4 ms·

I am exactly the same, though ADHD medication has helped tremendously in this respect. Terrible context switching, not lack of attention, is the bane of my exis

I am exactly the same, though ADHD medication has helped tremendously in this respect. Terrible context switching, not lack of attention, is the bane of my existence. Have you ever had a test?

notkaiho 6y ago
You're absolutely right! I've personally only just been diagnosed, well into my thirties, and am on month 3 of trying to get my medication correct, compounded with fun things like pandemic lockdown. It's a ride.
- leadingthenet 6y ago
  I know the struggle all too well, but once you’re (very slowly) able to form healthier habits, things do get easier, I promise!
Tenoke 6y ago
>Have you ever had a test? At university a councilor (or similar) said they believe I have ADHD but it was near the end of a school year so nothing came out of it. For what is worth, I've tried most common adhd meds on my own and while they definitely they also ruin my sleep so I am not convinced that going through the hassle of getting an official diagnosis will help all that much.
- leadingthenet 6y ago
  I agree, it’s definitely a difficult balance to strike. I found that even small amounts of stimulant medication does help even if it’s not super obvious in the moment, and the upside is that it doesn’t interfere with sleep too much, but I try hard not to make a habit out of it. Sleep, above all else, is the best predictor of my mood / productivity / physical health. I try not to take anything after about noon, though. This is especially true about caffeine, for me. I might get a crash in the late afternoon, but it’s a price worth paying for a good night’s sleep.
- bloodorange 6y ago
  Have you considered going to someone who is qualified to diagnose the condition and prescribe medication?
rvanlaar 6y ago
Here are a few things I noticed when I started using ADHD medication. I was suddenly able to focus on a task in a way that I wasn't able before. It was such an epiphany to experience what other people call focus. That made me also notice that I'm really good at context switching. It's what I naturally do. It also makes me good at breadth first approaches. Which makes me ask: Are you lamenting terrible context switching or the amount of context switching that you experience?
- leadingthenet 6y ago
  The latter. I’ve heard someone explain it this way before, and I think it neatly sums up my own experience: “your brain is like a TV, except there’s 30 channels on at once, and someone else has the remote” (paraphrasing). If I can just get into “The Zone” things do work out, and I’m finally able to direct my attention towards a single task. Taking Ritalin greatly increases the probability of this occurring, and so does, amazingly, cannabis. In general, I have trouble both starting, and then consistently doing a task for any reasonable amount of time. I’ll start watching a movie, then 30 minutes in go for a walk, then come home and cook dinner, then forget about it and go back to watching the movie, then remember the dinner and start eating, then... and on an on. I’ve been told it doesn’t look that bad from the outside, but it gives me great anxiety that I can’t consistently finish anything I start :(

I am exactly the same, though ADHD medication has helped tremendously in this respect. Terrible context switching, not lack of attention, is the bane of my existence. Have you ever had a test?

notkaiho 6y ago

You're absolutely right! I've personally only just been diagnosed, well into my thirties, and am on month 3 of trying to get my medication correct, compounded with fun things like pandemic lockdown. It's a ride.

leadingthenet 6y ago
I know the struggle all too well, but once you’re (very slowly) able to form healthier habits, things do get easier, I promise!

Tenoke 6y ago

>Have you ever had a test? At university a councilor (or similar) said they believe I have ADHD but it was near the end of a school year so nothing came out of it. For what is worth, I've tried most common adhd meds on my own and while they definitely they also ruin my sleep so I am not convinced that going through the hassle of getting an official diagnosis will help all that much.

leadingthenet 6y ago
I agree, it’s definitely a difficult balance to strike. I found that even small amounts of stimulant medication does help even if it’s not super obvious in the moment, and the upside is that it doesn’t interfere with sleep too much, but I try hard not to make a habit out of it. Sleep, above all else, is the best predictor of my mood / productivity / physical health. I try not to take anything after about noon, though. This is especially true about caffeine, for me. I might get a crash in the late afternoon, but it’s a price worth paying for a good night’s sleep.
bloodorange 6y ago
Have you considered going to someone who is qualified to diagnose the condition and prescribe medication?

rvanlaar 6y ago

Here are a few things I noticed when I started using ADHD medication. I was suddenly able to focus on a task in a way that I wasn't able before. It was such an epiphany to experience what other people call focus. That made me also notice that I'm really good at context switching. It's what I naturally do. It also makes me good at breadth first approaches. Which makes me ask: Are you lamenting terrible context switching or the amount of context switching that you experience?

leadingthenet 6y ago
The latter. I’ve heard someone explain it this way before, and I think it neatly sums up my own experience: “your brain is like a TV, except there’s 30 channels on at once, and someone else has the remote” (paraphrasing). If I can just get into “The Zone” things do work out, and I’m finally able to direct my attention towards a single task. Taking Ritalin greatly increases the probability of this occurring, and so does, amazingly, cannabis. In general, I have trouble both starting, and then consistently doing a task for any reasonable amount of time. I’ll start watching a movie, then 30 minutes in go for a walk, then come home and cook dinner, then forget about it and go back to watching the movie, then remember the dinner and start eating, then... and on an on. I’ve been told it doesn’t look that bad from the outside, but it gives me great anxiety that I can’t consistently finish anything I start :(