at any time. Right now I have this on one screen and a non-work YouTube video on the other (Your Mom's House is a great podcast btw, especially if you already have YT premium).

I have trouble focusing, I don't think quite to the level of ADHD, but it would be so much worse if I had 4 or 5 apps on each screen.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#210

Post by sedivy94 »

navjack27 wrote: post #173
keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

I think ADHD is the new norm. Huh? ADHD is a debilitating and disabling disorder... I don't think you're talking about ADHD.

ADHD has little to no physiological markers. As the floor of expectations for attention and executive functioning continues to rise, the rate of diagnosis increases.
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