10 ms·

The best way to describe ADHD is: The TV is always on, but you don't get to choose the channel. Some things are easy to focus on—I can sit down to program for

The best way to describe ADHD is: The TV is always on, but you don't get to choose the channel. Some things are easy to focus on—I can sit down to program for a bit and lose track of time for 5 hours. On the other hand, if something is boring, it's mind-numbingly boring. It was the worst while I was in school, since teachers and professors just thought, "oh, he's unmotivated" when in reality it was more along the lines of, "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." (Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.) Anyway, if it affects your life and managing it yourself isn't working (give it an honest effort, of course) definitely speak with a doctor. While too many parents think their kids have ADHD when the kids are really just, well, kids, trying to cope with ADHD without some sort of guidance sucks. A lot. It's amazing how much more productive you can be if you get some help coping with it. Just my $0.02.

tedajax 10y ago
Unrelated but I felt compelled to share a similar sentiment: > It was the worst while I was in school, since teachers and professors just thought, "oh, he's unmotivated" when in reality it was more along the lines of, "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." (Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.) Oh man I can relate so much. So many conversations with teachers asking why I wasn't motivated while every night I went home to program and build side projects and was singularly focused on becoming a programmer in the game industry. The answer was of course I was motivated just not by anything they had to offer and that never went over very well.
- jackgolding 10y ago
  I feel the same but only recognise this now that I'm out of education
- BoorishBears 10y ago
  I've never seen someone describe my education so accurately, down to: > went home to program and build side projects and was singularly focused on becoming a programmer in the game industry
  - tedajax 10y ago
    Based on my discussions with other game programmers over the years, I can conclude that it is not an uncommon story.
snowpanda 10y ago
> "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." > Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration. I have ADHD, this is not an exaggeration. I actually really like your example. It's literally how it feels like. I remember being in school and doing things like lining up my pencil with the rays of light coming from outside, and then trying to outline the shadow of my pencil with a different pen. I would spend an entire class on that instead of listening to a single word the professor said. The worst part about it is that part of you knows the professor is sharing interesting stuff, it just that your brain tells you its boring.
- mikelyons 10y ago
  it's like a lack of motivation to the point of abhorring any expended effort on a task because it's _THAT_ worthless of a pursuit to you. It's like you endure pain that other people don't experience just to do normal activities if you don't find them fascinating.
- coroxout 10y ago
  I can relate to (what you wrote and also) "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper", but even more "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than be the kind of person that still isn't writing the paper even though it's 11pm on the day before the deadline but, oh, look, I'm still not writing the paper and now I'm actively running round the kitchen looking for butter knives as if they'd actually get me out of writing the paper, and now I'm cleaning the kitchen worktop for the first time in several months instead, and now I'm 10 pages deep on a Google search for what kind of spider I saw in the kitchen, and oh crap now it's midnight and I'm still the worthless jerk that hasn't started their paper" I don't know if I have ADHD, though. Admittedly I wrote the above in a fairly exaggerated-ADHD way, and it's all the kind of thing I do actually do, but... no diagnosis, maybe just anxious about failure or lazy instead.
- barsonme 10y ago
  > The worst part about it is that part of you knows the professor is sharing interesting stuff, it just that your brain tells you its boring. Yes! I remember sitting in class and hearing the professor say, "This is important and will be on the test" and continuing to daydream or fiddle with something else, even though I knew I needed to pay attention.
Cyph0n 10y ago
I've had similar symptoms to those caused by ADHD for quite some time now, but I'm not sure if visiting a doctor will help me much. The symptoms I've experienced are inattentiveness, boredom, lethargy, and poor time management. My question is: if I do get diagnosed by a professional, what kind of improvement can I expect from ADHD medication?
- mikelyons 10y ago
  Medication is likely not the right solution for you, there are several very helpful books about Adult ADHD that you should check out that could change your life: Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, and, Is it You, Me, or Adult ADHD? great books
  - Cyph0n 10y ago
    Thanks, I'll check them out!
  - pw 10y ago
    I don't mean to be rude, but assuming you're not a doctor (and, even if you are, he's not your patient), I don't think it's good form to give medical advice on the Internet, particularly if it's advice that's dismissive of a mainstream treatment. My two cents, don't rule anything out. I had a SO with adult ADD and medication made a world of difference. That's just one person, though, and everybody's different. Do talk to a doctor if you feel like you might have adult ADD. It's a very real thing, and there are lots of treatment options, both pharmacologic and not.
- dilemma 10y ago
  It's more likely a problem with your environment (job) than yourself. Work isn't fun.
- TeeJay942 10y ago
  >"The symptoms I've experienced are... and poor time management." I built a morning and evening routine app (Routinist) to help professionals schedule habits/goals into their days. I did not have ADHD in mind when I built it, but around 1/3 of the positive feedback I get through emails / reviews has some form "I have ADHD and this helps me".
J-dawg 10y ago
>"I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." (Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.) This totally describes me. The line I quoted resonates because sometimes the idea of a boring task is actually frightening to me, in the way you described. Like I get a really sick feeling about it and will do almost anything to avoid it. On the other hand I feel like I have so much going on in my head, and so much I could produce if I could only channel it properly. The TV is most definitely always on. My lack of focus and procrastination has definitely held me back in my career. One thing I'm wary of is medicalising what might just laziness. How do I know it's not a version of "special snowflake syndrome"? Is my own inattentiveness (and inability to get over it) really so much worse than what a "normal" person experiences? To give a parallel, I heard a podcast where Ramit Sethi was talking about "introvert porn", where he's saying there is all this stuff online about how hard life is for introverts, how extroverts don't get it, basically making people feel good about being an introvert and telling them that it's an integral part of who they are rather than something they can change. And he's saying that this is a dangerous and self-defeating trap to get into because people don't realise that social skills can be learned. All these "introverts" are just falling back onto an excuse to avoid confronting the thing that's holding them back. If I start blaming all my problems on ADHD am I just falling into a similar trap? After all, not everyone can be successful. Maybe I'm just not successful because I'm not that good at anything, not because of a medical condition. Possibly relevant: I am in the UK where ADHD seems to be a lot less recognised than in the USA. People here are often critical of the idea of medicating ADHD in kids (which is relatively unusual here afaik). I don't know how a British GP would react to someone asking for an adult ADHD diagnosis - I imagine it wouldn't be taken very seriously.
- thenomad 10y ago
  Judging from a friend's experience in the UK, the GP may well be more useful and take you more seriously than you might think. Public attitudes to health are often not reflected in the NHS in a variety of ways.
- cableshaft 10y ago
  I may have a mild form of this. My brain often thinks of all sorts of crap, and bounces from new idea to new idea all the time without focusing too hard on any given one. But one reason I haven't sought medication is because I'm a bit afraid that the "TV" might be turned off when under medication. That constant bouncing around of ideas is responsible for a lot of my best design ideas. I don't want that to go away. I just need to find a fast channel to get my ideas out there. Trying to make 'products' out of all of them just keeps them from getting out there, I think.
SmellTheGlove 10y ago
> "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." This statement really resonates with me too. Getting over the inertia to just start things that I don't really want to do is sometimes a multi-day effort, and then staying focused is hard beyond that. I've been thinking I should get evaluated, maybe I will. I do have to ask, though, was that a Frank Reynolds toe knife reference?
michalpt 10y ago
Your description of ADHD is 100%, but for anyone trying to deal with this issue I would be very careful with meds prescribed from doctors, because for some of them it is mostly a big business. I was diagnosed with ADHD many years ago and prescribed with Ritalin and then an extended version of it (basically releasing throughout the whole day) and while it made me more productive, I experienced horrible jittering, crashes and I just did not feel like myself, but more like a zombie/junkie. I think it is scary that even 6-years old kids are prescribed with these pills nowadays. pro tip: I was trying to find a natural solution, which for me is DMAE combined with fish-oil. It has basically the same effect for me in terms of productivity without the nasty side effects + you can buy it in every vitamin store. It is funny how I can almost immediately (within few days) notice when I stop taking these.

