5 ms·

Ask HN: How to deal with ADHD on your own? (If you have to)

18 points by d-1 6y ago

This is not an anti-medication or -therapy post. The purpose of my writing is to inquire about the best self-help strategies for managing ADHD. This might be useful for people who don't have access to a therapist or to medication. It would be nice if those strategies are backed up by findings. So without further ado, here are my best ways to deal with this condition on your own: 1. Fish oil (EPA should be higher than DHA) [1][3][4] 2. Zinc[1] 3. Lithium (has severe side effects, but seems to be effective)[1] 4. Meditation/Mindfulness & Yoga[2] References: [1] https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/condition-1021/attention+deficit-hyperactivity+disorder+(adhd) [2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18025249/ [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321799/ [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4175558/ Disclaimer: use your own brain first! Or if you can, listen to your therapist. Again, this is aimed for people who have no access to professional help. I am not an expert in scientific literature.

ta_202010061019 6y ago
Tried every medication which is legal in my country. Side effects where always too strong to use drugs on a regular base. What works: - Enough sleep + naps - Sport - Walking - White noise to cancel out distractions - Logging almost everything which happens during a work day in a work journal - Having checklists/templates - Setup work days - Setup free days - Recurring todos for day of week - Coherent breathing works better for me than meditation
- ta_202010061019 6y ago
  I second that you should get properly diagnosed by a doctor and try the available medication. If the medication works for you sustainably it will make your life that much better and easier.
  - d-1 6y ago
    To be clear, therapy and medication is the best available option, but not everybody has access to it. In that case, what would be the next best option? (That is what I am actually asking.) Also, there are some restrictions on medication in certain countries (e.g. Japan): https://addadhdblog.com/adhd-in-japan/?doing_wp_cron=1601997279.1024250984191894531250 https://addadhdblog.com/adhd-in-japan/?doing_wp_cron=1601997...
    - ta_202010061019 6y ago
      First of all, IMHO it is really important to get diagnosed by a good doctor and to rule out other reasons which could cause ADHD symptoms. ADHD is a broad spectrum and every life is different. The next best option I could recommend is to learn about symptoms from ADHD, examine how they are affecting your quality of life and have 'physical' crutches in place where you need them. This is highly personal, takes time for experiments to see what works for you right now, and when your situation/environment changes, you must adapt and perhaps change or create new crutches. Still, there is a lot of stuff you simply cannot fix w/o medication: Impulsivity and focus are my biggest Achilles heels. If there is no way for you to get medication you have to learn what problematic situations will be for you and try to avoid them from the start, because there is no way you can trust in prolonged self control if you have ADHD.
- bot41 6y ago
  I am interested in how you manage your work journal. Do you use a physical pen and paper or do you use a digital tool? Online or offline? Do you archive or throw away old notes or do you revisit them? Info about your checklists could be handy too.
  - d-1 6y ago
    This is somewhat unrelated, but the things that help me most are: 1. The Johnny File System: https://johnnydecimal.com/ https://johnnydecimal.com/ 2. The PARA System: https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/ https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/ I mix the PARA system with JFS by numbering it in the JFS manner. For example, I have a note called "Minimalism", so I store it in "02-AREAS" like this: "2.01 Minimalism" Now let's say I want to totally change my minimalism list, then I am going to archive that in "04-ARCHIVE" like so: "4.01 2.01 Minimalism" Then I reuse the 2.01 for my minimalism list again. Another side note: Bullet Journaling is something that I am looking into, but I am not yet familiar with it. My take on it is: you are an operating system scheduling tasks out of a task list. This is what a key in a bullet journal might look like paired with Standard Notes: • task x completed > moved forward < scheduled task (future) ~~cancelled~~ ○ event - note ! important Regarding JFS: https://www.reddit.com/r/datacurator/comments/cucufy/my_personal_file_map/ https://www.reddit.com/r/datacurator/comments/cucufy/my_pers... This is what I used as a reference to organize my folder system with JFS.
d33lio 6y ago
For me it's all about routine, sleep and unfortunately accepting that stimulants make my life orders of magnitude more productive and enjoyable. However, my ADHD is also what gives me the ability to think in very creative and obtuse ways / also derive my anxiety into huge decision trees that have unfortunately proven to be very accurate. As someone who was finally diagnosed by two different neuropsychs (involved days of testing) at 22 it's something I'll regret the rest of my life. Basically, the fact that my parents just thought ADD was a "fake disorder" and struggled through a majority of high school / college. Frankly, I've also found significant benefits micro-dosing a liquid psilocybin mushroom extract a few days a week. Please talk to a psych if you think you might have ADHD!
