Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

gekk.info

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 453 posts

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#31

Post by jimkri »

Ive been diagnosed with ADHD since I was in 2nd/3rd grade and have been on Ritalin and now Adderall pretty much the whole time. That article sounds exactly like my experience. This morning I have been avoiding working on a project, and I caught myself staring at my computer with my hands ready but I just couldn't start. I do feel that it is my ADHD, but I also feel that there are other emotions involved. It kind of relates to this post https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22124489.

My main piece of advice that I write on every post about ADHD is the following: Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and look into meditating. Using the Waking Up app by Sam Harris has really taught me so much more than I was expecting. For the first time last year I went 3 months without medicine. I wanted to gauge how strong my attention/focus muscle was without medicine. At the end of 3 months I was able to start noticing when I was distracted or in my head and that was such a be improvement for me, because it allowed me to start paying attention again. I also noticed how I was communicating with myself. I went from being negative towards myself because I knew i should be paying attention. To understanding where my mind is at that day and knowing that today might be a harder day than yesterday, but that is okay. Just take it one step at a time.

TLDR: Exercise & Meditation. Mindfulness will help keep you present and away from the endless mind games you can experience with ADHD

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#32

Post by stared »

I recommend "Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder" by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18712223-driven-to-distr...). I discovered this book thanks to HN and a post about dyslexia. The book shows quite a few stories of adults with AD(H)D and how do they cope with work and relationships. The stories are diverse (it is certainly not all ill-behaved boys), and give a point of reference.

I wished I had known that book before. I got diagnosed only the last year, being 33 years old. Before turning 30 I hadn't suspected having ADHD, as I had quite a few misconceptions both about the condition, and what is "typical" in humans.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#33

Post by aidenn0 »

pgt wrote: post #26
omgwtfbyobbq wrote: post #16

For anyone diagnosed with ADHD, taking stimulants is associated with 8+x increase of being diagnosed with a basal ganglia and cerebellum disease later in life. I believe this is NOT causative, but is instead a correlation between other diseases associated with Dopamine production and ADHD. I take and have continued to take stimulants for ADHD. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0207-5 In my family's case, we…

Thanks for this! Any news on increasing the risk of Alzheimer's by taking dopaminergic drugs?

Parkinsons seems to be more likely than Alzheimer's since dopamine plays a big part in parkinsons.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#34

Post by RankingMember »

Mirioron wrote: post #19
munk-a wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's another weird factor. Ritalin is an upper and it's stigmatized to take an upper - either your performance, judged by coworkers, will be equivalent or below theirs and the stimulant is seen as the only thing keeping you in your job (which can get super depressing internally) - or, if you're doing well in your position, it can breed internal and external doubt as to whether your performance would just be normal…

What I don't understand is - why is it a problem that somebody performs better on medication? Life isn't sports or a game. It's not a competition. Shouldn't people be happy that someone else can keep their life together? That's less of a burden on society. > Ever spent a day off staring at a wall dreading the possibility that you might waste a day until you realize the sun has gone down? That sounds silly and boring.…

> It's not a competition

I surmise that the people who have a problem with the idea of someone taking medication feel otherwise.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#35

Post by colechristensen »

rhombocombus wrote: post #8
munk-a wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's another weird factor. Ritalin is an upper and it's stigmatized to take an upper - either your performance, judged by coworkers, will be equivalent or below theirs and the stimulant is seen as the only thing keeping you in your job (which can get super depressing internally) - or, if you're doing well in your position, it can breed internal and external doubt as to whether your performance would just be normal…

I keep it very closely that I am on any sort of medication because of the stigma. At this point in my life I refuse to allow someone else to have an opinion of what my doctor and I decide I need to be healthy.

I take a suite of medications for symptoms like this and never felt the need to advertise or hide it, and never experienced stigma although I have the mindset that leads me to not even notice negative cues (a mixed blessing).

