Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 67 posts

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#21

Post by gtroja »

RockCoach wrote: post #13
hoseja wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Religion.

Interesting thought. More than once I've heard the theory that the prophets of old (Moses, Jesus, Muhammad etc.), were actually schizophrenics and hearing voices. Only due to the superstition of the time they sometimes became regarded as holy men (or women like the case of Jeanne d'Arc) instead of being shunned, or, as we do it today, treated and medicated in order to suppress the symptoms.

https://news.stanford.edu/2014/07/16/voices-culture-luhrmann...

Maybe they have a way to listen what a culture says but nobody else listens

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#22

Post by RockCoach »

gtroja wrote: post #20
subjectsigma wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone posted an article a while ago that claimed the ratio of people with ADHD, autism, etc. lined up with Dunbar’s number (the theoretical preferred size of a social group) so that there would be about one individual per group with these traits. The article then went on to theorize that this was an evolutionary adaptation against total conformity. Even if everyone else doesn’t see the landslide in the distance the…

If you find it please post, I'm interested

Perhaps it was this comment (or from the discussion):

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24388204

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#23

Post by systemd »

A friend of mine runs a number of London psych clinics, focusing on ADHD. In a recent discussion we compared ADHD to the explorers and inventors throughout history. The aversion to the status quo and the appetite for risk are not always good for the individual but the rewards for the group may be huge if there is success.

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#24

Post by navjack27 »

raccoonDivider wrote: post #19
mo_42 wrote: post #7

I 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.

Is there an actual consensus on what ADHD _is_, besides a catch-all for some common concentration and hyperactivity symptoms? People online assert a lot of things, such as "it's a dysfunction of dopamine pathways", "it's genetic", "it's a sort of autism", "it's a brain chemistry problem". But never anything that looked like a real definition backed by good science. My own psychiatrist's diagnosis was a bunch of obvio…

It's less hyperactivity and concentration and more motivation issues

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#25

Post by luckydata »

mo_42 wrote: post #7

I 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.

No it's not. It's a disability with very serious consequences for the lifespan of people affected. Please don't repeat this pointless pseudoscientific bs. This link contains a good starting point to understanding what science knows about it.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976342...

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#26

Post by luckydata »

raccoonDivider wrote: post #19
mo_42 wrote: post #7

I 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.

Is there an actual consensus on what ADHD _is_, besides a catch-all for some common concentration and hyperactivity symptoms? People online assert a lot of things, such as "it's a dysfunction of dopamine pathways", "it's genetic", "it's a sort of autism", "it's a brain chemistry problem". But never anything that looked like a real definition backed by good science. My own psychiatrist's diagnosis was a bunch of obvio…

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976342...

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#27

Post by corobo »

RockCoach wrote: post #17
corobo wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 us…

How do you handle falling asleep in the evening? While my Elvanse dose is merely half of yours it always seems to affect my nervous system for much too long, keeping me unable to sleep before 3am on weekdays on the average.

Sleep is a wobbly one aye.

Some nights no bother at all - I've been getting way more of these nights on meds than off, others it'll be a 3am one (2-3am has been my norm for as long as I can remember so it's not made it worse as such), and on the odd occasion I'll keep myself busy with something all night and do a double day.

Unfortunately no solid answer there, I take the meds first thing in the morning and hope I'll be able get to sleep later. Fortunately (for me) this has been my norm for as long as I can remember either way so at least nothing is worse!

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#28

Post by corobo »

SushiHippie wrote: post #15
corobo wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 us…

How long does 70mg Elvanse last for you?

Generally I feel like my brain is winding down at around 11pm usually, after taking them somewhere between 7 and 9am (depending on when I pick up my phone and see the reminder to take them)

Every so often I swear they've chucked a few placebos in there and I still manage to get nothing done, but aye a decent ~12 hours or so of focus/dopamine most days

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#29

Post by sjducb »

faeriechangling wrote: post #3

I 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.

Right now the strongest selection pressure on humans is for ppl who have “irresponsible” unprotected sex. Sensible people who use birth control are failing to reproduce.

Re: ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests

#30

Post by RockCoach »

corobo wrote: post #27
RockCoach wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you handle falling asleep in the evening? While my Elvanse dose is merely half of yours it always seems to affect my nervous system for much too long, keeping me unable to sleep before 3am on weekdays on the average.

Sleep is a wobbly one aye. Some nights no bother at all - I've been getting way more of these nights on meds than off, others it'll be a 3am one (2-3am has been my norm for as long as I can remember so it's not made it worse as such), and on the odd occasion I'll keep myself busy with something all night and do a double day. Unfortunately no solid answer there, I take the meds first thing in the morning and hope I'll…

> I take the meds first thing in the morning and hope I'll be able get to sleep later.

This has been my crutch as well, basically setting an alarm for an hour earlier than I need to get up at, taking the pill from the nighstand and then trying to get back to sleep before having to get up for real at 7am.

Post reply on HN