4 ms·
it’s a lot higher than you might expect but i don’t think it’s endemic to software at this point. there’s a bit of a cultural shift around mental disorders and
by hasmolo 6y ago
it’s a lot higher than you might expect but i don’t think it’s endemic to software at this point. there’s a bit of a cultural shift around mental disorders and the old stigma attached.
i’ve seen a lot of people i know, from preschool teachers to principal scientists, get an ADD or ADHD diagnosis in their later years. the acknowledgment of a disability is much easier now.
all of that said, the use of adderal, vyvanse, and concerta has skyrocketed in the last few years in high school and college and most people just carry the habit forward at this point. my experience with interns and software engineers who define themselves by their job has been a high use of methyl salts to enhance productivity. i’ve mostly worked in the bay area though, and before moving there did not see that pattern as much in non valley workplaces.
- the-dude 6y ago> the acknowledgment of a disability is much easier now. Are you saying a significant part of human kind has been disabled for the past couple of thousand years and we are only now acknowledging this? I am old enough to remember ADD/ADHD did not exist. We were outside a lot.
- jacques_chester 6y ago> I am old enough to remember ADD/ADHD did not exist. It existed, but it was undiagnosed and untreated.
- the-dude 6y agoI acknowledge that it existed : severe cases were known and described. But did it 'exist' at this scale? I don't think so.
- jacques_chester 6y agoI do think so. Neurological understanding of ADHD has advanced enormously in the past few decades. I'm touchy about this subject because it's hard not to take the implication personally that it's somehow a recent invention.
- pseudalopex 6y ago"The first example of a disorder that appears to be similar to ADHD was given by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798."[1] Mild ADHD was less of an impediment before industrialization. It's less of an impediment if you have a secretary at the office and a wife at home. Self medicating can help. What does a severe case look like if you don't know what you're looking at? Maybe shiftless, maybe dim, maybe accident prone, maybe hot headed, maybe a drunk. Do you think people didn't get PTSD before the name was invented? [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000907/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000907/
- hasmolo 6y agoyes, that’s exactly what i’m saying.
- jacques_chester 6y agoI was diagnosed at 32. Ritalin has been life changing. Continuing medication is not really "carrying a habit forward". A major shift in thinking in the last 15 years is to realise that ADHD is not a juvenile condition. It lasts into adulthood, but the symptoms change because the brain has changed and because of acquired coping mechanisms. "Adult ADHD" is just ... ADHD. The medications continue to be a useful treatment.
- hasmolo 6y agosorry that my phrasing “carry the habit forward” was heard as a negative. that’s not my intent, i view habits as morally neutral. i workout every other day and consider it a habit i carry. i would’ve used a term like “continue the addiction” to emphasize my disagreement with that action. i appreciate the insight and will work on clarification in the future.
- jacques_chester 6y agoI appreciate your thoughtfulness.
- rootbear 6y agoI was diagnosed with ADHD in my fifties! I'd known I likely had it for some years, but the formal diagnosis came late. Alas, none of the meds I tried worked, or they had unacceptable side-effects. So I mostly rely on monitoring my own behavior and trying to establish good habits. The results are mixed.
- jacques_chester 6y agoIt's unfortunate you didn't have luck with medication. One thing to consider is asking your psychiatrist whether there are pharmaceutical trials you can join, one of those might be helpful.
- rootbear 6y agoInteresting suggestion, thanks. I live in the Washington, DC, area and NIH is right here, so...