Get your blood work done, just to be sure there isn't some physiological issue, like chronic inflammation.
Don't expect any miracles from meds.
Diet, exercise, sleep.
Find things to look forward to.
Take it one day at a time.
Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
21–30 of 49 posts
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#22“ Have tried a ton of antidepressants and vyvanse, nothing's worked.” Could just as easily make it worse. I had gone on a lower dose of an antidepressant and had exactly this problem. I had to go on medical leave until I could get back on my previous dose and stabilize. Sleep and exercise, especially cardio, are all that worked. The drugs interrupt sleep. They can easily hurt more than help.
Exercise helped improve my mood big time but it didn't really make me better at task execution or sticking to the task and so now, i stopped exercising too, and everything's fallen apart.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#23Get your blood work done, just to be sure there isn't some physiological issue, like chronic inflammation. Don't expect any miracles from meds. Diet, exercise, sleep. Find things to look forward to. Take it one day at a time.
Blood work came back normal, so doesn't seem to physiological.
I have tried exercise, it helps with moods but not really with executive function. I have taken it one step at a time for so long, can't do it anymore unless i can see some hope of solving this. This is no way to live
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#24I did about 10 years ago but unless my underlying cause was the same as yours I'm not sure it will help. Anti depressants and vyvanse? Do you have adhd or are you depressed or both? I don't have adhd and mine was caused by depression and life circumstance at the time.
I do not have adhd, I am probably depressed but I don't know if depresssion caused my executive dysfunction or the executive dysfunction caused the depression.
what was the underlying cause for your issues, if you don't mind sharing?
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#25Unfortunately, it will likely require hard work on your part rather than relying on pills. One thing that's worked for me is therapy focusing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Essentially, you identify your goals and values, and then reframe your thinking to question whether what you're doing aligns with those goals and values. Depending on what you struggle with, try batching tasks. I used to have a long l…
ACT sounds like it could help. Will check it out!
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#26Get your blood work done, just to be sure there isn't some physiological issue, like chronic inflammation. Don't expect any miracles from meds. Diet, exercise, sleep. Find things to look forward to. Take it one day at a time.
Blood work came back normal, so doesn't seem to physiological. I have tried exercise, it helps with moods but not really with executive function. I have taken it one step at a time for so long, can't do it anymore unless i can see some hope of solving this. This is no way to live
Are your thyroid hormones ok, specifically?
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#27Perhaps it's not a success story, but I have a definite improvement story.
I find accepting and making peace with my problems (paradoxically) helps improve the problem.
I am going through a particularly low dip right now. I haven't done any work in the last 4 days. I tried a 4 minute pomodoro timer yesterday and 2 minutes in I was already completely off task.
In the past I would panic, worry, think "Why me and my terrible executive function?" or "What if I can never do anything again ever". Instead I am accepting that this is the issue I have and keeping a curious, open mind to possible solutions. I'm trying out taking longer breaks, changing up my workspace, body doubling, nutrition, timers, not trying to do anything etc.
I'm sure it will swing back the other way in its own time.
Of course I would love to be able to be consistently able to work, but that is not a reality for me. In the same way I would love to be able to run 100m in 9.6 seconds but that is also just not realistic.
Other comments here are good too: eat well, sleep enough, exercise regularly. This is a good baseline to have but these things alone never fixed my issues.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#28Get your blood work done, just to be sure there isn't some physiological issue, like chronic inflammation. Don't expect any miracles from meds. Diet, exercise, sleep. Find things to look forward to. Take it one day at a time.
My twin always tells me (when I'm expressing sadness): "You need something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to."
It usually helps.
When I need more words to chew over, I re-read ViolentAcres' incredible post "Most People are Sad for a Reason" [1]. Thanks for my annual reminder.
>“I learned that I wasn’t sad because there was something wrong with my brain. I learned that I was sad because my life sucked ... you should be wary of the Doctor who tells you a pill is a fix for your broken mind. The way I see it, you have a lot of reasons to be sad right now. So if that’s what you’re feeling, that seems about right to me.” —linked author's grandmother
[1] https://violentacres.com.jimfaulkner.net/most-people-are-dep...
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
#29My technique is to go for guaranteed wins no matter how small. Open one email without demanding I do anything else. Hit the heavy bag once instead of planning for 15 minutes. Give my son a sandwich for dinner instead of the ideal four course meal.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone been able to overcome crippling executive dysfunction?
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