- HelloFellowDevs 6y ago
  > As someone who was finally diagnosed by two different neuropsychs (involved days of testing) at 22 it's something I'll regret the rest of my life. I don't think I understand what you meant. The diagnoses made your life worse? Or made you more aware?
  - ta_202010061019 6y ago
    I guess the regret comes from not knowing sooner. I was around 30 when I was finally diagnosed. When I think how this diagnose could have helped me 25 years earlier to get the right knowledge and support to manage life it really makes me resentful.
    - emit_time 6y ago
      I got diagnosed junior year of college, knowing sooner would’ve been very helpful. Probably would’ve been more social in high school if I took meds because it probably would’ve been easier for me to complete homework, and I would have had more free time.
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
companyhen 6y ago
Meditation works best for me. 15 minutes when I wake up every morning at a minimum. 25-30 minutes gets me really focused through the day. Started during lockdown, around day 130 right now. Best habit I picked up. Morning works best for me, if I wait until later in the day I don't feel like making time for it. I use the insight timer app which has nice analytics and you can see everyone around the world and your city meditating with you, which is a nice social feature.
- peapek 6y ago
  Meditation is a lifechanger if you stick to it. Not just to deal with ADHD, but life in general. For anyone interested in getting started, I can absolutely recommend Waking Up by Sam Harris. (The idea behind the app's name is just what you do - starting the day with a mindfulness meditation.) The App has a great 28 day introductionary course (easily digestible 10 minute sessions), among others, and is expanding its content right now. If you can't afford a subscription, you can easily unlock it for free simply by sending a mail to the support.
logicslave 6y ago
Either find something that excites you enough to be really interested in or take medication
d-1 6y ago
Thank you for your input, gang! :) Okay, to summarize, here are the list of things that might help when you are unable to get medicated or therapy: 1. Supplements: Omega-3, Zinc, Lithium (has severe side effects, but it works) 2. Mindfulness: Meditation/Yoga 3. Routines (according to HN answers) Here is the list of things that I personally (!) think that might help: 4. Digital organization: Johnny File System, PARA Method Here is the list of things I am personally (!) unsure about: 5. Offline organization/planning: Bullet Journaling 6. General organization: minimalism? Decluttering? The list of things that need also attention: 7. Social skills & interpreting social cues correctly 8. Interpersonal skills & soft skills (manners?) 9. Effective "crutches" for things like impulsivity Some more ideas that might help or not - these are rather experimental: 10. Fasting (for mood improvement?): https://www.hal.inserm.fr/file/index/docid/789122/filename/FASTING_revised_manuscript_11_12_12.pdf https://www.hal.inserm.fr/file/index/docid/789122/filename/F... And remember: use your own brain first don't trust anyone so easily! :) (Except your therapist/doctor, if you have access to one.) Final note: we need a Scott Meyers type of book for "Effective ADHD".
- d-1 6y ago
  Speaking of a Scott Meyers type of book for ADHD people, I've found these: - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24201794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24201794 - https://adhdpro.xyz/ https://adhdpro.xyz/ - https://blog.aaronjy.me/software-development-and-adhd/ https://blog.aaronjy.me/software-development-and-adhd/ I bumped into it while searching for other posts related to ADHD.
- d-1 6y ago
  I have found 2 self-help guides: - https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/managing-adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm?pdf=12360 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/managing-adult-a... - https://www.get.gg/docs/ADHD.pdf https://www.get.gg/docs/ADHD.pdf
godot 6y ago
I never actually was diagnosed, though I've taken these online ADHD tests and I've always scored pretty high. Based on my own experience, it would seem I have some level of it as well. I feel like in the past few years, after working a decade in software engineering, I've learned to utilize my ADHD tendencies pretty well. In several companies now I've acted in a role of some kind of lead engineer where difficult problems or live issues get thrown my way (I seem to get myself into such a role more often than not). Juggling several high priority tasks at once lets me focus really well on each in short bursts of time, and after that, I seem to enjoy the context switching way more than most other software engineering peers would (everyone else seems to hate it). I would add that, as an unrelated point to ADHD, I'm a person who can handle stressful situations fairly well, so it definitely helps with being the guy tackling production fires all the time. Not sure if it works for everyone, at least it does for me and I've had a thriving engineering career for 15 years and counting now. I don't use any medication.

