Earlier quoted context omitted.
Who prescribes narcotics to people with ADHD?
Are you familiar with 'amphetamines'?
Typical use of 'narcotics' means opiates and similar drugs (narc = sleep), and not amphetamines.
The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
81–90 of 318 posts
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#82So much of this is familiar, the timeliness, forgetfulness, the blurting things out, but especially that feeling of "FFS, why can't I do these things like everyone else, I suck". I was incredibly lucky, once I got into software dev, that my untreated ADHD often manifested in hyperfocus, so I could deliver large amounts of business value in bursts, that meant my other foibles were tolerable. Of course, my spending 20…
One thing I think a lot of folks don't realize about ADHD is that even with treatment, there is still a whole skillset to pick up regarding organization, self-management related to time etc. Many neurotypical people pick those things up over time, but those of us who are diagnosed late usually need to develop those skills, often for the first time.
That said, gaining those skill and having treatment feels like a superpower
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
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…
Idk my experience is much different. On the weekend, I would have a list of games I really wanted to play. Boot one up, play for a few minutes, feel like I should be playing a different one, switch and repeat. Or I would have hobbies or activities I would want to do. But would end up in the same cycle. Then at the end of my weekend I would feel down because I spent the entire past two days constantly task switching w…
In my experience, simply being "not boring" is not enough. Usually for me it needs to have at least three qualities of the following four: pressure, interest, competition, and novelty. If a game is interesting but lacks competition or novelty, I may start playing it, but it's unlikely I'll continue for more than 15 minutes.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#84Can 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…
I mean, you're not wrong, it's just that quitting your job isn't usually an option that is available. I always live with the sword of damocles over my head as it is- space out in the wrong meeting or forget something and I'll get my wish and be fired anyway. No need to rush it. My savings will last 2 or 3 months while I panic and look for a new job that I'll hate just as much. The escape hatch is getting really lucky and being able to make money doing what your passion is- extremely rare- or inherit a fuckton of money- equally rare.
But believe me when I say I spend every day trying to figure out a way to do just that (make money on one of my passion projects). If I could live long enough, eventually I would succeed. It's just that I will probably get old and die before that happens, like most people with ADHD.
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#85I 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…
"And nearly half of them mentioned "by the way, I have ADHD" Statistically that seems rather unlikely, so I wonder if people are being over-diagnosed?
I've heard a nice description of ADHD being both the most under and over diagnosed issue at the same time. Since it's mostly based on self-reporting, it's easy to get on the meds if you want to, or easy to pin on an issue someone may be having, as a quick solution. On the other hand, for various reasons high functioning people will keep on going and try to deal with it daily until they run into some roadblocks. It took me over 30 years to get diagnosed, but really I should've done it in primary school already. (There was minimal awareness then)
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#86As someone who has experienced a bad reaction to ADHD medication after years of using it, I can say that it was a frustrating and difficult time. I felt like I had been relying on the medication to function, but it suddenly stopped working for me and made me feel even worse. I was worried about how I was going to manage my ADHD symptoms without it. However, I eventually discovered that I could improve my executive fu…
Could you elaborate on the bad reaction that you experienced? Which treatment, brand, and daily amount?
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#87This 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…
There are non-amphetamine medications available now that might work for your brother, and cognitive-behavioural therapy can really help too.
While this is true, it is also true that Amphetamine is the Powerhouse of the Cell
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#88I 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…
>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." Is this a generational thing? I mean, are these people in their early 20s? I'm in my 30s and would never say anything about my mental health in a phone call with a stranger unless my boss is bringing up this subject with me on a one-on-one.
It can be relevant in the context of "this is how I work best, this is how to work with me best, these are the areas I'd appreciate a little more patience from you on." If you know what ADHD is, someone saying they have it is pretty good shorthand for all that.
That said, I still haven't brought it up with anyone at work because of the stigma around it. It's tiring pretending it's not a problem for me though.
I think you're right that it's a generational thing. More people know what it is, are less judgemental, or know they have it themselves. Also, a lot of people don't see it as about mental health in the same way e.g. depression or BPD is. (Unsure if that's what you were implying though!)
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#89I 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…
There is strong evidence that ADHD is overdiagnosed
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8042533/
And of course, there is the issue of drug-seeking - for increased concentration and focus, for fun, or some other reason. And many doctors suspect patients of drug-seeking. Symptoms can easily be faked and are difficult to spot.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3173757/ https://healthland.time.com/2011/04/28/faking-it-why-nearly-...
Re: The silent struggles of workers with ADHD
#90Can 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…
> Can people stop a second with ADHD-as-a-disease? It’s the society that’s sick!!
This is correct! ADHD may stem from a useful set of traits for past humans that were much more active, had to scout things, etc. The problem is we now have a regimented culture that rewards people who sit, perform boring repetitive tasks, and need to concentrate on uninteresting material for long periods of time. This is a well known to be an unhealthy lifestyle for humans.
>Quit your job and live a better life!
I am not sure that can work for everyone. Quit your job and then what?