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Something you can start doing right now: exercise and take non-computer breaks. Even 30 minutes of walking around will sharpen your focus. 20 minutes on an elli

Something you can start doing right now: exercise and take non-computer breaks. Even 30 minutes of walking around will sharpen your focus. 20 minutes on an elliptical will be even better. There's ample clinical evidence on how exercise is really helpful with focus and mood. Then, importantly: don't just "talk your doctor into giving you ADD drugs". Go find a good psychiatrist, or at least, a psychiatrist who will give you a proper ADHD assessment and with whom you can work on medication if needed. ADHD assessment takes at least few hours and is far more than just self-reported symptoms and history-based. It typically includes objective attention/executive processing tests and also evaluates you for any other possible conditions. Do you have any anxiety issues? That can very well contribute. Ideally, they would be also able to refer you to a psychologist or coach who would help you figure out what you want and teach you some valuable skills you could use to help yourself. Psychologist can really give you a higher-level picture of what the hell is going on. Basically, go get help. Worst case, you'll learn something, and best case, you'll learn a lot and be happier and more productive.

paul_milovanov 12y ago
Also: regularly do something fun that's not computer-based. Schedule obligatory "play time" and don't tell yourself you "don't deserve it". Treat it like food (or exercise, or sleep): basic survival need.
jrapdx3 12y ago
> Go find a good psychiatrist, ... who will give you a proper ADHD assessment and with whom you can work on medication if needed. ... As one who does the assessing, I'd endorse your advice. It is of utmost importance to rule out concurrent conditions, but it's a fact that "comorbidity is the rule, not the exception". These other conditions like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc., need to be addressed to really solve the problems. > ADHD assessment takes at least few hours ... That's actually an understatement. It may take weeks, months, even years to adequately understand a person's experience and the nature of dysfunction. In this clinical context, there aren't simple tests that reveal the subtleties involved in human behavior, thought and emotion. It requires careful observation, and collaborative communication between the healer and the sufferer to accomplish the task. It's kind of like software development, an incremental process filled with tweaking parameters and testing the result. Usually over time we arrive at a stable and satisfactory working solution, but we'd never pretend it's an "answer", certainly not one that is "permanent". Finally, I look at medication therapy as a tool to achieve a goal. Tools are wonderful and interesting artifacts in their own right, but useful only to the extent we employ them skillfully toward achieving a defined purpose. By themselves medications will not solve the problem, there are many things the patient must practice and learn in order to get better. This is essentially what you said and I think it is spot on.
- paul_milovanov 12y ago
  Thanks! Of course you're right -- I just mentioned several hours worth of non self-reported tests (performed by a psychologist by referral from an MD that has perhaps already taken history and self-reported stuff) because that is at least better than what the vast majority of people with suspected adhd get. Obviously nothing beats an ongoing patient-theurapist relationship where therapist can continuously refine or modify her hypothesis based on totality of data to date. Same thing about meds as tools -- absolutely right and typically misunderstood ☺ Cheers!

paul_milovanov 12y ago

Also: regularly do something fun that's not computer-based. Schedule obligatory "play time" and don't tell yourself you "don't deserve it". Treat it like food (or exercise, or sleep): basic survival need.

jrapdx3 12y ago

> Go find a good psychiatrist, ... who will give you a proper ADHD assessment and with whom you can work on medication if needed. ... As one who does the assessing, I'd endorse your advice. It is of utmost importance to rule out concurrent conditions, but it's a fact that "comorbidity is the rule, not the exception". These other conditions like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc., need to be addressed to really solve the problems. > ADHD assessment takes at least few hours ... That's actually an understatement. It may take weeks, months, even years to adequately understand a person's experience and the nature of dysfunction. In this clinical context, there aren't simple tests that reveal the subtleties involved in human behavior, thought and emotion. It requires careful observation, and collaborative communication between the healer and the sufferer to accomplish the task. It's kind of like software development, an incremental process filled with tweaking parameters and testing the result. Usually over time we arrive at a stable and satisfactory working solution, but we'd never pretend it's an "answer", certainly not one that is "permanent". Finally, I look at medication therapy as a tool to achieve a goal. Tools are wonderful and interesting artifacts in their own right, but useful only to the extent we employ them skillfully toward achieving a defined purpose. By themselves medications will not solve the problem, there are many things the patient must practice and learn in order to get better. This is essentially what you said and I think it is spot on.

paul_milovanov 12y ago
Thanks! Of course you're right -- I just mentioned several hours worth of non self-reported tests (performed by a psychologist by referral from an MD that has perhaps already taken history and self-reported stuff) because that is at least better than what the vast majority of people with suspected adhd get. Obviously nothing beats an ongoing patient-theurapist relationship where therapist can continuously refine or modify her hypothesis based on totality of data to date. Same thing about meds as tools -- absolutely right and typically misunderstood ☺ Cheers!