tedajax 10y ago

Unrelated but I felt compelled to share a similar sentiment: > It was the worst while I was in school, since teachers and professors just thought, "oh, he's unmotivated" when in reality it was more along the lines of, "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." (Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.) Oh man I can relate so much. So many conversations with teachers asking why I wasn't motivated while every night I went home to program and build side projects and was singularly focused on becoming a programmer in the game industry. The answer was of course I was motivated just not by anything they had to offer and that never went over very well.

jackgolding 10y ago
I feel the same but only recognise this now that I'm out of education
BoorishBears 10y ago
I've never seen someone describe my education so accurately, down to: > went home to program and build side projects and was singularly focused on becoming a programmer in the game industry
- tedajax 10y ago
  Based on my discussions with other game programmers over the years, I can conclude that it is not an uncommon story.

snowpanda 10y ago

> "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." > Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration. I have ADHD, this is not an exaggeration. I actually really like your example. It's literally how it feels like. I remember being in school and doing things like lining up my pencil with the rays of light coming from outside, and then trying to outline the shadow of my pencil with a different pen. I would spend an entire class on that instead of listening to a single word the professor said. The worst part about it is that part of you knows the professor is sharing interesting stuff, it just that your brain tells you its boring.

mikelyons 10y ago
it's like a lack of motivation to the point of abhorring any expended effort on a task because it's _THAT_ worthless of a pursuit to you. It's like you endure pain that other people don't experience just to do normal activities if you don't find them fascinating.
coroxout 10y ago
I can relate to (what you wrote and also) "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper", but even more "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than be the kind of person that still isn't writing the paper even though it's 11pm on the day before the deadline but, oh, look, I'm still not writing the paper and now I'm actively running round the kitchen looking for butter knives as if they'd actually get me out of writing the paper, and now I'm cleaning the kitchen worktop for the first time in several months instead, and now I'm 10 pages deep on a Google search for what kind of spider I saw in the kitchen, and oh crap now it's midnight and I'm still the worthless jerk that hasn't started their paper" I don't know if I have ADHD, though. Admittedly I wrote the above in a fairly exaggerated-ADHD way, and it's all the kind of thing I do actually do, but... no diagnosis, maybe just anxious about failure or lazy instead.
barsonme 10y ago
> The worst part about it is that part of you knows the professor is sharing interesting stuff, it just that your brain tells you its boring. Yes! I remember sitting in class and hearing the professor say, "This is important and will be on the test" and continuing to daydream or fiddle with something else, even though I knew I needed to pay attention.

