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>if it turns out people can know what WoW does to your studies, and they still end up doing this, how should we think about this? Easy answer is that their real

by iSnow 7y ago

>if it turns out people can know what WoW does to your studies, and they still end up doing this, how should we think about this? Easy answer is that their real desire is to play WoW all day, but that doesn't seem very satisfying. It's also wrong, as it makes people unhappy. The whole idea of a real free will breaks down if we are looking at substance abuse at the latest. The underlying machinery of our brains limits the rationality of our decisions, and ultimately the freedom of our will. I am afflicted with ADHD and know this first-hand. I still managed to get an education and a qualified job in software, but for years I hated myself for not being able to simply do tasks at hand. Libertarians would say I value goof-off time on reddit more than a steady job, but that's not true, in fact I would be a happier person if the internet just vanished or I finally got my procrastination under control.

paulryanrogers 7y ago
What resources or tools have helped in your journey?
- Zach_the_Lizard 7y ago
  Not OP, but for me Vyvanse and exercise really helped get things more under control. Environment also matters. Open plan offices are my kryptonite. My current office is open, densely packed, and loud, so I'm 100x as productive at home. Also, it helps to realize that high stress, crunch time situations are where I thrive. Major outage bringing the company to its knees? I got this. I'm calm, even. Tight, almost impossible deadline? I work extremely quickly and deliver high quality results. Simple bug that's super easy to fix with no pressure? I'll need three weeks to do it. 1 minute to fix it, the rest of the time for unit tests. I get distracted more easily during these times. On the plus side, my tangents sometimes pay off. I get curious, add instrumentation, discover relationships between various metrics, and use that to save millions of dollars, sometimes tens of millions. On the other hand, ADHD also has some emotional side effects and I thus have a higher chance of pissing people off without meaning too. I also score higher on various autism tests, so that could be a factor (though I've never been diagnosed). So my (sometimes) good work is balanced by a weaker ability to collaborate.
- iSnow 7y ago
  I will not lie, one of the important factors are that I hail from Europe, so getting treatment and seeking therapy was never a financial problem. ADHD, anxiety, and depression are frequent co-morbidities since ADHD sufferers have to face "you are smart, but you are wasting your potential" all their lives and are helpless to change it. Exercise helps, if I am able to do it regularly and frequently (which is currently not the case due to family and health). I tried medication but Ritalin would make me anxious and various SSRI/SNRI would nuke my sexuality. I am rather strict in not using my smartphone in bed, as that wrecks my sleep patterns. Apart from that, not much, I am afraid. I tried various systems to organise my work, from having a to-do list buddy (I would regularly tell them what I have to do and report back) to pomodoro, but in the end, my discipline is too lacking, and I get distracted too fast. I stopped working self-employed and am now working for one of the top 100 biggest companies. That helped a lot since I can sweep procrastination episodes under the carpet (the expected intensity of work is rather low), but is insanely frustrating because I have low leverage to improve our way of work. ADHD has the upside for many that they will absolutely rip into information and devour it as long as it is interesting. In my case, that means I am the "go-to" person in our department because I know more about software development, tools, languages than most, even if I am probably not the most productive coder. Currently trying to develop into some kind of internal consultant for digital transformation/disruptive business ideas - I seemingly have the right ideas, now hoping for someone higher up to notice them.

by iSnow 7y ago

paulryanrogers 7y ago

What resources or tools have helped in your journey?

Zach_the_Lizard 7y ago
Not OP, but for me Vyvanse and exercise really helped get things more under control. Environment also matters. Open plan offices are my kryptonite. My current office is open, densely packed, and loud, so I'm 100x as productive at home. Also, it helps to realize that high stress, crunch time situations are where I thrive. Major outage bringing the company to its knees? I got this. I'm calm, even. Tight, almost impossible deadline? I work extremely quickly and deliver high quality results. Simple bug that's super easy to fix with no pressure? I'll need three weeks to do it. 1 minute to fix it, the rest of the time for unit tests. I get distracted more easily during these times. On the plus side, my tangents sometimes pay off. I get curious, add instrumentation, discover relationships between various metrics, and use that to save millions of dollars, sometimes tens of millions. On the other hand, ADHD also has some emotional side effects and I thus have a higher chance of pissing people off without meaning too. I also score higher on various autism tests, so that could be a factor (though I've never been diagnosed). So my (sometimes) good work is balanced by a weaker ability to collaborate.
iSnow 7y ago
I will not lie, one of the important factors are that I hail from Europe, so getting treatment and seeking therapy was never a financial problem. ADHD, anxiety, and depression are frequent co-morbidities since ADHD sufferers have to face "you are smart, but you are wasting your potential" all their lives and are helpless to change it. Exercise helps, if I am able to do it regularly and frequently (which is currently not the case due to family and health). I tried medication but Ritalin would make me anxious and various SSRI/SNRI would nuke my sexuality. I am rather strict in not using my smartphone in bed, as that wrecks my sleep patterns. Apart from that, not much, I am afraid. I tried various systems to organise my work, from having a to-do list buddy (I would regularly tell them what I have to do and report back) to pomodoro, but in the end, my discipline is too lacking, and I get distracted too fast. I stopped working self-employed and am now working for one of the top 100 biggest companies. That helped a lot since I can sweep procrastination episodes under the carpet (the expected intensity of work is rather low), but is insanely frustrating because I have low leverage to improve our way of work. ADHD has the upside for many that they will absolutely rip into information and devour it as long as it is interesting. In my case, that means I am the "go-to" person in our department because I know more about software development, tools, languages than most, even if I am probably not the most productive coder. Currently trying to develop into some kind of internal consultant for digital transformation/disruptive business ideas - I seemingly have the right ideas, now hoping for someone higher up to notice them.