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Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

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Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#111

Post by qiine »

pwillia7 wrote: post #56

This is great! So many people in the ADHD community don't dig in enough into the 'superpower' side of it, so I'm super glad you covered that here. We can't get rid of the bad parts so I think it's extra important to lean into the good parts too. I will also share this Historia Civilis video on the history of work, which really resonated with me as an ADHD person -- It's OK and even more 'natural' to have fast and slo…

hum the bookmarklet trick is clever, I suppose It should be able to sync to other device using a firefox account

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#112

Post by Teridee »

keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

At my company, we have daily standups and they throw off my whole morning. I only really work effectively when I am left to it and so have outlook/slack/messages turned off during periods where I am trying to focus - has got me in trouble with management a few times but I am not sure what else i can do.

The piece was a good read but its so personal to me that it doesn't really help sadly.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#113

Post by viraptor »

upupupandaway wrote: post #25
iteria wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not me, but my BFF managed to get diagnosed in her mid-30s. She was killing her heart with all the stimulants she was taking and her other ways to cope. I don't k own hoe she got diagnosed, but she definitely didn't do it for thousands of dollars. She couldn't have afforded that. I do know that therapy and medication made it night and day for her. She immediately dropped all caffeine. Her sleep and general mood was s…

I am confused by this post. Aren't stimulants the most common medication prescribed for ADHD?

Yes, but they also can have side effects, some worse than dealing with ADHD. There are various non-stimulants like Atomoxetine which are also approved for ADHD and work for some that can't use the stimulants safely.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#114

Post by danielheath »

upupupandaway wrote: post #16
LeafItAlone wrote: post #14

What is everyone’s experience getting officially diagnosed and treated? I match up pretty closely with textbook symptoms and all of the free online “tests” indicate I should get treated for it… but how? I’ve found places that offer an ADHD screening at the tune of multiple thousands, not in network with any insurance, but those places don’t also treat it. I’m more interested in pharmacological treatments rather than…

I am surprised you are having any problem getting diagnosed. ADHD is one of the easiest conditions to fake: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3173757/

OP didn't report trouble getting someone to believe they have ADHD, they reported indecision and difficulty identifying someone who offers treatment and arranging an appointment.

As someone who did get diagnosed: It took me _five_ attempts to get all the way to an appointment with a psychiatrist (inability to find a suitable psychiatrist, lost referrals, missed appointments etc). Navigating the medical establishment with untreated ADHD is hell. Now I've got treatment for it, I could do it easily, but it's really hard to overstate just how non-functional you can end up.

Because the symptoms are easily faked, I needed a significant range of retrospective evidence - quotes from school report cards, interviews with my parents - which I had to arrange prior to assessment. If I hadn't been able to produce those, I likely would not have been able to get treatment.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#115

Post by gibagger »

mathieuh wrote: post #92

I used to think I had some ADHD symptoms: growing up I never did any revision for any of my school exams until a couple of days before, all my coursework and projects were done last minute in a week of intense focus, I've had issues with drugs in the past etc. Then I met someone who actually has ADHD and saw them before they'd taken their stimulant drugs. They were completely nonfunctional in any sense of the word, t…

There are degrees to everything, and the same psych disorder can manifest in very different ways in different people.

I have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder. I "worry too much", in general, and have the odd panic attack or two per year. Some people have it bad enough they get these attacks daily.

That does not mean I don't have it or that it does not affect me, it just means it's mild in comparison to them, but my anxiety is still high compared to the average person when untreated. It does not have to be crippling to affect you.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#116

Post by herculity275 »

TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

Do you have a script you could share?

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#117

Post by dymk »

sureglymop wrote: post #28
matheusmoreira wrote: post #7

Extremely relatable. Hyperfocus... I can easily spend over twenty hours focusing on something once I get in the zone, but it's extremely difficult to open the editor and start programming. Coping mechanisms and adaptative behaviors are all good and all but the power of lisdexamfetamine cannot be underestimated.

Lisdexamphetamine is a big help, but the side effects can be devastating. Of course every person is different, but for me this reduced my sleep quality significantly. I can no longer take any of these meds if I want a good restful night of sleep. When I was younger it was no problem though.

It took me a long time to dial in my vyvanse prescription so it wasn't impacting my sleep, plus not taking it on the weekends.

Stress in all its forms also turned out to be a critical factor in sleeping well, too. Simply taking on fewer responsibilities (which I attribute in part to my particular ADHD) helped a lot there.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#118

Post by flir »

TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

Intriguing. Wonder if sound would work also.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#119

Post by granra »

keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

This comment absolutely reads as someone with ADHD telling a story :D

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#120

Post by Cthulhu_ »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #84
helboi4 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, I know a lot of people who have the most horrible lifestyles who claim to have ADHD. I had previously been entirely useless in my life and claimed to be depressed. As soon as I made an effort to be happy and implement healthy coping mechanisms I quickly became a much more functional human being. I have found myself recently wondering if I have ADHD a lot. I'm starting to realise this may be the same thing and I…

> As soon as I made an effort to be happy and implement healthy coping mechanisms What are some of the "healthy coping mechanisms"? Other than "diet and exercise" panacea nonsense?

Diet and exercise! I mean it helps but the commenter probably means stopping with social media and passive distractions.
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