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The software engineers who I knew were taking “Prescription Stimulants” were moody and hacked lots of code that caused more bugs than it fixed. Some people want

by ipnon 3y ago

The software engineers who I knew were taking “Prescription Stimulants” were moody and hacked lots of code that caused more bugs than it fixed. Some people want to use it to make them better engineers but it can be a trap. The people who seem to be okay taking it everyday are those with such debilitating ADHD that they cannot get anything done in the course of a day without it. If you are a good programmer ceteris peribus then adding substituted amphetamine to the mix might backfire. Now these people I knew were also lauded for the frequency of their PRs and promoted. I suppose the crux is that if you’re going to start such a regimen make sure your company uses perverse incentives as rewards.

freedomben 3y ago
> The software engineers who I knew were taking “Prescription Stimulants” Most people don't advertise or even share their list of medications/prescriptions with their colleagues, so I would be careful about drawing conclusions based on your sample. There are most surely people you worked with that were taking stuff that you had no idea about.
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groby_b 3y ago
There's a large range of people who do have ADHD in a non-debilitating way who benefit from medication. Can I function without meds? Sure. But then I have to spend every single day wrestling my brain to the ground continually. There is no room in my life for anything but "functioning at work", because it's tremendously exhausting (much more than "normal") and leads to rapid burnout. I'm a fairly decent SWE. Ceteris paribus I am - post meds - roughly at the same quality level/volume of output I was before, but I have a better life overall. So maybe don't bulldoze a whole bunch of innocent bystanders because you personally had bad experiences with a few people abusing stimulants? (Also: Not all ADHD meds are stimulants)
ravenstine 3y ago
There's probably some selection bias there. Many people with ADHD aren't so proud as to announce to people that they're on medication. It wouldn't surprise me if the engineers who told you they're on meds are just brogrammers who just take the stimulants for performance rather than to just feel normal. After having spent over a decade in the field, I benefit a lot from taking medication. I've been diagnosed with ADHD twice independently, and was initially opposed to medication. At this point in my life, I simply can't recapture the drive I once had that helped me overcome my dysregulated attention. My meds have helped me to not burn out.

by ipnon 3y ago

freedomben 3y ago

> The software engineers who I knew were taking “Prescription Stimulants” Most people don't advertise or even share their list of medications/prescriptions with their colleagues, so I would be careful about drawing conclusions based on your sample. There are most surely people you worked with that were taking stuff that you had no idea about.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

groby_b 3y ago

There's a large range of people who do have ADHD in a non-debilitating way who benefit from medication. Can I function without meds? Sure. But then I have to spend every single day wrestling my brain to the ground continually. There is no room in my life for anything but "functioning at work", because it's tremendously exhausting (much more than "normal") and leads to rapid burnout. I'm a fairly decent SWE. Ceteris paribus I am - post meds - roughly at the same quality level/volume of output I was before, but I have a better life overall. So maybe don't bulldoze a whole bunch of innocent bystanders because you personally had bad experiences with a few people abusing stimulants? (Also: Not all ADHD meds are stimulants)

ravenstine 3y ago

There's probably some selection bias there. Many people with ADHD aren't so proud as to announce to people that they're on medication. It wouldn't surprise me if the engineers who told you they're on meds are just brogrammers who just take the stimulants for performance rather than to just feel normal. After having spent over a decade in the field, I benefit a lot from taking medication. I've been diagnosed with ADHD twice independently, and was initially opposed to medication. At this point in my life, I simply can't recapture the drive I once had that helped me overcome my dysregulated attention. My meds have helped me to not burn out.