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Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

goblin.tools

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Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, I thought exactly like you for years. I still benefit from society choosing to label me with something, and that I do not choose to fight. For a while my diagnoses provided so many explanations to my problems and I could live with new purpose. But a while later, I found it was not enough. I hadn't reached "true happiness" or at least whatever I can call my current state of being. I took a different path…

I was going to reply to the same post with similar. If just having a label to apply alleviates the negative emotion, isn't it a placebo? I think a far far greater number of people experience the exact same problems of focus and distress, and learn to cope effectively in their own deeply personal way. I identify strongly with all the symptoms stated. A label feels useless, or worse - constraining, as it becomes your i…

It would be a placebo if it was intended to do nothing, but it's not, it's intended to help explain what's going on. It's not just a label, it's got meaning, and it's a way to find out more and find other people dealing with similar things.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#172
post #99
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's likely a definitive example of selection bias, you won't hear people not talking about having it, but ADHD affects (approximately) 30% of the population. Assuming even a tiny amount of those are loud when exploring their discovery would mean a lot of people talking about it online. This is likely also combined with Millennials (my cohort at least) being one of the most self-aware generational cohorts in history…

It seems odd that as a society it's been deemed a-okay to pathologize a cluster of traits shared by 30% of the population.

Not necessarily pathologize – just structure society in a way that doesn't quite work for them (me included.)

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My life got infinitely better when I stopped believing in any of that. It feels more like a spiritually bereft western pseudo-religion and I resent anyone parading around these titles.

If your life improved when you stopped believing in the symptoms that's a good thing for you but it also means you probably didn't actually have symptoms.

I disagree with that assessment. I have autism, which is much more dysfunctional than ADHD in statistical terms, and I also saw a dramatic mental health improvement when I disengaged from popular autism culture. It's become a space that implicitly preaches helplessness and reacts to notions of personal accountability (i.e. receiving behavioral therapy) with hostility.

Somewhere along the way, the mission moved away from the aspirational culture of identifying problem areas and addressing them, to a more stagnant culture that only goes so far as to validate your present behavior and mindset. It feels good and positive on the surface, but it lacks productivity over the long term.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#174
post #44

This could be overgeneralising a bit... but I see a lot of people with ADHD (on- and offline) who tend to make it an essential part of their identity. I realise it's a very impactful thing to have to deal with (I have ADHD too) but I feel like a lot of the time it's brought up for no real reason. E.g. you started daydreaming when reading a book? Forgot something to do when you walked through a doorway? Got angry? You…

I have symptoms. My only approach is to mitigate through diet, exercise, sleep, and a small dose of caffeine and nicotine. Oh, and limiting decision making (automate, defer, or grease the rails), avoid attention traps (endless scrolling). And so on.

In my mind, ADHD and identification with ADHD (self labeling, medical system labels, etc.) is only a liability.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#175
post #44

This could be overgeneralising a bit... but I see a lot of people with ADHD (on- and offline) who tend to make it an essential part of their identity. I realise it's a very impactful thing to have to deal with (I have ADHD too) but I feel like a lot of the time it's brought up for no real reason. E.g. you started daydreaming when reading a book? Forgot something to do when you walked through a doorway? Got angry? You…

[deleted]

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Fair warning, what will write only applies to my circumstance and I have no intention to denigrate the life experiences of others. I used to prescribe myself labels like ADHD. In fact I probably got into this habit at a very young age since people around me were already talking about labels and how they did or didn't apply to me, and I soaked all this up as children are wont to do. I no longer abide by such labels an…

> Now I don't bother to follow a strict schedule except for work things.

Huh, "just" that? If I could do that I'd feel like I'm on the freaking top of the world.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#177
post #44

This could be overgeneralising a bit... but I see a lot of people with ADHD (on- and offline) who tend to make it an essential part of their identity. I realise it's a very impactful thing to have to deal with (I have ADHD too) but I feel like a lot of the time it's brought up for no real reason. E.g. you started daydreaming when reading a book? Forgot something to do when you walked through a doorway? Got angry? You…

> What happened to "music for concentration"?

