Earlier quoted context omitted.
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Who prescribes narcotics to people with ADHD?
Are you familiar with 'amphetamines'?
The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
71–80 of 318 posts
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#72I just started working with a new team a few weeks ago. So far I've had "nice to meet you" calls with six or seven of the people on this team. And nearly half of them mentioned "by the way, I have ADHD, just so you know." And since I share so many characteristics with these individuals, now _I'm_ wondering if I have ADHD. Certainly the never-ending Instagram ads want me to think so. Or is this becoming a blanket term…
In my experience, most ADHD is really just a case of "I have limited willpower for extremely boring shit." Give me something interesting to do and I can work on it non-stop for 12 hours. The problem is that most jobs and almost all schooling is flat out incompatible with being an easily distractible person. I think it's just a phenotype that doesn't work well in the traditional professional environment. And yes, Adde…
> In my experience, most ADHD is really just a case of "I have limited willpower for extremely boring shit."
I'm really happy that ADHD has had such a limited impact on your life experience. However I think your statement is an unfair oversimplification & reads like a dismissal, whether you meant it to read that way or not. Very minor distinction, but phrasing it as 'most of MY ADHD' would have been much better.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#73Quoted post unavailable.
> Also these same people with "ADHD" never lose focus when they are driving, snowboarding, skateboarding, riding a motorcycle, on the witness stand at court, etc.
Yes, they do.
> In adults with ADHD, most studies investigated whether there was a correlation with traffic accidents with the patient as the driver of a motor vehicle (car or motorbike), and found a significant association.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976342...
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#74I just started working with a new team a few weeks ago. So far I've had "nice to meet you" calls with six or seven of the people on this team. And nearly half of them mentioned "by the way, I have ADHD, just so you know." And since I share so many characteristics with these individuals, now _I'm_ wondering if I have ADHD. Certainly the never-ending Instagram ads want me to think so. Or is this becoming a blanket term…
In my experience, most ADHD is really just a case of "I have limited willpower for extremely boring shit." Give me something interesting to do and I can work on it non-stop for 12 hours. The problem is that most jobs and almost all schooling is flat out incompatible with being an easily distractible person. I think it's just a phenotype that doesn't work well in the traditional professional environment. And yes, Adde…
I also think there is a common problem that people are addicted to stimulation and novelty. As soon as something doesn't give that dopamine hit of being new or interesting, something else has to be found to replace it. I think this addiction is very common in society today and manifests in internet and device addiction
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#75As an adult who feels like they identify with these characteristics, it is hard to know when to try to get help, or whether you are just seeing what you want to see and looking for an excuse. I have always shied away from seeking an adult ADHD diagnosis, partly because of prideful denial (not wanting to acknowledge that there might be something wrong with me), and partly because I have no faith in the NHS giving a sh…
Getting an adult ADHD diagnosis on the NHS is very hard and time consuming. Most people in the UK get a private diagnosis - there are many online websites now that will diagnose you completely over zoom in 1 hour.
In the US it's even easier. There is a profit motive in the US to get people onto lifetime medication, and many websites for online diagnosis and delivery. If you have private insurance, it's easy - just self refer to a psychiatrist, list your ADHD symptoms, get a prescription. There's even an Adderall shortage in the US right now - demand is outstripping supply. Adult ADHD seems to be rising dramatically in western countries.
My thoughts are that a lot of people, esp. intelligent ones, will have a lot of symptoms of adult ADHD. It might even be something normal in people near the top of the IQ bell curve - so especially common in tech workers. I think that what you have, and others, could be diagnosed as mild ADHD, maybe moderate. It's nothing at all like severe ADHD - which would make it literally impossible for you to have a career or get a degree without medication. These are the cases generally diagnosed in children because it's so obvious.
So... what to do? You can get a private diagnosis and get medication. It will probably help you a lot, at least initially - you'll be able to crank out 8 hours of boring ass work no problem. Over the long term, you will suffer some side effects - worse sleep, tolerance builds up, and your ADHD symptoms will likely get much worse if you stop medication.
I have mixed feelings about it all. I also identify w/ a lot of the ADHD symptoms (and I've been trying to get an NHS diagnosis for ages, and am going to seek out a private one next year). But with good sleep, exercise, and various other techniques, I think I can manage a successful job/career without needing meds. I found WFH really hard though, but in the office I can manage. It's really hard to know where I am on the "normal" curve though - I don't know anyone who doesn't suffer from procrastination to a degree, or struggles with boring tasks, who themselves are not on medication.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#76Can people stop a second with ADHD-as-a-disease? It’s the society that’s sick!! Prevalence in the US is 10% of the general population. Many of whom have active social lives and high paying jobs. Those people play the game they have been told to play. Corporate bullshit, boring tasks, endless meetings, and then they complain to their doctors they don’t feel like it fits. Something’s afoot. and the doctors say: “right…
That's not a helpful post whatsoever. We don't get to individually choose the society we live amongst. It's not an option for most people to just quit and live their best life. So we do what we can to be happy and perform within the constraints we have.
That's not a helpful comment either. Society as is isn't based on laws of physics or any natural law. Constraints have changed over centuries and will have to again.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#77This article feels like it was written for my brother. He's been fired, sequentially, 4 times in roles of progressively narrower scope/salary. From project manager (80k+) at a large NYC-BASED structured-cabling company to a billing coordinator position ( It makes me want to put my head into a pillow and scream because he's an intelligent, sociable and kind person but his mind just sits so juxtaposed from what these c…
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 followed things forward.
I then eventually became head of marketing for two different startups.
And now I run a bootstrapped company that is exploding in growth. We’ll probably do $10m+ next year in revenue.
I pay people to take care of details while constantly explaining to them what my vision is.
I KNOW the feeling when you see people lose faith in you. You can literally see it in their eyes.
And I also - finally - know the opposite feeling. That of admiration and appreciation.
Please show this to your brother.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there any evidence ADHD is genetic? The only connection I've read about is that parents who are diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to have their children diagnosed with it, but that itself is not evidence of a genetic trait. Seems just as likely to be nurture than nature to me- for example if parents over-stimulate their kids by putting them in front of TVs/iPads/etc. from a young age it's not surprising they'll…
Yes, it is a genetic neurological condition related to dopamine and not due to iPads.
You say that like it's a fact but diagnosis is not based on genetic/neurological testing, it's mostly just observing behavior in interviews.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#79Imho this whole ADHD/adderall thing is just the pharma industry peddling medication and shilling super hard. I wouldn't be surprised if pharma dollars somehow influenced this BBC article getting published
If some people like paying an additional tax to the pharmaceutical industry, good for them. For me personally, I'd rather jump off a cliff then support it
Before someone gets shitty with me for "denying their experience", no I'm not denying it. I'm saying it isn't universal, and the pharma way isn't the only way
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#80Definitely not intended to take anything away from people with ADHD, but this is true for a spectrum of mental/cognitive problems. My wife has suffered from long term depression, and seeked treatment, but still has had to lose jobs because every now and then it creeps up. And you don’t get a lot of leeway in the modern corporate environment.