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> The interesting thing is that despite the condition being composed of a wide gamut of seemingly unrelated behaviour, ~90% of people with ADHD respond extremel

> The interesting thing is that despite the condition being composed of a wide gamut of seemingly unrelated behaviour, ~90% of people with ADHD respond extremely well to the same treatment - stimulant medication. This is constantly presented as some sort of ultimate validation of these disorders and every time I read it I'm absolutely baffled. Stimulants used in ADHD medication improve focus and productivity for almost everyone, the fact that they also do it for people with chronic focus/attention issues should be surprising to no one... They're literally performance enhancing drugs.

fsociety 4y ago
This is not true at all. LocalPCGuy made a great comment refuting this. Brain scans also show the unique difference between someone with and without ADHD and what medication does to both brains.
DoughnutHole 4y ago
There's a wide spectrum of symptoms that are very effectively treated by stimulants in people with ADHD apart from focus/productivity, including anxiety, insomnia, working memory, and emotional regulation. Outside of treating ADHD stimulants will more typically make all of these things worse, not better. The most unusual aspect of stimulant treatment for ADHD is for the hyperactive and combined types - stimulants reduce hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour, and people with ADHD on low dose stimulants are less likely to engage in reckless behaviour or develop problems with substance abuse - not things you'd ever say about stimulants and the average person. You certainly don't get too many neurotypical people finding they can finally nap once they're on low-dose amphetamines.
corobo 4y ago
Meds didn't do anything useful for me until I'd had the dosage bumped a few times. Kept sending me back to sleep if anything, first day I was on them I had a 16 hour nap.
Doxin 4y ago
There's clearly something weird going on re: ADHD+stimulants though. Most people don't calm down if you give them stimulants.
- navjack27 4y ago
  You'd think I was on 60mg of amphetamine if I wasn't on my 2x 30mg of amphetamine a day. I'm scatterbrained, chatty, impulsive, annoying, angry and a whole lot more without my meds.

fsociety 4y ago

This is not true at all. LocalPCGuy made a great comment refuting this. Brain scans also show the unique difference between someone with and without ADHD and what medication does to both brains.

DoughnutHole 4y ago

There's a wide spectrum of symptoms that are very effectively treated by stimulants in people with ADHD apart from focus/productivity, including anxiety, insomnia, working memory, and emotional regulation. Outside of treating ADHD stimulants will more typically make all of these things worse, not better. The most unusual aspect of stimulant treatment for ADHD is for the hyperactive and combined types - stimulants reduce hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour, and people with ADHD on low dose stimulants are less likely to engage in reckless behaviour or develop problems with substance abuse - not things you'd ever say about stimulants and the average person. You certainly don't get too many neurotypical people finding they can finally nap once they're on low-dose amphetamines.

corobo 4y ago

Meds didn't do anything useful for me until I'd had the dosage bumped a few times. Kept sending me back to sleep if anything, first day I was on them I had a 16 hour nap.

Doxin 4y ago

There's clearly something weird going on re: ADHD+stimulants though. Most people don't calm down if you give them stimulants.

navjack27 4y ago
You'd think I was on 60mg of amphetamine if I wasn't on my 2x 30mg of amphetamine a day. I'm scatterbrained, chatty, impulsive, annoying, angry and a whole lot more without my meds.