3 ms·

no, never been evaluated for ADHD. But let's assume I knew I had it, what would change?

gms7777 5y ago
The simplest answer would be medication. (The following is a vast oversimplification of the biology involved but essentially) the ADHD brain is starved for dopamine. When it finds something that's a reliable source of dopamine (like video game are designed to be), it latches on leading to hyperfocus. Stopping is especially difficult because there's a "dopamine cliff" (going from an extra rewarding activity to nothing). Many ADHD drugs work by (more or less) increasing dopamine levels in the brain. This makes regular activity more rewarding, and lessens that steep "cliff" effect. For me at least, it allows me to indulge in activities like video games and other hobbies in moderation which was never possible before (in addition to a lot of other quality of life benefits). Medication isn't the only answer of course. There are treatment and management strategies that don't involve drugs, and I often find that just understanding the mechanisms behind my behavior helps me come up with effective strategies to manage them. (And of course, not all video game addictions are ADHD related, and I absolutely don't mean to suggest they are. But there are well documented links between ADHD and addictive behavior. And ADHD is widely misunderstood by the public, so many individuals that don't display classic hyperactive symptoms aren't diagnosed or are diagnosed late in life. So I thought it'd be worth mentioning as something to consider anyway)
- Volrath89 5y ago
  Interesting. But I don't think I am always craving for dopamine, at least I'd like to believe that hehe. I'm a kind of functional member of society, a bit introverted yes, but I'm able to do everything more or less normally. Some social anxiety, but I'm able to overcome it when I really need to, I can work and function normally and honestly I wouldn't like to take drugs or treatment if I don't need to. If I had ADHD it might be a very mild case.

The simplest answer would be medication. (The following is a vast oversimplification of the biology involved but essentially) the ADHD brain is starved for dopamine. When it finds something that's a reliable source of dopamine (like video game are designed to be), it latches on leading to hyperfocus. Stopping is especially difficult because there's a "dopamine cliff" (going from an extra rewarding activity to nothing). Many ADHD drugs work by (more or less) increasing dopamine levels in the brain. This makes regular activity more rewarding, and lessens that steep "cliff" effect. For me at least, it allows me to indulge in activities like video games and other hobbies in moderation which was never possible before (in addition to a lot of other quality of life benefits). Medication isn't the only answer of course. There are treatment and management strategies that don't involve drugs, and I often find that just understanding the mechanisms behind my behavior helps me come up with effective strategies to manage them. (And of course, not all video game addictions are ADHD related, and I absolutely don't mean to suggest they are. But there are well documented links between ADHD and addictive behavior. And ADHD is widely misunderstood by the public, so many individuals that don't display classic hyperactive symptoms aren't diagnosed or are diagnosed late in life. So I thought it'd be worth mentioning as something to consider anyway)

Volrath89 5y ago
Interesting. But I don't think I am always craving for dopamine, at least I'd like to believe that hehe. I'm a kind of functional member of society, a bit introverted yes, but I'm able to do everything more or less normally. Some social anxiety, but I'm able to overcome it when I really need to, I can work and function normally and honestly I wouldn't like to take drugs or treatment if I don't need to. If I had ADHD it might be a very mild case.