7 ms·

Good article. I was diagnosed as an adult, and now have coping strategies (including some stimulants for days when I really need to get shit done). Had I been

Good article. I was diagnosed as an adult, and now have coping strategies (including some stimulants for days when I really need to get shit done). Had I been diagnosed 30 years ago, oh the things I could have done. The worst? My mother was a teacher. You'd think she would have caught it. Task switching is really my biggest issue. Once I get in hyperfocus mode on something, a) I really hate getting interrupted, probably because b) getting back focused again is all but impossible.

robwormald 11y ago
"Had I been diagnosed 30 years ago, oh the things I could have done" - truer words have never been spoken. I was diagnosed at 28 and it was like when I got glasses in middle school for the first time. "OHHHH, this is what the world is supposed to look like"
- jschwartzi 11y ago
  I first got glasses at 26, so I think I understand what you mean. It was maddening to realize that my issues with math in high school may have been due to my inability to read the textbook quickly enough to succeed.
  - thaumasiotes 11y ago
    When were you reading a textbook under time constraints?
    - scintill76 11y ago
      Literally every time they read their textbook, it was under time constraints, given there is only a finite amount of time. Being slower than everyone else at any component of school will hurt your performance.
      - thaumasiotes 11y ago
        Your reply only makes sense if reading that took the other students 30 minutes was taking jschwartzi 12 hours. It's not normal to be constrained for time (in any way that matters) while reading textbooks. And if ability to read really was a problem, I'd expect it to show up in English, where the great majority of the work consists of reading, much more than in math, where reading the textbook isn't common at all.
        reitanqild 11y ago
        Eating my own dogfood and explaining my downvote: expecting a kid or teenager to spend up to 12 hours on homework is crazy.
        thaumasiotes 11y ago
        I said that scintill76's reply would make sense in that case, but that I didn't believe it obtained. A factor-of-3 gap (where 30 minutes of reading for the class average translates into 90 minutes for jschwartzi) is fully within the range of normal variation.
    - jschwartzi 11y ago
      All I know is that I was working as a shipping clerk at the time, and my mis-shipment rate dropped significantly after I got the glasses. When that happened it suddenly occurred to me all the other times where I had to read a ton of numbers and symbols which were densely packed under time constraints and math was the only class like that.
bpyne 11y ago
Do the stimulants cause any jitters or mood alteration like caffeine can cause?
- Cshelton 11y ago
  I took addrral as a kid and hated it. It changed my personality, it made me never hungry, I would stare into space, even though I'm super focused on a thought, friends would question what I was doing. I've been taking Vyvanse now and I don't get any jitters or change in personality. The worst side effect is dry mouth...the best side effect...well, having a body high that last for hours, it's a nice bonus I guess? Is it healthy? I have no idea.
- JohnBooty 11y ago
  Caffeine user for decades, Adderall user (10mg, twice daily) for close to a decade. Neither gives me jitters, although I only take small doses of Adderall at a time. Adderall doesn't give me a crash when it wears off like caffeine does. Adderall can make me more high-strung at times. A little more intense, a little more irritable. It's a trade-off, of course... because failing to get necessary shit done can also make a person quite stressed out, you know? So Adderall, by helping me get stuff done, also indirectly improves my mood. It's not a magic cure, but it has been worth it for me.
- adrusi 11y ago
  Yes. I don't take them frequently, and my dosage is still at the level it was when I was 15 and taking the regularly, and my tolerance is obviously lower than it was then, so the effects are more intense than for people who take it every day. I can experiece occaisional jitters, and perceived body temperature fluctuations. I can be more a little withdrawn from the world around me. This is the case for any amphetamine drug at least. Ritalin can be a little different, but for the most part it's about the same for me. The most notable difference is that sometimes I feel irritable on ritalin.
- kendallpark 11y ago
  Depends on the medication, dose, and your personal physiology. I was on a low dose dextroamphetamine as needed for a while. Then life got stressful and I found myself getting mild anxiety from it. I switched to Vyvanse which dextro packaged for extended release (lasts for 14 hours). Vyvanse did not induce any jitters but would keep me up late if I didn't take it first thing in the morning. I switched to a different extended release dextro that lasts for about half the time as Vyvanse. That's worked out well because I can take it in the afternoon without jeopardizing my sleep. As a rule of thumb though I don't take stimulants on a regular basis, just as needed. Don't want to become dependent.
Cshelton 11y ago
I was diagnosed at age 6. I hated taking addrral back then and stopped. The next time I took it was junior year in college. Wow, I knew I was already smarter than most of my peers, and I was finally able to show it in the grades. I wish I took it in HS, it's a game changer. I do agree with the OP, and I do not understand how programming is something I can focus on and do for hours. The brain is very interesting. (Just in writing this reply I set my phone down half way through...) ADD is a blessing and a curse. I love being able to think different though.
kendallpark 11y ago
I was diagnosed with ADHD AFTER college. I had always performed well in school so there was no cause for alarm growing up. But I was always a spacey kid--my mind would race all over the place and I had trouble focusing on one single thing. Except when I hyperfocus. Then I have a hard time hearing other people around me. The worst? My mother was a psychiatrist. You'd think should would've caught it. During college, I coped by making my life as busy and stressful as possible. That helped me get stuff done. I also play(ed) sports. Now I am in med school and I take medications as-needed. Med school is sufficiently challenging so I find it easier to focus now compared to my previous 9-5 programming job.

