6 ms·

Do you often show up to work late? Are you seen as generally unreliable? (Be honest with yourself.) Do you procrastinate a lot? Do you have a hard time transi

by y0y 11y ago

Do you often show up to work late? Are you seen as generally unreliable? (Be honest with yourself.) Do you procrastinate a lot? Do you have a hard time transitioning? Are you late for things because you a) can't accurately estimate time and b) can't pull yourself away from the thing you're doing at that moment even though you know you're going to be late if you don't? Do you have a very unstructured sleep schedule? Do you have high impulsivity? Spending (sounds like it)? Speeding? Substance abuse - including alcohol? Did you breeze through HS with decent grades without trying but then suddenly find college and its unstructured environment and lack of supervision much harder and hard for you to succeed in? If you answer yes to many of those questions, then you may want to talk to a psychiatrist about the potential for you being ADHD. I was very much the same way and was diagnosed at age 29. Best thing to happen to me. I've managed to turn my career and my personal life around. Everything you describe sounds like the impulsive behavior of ADHD to me, but I am not a medical professional and I am not trying to diagnose you. You just sound an awful lot like I once did. Best of luck..

atemerev 11y ago
Diagnosed with ADD already. Writing here after 1.5 year of treatment attempts.
- reitanqild 11y ago
  Don't give up. Find ways to use your superpowers, because you have: ADHD superpowers that I'm aware of includes hyperfocus, immunity to exam stress, being one of those: "when the going gets though, the tough gets going" etc. While it is a real enough problem it has some remarkable upsides as well. You have to live with the downsides even though you can make them less visble and annoying, but also be aware of your superskills and put them to use for yourself so that you can have more to give back to your family, your friend and the world.
  - atemerev 11y ago
    Thank you. Indeed, these superskills are there. I always enjoyed exams. :)
    - reitanqild 11y ago
      Thats no small thing right there just thinking of all those who will freeze in exam settings. No widen your horizon and find reasons both for why to improve (for yourself, your family, community, everyone) as well as how (applying skills at current job or plan to get a new where you can use them.) Me for example I'm good at talking to people and when I get into a new setting/position and see no one wants "that" customer I tell them I can do it. Bam, instantly +1 in an honest way that benefits everyone.
  - collyw 11y ago
    This is interesting. I feel I am verging towards that end of the sectrum (I assume its a spectrum). I never though if it as a disability, just stuff I am good at / bad at. If that is the case why does it have such a negative stigma attached and is treated as a problem (like I say I am verging that way, but I don't see myself as ADHD, so maybe my perspective on it is off). Many people proudly proclaim they are "not good at maths" but they are good at other things, why is this seen as such a negative that we put people on medication for it?
    - y0y 11y ago
      It's not really a spectrum but a collection of symptoms whereby if one exhibits many or the majority of them in enough frequency, intensity, and duration as to negatively impact their life, one can say to be ADHD. There are different subtypes (not sure if they are in the DSM but they are often referred to in other literature), e.g. hyperactive vs non-hyperactive. Sometimes, though, the hyperactivity exhibits itself in ways that are non-obvious. I think the negative stigma comes from what many (myself, included) believe to be an over-diagnosis in young children. It seems to be used as a catch-all for children who are difficult to handle, who aren't good at sitting still in class, etc. This over-diagnosis causes a lot of people to think the disorder isn't real. Secondly, a lot of people will try to fake their way into an ADHD diagnosis (especially at the college-level) to gain access to the amphetamines. This makes it difficult for those with the actual disorder, as we are scrutinized