Ask HN: ADHD Symptoms

3 pointsjelan2y ago4 comments

I’m fairly sure I’ve had some kind of ADHD my entire life, but never been treated professionally for it. I’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with how my brain works, but I just feel like it’s running at 98% constantly (mostly with completely useless thoughts and information) and am wondering if I could potentially get more useful cycles out of it with some kind of treatment.

I have some of the classic symptoms such as finding it hard to bring myself to do tasks I’m not interested in, but also having the ability to focus so intensely on more interesting things, always having some kind of music playing in parallel with all other thoughts I’m having, etc…

I feel like it’s starting to affect my work because I think I try to avoid mentally taxing things in some capacity because of this, and it’s also hard to transition in and out of super focus mode once I get there. It’s very hard for me to be present and not thinking about other things or worrying about the future, to the point where if there is any pause in a conversation I’m having I instantly start thinking about something else unrelated.

I’m wondering if anyone else has felt similarly and if treatment helped them? I’ve had friends give me advice that if I’ve made it this far without being on medication for ADHD there is no reason to start now, and I’ve also heard of peoples lives being completely changed for the better because of it.

4 comments

toombowoombo2y ago

Yep, yep. Got that too.

The funny part starts when you realise how little maintenance life needs, compared to the available time in a day. If you’re not there yet, prioritise getting there.

Next step is to let yourself try out increasing numbers of new things. It's not only about trying out new things, it's about increasing the speed at which you try new things. That helps with learning how to learn faster.

New experiences, foods, meeting new people, listening to new music, learning to play/sing new music, smelling new stuff, staying awake at different times of day, walking with different speeds, etc.

I basically use my easily distractable mind to experience and learn from most of my lived seconds.

I used to have many forgettable days and now less so. I make use of all easily available tools/systems that modern technology created for us.

One of the default options is to try medication ([1]). That's ok, but try to delay it until you're ready to understand the effects it has on your mind. I would recommend experiencing with different doses of sugar, cocoa, coffee, alcohol, canabioids, etc. I get a feeling that one needs acquire a taste for paying attention to one's mind. It's a learned ability/skill.

I tried concerta and I liked it (one of my friends has diagnosed adhd and I had access to a safe environment for it). Unfortunately it's quite tedious to get it diagnosed. Way too many delays and people to interact to. Fortunately I found good alternatives in the meantime.

Let me know if I can help with more :D

atcalan2y ago

It's important to properly diagnose ADHD because it shares symptoms with several other diseases. ADHD is primarily a prefrontal cortex issue due to faulty dopamine genetics. Any regulation of executive function is fair game with the disease. This includes task initiation, task salience, future planning, emotional regulation. Attention is really a poor designation, but the disease has been given the imprimatur by the government as a severely life limiting disorder, so name changes are out of the question. Without stimulant medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, the outlook is dim. Get tested and find a treatment regimen with your GP who should be able to coordinate it.

Quinzel2y ago

I don’t think you have ADHD on the basis of your comment about having difficulty being present and worrying about the future. https://www.additudemag.com/time-management-skills-adhd-brai....

But if you’re really concerned you should seek advice from someone qualified to assess whether you have ADHD.

mnky9800n2y ago

go get assessed. why would people on hackernews be able to tell you or not?

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