Cyph0n 10y ago

I've had similar symptoms to those caused by ADHD for quite some time now, but I'm not sure if visiting a doctor will help me much. The symptoms I've experienced are inattentiveness, boredom, lethargy, and poor time management. My question is: if I do get diagnosed by a professional, what kind of improvement can I expect from ADHD medication?

mikelyons 10y ago
Medication is likely not the right solution for you, there are several very helpful books about Adult ADHD that you should check out that could change your life: Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, and, Is it You, Me, or Adult ADHD? great books
- Cyph0n 10y ago
  Thanks, I'll check them out!
- pw 10y ago
  I don't mean to be rude, but assuming you're not a doctor (and, even if you are, he's not your patient), I don't think it's good form to give medical advice on the Internet, particularly if it's advice that's dismissive of a mainstream treatment. My two cents, don't rule anything out. I had a SO with adult ADD and medication made a world of difference. That's just one person, though, and everybody's different. Do talk to a doctor if you feel like you might have adult ADD. It's a very real thing, and there are lots of treatment options, both pharmacologic and not.
dilemma 10y ago
It's more likely a problem with your environment (job) than yourself. Work isn't fun.
TeeJay942 10y ago
>"The symptoms I've experienced are... and poor time management." I built a morning and evening routine app (Routinist) to help professionals schedule habits/goals into their days. I did not have ADHD in mind when I built it, but around 1/3 of the positive feedback I get through emails / reviews has some form "I have ADHD and this helps me".

J-dawg 10y ago

>"I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." (Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.) This totally describes me. The line I quoted resonates because sometimes the idea of a boring task is actually frightening to me, in the way you described. Like I get a really sick feeling about it and will do almost anything to avoid it. On the other hand I feel like I have so much going on in my head, and so much I could produce if I could only channel it properly. The TV is most definitely always on. My lack of focus and procrastination has definitely held me back in my career. One thing I'm wary of is medicalising what might just laziness. How do I know it's not a version of "special snowflake syndrome"? Is my own inattentiveness (and inability to get over it) really so much worse than what a "normal" person experiences? To give a parallel, I heard a podcast where Ramit Sethi was talking about "introvert porn", where he's saying there is all this stuff online about how hard life is for introverts, how extroverts don't get it, basically making people feel good about being an introvert and telling them that it's an integral part of who they are rather than something they can change. And he's saying that this is a dangerous and self-defeating trap to get into because people don't realise that social skills can be learned. All these "introverts" are just falling back onto an excuse to avoid confronting the thing that's holding them back. If I start blaming all my problems on ADHD am I just falling into a similar trap? After all, not everyone can be successful. Maybe I'm just not successful because I'm not that good at anything, not because of a medical condition. Possibly relevant: I am in the UK where ADHD seems to be a lot less recognised than in the USA. People here are often critical of the idea of medicating ADHD in kids (which is relatively unusual here afaik). I don't know how a British GP would react to someone asking for an adult ADHD diagnosis - I imagine it wouldn't be taken very seriously.

thenomad 10y ago
Judging from a friend's experience in the UK, the GP may well be more useful and take you more seriously than you might think. Public attitudes to health are often not reflected in the NHS in a variety of ways.
cableshaft 10y ago
I may have a mild form of this. My brain often thinks of all sorts of crap, and bounces from new idea to new idea all the time without focusing too hard on any given one. But one reason I haven't sought medication is because I'm a bit afraid that the "TV" might be turned off when under medication. That constant bouncing around of ideas is responsible for a lot of my best design ideas. I don't want that to go away. I just need to find a fast channel to get my ideas out there. Trying to make 'products' out of all of them just keeps them from getting out there, I think.

SmellTheGlove 10y ago

> "I'd rather cut my toenails with a rusty butter knife than write the paper." This statement really resonates with me too. Getting over the inertia to just start things that I don't really want to do is sometimes a multi-day effort, and then staying focused is hard beyond that. I've been thinking I should get evaluated, maybe I will. I do have to ask, though, was that a Frank Reynolds toe knife reference?

michalpt 10y ago

Your description of ADHD is 100%, but for anyone trying to deal with this issue I would be very careful with meds prescribed from doctors, because for some of them it is mostly a big business. I was diagnosed with ADHD many years ago and prescribed with Ritalin and then an extended version of it (basically releasing throughout the whole day) and while it made me more productive, I experienced horrible jittering, crashes and I just did not feel like myself, but more like a zombie/junkie. I think it is scary that even 6-years old kids are prescribed with these pills nowadays. pro tip: I was trying to find a natural solution, which for me is DMAE combined with fish-oil. It has basically the same effect for me in terms of productivity without the nasty side effects + you can buy it in every vitamin store. It is funny how I can almost immediately (within few days) notice when I stop taking these.