ADHD drug treatment and risk of negative events and outcomes

Do you think the same about conditions like Autism or OCD?

People often say they "are a little bit" OCD or autistic, but it's the degree to which those traits are experienced which is the differentiation. There is also no objective test, it's all "soft" science.

> People also used to make the claim that the stimulant drugs had special effects (or even opposite effects) on those with ADHD vs. the non ADHD population

This is my experience, but I understand that anecdotes aren't good evidence.

@isodude no surprises; Emphasizes my point. It's thoughtful and resonates a lot.

> Funny, my daughter just stops my explanations after circa one minute...

I'm really glad to hear about your daughter and the strong, understanding relationship you've built with her. Explaining ADHD to her early on and helping her navigate it is awesome; being truly seen and validated by family can make all the difference in reinforcing one's self-knowledge and building resilience. It must be rewarding to see her thrive despite the challenges.

This reminds me of chats with my sister. I've tried helping her understand why I am the way I am; the distractions, the hyperfocus bursts, the whole spectrum, but she'd always say "don't accept it" and to just "pray it away." I usually laugh it off and say "Amen," because I know she's coming from a place of deep love and concern, rooted in our cultural lens. It's not dismissal; it's her way of wanting the best for me.

Isn't it fascinating how vast and varied the human psyche is? Almost no two people are exactly alike in how their minds work. I read somewhere that some folks don't even have an internal monologue, they think purely in pictures, without any inner voice or words. Blows my mind every time I think about it.

> ...I would assume that Africa in general is more attuned to accepting people as they are?

Spot-on! Nigeria/Africa in general embrace/reject people as they are, rarely pathologizing differences. We're not huge on formal psychology or therapists here [0], so spiritual and religious leaders [1] often step in to fill that gap - counseling couples, mediating family disputes, and offering guidance on some personal struggles. Mostly with a spiritual/cultural lens. In my opinion, it's better than nothing. Sometimes being heard alone helps untangle some deeply rooted misalignment.

> [2] (about the same bike)

Saw the bike picture, nice setup! I try to get in walks when I can for that mental reset, though it's been rare these days with everything piling up. Quick question: Is it the same color? I'm a black, purple, and blue person at heart now, but red was my jam growing up.

[3] adhd-diet

I went ahead and converted that ADHD diet page [3] to PDF and Markdown to stash in my knowledge pile; super helpful read.

What's striking is how individualized it all is; what works for one person can be the absolute opposite for another. Caffeine, for instance, is a game-changer for me as it helps me cope, prime myself, and zone in without the jitters, but the article calls it "complicated," noting side effects for some (especially on meds). Never been on meds so I cannot relate. I had no idea about white flour falling under those simple carbs to minimize, but sugar I've already been keeping low-key for energy stability.

Anyway, I truly appreciate you sharing. It's validating to connect on this across contexts. Cheers to you and your daughter; keep crushing it.

[0] though sensitization and awareness are gradually picking up, which is encouraging - partly thanks to the new wave of local movies and skits being produced around the subject:

Skits: Brain Jotter, Craze Clown, House21 TV, MC Lively, ...

Movies: Mind Work (2025), At Ease(2024), Vanity(2024), Oga John(2023), ...

[1] Pastors, Imams, Chieftains, etc.

[2] https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NxQAAeSwpg1odZbS/s-l1600.jpg

[3] https://add.org/adhd-diet/

While this study is the largest to date, it found substantial risk reductions with ADHD medication: 38% for suicidal behaviors, 30% for substance misuse, 28% for criminality, and 20% for transport accidents - with even stronger effects for recurrent events.

Small problem of potential conflict of interest with pharmaceutical for all authors involved. … persist.

Study did however show major problem with dispensing heavily abused set of ADHD Rx, lack of reaction time test (gamers’ and career-performists’ hyperfocus), and exclusion of large group out of the ~148,000 ADHD-diagnosed subjects of this study.

I am reminded of numerous studies that carve out a large portion of cigarette users thus neatly giving the “evil” tobacco-perpetuators/“scientists” a carveout (4 out of 202 DSMs) to “continue” as safe for medical use.