4 ms·

I think I have ADHD but I am successful at work and have spurts of productivity (and laziness). I feel like I should just keep being the imperfect me.

jclulow 3y ago
I was diagnosed in my 30s. In retrospect, it explains a lot of difficulties I have had for my entire life. I wasn't hyperactive, so they mostly went unnoticed by other people -- it's really hard to know whether your struggles are unusual or not from the vantage point of your own head. I would say that if you feel good and life is working for you, then you don't need to do anything. If your life circumstances change (e.g., for me, our having a child definitely exhausted my ability to grit my teeth and push through my focus issues with all nighters, followed by sleeping all day to recover) then help is generally not far away!
viciousvoxel 3y ago
That's absolutely fine and your choice, and great that you don't feel that you need it, but just for anyone who could benefit from medication and is seeing your comment, it doesn't make you any less "you". Just like wearing glasses won't fundamentally change you but can be pretty helpful if you need them.
- nickburns 3y ago
  that's truly a terrible metaphor. an ADD/ADHD diagnosis is not physiological. and neither myopia nor hyperopia are psychological.
  - MagicMoonlight 3y ago
    It’s caused by the structure of the brain.
    - nickburns 3y ago
      cite?
      - kerkeslager 3y ago
        This is well known enough to be arguably common knowledge, but if you must: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-brain-vs-normal-brain https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-brain-vs-norm...
        nickburns 3y ago
        i'm not particularly convinced by anything there, and certainly not by a mere bulleted "brain structure" nor the section which expounds on it. if i'm being completely honest, i'm not entirely sure what's even meant by the suggestion that ADD/ADHD is 'caused by the structure of the brain.' sentience is 'caused' by the 'structure of the brain.' and?
        kerkeslager 3y ago
        > i'm not particularly convinced by anything there That's fine; I'm not trying to change your mind because you've clearly already decided you know enough facts and aren't going to listen to any new ones. I respond in discussions like this to educate undecided readers. > if i'm being completely honest, i'm not entirely sure what's even meant by the suggestion that ADD/ADHD is 'caused by the structure of the brain.' > sentience is 'caused' by the 'structure of the brain.' and? It's a direct refutation of your wrong claim "an ADD/ADHD diagnosis is not physiological", which you said a few posts back. You know what the word "physiological" means, right? You said it, so it seems like you thought it was important enough to say, but now that it looks wrong you want to say it's not important?
        nickburns 3y ago
        get a grip. i'm obviously not going to engage with that. it was obvious that i shouldn't have even engaged you in the first place. "but if you must": https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - viciousvoxel 3y ago
    Not my metaphor -- it's one used by many doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. ADHD does in fact have a physiological basis. It's a neurological disorder, specifically a neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorder.
    - nickburns 3y ago
      i never denied many people use it. maybe obviously i've heard it many times before myself. i simply offered that i believe it to be terrible. and the rest of what you state is still very much up for medical, scientific, and philosophical debate.
      - viciousvoxel 3y ago
        Weak. If you believe it's up for debate then please refrain from responding with your own opinion like it's scientific fact.
Fourier864 3y ago
I used to think like that, and to some extent I think its good to have some neurodiversity. I do have a relatively successful career after all. That said, the day I randomly decided to try half of a pill of my wifes Adderall changed my life. I knew nothing about Adderall and just expected to just be smarter or something, instead I just...did things without being distracted. I scheduled an oil change, paid some bills, responded immediately to emails, etc. I learned later people with ADHD have a really hard time initiating uninteresting tasks, and the Adderall just obliterated that barrier. I still think I'm largely old imperfect me, but now I don't get sent to collections for forgetting to pay a 5 dollar toll bill any more.
- stemlord 3y ago
  No offense, but you took amphetamine salts once or twice and are now suggesting someone take it as medication? I urge you and your partner to double check how worth-it the long term effects may be to you. In other words, make sure you really suffer an acute ADHD, and be weary of suggesting the drug to others so easily.
  - Fourier864 3y ago
    Sorry, to clarify, after I received a profound effect from the drug I scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with ADHD and I have been on my own prescription ever since.
stemlord 3y ago
I want to chime in and say that you are probably doing the right thing. I was diagnosed with ADD in high school and did the whole adderall and vyvanse thing. Back in the '00s. Those meds are crack lite: they will help you get work done but will take your soul in return. I stopped the meds in college and suffered through my 20s learning how to survive without them. I'm now mid 30s and feel quite normal with the caveat that I require caffeine (I'm used to black tea for now) and an office (wfh is a nightmare) but at least I can live an otherwise normal life. ADHD meds cannot be a permanent solution, so I would stick to your current battles, I think you are most likely doing best for yourself.

