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

I'm an addict

onetwo.bearblog.dev

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

571–580 of 602 posts

Re: I'm an addict

#571

Post by paulryanrogers »

mantas wrote: post #438
pixl97 wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be hard to accept that the universe exists for no reason at all. You can fall in to a nihilistic trap where nothing matters. Or you can fall into a fantasy trap and say it matters for reasons that are not true. I would rather follow a more humanistic path, that we define our own existence, and that we should attempt to minimize our own suffering.

The problem is if enough people go full-nihilist, society crumbles. Same for minimising one's suffering. A healthy society requires a lot of sacrifice from individuals, even with today's technology.

Where's the evidence that lies are better to prevent this nihilistic crumbling of society?

Re: I'm an addict

#572

Post by sojourn4now »

Otek wrote: post #52
FeepingCreature wrote: post #28

Consider talking to a doctor about ADD? (Alternatively, get some Adderall somewhere and experiment.) Executive control is a distinct mental capability.

Please don't ever again recommend to someone with problems randomly that they should "get some amphetamine somewhere and experiment". Okay?

This.

I’m a recovered amphetamine (Adderall) addict. I was enslaved to amphetamines for over 10 years. I started taking pills in college because they helped me focus and get things done, but I quickly fell into addiction and abuse.

Talked my psychiatrist into giving me ever higher doses. Frequently stole my wife’s ADHD medication after burning through all of my own. I couldn’t stop.

It all started (somewhat) innocently enough…

Yes it’s capable of giving you super powers at work, but it’s also really quite dangerous from an addiction standpoint.

Re: I'm an addict

#573

Post by SixDouble5321 »

beebeepka wrote: post #386
annie_muss wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with this completely. I sounded just like the OP. I struggled with it for decades. Then recently I was diagnosed and started taking medication. Some of the problems basically stopped instantly. I implore anyone reading this and noticing it in themselves to go to a professional and find out if you have ADHD or not. I am by no means "cured" or completely functional but at least now I have a fighting chance.

Glad it works for you but I don't think taking "party drugs" on a daily basis is a good long-term idea

Please, kindly, keep your opinions which are not based on statistics or research, to yourself.

Looking at your past posts it appears you aren't a discriminatory bag of shit, but you could have fooled me with this comment.

You don't know people's situation and you don't know how medicines affect them.

Re: I'm an addict

#574

Post by Robotbeat »

jokethrowaway wrote: post #555
Robotbeat wrote: post #435

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that just wastes the big climate impact that was invested to grow you to adulthood. Now is the time to reinvest in the Earth. Humans can definitely have a net-negative carbon footprint if they work at it.

That's a very human centric way of framing the issue. There is no environment that need saving. Carbon emissions are merely changing the environment in a way that may not be convenient for a lot of humans. You're just saving the status quo of human society, not "reinvesting in the Earth". If by environment you mean species of animals you should worry more about plastic and trash than carbon emissions.

But, like, I’m a human? Morals are a human thing (or a mammalian thing maybe), heck written WORDS are definitely a human centric thing. How could I not be human centric?

Re: I'm an addict

#575

Post by Qub3d »

_jvd3 wrote: post #523

Hi guys OP here. I abstained all day (yay!) until I was going to bed :( I've read through most comments here and want to clarify a few things 1. I tried to get diagnosed with adhd but my doc just prescribed me some meds (amphetamines I think). They seemed like they would work until the effect wore off and I stopped taking them. 2. I have never abused any drug in the past. 3. I know this is a non issue for a lot of yo…

I did two things that greatly helped me.

1) I at least made an attempt at some of Cal Newport's suggestions in "Deep Work" and schedule working blocks for myself. I adopt a different posture, maybe wear different clothes, If you can afford to, get a second cheap laptop and use that only for work... And then go somewhere else physically. Even if it's just a different room.

2) Consider trying a few sessions of neurofeedback therapy. I did it in high school and really felt my ability to concentrate and think along a single track improve significantly. I can't guarantee anything but it's worth looking into.

