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Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

stackoverflow.blog

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Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#11

Post by throwaway4aday »

iLoveOncall wrote: post #6
andybak wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Laughable" seems a little strong (as well as slightly rude). I certainly think it's plausible that there's certain sectors that see a prevalence well in excess of the general population. And there's enough variance between companies that some will be even higher. 30% does sound rather high but "laughable" implies the person you are replying to has stated something so far beyond that that mockery is the only appropri…

I already changed to "totally unrealistic" before you commented, but yes, I believe that 30% when the prevalence is at 5% for high estimates is so far beyond reality that it can be laughed at.

By that measure it's totally unrealistic that the average height of NBA players is 6'6"

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#12

Post by galangalalgol »

iLoveOncall wrote: post #3
1letterunixname wrote: post #2

Roughly 30% of people I work with at a MAANG have moderate to severe ADHD. Real ADHD, not some self-diagnosed or casual self-deprecation.

> Real ADHD, not some self-diagnosed or casual self-deprecation. How would you know? This number is totally unrealistic when the prevalence in the adult population is 2-4%. Unless you work with 3 people, one of which has ADHD.

The current estimate is more like 10%. Some of that may be over diagnosis, but some of it always was, kids have energy, that makes adults tired. But the degree of increase far exceeds any such explanation. The podcasts I've heard lately seem to indicate links to all the normal suspects, gut biome, autoimmune, and some chemical we may now be exposed to. Probably some combination.

Also, there are some jobs someone with ADHD will have a lot of trouble keeping. Jobs that benefit from hyperfocus are not among them. Many therapists will suggest careers like engineering, tech or writer (perhaps technical) for precisely that reason. So you would expect highly elevated rates of ADHD in those fields.

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#13

Post by spacephysics »

m3sh wrote: post #8

[flagged]

I agree certain foods can attenuate symptoms (I’ve gone on a year plus long elimination diet eating only a handful of foods, which helped symptoms), there’s certainly a “lower level” component to it as well.

After the diet I don’t magically become more skilled at visual reasoning (think that’s what it’s called), or able to recite a story from start to finish without jumping everywhere.

I agree though that the worst of the symptoms can probably be mitigated at the least.

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#15

Post by jnovek »

m3sh wrote: post #8

[flagged]

I’m so tired of people dismissing ADHD as something other than ADHD.

My diet has evolved throughout my lifetime, but you know what hasn’t? My ADHD experience. I’ve always struggled to stay focused, get started, finish tasks, manage time and set priorities since I was a young child.

Claiming it’s a food allergy — with no evidence! — just reinforces the idea that ADHD is a moral failing rather than a developmental disorder that renders many of us miserable and, sometimes, nearly powerless.

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#17

Post by jnovek »

oo0shiny wrote: post #14
m3sh wrote: post #8

[flagged]

Do you have a source for this? From everything I've researched, it's actually a chemical imbalance that affects the management of dopamine in the brain, making it hard to focus.

You’re off by a little bit: it’s not a chemical imbalance but an actual neurological difference. ADHD develops when the brain is very young and results in permanent differences in cognition and executive function.

We do use dopamine (via stimulants) to treat it, though. We essentially flood the brain with excess dopamine and hope that it’s enough to overcome the deficits caused by developmental differences.

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#18

Post by peyton »

oo0shiny wrote: post #14
m3sh wrote: post #8

[flagged]

Do you have a source for this? From everything I've researched, it's actually a chemical imbalance that affects the management of dopamine in the brain, making it hard to focus.

I believe the more current thinking is that it’s a functional connectivity issue rather than a chemical imbalance, but nobody knows for certain.

Re: Developer with ADHD? You’re not alone

#20

Post by ryukoposting »

dijit wrote: post #5

I have a pet theory that the role of old school sysadmins (what we refer to as DevOps today; yes Sysadmins coded, or the good ones did, I will die on this hill) was strangely attractive to those who would assuredly be diagnosed with ADHD. You have endless areas to noodle on solutions to avoid issues; you work hard to avoid working hard (strong ADHD trait) and interruptions are either fine and they fuel you completely…

It affects your insurance? MORTGAGES? What the hell? In the US, the only external downside of ADHD is when you change doctors and the new one automatically assumes you're trying to swindle them to get Adderal, so they make you do another psych evaluation that will inevitably say the same thing as the last one. Defibutely doesn't affect mortgages. I doubt that it would affect vehicle licenses.
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