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Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

endeavorrx.com

221–230 of 243 posts

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#221

>The current cost for EndeavorRx is $99 for a 30 day prescription. Why is everything subscription based nowadays? Even without a subscription $99 would seem a lot to me. I guess because something something server costs and update development? Or is it just plain greed? PS: Programming is absolutely fantastic, too, when you have ADHD (an probably even if you don't have it). It also doesn't cost a dime and there is ple…

>Why is everything subscription based nowadays

It makes more money for the people who peddle it, duh!

>PS: Programming is absolutely fantastic, too, when you have ADHD

Probably why I got into it (though Turbo Pascal / Delphi compile times were much more amenable to providing the dopamine rush than C++ even today).

That said, getting a diagnosis and access to medication [1] worked wonders for making other aspects of work much easier.

There's much more to software engineering than just programming, especially with larger projects and larger teams. And hyperfocusing on code to find yourself in the office at 3AM on the reg can end up being detrimental to one's ability to deliver consistent results on schedule, as well as setting and meeting expectations (...plus: being on time, completing the small tedious tasks, doing paperwork, filling forms, submitting reports, documenting, logging, planning, testing, avoiding feature creep, writing proposals and design docs, doing code reviews, being on call, ...).

The joy of programming does make all of this worth bearing. But stimulant meds take a significant chunk of pain out of it.

Imagine needing to submit a trip reimbursement report, deciding to do it between 5 and 5:30PM on Tuesday, and doing it then, without it being a monumental effort, even though the deadline is on Friday.

That's the superpower that meds give (...the superpower that non-ADHD people are unaware of having, it seems).

But yeah, a higher-than-average proportion of programmers are neurodivergent for a reason :)

[1] https://romankogan.net/adhd#Medication

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#222

“More than one-third (36.6%) of adults with ADHD moved into the non-clinical, or normative, range (TOVA ACS score of >0)”- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230503005295/en/Adu... So about as effective as a placebo or sugar pill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo

Not to mention, TOVA scores are pure blocks that don't even claim to correlate with ADHD traits.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#223
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This stuff knocked me on my ass when I took it. I literally had to lie down on numerous occasions. I'm just an anecdotal case, but it unfortunately did not work for me at all.

Would you describe the effect as fatigue? Something else? Thanks.

My best guess is that my blood pressure dropped precipitously. I would get light headed if I stood up. It would happen roughly 15 minutes after taking the medication.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#224

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 ga…

I'm on 40mg Vyvanse daily, so it was a self-depricating joke... but as for me, replace games with programming - like many here, I was fortunate enough to turn my hyper-hyper-focus in a paid career. I don't know how many people with ADHD are as lucky.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Programming is not fantastic for ADHD. Especially when majority of people don’t have ADHD to begin with. They are looking for an excuse for their lack of ability to focus on a boring task. It’s subscription and expensive because it’s another way to suck the money out of people who think they have ADHD.

> lack of ability to focus on a boring task. Sounds somewhat like ADD alright.

Sounds like being a nornal human

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Programming is not fantastic for ADHD. Especially when majority of people don’t have ADHD to begin with. They are looking for an excuse for their lack of ability to focus on a boring task. It’s subscription and expensive because it’s another way to suck the money out of people who think they have ADHD.

We're sentient beings who have been co-opted into becoming part of an edit-run-debug cycle serving people who think they are changing the world. And if we opt out - we starve. Is it any wonder that some turn to drugs to cope with this reality?

Damn thats real.

Reminds me of a joke I heard from a comedian, cant remember who - "soon we will just become the part of our home entertainment system that eats and shits"

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#227
post #10

I've been on this for about a month and a half now. The game itself isn't engaging at all. It was a struggle to get myself to actually play the game regularly, for the allotted time (30 minutes, 5 days a week). It feels like a pretty big flaw with the game - after all, one of the challenges that people with ADHD face is forcing themselves to do things they don't want to do. This game is a complete bore, and I can't i…

I was going to comment that the asinine gameplay and frustrating design elements may be "by design" and part of the treatment, but then I decided to comment about how this would be a perfect way to ask for the most money, develop it for the least, and handwave away all the bugs as "by design."

My gut-check says Zelda (especially the newer ones where you build things and have creative, problem-solving leeway) may be a better choice.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Most people can. People with ADHD usually can, eventually.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

So long as cancellation is as easy signing up, I think they’ll be okay.

Not really - cancellation being objectively as easy as signing up is still much harder to actually do for people with ADHD.

Signing up is something exciting and fun and something such person may do impulsively in a moment of weakness. Cancelling is boring and scary (what if dark patterns?) and a chore you don't look forward to, but rather try to not forget. It's not positively rewarding, but merely stops a penalty.

This might seem like an exaggerated difference, but it actually hits the exact points that are affected by executive dysfunction.

Re: Doctor-prescribed videogame for ADHD

#230
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not my experience at all. I feel exactly the same as people with ADHD describe the effects. Why gatekeep such a miracle medicine?

> Why gatekeep such a miracle medicine? The key word here is medicine. Like the opioids it’s a powerful double edged sword. Using amphetamine to get a supra-physiological advantage is illegal, extremely unethical and probably a really bad idea health-wise (doubly so if you “prescribed” it to yourself).

Legality depends on where in the world you are so that's not an argument.

How is it extremely unethical?

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