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#36

Post by dx87 »

Mirioron wrote: post #12
vslira wrote: post #2

About getting treatment: it's extremely irritating that some people judge using Ritalin is somehow morally wrong. Yes, I get that "lifestyle changes" could help, but I don't want to change my lifestyle. Imagine if there was a pill to reduce risk of cardiac arrest, with some increased risk of something relatively minor. Can you imagine the uproar if cardiologists denied prescribing the pill, instead forcing people to…

> Imagine if there was a pill to reduce risk of cardiac arrest, with some increased risk of something relatively minor. (Some?) Antihypertensive drugs can contribute to harm to the liver. They're unlikely to cause anything on their own, but if your liver is already not the healthiest it can make things worse. > Yes, I get that "lifestyle changes" could help, but I don't want to change my lifestyle. As far as I've rea…

I can't speak for everyone, but regularly exercising and eating healthier foods reduced my need to take my ritalin as often. When I first started taking it, I had to take a dose every 2 hours to stay on track. Once I started eating healthier and doing ~1 minute of exercise every hour, I can comfortably go 3-4 hours between doses. I still function much better when I take my medication, but as long as I eat healthy and exercise, I don't feel useless without it.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#37

Post by aidenn0 »

NickM wrote: post #30
pgt wrote: post #24

From years of amateur neurochemistry - As best as I can tell - ADD & ADHD are two sides of the same coin resulting from a dopaminergic deviation that serves the tribe but not the individual. Most people think of dopamine as the "pleasure chemical," but in reality it is the "anticipation chemical." Dopamine says: "You got this. Almost there!" And it is up-regulated when an uncertain profit presents itself, implying th…

Do you have sources for any of these claims about dopamine? No offense intended, and I agree that the common interpretation of dopamine as the "pleasure chemical" is wrong and oversimplifying, but much of what you're saying sounds a bit "just so" to me.

Also, while the relationship between neurochemistry and psychology is still in the dark-ages, seratonin is usually identified as the issue in anxiety related disorders such as OCD.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#38

Post by elcritch »

easton_s wrote: post #17

I was told by my doctor that since I have a successful career as a software engineer I do not have ADHD. I'm still fighting to get a prescription. What he doesn't understand how my coping mechanisms are probably more unhealthy then the drug. I have allocate recreation time to work, use a lot of caffeine, and sleep deprivation to overcome my ADHD. Sleep deprivation is probably the strongest tool to combat ADHD but as…

If your doctor is a family medicine practitioner, you really should visit a practice that specializes in ADHD. It can cost a lot more but well worth it. They’ll be much more proficient in providing an actual diagnosis and subtype along with the knowledge to help find treatments. IMHO, as others mention, medication still requires behavioral/mental habit changes which having a psychiatrist familiar with the details of ADHD will be a huge boon in incorporating into your lifestyle.

Oddly I get the bit about sleep deprivation. It can be oddly effective. I also sometimes do more effective work when I have a cold/flu as well.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#39

Post by RankingMember »

omgwtfbyobbq wrote: post #16

For anyone diagnosed with ADHD, taking stimulants is associated with 8+x increase of being diagnosed with a basal ganglia and cerebellum disease later in life. I believe this is NOT causative, but is instead a correlation between other diseases associated with Dopamine production and ADHD. I take and have continued to take stimulants for ADHD. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0207-5 In my family's case, we…

I didn't know this, but I take my medication as rarely as possible because I hate the comedown, appetite suppression, and tolerance building that occurs. It sucks, but I had a feeling there was some long-term downside like this. Hopefully lessening frequency to occasional use also lessens the likelihood of what you describe.

Re: ADHD, a Lifelong Struggle (2018)

#40

Post by matheusmoreira »

omgwtfbyobbq wrote: post #16

For anyone diagnosed with ADHD, taking stimulants is associated with 8+x increase of being diagnosed with a basal ganglia and cerebellum disease later in life. I believe this is NOT causative, but is instead a correlation between other diseases associated with Dopamine production and ADHD. I take and have continued to take stimulants for ADHD. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0207-5 In my family's case, we…

Thank you for citing this article. It is also known that using methamphetamine increases cardiovascular risk. Prescription amphetamines might do the same.
Post reply on HN