heavily and often made to feel somewhat criminal when we pick up our prescriptions at pharmacies that have had issues with this in the past. I won't say it's overly common, but it does happen. I've been told they were out of stock before because I tried dropping off a prescription at 3am once. I had it in my wallet and had meant to drop it off on my way out with friends. On my way home, the subway stop I get off at (I live in NYC) is where my 24/7 pharmacy is. I didn't think anything of it, I'm just dropping it off to save myself a trip in the morning.. well, the pharmacist looked at me.. 3am, clearly had a few drinks.. and he gave me the "we're out of stock" line. Magically it was re-stocked at 7am. And lastly, there is a stigma in the US, in general, when it comes to mental illness. These aren't things people can see, for one. And, perhaps more importantly, our mental selves are what we view as our actual selves, so people can have a hard time admitting to themselves that they have something about their mind that is considered abnormal. Other people have a hard time accepting it because they simply can't relate - how do you explain to someone what it's like to be ADHD? You might tell them that you forget things a lot, feel impulsive, etc. and they simply say "Yeah, everyone is like that though, you just need some discipline and will power dude." What they fail to recognize is that, yes, everyone does feel that way sometimes. Just like everyone feels anxious sometimes. What makes it a disorder is the frequency, intensity, and duration of the feeling(s). Many people just can't accept this, especially in the US it appears. Our attitude is "pick yourself up by the bootstraps" or "be a man" or "put yourself together - no one's gonna do it for you. I certainly didn't need medication!" and there's a lack of empathy because they simply can't understand.
- omgbear 11y ago
  I'm now 30, diagnosed with ADHD since pretty early on. I've on and off medication for most of my life, with some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for a bit. Now, I take Methylphenidate (long release Ritalin), and think it's wonderful -- it allows me to focus on tasks that need to get done, and has allowed to become more professional. My biggest advice, as others mentioned, is play to your strengths. I've been incredibly lucky to find positions where I can design and prototype but don't have the trudgery that gives me trouble. Find a team that will let you work on new problems regularly is very important. I grew very tired of working on the same tiny feature for a year, but it took me some time to realize. A startup will have you facing different problems every week, but with fewer engineers, you'll need to do more maintenance, and it's even more important to temper the thirst for new tech stacks, because new features are more important. tl;dr - meds until find ones that work and/or find a team that lets you work on new projects, something like R&D or custom integrations. Best of luck, but I see ADHD as tradeoffs -- less focus on boring tasks for hyperfocus on interesting tasks.
colordrops 11y ago
Interesting. My answer is an emphatic yes to all of those questions. In the back of my mind I've always suspected that I would be diagnosed with ADHD, but never talked to anyone about it. In the end I just chalked it up to being a different kind of person and catered my life around my behaviors instead of trying to force my behaviors into some ideal notion. Looking back at the age of 40, my life has been much richer for it, having met interesting people, traveled to strange places, and worked on amazing projects. Most of the behaviors you listed have naturally attenuated through experience and age. But to be honest I still struggle (albeit somewhat successfully) daily with a lot of it, so I'm wondering what treatment you got that worked so well. I'm definitely not interested in drugs for myself, but would still like to hear your thoughts on that if your treatment included them.
- atemerev 11y ago
  OP here — I am on treatment now, including medication. Didn't help me strategically, but it was worth it being diagnosed nevertheless. At least, medications helped me stopping losing things.
  - keithpeter 11y ago