Re: I'm an addict

#576

Post by derangedHorse »

bko wrote: post #517
tonguez wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so life’s greatest winner is genghis khan

Do you have an alternative "point of life"? Is it career? If so, that's pretty depressing. Happiness is a superficial emotion. If your loved one was "happy" spending his entire life playing fortnight in his parent's basement, would you be sad for him? Charity? I don't know. Never found a meaning as compelling as having children.

>Happiness is a superficial emotion

A google definition of superficial is "appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely."

I don't see how the definition of a type of emotion can be "superficial". Presumably your usage of "happy" in quotes is not actually happiness if you decided to put it in quotes. If you meant it as him actually being happy then someone could decide to be sad for him but that has nothing to do with his own happiness. Instead it would just be someone arrogantly projecting their own sensibilities and worldview onto the fortnite player while thinking they know better sources of happiness (when really the causes are subjective and every person derives varying levels of joy in different ways).

Making kids a "point of life" can itself be seen as a last ditch effort to be happy. The thought that there's some purpose in life that points to procreating is arbitrarily chosen and is seemingly that way because people derive happiness from some idea of having a legacy or finding comfort in interpreting the potential continuous spread of dna as some proxy for immortality

Re: I'm an addict

#577

Post by yamrzou »

thomastjeffery wrote: post #296
yamrzou wrote: post #13

> I'm simply incapable of doing things I've set out to do. Simple things. Everything is difficult. “Independent discharges of dopamine neurons (tonic or pacemaker firing) determine the motivation to respond to such cues. As a result of habitual intake of addictive drugs, dopamine receptors expressed in the brain are decreased, thereby reducing interest in activities not already stamped in by habitual rewards. ” From:…

Are you very familiar with ADHD? It's very much the same effect, except instead of substance abuse/addiction as the cause, it's a natural chronic deficit in stimulation. I find this YouTube channel very informative (albeit cheesy): https://m.youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD

> Are you very familiar with ADHD?

Not really. But I'll check this, thanks!

Re: I'm an addict

#578

Post by v-erne »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #473
v-erne wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> often the result of thousands of years of evolutionary processes which refine them >> Religious beliefs/texts are an extension of human evolution and should be seen that way. If this is true, does it mean that churches all over the world did a big disservice to the holy books and stopped the evolution by creating institutions dedicated to preserve text of this books in unchanged form argumenting that those books l…

You might be aware of the fact that different factions/sects exist within the major religions, similar to how humans physically evolve separate traits. Some of those off-shoots will be more successful than others. I'm sure you have some great ideas about living. Let's check the reproductive rate of the people who follow your ideas in a thousand years.

I was not suggesting that evolution does not exists at all in religions but rather that is actively fight back by its participants.

Re: I'm an addict

#579

Post by FeepingCreature »

sojourn4now wrote: post #572
Otek wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please don't ever again recommend to someone with problems randomly that they should "get some amphetamine somewhere and experiment". Okay?

This. I’m a recovered amphetamine (Adderall) addict. I was enslaved to amphetamines for over 10 years. I started taking pills in college because they helped me focus and get things done, but I quickly fell into addiction and abuse. Talked my psychiatrist into giving me ever higher doses. Frequently stole my wife’s ADHD medication after burning through all of my own. I couldn’t stop. It all started (somewhat) innocent…

I wonder how often that happens.

Could you elaborate on why you increased your dose? Was there a loss of effectiveness?

Re: I'm an addict

#580

Post by magicroot75 »

supernihil wrote: post #160

I dont like the idea of replacing the time spend compulsively procrastinating with "learning a new language, getting a pet, going to the gym" is the right way. I see the root cause (for me atleast (used to read HN and blogs for 4 hours everyday)) is that i cant stand being with myself. During the last two months ive been trying to not panic when i'm idle. And not take out my phone or read the nearest material i can l…

You might like the book "4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals." It's about this precise idea of valuing idleness (there's no quick way to change that mindset, it's a process).
Post reply on HN