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> Why would a huge chunk of the population have a imbalance of brain chemicals? That's what I think about from time to time as well. I have ADD and take meds f

by 4ggr0 4y ago

> Why would a huge chunk of the population have a imbalance of brain chemicals? That's what I think about from time to time as well. I have ADD and take meds for it. But I'm pretty sure that I only need these meds to be able to work in an open-space, corporate IT environment with dead-lines, responsibilities etc. Without meds I get overwhelmed and panicky quickly, when taking them they turn me into kind of an office robot who's able to work without getting too stressed out or distracted by other things. I suspect that I wouldn't need the meds if I had a different job. Which feels weird, because it sounds like I'm trying to fit into an environment, instead of being in an environment which fits me, if that makes sense. Then again, maybe everyone has to do that and it's just my biased perspective that I'm the one who's not made for it. Which sucks, because I love IT, also as a hobby. The easiest examples for that: Sometimes I do an IT project at home, maybe build a PC, configure a homelab, try out Stable Diffusion or edit videos from time to time. If I do these things at home I can easily sit in front of the computer for 5+ hours and loose track of time, but I don't seem to be able to be as focused for IT projects at work if I'm unmedicated. Unless they really interest me.

elemos 4y ago
I believe the same thing. In fact, I believe people with ADD have a natural advantage in pre-modern settings. We are built to run long distances, outsmart prey, and forage. A distraction isn’t a distraction on that environment, it’s awareness and quickly thinking through possibilities and avenues of success.
- RunSet 4y ago
  If anything it is more of an attention surplus than an attention deficit.
  - samtho 4y ago
    This is a point that Dr. Richard Barkley, one of the major researchers in ADHD in the last few decades, has stated slightly differently. In a sort of jest, he mentions that [ADD] should be called “intention deficit disorder” as there is plenty of attention to be given to things, sufferers just lack a lot intentionality behind their actions. This ultimately manifests as an executive disfunction which prevents this slice of the population from subconsciously knowing how to prioritize or assess the importance/value/urgency of stimuli.
- 4ggr0 4y ago
  > I believe people with ADD have a natural advantage in pre-modern settings Totally, yeah. I can't prove it of course, but I've noticed countless of times that I seem to be extremely more aware of my surroundings than my friends etc. I hear and see more compared to them, which has positive and negative sides.
qzx_pierri 4y ago
Same here, man. It’s for the reason you described in your first paragraph. Working in a soul sucking corporate office space is so painful for certain personality types. For me at least, I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a delivery driver or someone who’s out and about everyday moving around… but I stuck with IT because it makes astronomically more money. So sitting at a desk all day will require me be medicated because my baseline preference is to be up and moving, working with my hands, talking to people, etc. I think a lot of people with ADHD that’s severe enough to require medication are just people who don’t do work that truly fits their personality. Which if we’re being honest, sitting at a desk all day is not natural. I never needed Adderall when I was working in a warehouse in college, or when I was a city guide that was supposed to walk around downtown and greet people. tl;dr Unnatural lifestyles require unnatural supplements.
- galangalalgol 4y ago
  As your sibling post pointed out I think our adhd was a benefit in preindustrial times, or at least in preagricultural times. And a desk job with a fun coding project to do (fun coding usually doesn't pay as well) was fine for years. Hyperfocus was nothing but upside except for having to do taxes or do he occasional tedious task. But when you get too good at your domain, and you have 10 unrelated coding projects, even if they are all fun, adhd is no longer your friend. #include wife and kids and doctors appointments and birthday parties and ... Adderall helps now. I need to turn off my hyper adaptation quite often now. By will alone I set my mind in motion, but I need amphetamines to slow it. It is like we were born as mentat and instead need drugs for everything except that.
- iguanayou 4y ago
  Hear, hear. There's a lot of us in this same boat. These asocial, sedentary IT jobs + hectic lifestyles are out of sync with our biology and psychology.
- landemva 4y ago
  I didn't know it at the time, but I was in the same situation for years. I started doing blue collar work at mine sites and oil/gas pads. For me, it's a good fit. And the people are real.

by 4ggr0 4y ago

elemos 4y ago

I believe the same thing. In fact, I believe people with ADD have a natural advantage in pre-modern settings. We are built to run long distances, outsmart prey, and forage. A distraction isn’t a distraction on that environment, it’s awareness and quickly thinking through possibilities and avenues of success.

RunSet 4y ago
If anything it is more of an attention surplus than an attention deficit.
- samtho 4y ago
  This is a point that Dr. Richard Barkley, one of the major researchers in ADHD in the last few decades, has stated slightly differently. In a sort of jest, he mentions that [ADD] should be called “intention deficit disorder” as there is plenty of attention to be given to things, sufferers just lack a lot intentionality behind their actions. This ultimately manifests as an executive disfunction which prevents this slice of the population from subconsciously knowing how to prioritize or assess the importance/value/urgency of stimuli.
4ggr0 4y ago
> I believe people with ADD have a natural advantage in pre-modern settings Totally, yeah. I can't prove it of course, but I've noticed countless of times that I seem to be extremely more aware of my surroundings than my friends etc. I hear and see more compared to them, which has positive and negative sides.

qzx_pierri 4y ago

Same here, man. It’s for the reason you described in your first paragraph. Working in a soul sucking corporate office space is so painful for certain personality types. For me at least, I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a delivery driver or someone who’s out and about everyday moving around… but I stuck with IT because it makes astronomically more money. So sitting at a desk all day will require me be medicated because my baseline preference is to be up and moving, working with my hands, talking to people, etc. I think a lot of people with ADHD that’s severe enough to require medication are just people who don’t do work that truly fits their personality. Which if we’re being honest, sitting at a desk all day is not natural. I never needed Adderall when I was working in a warehouse in college, or when I was a city guide that was supposed to walk around downtown and greet people. tl;dr Unnatural lifestyles require unnatural supplements.

galangalalgol 4y ago
As your sibling post pointed out I think our adhd was a benefit in preindustrial times, or at least in preagricultural times. And a desk job with a fun coding project to do (fun coding usually doesn't pay as well) was fine for years. Hyperfocus was nothing but upside except for having to do taxes or do he occasional tedious task. But when you get too good at your domain, and you have 10 unrelated coding projects, even if they are all fun, adhd is no longer your friend. #include wife and kids and doctors appointments and birthday parties and ... Adderall helps now. I need to turn off my hyper adaptation quite often now. By will alone I set my mind in motion, but I need amphetamines to slow it. It is like we were born as mentat and instead need drugs for everything except that.
iguanayou 4y ago
Hear, hear. There's a lot of us in this same boat. These asocial, sedentary IT jobs + hectic lifestyles are out of sync with our biology and psychology.
landemva 4y ago
I didn't know it at the time, but I was in the same situation for years. I started doing blue collar work at mine sites and oil/gas pads. For me, it's a good fit. And the people are real.