    That $50K hole needs filling next I think. Just a suggestion from an outsider (I'm not a programmer). What is your 'time constant' (like an RC circuit) in terms of getting bored? You mentioned a month up the screen. Can you get contract work on tiny projects that last less time than your 'time constant' and thus generate some income and give yourself time to see how the treatment goes?
    - y0y 11y ago
      This is actually a great suggestion provided OP has the organizational skills to keep clients happy and his obligations in order. He also needs to ensure he does not procrastinate. I found out the hard way that the freelancing life did not work for me. Double booking clients on accident, forgetting deadlines, not being able to motivate myself to start projects, etc. I certainly don't mean to project my experiences onto OP as fact, but ADHD often makes a lot of the skills that are required to run your own freelancing business very difficult to master and stay on top of, alas. That being said, I think it's a really great suggestion if OP finds himself out of a job again. Especially if he can do projects serially and try not to overlap them. That's where I got myself into trouble.
hanniabu 11y ago
As in my comment below, I've suspected I've had ADHD for some time but didn't think there was much that could be done for it since I don't want to use medication. If you don't mind sharing, could you please explain how you've managed to work with it and some of the steps you took. What were some of the difficulties you experienced along the way?
weinzierl 11y ago
Serious question: How is the following quoted paragraph linked to ADHD? Do you have a hard time transitioning? Are you late for things because you a) can't accurately estimate time and b) can't pull yourself away from the thing you're doing at that moment even though you know you're going to be late if you don't? Sounds more like extreme focus. Isn't this the exact opposite of ADHD?
- Qworg 11y ago
  One of the symptoms of ADHD is extreme focus in certain situations.
- tpeo 11y ago
  Extreme but contingent focus can actually be a symptom of ADHD. http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-hyperfocus http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-hyperfoc...
- ajdlinux 11y ago
  I have a close relative who's being treated for ADHD - can confirm that she has certain activities into which she can be extremely focused.
- y0y 11y ago
  ADHD is not an inability to focus, it's an inability to direct and control one's focus at-will. The ADHD brain is always seeking dopamine and constantly seeks out the most "exciting" thoughts. When you are actually into something and engaged, the brain is producing dopamine (the reward chemical) and so an ADHD person will hyper-focus on that thought/activity intensely for long periods of time, barely noticing the time as it passes. This is one of the reasons, in my opinion, a lot of people in the software field are ADHD. Being able to sit at a computer and code for 12 hours while having it feel like 2 is not normal, per se. Hyper-focus allows us to be amazingly productive at this job. It's a gift as well as a curse, however, because it's that same hyper-focus that can keep us playing a video game far longer than we should even when we cognitively know we need to stop. In people with ADHD, the executive brain function has a very hard time overriding the impulsive side of the brain. So, if the brain is getting its dopamine fix due to playing the video game and you're running late for an important meeting, it's going to be super hard to override it even if you cognitively know that being late to this meeting is a very bad thing. What I find even more interesting than that, though, is that being late is stressful, and stressful thoughts are, as far as the brain is concerned, exciting! It's a double edged sword; as soon as the stress of being late is more exciting than what you're doing, you'll get up and leave. Until then, you'll sit in denial and read Reddit or HN or play your video game. This is also one of the reasons ADHD and Anxiety tend to be co-morbid, I believe. Anxious thoughts are "exciting" for the brain so we tend to fixate on them. So yeah, transition, in general, is very hard for those with ADHD.