ADHD is a structural brain difference that results in different and in some cases paradoxical responses to various things that affect alertness, attention, etc. Which makes a very good reason to distinguishing between things “for concentration” (presumably targeting neurotypical audiences) and things “for ADHD”.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would recommend you pay careful attention to your diet - get the proper amount of essential fatty acids - experiment with vitamins, especially magnesium - green, leafy vegetables - minimal processed sugar & zero alcohol And exercise. Get some cardio, even if it's just walking for a half-hour to an hour. It's a struggle, but learning your body will help you optimize your performance and consistency. Peace be with yo…

Further, asking adhd folk to "pay careful attention" is like asking a paraplegic to mind where he steps. Just FYI.

You're not wrong—but its not impossible—and it really helps! Having followed a lot of that advice in the past, and currently being in a slump; I can say it really it matters. Medication increases your chances of following through and the rewards compound.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#179
post #44

This could be overgeneralising a bit... but I see a lot of people with ADHD (on- and offline) who tend to make it an essential part of their identity. I realise it's a very impactful thing to have to deal with (I have ADHD too) but I feel like a lot of the time it's brought up for no real reason. E.g. you started daydreaming when reading a book? Forgot something to do when you walked through a doorway? Got angry? You…

By "a lot of people with ADHD" do you include people who are also self-diagnosed?

I ask because my experience is similar to yours (I also have ADHD). Anecdotal so take it with a grain of salt: I work in software engineering, know and have worked with a lot of self-diagnosed ADHDs who make it part of their identity, while some of them probably do have ADHD, the vast majority of them feel like perfectly normal people who would latch onto any opportunity to prove that they have ADHD. (e.g. people who have a single habit that could be stimming but otherwise don't exhibit and ADHD traits saying stuff like "sorry I can't help myself because of my ADHD brain").

In contrast those I know who have been properly diagnosed don't behave like they constantly need to tell people they have ADHD. They are usually deeply interested in the condition but you probably wouldn't know unless there is a proper setting for them to disclose it (invited to talk to an audience about their experience) or if you're someone they trust.

It feels like people who have the tendency to make ADHD part of their identity just want to been seen as special and important in some way (I don't mean this negatively) perhaps because that's how they see their genuinely neurodivergent peers. They tend to have many excuses for not getting a diagnosis because they won't risk the chance of finding out that they don't have ADHD as they have already made it part of their identity.

On the uglier side, there is also no shortage of people lying about having medical conditions for clout and money on the Internet.

Re: Goblin.tools: simple, single-task tools to help neurodivergent people with tasks

#180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment really resonates with me. The annoyance at the label, the realization of internet addictions being a coping mechanism for uncontrolled stress (subconsciously finding myself scrolling hackernews or Reddit on my phone when I run into a problem that doesn’t have an immediate solution), the feeling of failure from not being able to be productive 100% of the day. I’m glad that you were able to find a solution…

Yeah so that's the thing. In my case, I'll call what I received from my therapy "a self-goodness". I think others may term this nebulous quality "self-esteem", "a deeper understanding of the universe/cosmos/God", "motivation", "confidence", and so on. But "self-goodness" is something I came up with so it resonates with me personally. In my case, "solving stress" (or perhaps "reaching inner peace" in my own words) mea…

I really appreciate you taking the time to write this all out for me. I’ve read through it several times now with a couple breaks between.

If I were to summarize, it’s about enjoying the process rather than the result. Much easier said than done, but the ideal goal. The thing that keeps me and people like me from enjoying the process is the constant background of “is this going to be worth it”. Perhaps just the awareness of seeing this happening in real time could help in cutting short that enjoyment-blocker. To call it out and label it as such.

I’m not looking for a response from you, but wanted to take the time to thank you for writing this all out.

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