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2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

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Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#21

Post by nivekastoreth »

xijuan wrote: post #11
nivekastoreth wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll grant you that for the most part that's true, but for someone that actually has attention or hyperactivity disorders, telling them to "train the mind to be more focused" is equivalent to telling a depressed person to "train to be more happy". It's good advice, but positive willpower isn't always capable of battling the chemical/receptor imbalances that are the root cause of the issue.

But by doing yoga and other psychological therapy, your neurochemistry may be changed. That is how cognitive behavioural and mindfulness therapies work. I think in the end, your neurochemistry needs to be changed in order for the therapy to have an effect. But using drugs are not the only way to change your neurochemistry. In short, I don't think he is suggesting that the author of the article to use willpower. He si…

As I said, it's good advice. But the waters here are much more murky than that. That approach alone won't work for everyone, that's the only point I wanted to make.

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#22

Post by zwegner »

wikiburner wrote: post #20

I haven't been medicated for my pretty severe ADD in years (I was very uncomfortable with the personality changes/dampening of creativity/unknown health impact of meds, etc.), thinking I could summon the willpower and discipline to get through it. I've been spiraling downward in a tailspin of "unproductivity" - to coin a state of being - for a while now, leaving a trail of half started startups and projects in my wak…

Sounds a lot like me. I hear meditation can help. I'll do it tomorrow...

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#24

Post by trippy_biscuits »

Congratulations. Now you know your brain just doesn't work like the typical brain. And that's a good thing. You can see things differently even if there are times when you can't see things the same way the typical person sees them (social cues, body language, but you can still learn to pick those up). Use ADD to your advantage. I'm at least twice your age, but had a similar experience at your age. I'm still trying to finish school but it didn't stop me from developing a career as a software engineer. I can personally attest that exercise and the "no sugar/low carb/paleo diet" mentioned by Dylan. Ambient and trance can also help at times. Lists, small goal, small breaks, help you practice focus. Medicine can help, but only in combination with behavioral therapy. Medicine has side effects, too. Many things will be harder for you to accomplish in a given amount of time while other times you'll be amazed that others are so slow. If your ADD is documented and you are being treated by a medical professional, you can get extra time for assignments, lecture notes in advance, and other accommodations like a private room for exams where you can read out loud along with extended time limits. ADD isn't a limiter to your personal success and happiness. It's a challenge to which you adjust.

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#25

Post by skue »

First, you are not alone. Many high achieving folks have ADD, and many discover it later in life. Very bright people can get through grade school without realizing they have ADD until they eventually hit their wall. It sounds like you are running into yours.

Understand that this does not mean there is anything wrong with who you are. You could decide to find other strengths or focus on other studies. You could also find an expert who can diagnosis whether you have ADD and help you consider treatment options. The cool thing about ADD is that there is medication that can make a dramatic difference. It's like flipping a switch and becoming that person who suddenly can finish those projects and achieve what you know you are already capable of.

You should find an expert to talk to, and you should look for resources at your university. You could check whether there is a student/academic assistance center. Even though your grades are good (you're by no means failing), there should be folks there with experience diagnosing issues such as ADD.

You could also simply check at the student health center - they should be able to refer you to a psychiatrist. Don't be hesitant to go just because it's a psychiatrist. ADD is nothing like more serious mental issues that we associate with psych. In fact you could say that ADD is just a variation of normal - but the first variation of normal that we have discovered how to hack with meds. Nevertheless, treatment can make a real difference in the quality of your studies, your relationships, and your future success. So it's worth exploring.

And as for your parents, don't let them talk you out of getting the resources you feel you need. It's always possible that one/both of them have it too without realizing it. Most adults these days are diagnosed as a result of their child(ren) being diagnosed first.

Good luck, and hope that wasn't too long and boring to read. :)

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#27

Post by zwegner »

dylanhassinger wrote: post #16

Things that may or may not help: - exercise - no sugar/low carb/paleo diet - meditation - ambient music / white noise - small goals - adderall - modafinal - cannabis - seinfeld's "don't break the chain" method - dont fight it, monetize it good luck bro

Cannabis certainly didn't help for me (though of course it's hard to isolate its effects amongst everything else). It made me more interested in doing things at first, but my mind would race much more, and I'd find it harder to actually do those things.

I quit a while back and have surprisingly had little urge to do it any more. While I greatly value the difference in perspective it can offer, I was just using it way too often for too long, without even really enjoying it a lot of the time.

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#28

Post by readme »

wikiburner wrote: post #20

I haven't been medicated for my pretty severe ADD in years (I was very uncomfortable with the personality changes/dampening of creativity/unknown health impact of meds, etc.), thinking I could summon the willpower and discipline to get through it. I've been spiraling downward in a tailspin of "unproductivity" - to coin a state of being - for a while now, leaving a trail of half started startups and projects in my wak…

Stop blaming ADD. Even if it is related to ADD, this situation could not possibly have been caused by ADD alone. You know that at the crux of it, poor planning was to blame. Poor time management followed, and you screwed yourself.

If you want to get out of this hole, you've got to get off HN now, (I use noprocrast). After that, do 1 project per night at a time. Yes. You will need to work in the dead of night, all notifications off. 1 project at a time, only. It is also incredibly important that your projects are broken down into microtasks so you can cross them off one at a time. I find often the easiest way to become late is to not understand how much work was left. Break it down. Think about 1 task at a time, ONLY. Don't think about B while you're doing A. Not even a tiny bit!

When you've made considerable progress on each project, submit the latest work, say what you've done, and then gather specific requirements and make it clear, that after you finish these next things that the project is "done" and by that I mean, you are at the end of your first iteration of development.

If you can't get those final requirements, and establish an agreed upon state that is "done" the client will drag out the project as far as you're willing to go. Hope it's not fixed price! That's just what people do. You need to put your foot down about what constitutes complete, have a mutual understanding of it, and execute those objectives.

If your client keeps asking for new stuff, put it on a separate list and tell him not until XYZ is done and we're agreed on this.

You can get out of this, but it's important to realize, you won't get out of this using the same time or project management strategies that got you into it.

Re: 2nd year Comp Sci student that just now figured out I have ADD

#29

Post by nohorse »

Sounds like you have learned enough to program and get a job. Try dropping out and finding work. You might find the motivations of a paycheck just the thing you need to complete your tasks. You might also try not self diagnosing or taking advice from the internet, but rather a trained professional. If I had the guess, I'd say you are board with the abstract academia. Go help someone make something great.
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