robwormald 11y ago

"Had I been diagnosed 30 years ago, oh the things I could have done" - truer words have never been spoken. I was diagnosed at 28 and it was like when I got glasses in middle school for the first time. "OHHHH, this is what the world is supposed to look like"

jschwartzi 11y ago
I first got glasses at 26, so I think I understand what you mean. It was maddening to realize that my issues with math in high school may have been due to my inability to read the textbook quickly enough to succeed.
- thaumasiotes 11y ago
  When were you reading a textbook under time constraints?
  - scintill76 11y ago
    Literally every time they read their textbook, it was under time constraints, given there is only a finite amount of time. Being slower than everyone else at any component of school will hurt your performance.
    - thaumasiotes 11y ago
      Your reply only makes sense if reading that took the other students 30 minutes was taking jschwartzi 12 hours. It's not normal to be constrained for time (in any way that matters) while reading textbooks. And if ability to read really was a problem, I'd expect it to show up in English, where the great majority of the work consists of reading, much more than in math, where reading the textbook isn't common at all.
      - reitanqild 11y ago
        Eating my own dogfood and explaining my downvote: expecting a kid or teenager to spend up to 12 hours on homework is crazy.
        thaumasiotes 11y ago
        I said that scintill76's reply would make sense in that case, but that I didn't believe it obtained. A factor-of-3 gap (where 30 minutes of reading for the class average translates into 90 minutes for jschwartzi) is fully within the range of normal variation.
  - jschwartzi 11y ago
    All I know is that I was working as a shipping clerk at the time, and my mis-shipment rate dropped significantly after I got the glasses. When that happened it suddenly occurred to me all the other times where I had to read a ton of numbers and symbols which were densely packed under time constraints and math was the only class like that.

bpyne 11y ago

Do the stimulants cause any jitters or mood alteration like caffeine can cause?

Cshelton 11y ago
I took addrral as a kid and hated it. It changed my personality, it made me never hungry, I would stare into space, even though I'm super focused on a thought, friends would question what I was doing. I've been taking Vyvanse now and I don't get any jitters or change in personality. The worst side effect is dry mouth...the best side effect...well, having a body high that last for hours, it's a nice bonus I guess? Is it healthy? I have no idea.
JohnBooty 11y ago
Caffeine user for decades, Adderall user (10mg, twice daily) for close to a decade. Neither gives me jitters, although I only take small doses of Adderall at a time. Adderall doesn't give me a crash when it wears off like caffeine does. Adderall can make me more high-strung at times. A little more intense, a little more irritable. It's a trade-off, of course... because failing to get necessary shit done can also make a person quite stressed out, you know? So Adderall, by helping me get stuff done, also indirectly improves my mood. It's not a magic cure, but it has been worth it for me.
adrusi 11y ago
Yes. I don't take them frequently, and my dosage is still at the level it was when I was 15 and taking the regularly, and my tolerance is obviously lower than it was then, so the effects are more intense than for people who take it every day. I can experiece occaisional jitters, and perceived body temperature fluctuations. I can be more a little withdrawn from the world around me. This is the case for any amphetamine drug at least. Ritalin can be a little different, but for the most part it's about the same for me. The most notable difference is that sometimes I feel irritable on ritalin.
kendallpark 11y ago
Depends on the medication, dose, and your personal physiology. I was on a low dose dextroamphetamine as needed for a while. Then life got stressful and I found myself getting mild anxiety from it. I switched to Vyvanse which dextro packaged for extended release (lasts for 14 hours). Vyvanse did not induce any jitters but would keep me up late if I didn't take it first thing in the morning. I switched to a different extended release dextro that lasts for about half the time as Vyvanse. That's worked out well because I can take it in the afternoon without jeopardizing my sleep. As a rule of thumb though I don't take stimulants on a regular basis, just as needed. Don't want to become dependent.

Cshelton 11y ago

I was diagnosed at age 6. I hated taking addrral back then and stopped. The next time I took it was junior year in college. Wow, I knew I was already smarter than most of my peers, and I was finally able to show it in the grades. I wish I took it in HS, it's a game changer. I do agree with the OP, and I do not understand how programming is something I can focus on and do for hours. The brain is very interesting. (Just in writing this reply I set my phone down half way through...) ADD is a blessing and a curse. I love being able to think different though.

kendallpark 11y ago

I was diagnosed with ADHD AFTER college. I had always performed well in school so there was no cause for alarm growing up. But I was always a spacey kid--my mind would race all over the place and I had trouble focusing on one single thing. Except when I hyperfocus. Then I have a hard time hearing other people around me. The worst? My mother was a psychiatrist. You'd think should would've caught it. During college, I coped by making my life as busy and stressful as possible. That helped me get stuff done. I also play(ed) sports. Now I am in med school and I take medications as-needed. Med school is sufficiently challenging so I find it easier to focus now compared to my previous 9-5 programming job.