11 ms·

Good. I understand that this makes life harder for people with actual ADHD, but it's clear now that abuse of Adderall, Vyvance, and other amphetamines as cognit

Good. I understand that this makes life harder for people with actual ADHD, but it's clear now that abuse of Adderall, Vyvance, and other amphetamines as cognitive performance enhancer is rampant, and not just in software, but in academia, and other parts of society. No one should have to compete with these crypto methheads for jobs or PhD slots. Look at what StackOverflow posted not long ago: https://stackoverflow.blog/2023/02/19/developer-with-adhd-youre-not-alone/ https://stackoverflow.blog/2023/02/19/developer-with-adhd-yo... ADHD is supposed to be a disability, yet the post suggests it makes you a better programmer! Of course, if ADHD requires symptom-blunting medication, then is the post arguing that only un- or partially-medicated ADHD patients make better programmers? Or that fully-medicated ADHD patients, with some residual ADHD symptoms, make better programmers? Please. The post reads like amphetamine abusers trying to convince each other (and potential employers) that they're the best at what they do, despite not being able to do it without drugs.

876978095789789 4y ago
[flagged]
junofan 4y ago
Would you say the same about autism? It’s amazing we’ve found an effective treatment for ADHD. Why is it good that patients are often unable to access it? Who benefits?
- 876978095789789 4y ago
  I never said people with ADHD shouldn't receive treatment; I said there are far too many people who don't have ADHD popping amphetamines to get an edge in work or academia, and I'm glad to see they're finally being cut off from their dealers. For some reason, HNers really hate being told that not everyone taking these drugs 100% has ADHD and 100% needs them. Scott Aaronson's post on this (which was discussed here) is illustrative: https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-mo... > I didn’t realize how much of a psychiatrist’s time was spent gatekeeping Adderall.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    "an edge in work" Anecdata: anyone I've ever seen without ADHD who takes amphetamines for an "edge" does shit work. Period. Sure, they may do a lot of it, but it's complete and utter shit in quality.
  - digilypse 4y ago
    Just to be clear, you’re agreeing with the author that it’s primarily a moral distinction? Since the shortage is impacting all patients equally it seems harsh to support it. It would help to understand why you feel that it’s immoral; my interpretation is that you are saying it gives people an advantage at a cost that you don’t want to be forced into paying yourself in order to compete.
    - 876978095789789 4y ago
      > It would help to understand why you feel that it’s immoral; my interpretation is that you are saying it gives people an advantage at a cost that you don’t want to be forced into paying yourself in order to compete. It's not just moral; do you think there are no externalities to an ever-widening culture of rampant amphetamine abuse?

876978095789789 4y ago

[flagged]

junofan 4y ago

Would you say the same about autism? It’s amazing we’ve found an effective treatment for ADHD. Why is it good that patients are often unable to access it? Who benefits?

876978095789789 4y ago
I never said people with ADHD shouldn't receive treatment; I said there are far too many people who don't have ADHD popping amphetamines to get an edge in work or academia, and I'm glad to see they're finally being cut off from their dealers. For some reason, HNers really hate being told that not everyone taking these drugs 100% has ADHD and 100% needs them. Scott Aaronson's post on this (which was discussed here) is illustrative: https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-mo... > I didn’t realize how much of a psychiatrist’s time was spent gatekeeping Adderall.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  "an edge in work" Anecdata: anyone I've ever seen without ADHD who takes amphetamines for an "edge" does shit work. Period. Sure, they may do a lot of it, but it's complete and utter shit in quality.
- digilypse 4y ago
  Just to be clear, you’re agreeing with the author that it’s primarily a moral distinction? Since the shortage is impacting all patients equally it seems harsh to support it. It would help to understand why you feel that it’s immoral; my interpretation is that you are saying it gives people an advantage at a cost that you don’t want to be forced into paying yourself in order to compete.
  - 876978095789789 4y ago
    > It would help to understand why you feel that it’s immoral; my interpretation is that you are saying it gives people an advantage at a cost that you don’t want to be forced into paying yourself in order to compete. It's not just moral; do you think there are no externalities to an ever-widening culture of rampant amphetamine abuse?