by y0y 11y ago

atemerev 11y ago

Diagnosed with ADD already. Writing here after 1.5 year of treatment attempts.

reitanqild 11y ago
Don't give up. Find ways to use your superpowers, because you have: ADHD superpowers that I'm aware of includes hyperfocus, immunity to exam stress, being one of those: "when the going gets though, the tough gets going" etc. While it is a real enough problem it has some remarkable upsides as well. You have to live with the downsides even though you can make them less visble and annoying, but also be aware of your superskills and put them to use for yourself so that you can have more to give back to your family, your friend and the world.
- atemerev 11y ago
  Thank you. Indeed, these superskills are there. I always enjoyed exams. :)
  - reitanqild 11y ago
    Thats no small thing right there just thinking of all those who will freeze in exam settings. No widen your horizon and find reasons both for why to improve (for yourself, your family, community, everyone) as well as how (applying skills at current job or plan to get a new where you can use them.) Me for example I'm good at talking to people and when I get into a new setting/position and see no one wants "that" customer I tell them I can do it. Bam, instantly +1 in an honest way that benefits everyone.
- collyw 11y ago
  This is interesting. I feel I am verging towards that end of the sectrum (I assume its a spectrum). I never though if it as a disability, just stuff I am good at / bad at. If that is the case why does it have such a negative stigma attached and is treated as a problem (like I say I am verging that way, but I don't see myself as ADHD, so maybe my perspective on it is off). Many people proudly proclaim they are "not good at maths" but they are good at other things, why is this seen as such a negative that we put people on medication for it?
  - y0y 11y ago
    It's not really a spectrum but a collection of symptoms whereby if one exhibits many or the majority of them in enough frequency, intensity, and duration as to negatively impact their life, one can say to be ADHD. There are different subtypes (not sure if they are in the DSM but they are often referred to in other literature), e.g. hyperactive vs non-hyperactive. Sometimes, though, the hyperactivity exhibits itself in ways that are non-obvious. I think the negative stigma comes from what many (myself, included) believe to be an over-diagnosis in young children. It seems to be used as a catch-all for children who are difficult to handle, who aren't good at sitting still in class, etc. This over-diagnosis causes a lot of people to think the disorder isn't real. Secondly, a lot of people will try to fake their way into an ADHD diagnosis (especially at the college-level) to gain access to the amphetamines. This makes it difficult for those with the actual disorder, as we are scrutinized heavily and often made to feel somewhat criminal when we pick up our prescriptions at pharmacies that have had issues with this in the past. I won't say it's overly common, but it does happen. I've been told they were out of stock before because I tried dropping off a prescription at 3am once. I had it in my wallet and had meant to drop it off on my way out with friends. On my way home, the subway stop I get off at (I live in NYC) is where my 24/7 pharmacy is. I didn't think anything of it, I'm just dropping it off to save myself a trip in the morning.. well, the pharmacist looked at me.. 3am, clearly had a few drinks.. and he gave me the "we're out of stock" line. Magically it was re-stocked at 7am. And lastly, there is a stigma in the US, in general, when it comes to mental illness. These aren't things people can see, for one. And, perhaps more importantly, our mental selves are what we view as our actual selves, so people can have a hard time admitting to themselves that they have something about their mind that is considered abnormal. Other people have a hard time accepting it because they simply can't relate - how do you explain to someone what it's like to be ADHD? You might tell them that you forget things a lot, feel impulsive, etc. and they simply say "Yeah, everyone is like that though, you just need some discipline and will power dude." What they fail to recognize is that, yes, everyone does feel that way sometimes. Just like everyone feels anxious sometimes. What makes it a disorder is the frequency, intensity, and duration of the feeling(s). Many people just can't accept this, especially in the US it appears. Our attitude is "pick yourself up by the bootstraps" or "be a man" or "put yourself together - no one's gonna do it for you. I certainly didn't need medication!" and there's a lack of empathy because they simply can't understand.
omgbear 11y ago
I'm now 30, diagnosed with ADHD since pretty early on. I've on and off medication for most of my life, with some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for a bit. Now, I take Methylphenidate (long release Ritalin), and think it's wonderful -- it allows me to focus on tasks that need to get done, and has allowed to become more professional. My biggest advice, as others mentioned, is play to your strengths. I've been incredibly lucky to find positions where I can design and prototype but don't have the trudgery that gives me trouble. Find a team that will let you work on new problems regularly is very important. I grew very tired of working on the same tiny feature for a year, but it took me some time to realize. A startup will have you facing different problems every week, but with fewer engineers, you'll need to do more maintenance, and it's even more important to temper the thirst for new tech stacks, because new features are more important. tl;dr - meds until find ones that work and/or find a team that lets you work on new projects, something like R&D or custom integrations. Best of luck, but I see ADHD as tradeoffs -- less focus on boring tasks for hyperfocus on interesting tasks.

colordrops 11y ago

Interesting. My answer is an emphatic yes to all of those questions. In the back of my mind I've always suspected that I would be diagnosed with ADHD, but never talked to anyone about it. In the end I just chalked it up to being a different kind of person and catered my life around my behaviors instead of trying to force my behaviors into some ideal notion. Looking back at the age of 40, my life has been much richer for it, having met interesting people, traveled to strange places, and worked on amazing projects. Most of the behaviors you listed have naturally attenuated through experience and age. But to be honest I still struggle (albeit somewhat successfully) daily with a lot of it, so I'm wondering what treatment you got that worked so well. I'm definitely not interested in drugs for myself, but would still like to hear your thoughts on that if your treatment included them.