jclulow 3y ago

I was diagnosed in my 30s. In retrospect, it explains a lot of difficulties I have had for my entire life. I wasn't hyperactive, so they mostly went unnoticed by other people -- it's really hard to know whether your struggles are unusual or not from the vantage point of your own head. I would say that if you feel good and life is working for you, then you don't need to do anything. If your life circumstances change (e.g., for me, our having a child definitely exhausted my ability to grit my teeth and push through my focus issues with all nighters, followed by sleeping all day to recover) then help is generally not far away!

viciousvoxel 3y ago

That's absolutely fine and your choice, and great that you don't feel that you need it, but just for anyone who could benefit from medication and is seeing your comment, it doesn't make you any less "you". Just like wearing glasses won't fundamentally change you but can be pretty helpful if you need them.

nickburns 3y ago
that's truly a terrible metaphor. an ADD/ADHD diagnosis is not physiological. and neither myopia nor hyperopia are psychological.
- MagicMoonlight 3y ago
  It’s caused by the structure of the brain.
  - nickburns 3y ago
    cite?
    - kerkeslager 3y ago
      This is well known enough to be arguably common knowledge, but if you must: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-brain-vs-normal-brain https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/adhd-brain-vs-norm...
      - nickburns 3y ago
        i'm not particularly convinced by anything there, and certainly not by a mere bulleted "brain structure" nor the section which expounds on it. if i'm being completely honest, i'm not entirely sure what's even meant by the suggestion that ADD/ADHD is 'caused by the structure of the brain.' sentience is 'caused' by the 'structure of the brain.' and?
        kerkeslager 3y ago
        > i'm not particularly convinced by anything there That's fine; I'm not trying to change your mind because you've clearly already decided you know enough facts and aren't going to listen to any new ones. I respond in discussions like this to educate undecided readers. > if i'm being completely honest, i'm not entirely sure what's even meant by the suggestion that ADD/ADHD is 'caused by the structure of the brain.' > sentience is 'caused' by the 'structure of the brain.' and? It's a direct refutation of your wrong claim "an ADD/ADHD diagnosis is not physiological", which you said a few posts back. You know what the word "physiological" means, right? You said it, so it seems like you thought it was important enough to say, but now that it looks wrong you want to say it's not important?
        nickburns 3y ago
        get a grip. i'm obviously not going to engage with that. it was obvious that i shouldn't have even engaged you in the first place. "but if you must": https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- viciousvoxel 3y ago
  Not my metaphor -- it's one used by many doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. ADHD does in fact have a physiological basis. It's a neurological disorder, specifically a neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorder.
  - nickburns 3y ago
    i never denied many people use it. maybe obviously i've heard it many times before myself. i simply offered that i believe it to be terrible. and the rest of what you state is still very much up for medical, scientific, and philosophical debate.
    - viciousvoxel 3y ago
      Weak. If you believe it's up for debate then please refrain from responding with your own opinion like it's scientific fact.

Fourier864 3y ago

I used to think like that, and to some extent I think its good to have some neurodiversity. I do have a relatively successful career after all. That said, the day I randomly decided to try half of a pill of my wifes Adderall changed my life. I knew nothing about Adderall and just expected to just be smarter or something, instead I just...did things without being distracted. I scheduled an oil change, paid some bills, responded immediately to emails, etc. I learned later people with ADHD have a really hard time initiating uninteresting tasks, and the Adderall just obliterated that barrier. I still think I'm largely old imperfect me, but now I don't get sent to collections for forgetting to pay a 5 dollar toll bill any more.

stemlord 3y ago
No offense, but you took amphetamine salts once or twice and are now suggesting someone take it as medication? I urge you and your partner to double check how worth-it the long term effects may be to you. In other words, make sure you really suffer an acute ADHD, and be weary of suggesting the drug to others so easily.
- Fourier864 3y ago
  Sorry, to clarify, after I received a profound effect from the drug I scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with ADHD and I have been on my own prescription ever since.

stemlord 3y ago

I want to chime in and say that you are probably doing the right thing. I was diagnosed with ADD in high school and did the whole adderall and vyvanse thing. Back in the '00s. Those meds are crack lite: they will help you get work done but will take your soul in return. I stopped the meds in college and suffered through my 20s learning how to survive without them. I'm now mid 30s and feel quite normal with the caveat that I require caffeine (I'm used to black tea for now) and an office (wfh is a nightmare) but at least I can live an otherwise normal life. ADHD meds cannot be a permanent solution, so I would stick to your current battles, I think you are most likely doing best for yourself.