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The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

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Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Antidepressants don't "make you happy", alcohol does that. Antidepressants are intended to give you the ability to get out of bed in the morning. If depression was just caused by inhumane work environments, why do Americans have it and not Bangladeshi T-shirt makers?

Culture - I imagine traditional cultures aren't inhaling pharmaceuticals at the alarming rates like in America

You've completely elided the fact that ADHD can be treated through means besides medication. And that this discussion thread is not about depression. And that traditional cultures are affected by depression.

https://psychcentral.com/depression/depression-in-indigenous...

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#312
post #94

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“Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. Science fiction It is already happening to some extent in our own society. Instead of removing the conditions that make people depressed modern society gives them antidepressant drugs. In effect antidepressants are a means of modifying an individual's internal state in such a…

> Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. THX 1138

I prefer Equilibrium. Gun kata ftw

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#313
post #274

More garbage to convince healthy people they should ruin their brains to make money for their boss and big pharma. ADHD is trending now, and it’s probably the least legitimate, most artificial and socially constructed mental illness I have ever encountered

How many socially constructed mental illnesses have you encountered previously?

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey. Sorry to hear this. I have also been fired a bunch of times, and people describe interacting with me in the exact same way as you just described it. Your brother is consistently going for the wrong kind of job, from the sound of it. Operations jobs. I eventually succeeded when I switched to work that is more strategic and creative. I got really into language learning, blogging, website building, and then just fo…

I think I'm like you. I'm usually the smartest guy in the room, a phenomenal problem solver and brainstormer, and a great engineer and lawyer. I'm currently doing great in a very easy and rewarding job I stumbled into, but it has a time limit. I tried stimulants years ago but it made me feel physically awful (jaw grinding, digestive problems, heart palpitations, exhaustion, etc.) and didn't actually help (I'd just ge…

Thanks. It has been an absolute grind in many ways but I’ve found my way forward.

In terms of being the smartest guy in the room.. I know the feeling but in my last role .. pretty much everyone there was highly intelligent. The only person I can think of who (probably) wasn’t would be the office manager.

In the end, while it was a bit of a weird moment to at first to no longer be ‘special’ in that regard, it was a lot more rewarding. (And how nice it is to be in meetings where everyone can keep up!)

Even then - people appreciated my creativity and ability to distill complex ideas into simple explanations.

The challenge has an ADHD person for me has been to recognise exactly where my limitations are and how to put people with the right skillsets into roles to balance me out.

Regarding drugs I tried Vyvanse and didn’t really like it but now am on Ritalin and despite stereotypes, for me it’s been great.

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#315

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> Or I can't read long articles with topics that are important for me but don't tickle one of my interests. Can't concentrate on boring things - surely that's normal? It feels like they're casting the ADHD net wider and wider and from reading the internet I'm starting to question whether my behavior fits into the ADHD category. And part of me wants it to so that I have a label that explains and excuses me. But how do…

Having trouble concentrating on boring things is normal. But with ADHD it goes beyond that. I have half a dozen books on various software development topics started. I am a software developer by profession and by hobby. All of them are on subjects that interest me, it's why I picked them up in the first place. I have paid personal time at my job that I could use to finish them. I love to read. Give me a book in a gen…

Thanks for sharing. It's been wild for me to read through this thread and finding so much shared experience. For your comment, it could have been written exactly by me, just with the book and media subjects replaced with my own.

I'm undiagnosed, but have already made an appointment after reading a similar topic on reddit earlier this month [1]

[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/z1usgt/advi...

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#316

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Wellbutrin worked wonders for me. Works immediately, similar to amphetamines and is easy to obtain legitimately.

> is easy to obtain legitimately. Depends on the country. In Europe, it's not so easy. In the UK, the last I checked, it was contraindicated for long-term use, meaning it could be used for smoking cessation but not for long-term ADHD treatment. > similar to amphetamines Wellbutrin has a very different mechanism of action, and a different effectiveness profile. I wouldn't say it's "similar to amphetamines" in any clin…

> In the UK, the last I checked, it was contraindicated for long-term use, meaning it could be used for smoking cessation but not for long-term ADHD treatment.

It is not a typical treatment, but a psychiatrist in the UK does have the discretion to prescribe Bupropion off-label.

In my own n=1 experience, as a fourth option, only after unsatisfactory trials of more traditional stimulants and Atomoxetine.

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate on the bad reaction that you experienced? Which treatment, brand, and daily amount?

I can throw in my two cents as well. I've been on several different stimulant medications for ADHD. They all make me anxious, even the one I'm taking now. Adderall: Grinding teeth, anxiety, didn't like feeling euphoric ("good" for no reason), stomach pain Vyvance: Same as above Focalin: Better than both above. This is what I'm currently on. It works for me well but it still comes with some side effects. I have stomac…

Did you consider non-stimulant medication?

In particular: atomoxetine (Strattera), bupropion (Wellbutrin), guanfacine (Tenex), and — if everything else fails — tricyclics such as nortriptyline (Pamelor/Nortrilen).

Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD

#318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate on the bad reaction that you experienced? Which treatment, brand, and daily amount?

I was on Adderall, then tried Dexamfetamine. I was on 30mg a day long lasting I think. For the first six months the medication worked, then I began to feel sick and paranoid. My social life fell apart and my work became mediocre. Now when I take any stimulant after a couple hours I start to feel dehydrated and light headed. If I continue using for a couple days I am unable focus on anything except a couple intrusive…

Likewise, did you try non-stimulant medication?
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