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I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 50's. Without meds I have to spend an enormous amount of energy managing my cognitive state. Imagine you had to spend 60% of you

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 50's. Without meds I have to spend an enormous amount of energy managing my cognitive state. Imagine you had to spend 60% of your time creatively managing yourself into a mental state where you can do something meaningful with the remaining 40%. And I've been practicing meditation for 30 years, I'm very active, I've adapted my lifestyle around my needs. All that work doesn't even come close to the benefit I get from Vyvanse. I get effortless self control, and all that time back. I figured out I had ADHD by observing my (very intelligent) daughter in kindergarten--she was the obvious behavioural outlier. All the other kids were mostly attending to the teacher, my daughter was attending to everything else. We didn't medicate her until Grade 4, when she started to think she was dumb. Meds changed everything for her, allowed her to develop a better self-concept (and winning the academic prize that year). She's off meds right now, struggling a bit, but a least she knows she's not dumb. That's huge. Here's my thinking: stimulants are relatively safe. They aren't particularly addictive. Yes, they suck, there are tradeoffs. But if they don't work out, you can stop. You can stop whenever you want. But once a kid has internalized "I'm dumb" or "I'm a loser" it is very hard to undo. That can stay with them for life.

nostalgiac 8y ago
> She's off meds right now, struggling a bit May I ask why you opted to take her off the meds after seeing such a huge benefit from them?
- rtikulit 8y ago
  Her decision. She's been reading stuff on the Internet that says ADHD might be fake and over medicated. :-) Her main real issue is the appetite suppression, which she hates. Her mom and I can see the difference on/off, it isn't subtle. We aren't pushing. I'm committed to her success, but meds are just one tool. I expect she'll go back on them at some point, once she's exhausted her youthful political correctness.
petercooper 8y ago
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 50's. Without meds I have to spend an enormous amount of energy managing my cognitive state. I appreciate if you don't want to answer, but I've been diagnosed in my mid 30s (it came out of the blue, I was not seeking the diagnosis) and wonder what you mean by "managing your cognitive state"? I have so far not sought medication but wonder if I should do so.
- rtikulit 8y ago
  I do software and system architecture, and I'm generally responsible for creating original content. In order to make any progress on deliverables, I have to be calm, have my memory loaded up with all the necessary context, and have just the right level of stimulation--too little and I fall asleep, too much and I'm wrapped around the axle. I'm much better in the mornings, so I wake up early, 4 or 5AM, and I spend some time reading interesting technology stuff. Then I start casual reading on the task, not really trying to work on it, but just loading my brain. I set up my visual workspace (I have 3 monitors because visual context assists my shitty memory.) After an hour or two I reach a point where I can really focus and make great progress. I guess it's a way of getting into flow. But a morning meeting that isn't directly relevant will wipe most of that prep away, and then I have to start again. So I avoid early meetings like the plague, unless it's purely an exercise in optics and I can ignore it completely and continue working. When I'm medicated, it's way easier. I can direct my attention and it is resistant to distraction. My short-term memory doesn't keep reloading on every stimulus. I can get into flow in a reasonable amount of time throughout the day. I'm off medication last few years, but plan to go back on in the next year. I love the cognitive benefits, but I have a couple of the rare side effects.
  - petercooper 8y ago
    Thanks for replying! That's all very interesting to hear. I am much like your explanation but just considered that to be "normal". Maybe I should explore the medication options I've been signposted to after all.. I once experimented with modafinil and it had similar effects to what you mention.

nostalgiac 8y ago

> She's off meds right now, struggling a bit May I ask why you opted to take her off the meds after seeing such a huge benefit from them?

rtikulit 8y ago
Her decision. She's been reading stuff on the Internet that says ADHD might be fake and over medicated. :-) Her main real issue is the appetite suppression, which she hates. Her mom and I can see the difference on/off, it isn't subtle. We aren't pushing. I'm committed to her success, but meds are just one tool. I expect she'll go back on them at some point, once she's exhausted her youthful political correctness.

petercooper 8y ago

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 50's. Without meds I have to spend an enormous amount of energy managing my cognitive state. I appreciate if you don't want to answer, but I've been diagnosed in my mid 30s (it came out of the blue, I was not seeking the diagnosis) and wonder what you mean by "managing your cognitive state"? I have so far not sought medication but wonder if I should do so.

rtikulit 8y ago
I do software and system architecture, and I'm generally responsible for creating original content. In order to make any progress on deliverables, I have to be calm, have my memory loaded up with all the necessary context, and have just the right level of stimulation--too little and I fall asleep, too much and I'm wrapped around the axle. I'm much better in the mornings, so I wake up early, 4 or 5AM, and I spend some time reading interesting technology stuff. Then I start casual reading on the task, not really trying to work on it, but just loading my brain. I set up my visual workspace (I have 3 monitors because visual context assists my shitty memory.) After an hour or two I reach a point where I can really focus and make great progress. I guess it's a way of getting into flow. But a morning meeting that isn't directly relevant will wipe most of that prep away, and then I have to start again. So I avoid early meetings like the plague, unless it's purely an exercise in optics and I can ignore it completely and continue working. When I'm medicated, it's way easier. I can direct my attention and it is resistant to distraction. My short-term memory doesn't keep reloading on every stimulus. I can get into flow in a reasonable amount of time throughout the day. I'm off medication last few years, but plan to go back on in the next year. I love the cognitive benefits, but I have a couple of the rare side effects.
- petercooper 8y ago
  Thanks for replying! That's all very interesting to hear. I am much like your explanation but just considered that to be "normal". Maybe I should explore the medication options I've been signposted to after all.. I once experimented with modafinil and it had similar effects to what you mention.