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Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

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Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#641

Post by throwaway2990 »

dannyw wrote: post #638
throwaway2990 wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%. I’m glad Australia appears to be doing an actual diagnosis rather than just prescribing drugs. All kids are different. Some kids can sit and read for hours. But some kids need to do physical stuff. Schools don’t cater for the latter. Gone are the days of learning wood work and metal work, cooking, sewing. Kids don’t do PE class like they used to. We try to ram all kids through the same meat grinder and when one…

A curated list of NSW High School Electives: * Dance * Drama * Food Technology * Industrial Technology Timber * Industrial Technology Metal * Music * Physical Activity & Sports Studies * Visual Arts

Have you attended those classes or just citing something you googled? Because they aren’t the same now as they were in the 50s or 90s. And those classes are like once a week now as academic classes are the main focus. This type of schooling still does not cater for kids who often excel in these classes but do poorly in general academics. But hey. Keep pushing those kids through the meat grinder!!!

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#642

Post by RoyalHenOil »

whalesalad wrote: post #370
nonethewiser wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems likely to be a placebo. You have a vested interest in it working, admit its not based on any sort of science, and one of the setup steps is to overcome distraction (which is the problem that’s trying to be solved).

Music BPM has the same effect. For me personally the right cadence can almost induce a flow state immediately.

I find music distracting when I work because I listen to it too actively, but I can imagine that a subtle regular pulse or beat might help. It would beed to be quiet and plain enough that it would not dominate my attention.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#643

Post by ChrisRR »

TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

I don't get this at all. What does the little flashing light achieve?

I find minor irritations like this very distracting so I'm not really sure what the theory is

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#644

Post by ChrisRR »

sonicanatidae wrote: post #270
TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

OMG. I could not do this. I hope it's useful to others, but not for me...at all. The biggest distraction for me, when working/focusing, is movement at the edge of my vision. You know, like most websites with their moving ads, or fly-out videos that no one asked for, etc. I'm glad you found your silverbullet, but that specific approach would wreck my productivity.

Same. I can't stand people hovering around my desk. Every little thing they do or say distracts me.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#645

Post by ChrisRR »

qzx_pierri wrote: post #227
nonethewiser wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems likely to be a placebo. You have a vested interest in it working, admit its not based on any sort of science, and one of the setup steps is to overcome distraction (which is the problem that’s trying to be solved).

Not to be too confrontational, but why did you feel the need to point this out? When someone has a solution that works for them, why possibly ruin it for them by pointing out placebo? Mind you, pointing out placebo could be useful if the OP made the claim that their solution could cure a disease or something (such claims could discourage someone from getting effective treatment).

Because it's a discussion about science and their comment is totally valid.

One of the biggest parts of placebo is going through the motions, whether you believe it or not. The original commentor appears to be aware that their approach may not have any scientific basis so mentioning the potential of placebo is fine.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#646

Post by ChrisRR »

koonsolo wrote: post #226
TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

> Get to work regardless if distracted and agitated. Close all apps except what you need to work and BOOM!, let the magic happen Isn't this the part that actually does the heavy lifting to get stuff done?

This part seems like "draw the rest of the fucking owl"

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#647

Post by ChrisRR »

ark4579 wrote: post #240
TheRealHB wrote: post #54

The Blinking LED, A simple Hack that still works for me after years: 1. Place a tiny LED (red or yellow) by the side of your monitor or virtually on the screen corner. Basically anywhere almost bordering your field of view. 2. Make it blink like a fast heartbeat (120-150 bpm) and gradually slowdown to around 60 bpm (or your slow heartbeat base). Make the slope approx 20 to 60 minutes (you can adjust the best rate by…

oh sh*t. here we go again. another IoT that I would love to start and then abandon for some reason knowing full well how fix it but not find the "time" to do it.

IOT? It's a blinking LED, pretty much always the first thing you learn in embedded. No need for internet, just an LED and a microcontroller.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#648

Post by Aeglaecia »

mathieuh wrote: post #92

I used to think I had some ADHD symptoms: growing up I never did any revision for any of my school exams until a couple of days before, all my coursework and projects were done last minute in a week of intense focus, I've had issues with drugs in the past etc. Then I met someone who actually has ADHD and saw them before they'd taken their stimulant drugs. They were completely nonfunctional in any sense of the word, t…

id wager any human would increase in productivity when given speed

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#649

Post by RHSman2 »

slipperlobster wrote: post #299
gosub100 wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you have the inability to read books? I notice that I simply cannot focus on reading a book to save my life. I can read internet comments and articles all day though. If I try to read a book I get annoyed that they're "not making their point" fast enough, especially with fiction and visual descriptions of people and places. I used to just complain about it, but now I wonder if thats actually pinpointing something…

My issue with reading is that my eyes will continue on while my brain has already left the station, so to speak. I'll end up having to go back and re-read sentences/paragraphs. I started doing some research (prior to speaking with my psychiatrist) and started noticing some ADHD-esque behaviors in my toddler. I'm not looking to get them diagnosed (yet?), because who knows what is "normal young kid inattentiveness and…

I have a 9 year old dyslexic boy with solid ADHD (impulsive). It’s been quite the journey (so far). He is heading back to ‘normal’ school next semester with no special support and fully integrated almost like a neurotypical. Sort of.

I have the same ADHD style:

Overall lessons: 1. Sleep. Melatonin. Transformational 2. Love. Love and more love. 3. Forgiveness and understanding 4. Throwing the kitchen sink at him for finding the outlet (sport) he loved. Gave him a sense of direction. 5. Ritalin: assists with ability to concentrate and therefore learn. Used only for education. 6. Educate yourself and get diagnosed yourself if you have. 7. Be the change in yourself and mirror and explain what you know (and don’t know) 8. Full spectrum intelligence test. Know where the issues are (processing speed, etc) and also where the strengths are.

We got a semi diagnosis at 5, then year on year assessments to see what we could know.

I wish there was a better support and road map for the steps to go through as a parent. I feel very lucky to be a dad of a child with ADHD in this time though.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#650

Post by framapotari »

timeagain wrote: post #571
nbaugh1 wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. So so so many people do not understand this element of psychological disorders

The D in ADHD is “disorder”, which normally means you can’t function socially, at work, and/or take care of yourself. Normally I don’t consider scatterbrained knowledge workers in the top 5% of the income distribution to be in that category. It is kind of fun so do work on speed though!

What if you can function socially, at work, can mostly take care of yourself and generally look the part, but on the inside you are a miserable husk of a person exhausted from the neverending struggle to appear functional and normal?

Is that person just having fun on speed in your view?

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