Live data from Hacker News

Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

endeavorrx.com

181–190 of 243 posts

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#181

$99 a month subscription, because they're FDA or whatever approved. Is there corruption with these kind of things, or did they just hit jackpot?

There is high corruption at every level of healthcare, from ambulance companies to prosthetists to local doctors to hospitals to pharmacies to insurance to government. $99/month is pure corruption, and they get away with it because insurance can help cover it. In healthcare, "Economies of scale don’t lower prices", and "prices rise to what the market will bear" - An American Sickness. Very much what you're seeing her…

As a healthcare clinic owner:

ITS SO EASY TO MAKE MONEY!

Like, my wife with 0 business experience, is able to profit 6 figs off her workers and 6 figs off her labor. She completely failed to train new/bad people and multiple patients left her clinic because of the poor quality labor.

Doesnt matter, all those patients paid and she is slammed busy.

Limiting licenses is an excuse for quality. These doctors are so absurdly low quality and getting paid for treatment that doesnt work.

I propose a science based medical system as an alternative to the Authority based healthcare system. Never going to happen because clinic owners like myself lobby, but it would be better.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unironically yes. Neuroplasticity means that that is exactly a way to improve brain function. Not perfect, not universal, not the only way, but absolutely a working approach. (Obvious disclaimer: Not a doctor, not your doctor, this is not medical advice.)

The brain is plastic, but it does not respond well to being hit with a brick wall. It needs reinforcement in the direction you want it to go. For example, you treat a phobia through gradual exposure to the source of fear, not through undergoing a sudden overwhelming experience. That usually creates a traumatic response that actually makes the phobia worse. Likewise, if you want to learn how to read a long book, start…

I think yjftsjthsd-h is correct.

These posts are arguing over 'scale' or degree. Everyone is agreeing on 'brain is plastic'.

Just arguing over starting with 'Crime and Punishment' or 'Snow Crash'.

I would just add, that it all depends on where the kid is at. This just jumped out at me because I did have one kid at young age, set a schedule and forced himself to read 'Crime and Punishment'. So it can be done.

But maybe for others, that is a huge step. Everyone is starting at some different levels of current skills, with different levels of drag. -- So any discussion here about 'where to start' will all be wrong.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it works, then that’s not a bad price at all. ADHD attentional issues will suck orders of magnitude more money out of your life if left untreated in some people.

If it works. If it doesn't, then that's just another $99/month money hole that people with ADHD have a particular difficulty digging themselves out of - subscriptions are like a kryptonite to them.

Hence the studies? /sarcasm.

And, can't you cancel the subscription?

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#185
post #9

$99 a month subscription, because they're FDA or whatever approved. Is there corruption with these kind of things, or did they just hit jackpot?

I guarantee they didn't invent anything new to gaming. It's just like all those studies that claim tetris helps with ptsd, stress, lazy eye, postpartum depression, etc. It's just a game. There's nothing that makes this game, or tetris specifically special.

Even though there were a lot of studies on other existing games helping "ptsd, stress, lazy eye, postpartum depression, etc.".

I wonder if they were to be used in some treatment, they would also need to be approved? So Tetris itself wouldn't cost, but the doctor administering treatment gets approval to use the game, and that overall treatment costs the money.

I'm little unsure if any joe blow psychologist is allowed to makeup treatments, or if they go through an approval process also.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

everything is subscription based, because companies have a continuous income stream (as opposed to one time large payment). With an continuous income stream you can plan better.

Come on... plan better? It's almost always the simplest answer: they can get richer like that. I don't get why people try to rationalize greed so much. It's just that: greed.

People do things for reasons other than greed.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#187

Who knew all this time I was self-medicating

Not sure this even joking really.

ADHD people often self medicate with alcohol or coffee.

Video Games have definitely been in the mix for 'self-medicating'.

That is why I'm wondering why so many people in this thread say 'just play such and such game X'. Games can be addicting, to be addicted to a game isn't necessarily helping the person.

But games can also help. So there has to be some mechanism, some particular game play mechanism that is helping. That is what needs to be studied. Then we could pick the ones already on the market with that mechanism.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#188
To acquire strategies to alleviate some problems, this might be helpful, similar to coaching and therapy.

I have, however, serious doubts that it can be a substitute for stimulants. ADHD affects so many parts of one's life such that attention sometimes seem a very small part of the disorder. Miraculously, at least for some people, stimulants create a kind of automatic improvement in other areas too. I hope that general discourse about ADHD moves towards easier access to those drugs, not replacing them.

Also, please don't speculate about ADHD, especially about people who suspect they might have it.

ADHD experience differ a lot among people and even in different situations for an individual. Because of this aspect, a lot of people have complicated relationships with their diagnoses.

Self-doubt, for various reasons, is a very common trait of people with ADHD. Strongly worded claims about ADHD might be very harmful to people who plan to seek help or struggle to follow their treatments.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on... plan better? It's almost always the simplest answer: they can get richer like that. I don't get why people try to rationalize greed so much. It's just that: greed.

People do things for reasons other than greed.

Yes like fear

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#190
I was just speaking to a parent who, several years ago, sent their (very ADHD) kids through biofeedback, and were really impressed by the results.

I mentioned it to the school psychologist, who told me that biofeedback is not considered legit, but that it does seem to work for some kids.

My first thoughts when trying to figure out how biofeedback works is that it could easily be turned onto a game, even a good game, and it would help at least those that it helps.

Is that right? Thoughts from those here with experience or domain knowledge?

Post reply on HN