atemerev 11y ago
OP here — I am on treatment now, including medication. Didn't help me strategically, but it was worth it being diagnosed nevertheless. At least, medications helped me stopping losing things.
- keithpeter 11y ago
  That $50K hole needs filling next I think. Just a suggestion from an outsider (I'm not a programmer). What is your 'time constant' (like an RC circuit) in terms of getting bored? You mentioned a month up the screen. Can you get contract work on tiny projects that last less time than your 'time constant' and thus generate some income and give yourself time to see how the treatment goes?
  - y0y 11y ago
    This is actually a great suggestion provided OP has the organizational skills to keep clients happy and his obligations in order. He also needs to ensure he does not procrastinate. I found out the hard way that the freelancing life did not work for me. Double booking clients on accident, forgetting deadlines, not being able to motivate myself to start projects, etc. I certainly don't mean to project my experiences onto OP as fact, but ADHD often makes a lot of the skills that are required to run your own freelancing business very difficult to master and stay on top of, alas. That being said, I think it's a really great suggestion if OP finds himself out of a job again. Especially if he can do projects serially and try not to overlap them. That's where I got myself into trouble.

hanniabu 11y ago

As in my comment below, I've suspected I've had ADHD for some time but didn't think there was much that could be done for it since I don't want to use medication. If you don't mind sharing, could you please explain how you've managed to work with it and some of the steps you took. What were some of the difficulties you experienced along the way?

weinzierl 11y ago

Serious question: How is the following quoted paragraph linked to ADHD? Do you have a hard time transitioning? Are you late for things because you a) can't accurately estimate time and b) can't pull yourself away from the thing you're doing at that moment even though you know you're going to be late if you don't? Sounds more like extreme focus. Isn't this the exact opposite of ADHD?

Qworg 11y ago
One of the symptoms of ADHD is extreme focus in certain situations.
tpeo 11y ago
Extreme but contingent focus can actually be a symptom of ADHD. http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-hyperfocus http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-hyperfoc...
ajdlinux 11y ago
I have a close relative who's being treated for ADHD - can confirm that she has certain activities into which she can be extremely focused.
y0y 11y ago
ADHD is not an inability to focus, it's an inability to direct and control one's focus at-will. The ADHD brain is always seeking dopamine and constantly seeks out the most "exciting" thoughts. When you are actually into something and engaged, the brain is producing dopamine (the reward chemical) and so an ADHD person will hyper-focus on that thought/activity intensely for long periods of time, barely noticing the time as it passes. This is one of the reasons, in my opinion, a lot of people in the software field are ADHD. Being able to sit at a computer and code for 12 hours while having it feel like 2 is not normal, per se. Hyper-focus allows us to be amazingly productive at this job. It's a gift as well as a curse, however, because it's that same hyper-focus that can keep us playing a video game far longer than we should even when we cognitively know we need to stop. In people with ADHD, the executive brain function has a very hard time overriding the impulsive side of the brain. So, if the brain is getting its dopamine fix due to playing the video game and you're running late for an important meeting, it's going to be super hard to override it even if you cognitively know that being late to this meeting is a very bad thing. What I find even more interesting than that, though, is that being late is stressful, and stressful thoughts are, as far as the brain is concerned, exciting! It's a double edged sword; as soon as the stress of being late is more exciting than what you're doing, you'll get up and leave. Until then, you'll sit in denial and read Reddit or HN or play your video game. This is also one of the reasons ADHD and Anxiety tend to be co-morbid, I believe. Anxious thoughts are "exciting" for the brain so we tend to fixate on them. So yeah, transition, in general, is very hard for those with ADHD.