18 points by d-1 6y ago

ta_202010061019 6y ago

Tried every medication which is legal in my country. Side effects where always too strong to use drugs on a regular base. What works: - Enough sleep + naps - Sport - Walking - White noise to cancel out distractions - Logging almost everything which happens during a work day in a work journal - Having checklists/templates - Setup work days - Setup free days - Recurring todos for day of week - Coherent breathing works better for me than meditation

ta_202010061019 6y ago
I second that you should get properly diagnosed by a doctor and try the available medication. If the medication works for you sustainably it will make your life that much better and easier.
- d-1 6y ago
  To be clear, therapy and medication is the best available option, but not everybody has access to it. In that case, what would be the next best option? (That is what I am actually asking.) Also, there are some restrictions on medication in certain countries (e.g. Japan): https://addadhdblog.com/adhd-in-japan/?doing_wp_cron=1601997279.1024250984191894531250 https://addadhdblog.com/adhd-in-japan/?doing_wp_cron=1601997...
  - ta_202010061019 6y ago
    First of all, IMHO it is really important to get diagnosed by a good doctor and to rule out other reasons which could cause ADHD symptoms. ADHD is a broad spectrum and every life is different. The next best option I could recommend is to learn about symptoms from ADHD, examine how they are affecting your quality of life and have 'physical' crutches in place where you need them. This is highly personal, takes time for experiments to see what works for you right now, and when your situation/environment changes, you must adapt and perhaps change or create new crutches. Still, there is a lot of stuff you simply cannot fix w/o medication: Impulsivity and focus are my biggest Achilles heels. If there is no way for you to get medication you have to learn what problematic situations will be for you and try to avoid them from the start, because there is no way you can trust in prolonged self control if you have ADHD.
bot41 6y ago
I am interested in how you manage your work journal. Do you use a physical pen and paper or do you use a digital tool? Online or offline? Do you archive or throw away old notes or do you revisit them? Info about your checklists could be handy too.
- d-1 6y ago
  This is somewhat unrelated, but the things that help me most are: 1. The Johnny File System: https://johnnydecimal.com/ https://johnnydecimal.com/ 2. The PARA System: https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/ https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/ I mix the PARA system with JFS by numbering it in the JFS manner. For example, I have a note called "Minimalism", so I store it in "02-AREAS" like this: "2.01 Minimalism" Now let's say I want to totally change my minimalism list, then I am going to archive that in "04-ARCHIVE" like so: "4.01 2.01 Minimalism" Then I reuse the 2.01 for my minimalism list again. Another side note: Bullet Journaling is something that I am looking into, but I am not yet familiar with it. My take on it is: you are an operating system scheduling tasks out of a task list. This is what a key in a bullet journal might look like paired with Standard Notes: • task x completed > moved forward < scheduled task (future) ~~cancelled~~ ○ event - note ! important Regarding JFS: https://www.reddit.com/r/datacurator/comments/cucufy/my_personal_file_map/ https://www.reddit.com/r/datacurator/comments/cucufy/my_pers... This is what I used as a reference to organize my folder system with JFS.

d33lio 6y ago

For me it's all about routine, sleep and unfortunately accepting that stimulants make my life orders of magnitude more productive and enjoyable. However, my ADHD is also what gives me the ability to think in very creative and obtuse ways / also derive my anxiety into huge decision trees that have unfortunately proven to be very accurate. As someone who was finally diagnosed by two different neuropsychs (involved days of testing) at 22 it's something I'll regret the rest of my life. Basically, the fact that my parents just thought ADD was a "fake disorder" and struggled through a majority of high school / college. Frankly, I've also found significant benefits micro-dosing a liquid psilocybin mushroom extract a few days a week. Please talk to a psych if you think you might have ADHD!

