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Reverse engineering my ADHD test

nullpt.rs

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Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#71

Post by jaggederest »

pstuart wrote: post #70
aidenn0 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Add: I wonder why they don't just give people some ritalin and ask if they feel calmed down? Except the obvious reason of course I have been screened a few times for ADHD and each time was found to obviously have it. Ritalin does not make me feel calmer. I have been told by those close to me that there are externally visible improvements in my behavior. At doses to reach that effect, it also impacts my sleep qualit…

I had a doc that prescribed me amphetamine. It was glorious for work, being in one of those horrendous open table environments with only a screen in front of you to keep from staring at the person directly across. I was able to laser focus and jam through things but the side effects were not worth it and I backed off. I've yet to find a magic pill that does that without the side effects.

PSA: depending on your specific needs, guanfacine can be close. Once you get used to it, it can be just... constant +1 to wisdom.

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#74

Post by jaggederest »

johnwalkr wrote: post #66
jaggederest wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, the test is super quick and easy. And then they throw 50 procedurally complex and tedious tasks at someone who can definitionally not do that, and they know that. Kafkaesque. Btw no criticism implied on my end, I'm just now constitutionally incapable of not telling people they should get screened. Hmmm I wonder why I have difficulty resisting that urge...

I think I get your point. It's cruel to require Kafkaesque testing and that just makes it not worth it try. But too simple of a test can also misdiagnose. The chance to be diagnosed with an appropriate gate varies greatly based on where you live and which doctor you can see and more. It can be anything from a 5 minute conversation, to 6 months of inconvenience, to no chance of even existing in your lifetime, to suck…

Right let me be very explicit: TOVA or equivalent are basically "play video games for 10 minutes as a part of your diagnosis" like the OP, the kafkaesque part is getting the appointment, and getting them administered, getting the diagnosis confirmed, going through the records and getting the prescriptions, everything around it :) they're actually pretty sophisticated tests, despite their palatability - I think if they had better ones they'd obviously use them.

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#75

Post by __float »

jaggederest wrote: post #32
nullpt_rs wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agree with original commenter but +1 to reframing the language. I was very afraid to begin medication because I would always hear about how addicting this medication can be. But like you say, you wouldn't tell someone with diabetes that they're addicted to insulin.

I'm addicted to several things. Like eyeglasses, and breathing. The difference the medication makes is similarly revelatory to putting on eyeglasses. Of course you never want to take them off. There's no withdrawal symptoms, per se, for most people, the addiction is purely psychological from "trying to drive with only 3 tires sucks"

That's not really an "addiction" by any reasonable meaning besides "something I do often".

The actual meaning is more complex, involving inability to stop, negative effects on your life, etc. - none of which apply to wearing your glasses or breathing.

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#76

Post by [deleted] »

johnwalkr wrote: post #52
nullpt_rs wrote: post #6

hi! author here, please let me know if you have any questions :-)

I have a question (and please take it in jest)! In between buying a telescope, seeking out an opinion on ADHD, accidentally hacking an online test, and then blogging about it, how many things on your todo list(s) did you not do?

[deleted]

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#77

Post by jaggederest »

nullpt_rs wrote: post #63
johnwalkr wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a question (and please take it in jest)! In between buying a telescope, seeking out an opinion on ADHD, accidentally hacking an online test, and then blogging about it, how many things on your todo list(s) did you not do?

I actually wanted to make a YouTube video for this as well! I also have a few more web fingerprinting blog posts in the backlog T_T

Oh, that reminds me...

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#78

Post by jaggederest »

__float wrote: post #75
jaggederest wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm addicted to several things. Like eyeglasses, and breathing. The difference the medication makes is similarly revelatory to putting on eyeglasses. Of course you never want to take them off. There's no withdrawal symptoms, per se, for most people, the addiction is purely psychological from "trying to drive with only 3 tires sucks"

That's not really an "addiction" by any reasonable meaning besides "something I do often". The actual meaning is more complex, involving inability to stop, negative effects on your life, etc. - none of which apply to wearing your glasses or breathing.

You... don't think there are negative effects to stopping breathing?

If you can be behaviorally addicted to gambling, or even more aptly eating, you can be behaviorally addicted to medication that doesn't give you any physiological dependency.

> The DSM-5 has re-classified the condition [ed: gambling addiction] as an addictive disorder, with those affected exhibiting many similarities to those with substance use disorder. They both activate a reward mechanism in the brain, causing dopamine release to reinforce repetitive behavior. Both often lead to loss of control.

Edit: to engage more substantively, imagine if your glasses gave you, say, mild skin irritation that progressively got worse with wear, but you chose to mitigate that and wear them anyway. I would rate it at that level.

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#79

Post by austhrow743 »

jaggederest wrote: post #68
gavinmckenzie wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s basically how the end of my diagnosis went because aspects of my results were borderline, so she suggested that I just try meds to see. But keep in mind that only one type of ADHD involves being hyper. Some of us are inattentive types where our brain feels like an old 70s pony car engine, and if you pull up to a stoplight you need to keep the motor revving or it will stall. Taking Ritalin for us is the equival…

If you're borderline, talk to the doc about a trial of guanfacine. (note that some people HATE it, for exactly this reason) It's the opposite - if your engine is always redlining, it sets a rate limiter and gives you the chance to look out the window and enjoy the scenery, metaphorically. And in the most interesting cases, you can find a lot of value in both - stimulants keeps you going, guanfacine gives you perspect…

As an ADHD person who was already planning to ask my psychiatrist if we can try different medication at my next appointment, thank you very much! That description sounds exactly like what I want to achieve.

Re: Reverse engineering my ADHD test

#80

Post by jaggederest »

jrapdx3 wrote: post #60
scrapcode wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm nearing my 40s. In my mid-twenties I was diagnosed and over the next couple of years tried all of the usual ADHD meds and none of them were short of terrible in regard to side effects. I guess I've just learned to live with it in a way that outweighs the side effects I get from the drugs. I was diagnosed with Shiftwork Disorder at one point in time and was prescribed Modafinil and it was incredible for the most p…

Studies show Modafinil isn't effective in ADHD adults. It may have benefit in children with ADHD. I think many prescribers give ADHD adults a high dose too soon causing side-effects. In my experience, it's best to start with a low dose and slowly increase as necessary. The myth is ADHD responds quickly, but observing hundreds of patients it takes months, not days, for benefit of treatment to develop. There's wisdom i…

Yep. What you find often is that the drug is effective right away, at a 20-30-40% effectiveness level. But over time you learn to take advantage of the benefits more effectively, and get more used to the side effects, so it tends to increase significantly in effectiveness at the same dose over 6-8 weeks much like SSRIs, not because the effects last that long, but because you use the tools to improve the tools.
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