ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
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Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#2I find that 10mg of a Concerta derivative make me enjoy the positive aspects of my disorder -- ADHD inattentive type -- while preventing the negatives. I was already a working adult when I first tried medicating and it's been a life changing experience. I take one dose on a weekday morning when I have to concentrate on manual tasks and I skip the dose when I want to use more of my imagination for concept and idea gathering.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#3I never thought ADHD was evolutionary maladaptive, this is a condition which makes you more likely to blow off work and have unprotected sex. It's treated as a mental illness and disorder because those with it are less economically productive and experience more distress than most people.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#4I find that 10mg of a Concerta derivative make me enjoy the positive aspects of my disorder -- ADHD inattentive type -- while preventing the negatives. I was already a working adult when I first tried medicating and it's been a life changing experience. I take one dose on a weekday morning when I have to concentrate on manual tasks and I skip the dose when I want to use more of my imagination for concept and idea gat…
Outside of the dosage, seconding this! Also inattentive flavoured ADHD. 70mg Elvanse usually allows me to be a productive day to day person, skipping the dose on Saturdays is where I let myself freely roam the internet and tinker with new software, languages, systems, coming up with fiction, coming up with sketches for a TV show that will probably never see the light of day, etc. Sundays get a dose as normal but I use that for housework and the likes. I've been brushing up on Kubernetes most recently, I don't need it anywhere right now but who knows where it (or the concepts in and around it) will come up. Also it's kinda cool honestly :)
It's the best of both worlds.. as best as I have got it so far in 35 years anyway, not perfect, but it mostly works - I can earn enough to survive without having to actually forage in bushes, and I get to learn stuff that's interesting but not immediately useful for that all-natural dopamine fix.
The not immediately useful stuff often combines with future problems and becomes a "genius" solution, haha. If you ever want to be called a genius all you have to do is plug two seemingly separate things you know into each other.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#5I think most traits give either an evolutionary advantage to you or your group
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#6I never thought ADHD was evolutionary maladaptive, this is a condition which makes you more likely to blow off work and have unprotected sex. It's treated as a mental illness and disorder because those with it are less economically productive and experience more distress than most people.
> makes you more likely to […] have unprotected sex
As someone with ADD, I wish I could agree. Adding to that, ADD can also be reasonably economically productive if the field of work aligns with the requirements of the condition. IT usually happens to be one of them. Productive squirrel chasing, if you like. Just work on a different issue for a bit, learn something new, etc.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#7I think this is a good example of how we mix up concepts: ADHD is just a phenotype. Then, our society classifies it as a condition because it does not go well with current circumstances. Although, both are separate things.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#8I think most traits give either an evolutionary advantage to you or your group
According to your opinion, which evolutionary advantage would something like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia provide to your group?
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#9https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRrvUGjRVsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORq8VNIjDRA
there are some strong suggestions that those traits have been selected against quite a few times.
Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
#10I never thought ADHD was evolutionary maladaptive, this is a condition which makes you more likely to blow off work and have unprotected sex. It's treated as a mental illness and disorder because those with it are less economically productive and experience more distress than most people.
> makes you more likely to […] have unprotected sex As someone with ADD, I wish I could agree. Adding to that, ADD can also be reasonably economically productive if the field of work aligns with the requirements of the condition. IT usually happens to be one of them. Productive squirrel chasing, if you like. Just work on a different issue for a bit, learn something new, etc.
As a person with diagnosed ADHD and employed (but struggling) in the IT field, I often think I would truly excel as a waste picker.