HelloFellowDevs 6y ago
> As someone who was finally diagnosed by two different neuropsychs (involved days of testing) at 22 it's something I'll regret the rest of my life. I don't think I understand what you meant. The diagnoses made your life worse? Or made you more aware?
- ta_202010061019 6y ago
  I guess the regret comes from not knowing sooner. I was around 30 when I was finally diagnosed. When I think how this diagnose could have helped me 25 years earlier to get the right knowledge and support to manage life it really makes me resentful.
  - emit_time 6y ago
    I got diagnosed junior year of college, knowing sooner would’ve been very helpful. Probably would’ve been more social in high school if I took meds because it probably would’ve been easier for me to complete homework, and I would have had more free time.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]

companyhen 6y ago

Meditation works best for me. 15 minutes when I wake up every morning at a minimum. 25-30 minutes gets me really focused through the day. Started during lockdown, around day 130 right now. Best habit I picked up. Morning works best for me, if I wait until later in the day I don't feel like making time for it. I use the insight timer app which has nice analytics and you can see everyone around the world and your city meditating with you, which is a nice social feature.

peapek 6y ago
Meditation is a lifechanger if you stick to it. Not just to deal with ADHD, but life in general. For anyone interested in getting started, I can absolutely recommend Waking Up by Sam Harris. (The idea behind the app's name is just what you do - starting the day with a mindfulness meditation.) The App has a great 28 day introductionary course (easily digestible 10 minute sessions), among others, and is expanding its content right now. If you can't afford a subscription, you can easily unlock it for free simply by sending a mail to the support.

logicslave 6y ago

Either find something that excites you enough to be really interested in or take medication

d-1 6y ago

Thank you for your input, gang! :) Okay, to summarize, here are the list of things that might help when you are unable to get medicated or therapy: 1. Supplements: Omega-3, Zinc, Lithium (has severe side effects, but it works) 2. Mindfulness: Meditation/Yoga 3. Routines (according to HN answers) Here is the list of things that I personally (!) think that might help: 4. Digital organization: Johnny File System, PARA Method Here is the list of things I am personally (!) unsure about: 5. Offline organization/planning: Bullet Journaling 6. General organization: minimalism? Decluttering? The list of things that need also attention: 7. Social skills & interpreting social cues correctly 8. Interpersonal skills & soft skills (manners?) 9. Effective "crutches" for things like impulsivity Some more ideas that might help or not - these are rather experimental: 10. Fasting (for mood improvement?): https://www.hal.inserm.fr/file/index/docid/789122/filename/FASTING_revised_manuscript_11_12_12.pdf https://www.hal.inserm.fr/file/index/docid/789122/filename/F... And remember: use your own brain first don't trust anyone so easily! :) (Except your therapist/doctor, if you have access to one.) Final note: we need a Scott Meyers type of book for "Effective ADHD".

d-1 6y ago
Speaking of a Scott Meyers type of book for ADHD people, I've found these: - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24201794 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24201794 - https://adhdpro.xyz/ https://adhdpro.xyz/ - https://blog.aaronjy.me/software-development-and-adhd/ https://blog.aaronjy.me/software-development-and-adhd/ I bumped into it while searching for other posts related to ADHD.
d-1 6y ago
I have found 2 self-help guides: - https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/managing-adult-adhd-attention-deficit-disorder.htm?pdf=12360 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/managing-adult-a... - https://www.get.gg/docs/ADHD.pdf https://www.get.gg/docs/ADHD.pdf

godot 6y ago

I never actually was diagnosed, though I've taken these online ADHD tests and I've always scored pretty high. Based on my own experience, it would seem I have some level of it as well. I feel like in the past few years, after working a decade in software engineering, I've learned to utilize my ADHD tendencies pretty well. In several companies now I've acted in a role of some kind of lead engineer where difficult problems or live issues get thrown my way (I seem to get myself into such a role more often than not). Juggling several high priority tasks at once lets me focus really well on each in short bursts of time, and after that, I seem to enjoy the context switching way more than most other software engineering peers would (everyone else seems to hate it). I would add that, as an unrelated point to ADHD, I'm a person who can handle stressful situations fairly well, so it definitely helps with being the guy tackling production fires all the time. Not sure if it works for everyone, at least it does for me and I've had a thriving engineering career for 15 years and counting now. I don't use any medication.