I take ADHD meds and find that it definitely dulls my thinking and creative problem solving, but it at least gives me the motivation to actually write code vs. do nothing.
Ideally, I’d have unmedicated days where I just sit and think through problems, and then medicated days where I’d work on the actual implementation. Unfortunately, I just spend all of my time on HN and youtube on my unmedicated days.
> Unfortunately, I just spend all of my time on HN and youtube on my unmedicated days.
I often wonder about this with me. I've got various hallmarks of ADHD (especially after my SO was diagnosed), but generally i'm productive.
In this specific case, i can't figure out if it's something like ADHD that drives this behavior _or_ just normal human avoidance of work i dislike.
Ie i of course don't have this problem when it's an interesting problem. I also tend not to have this problem after i get started, since most larger domains have interesting subdomains. Difficulty (read: vagueness, scope issues, etc) definitely lead to more of this for me though.
ADD is not the lack of focus, it's the lack of executive control over focus. You may have a fantastic, nearly inhuman amount of focus, but without any ability to direct it - if you have something engaging to work on you can work on it to the total exclusion of all else for 12 hours at a time, but if such an engagement isn't present you'll just be pulled in every direction at random. At least, that's how it is for me.
ADHD isn't so much as you are all over the place, its more along the lines of erradic attention. Hyperfocusing on a problem (especially one that is interesting) and being super productive is a common symptom.
Stimulants basically help regulate the dopamine levels so you can context switch easier and spread your attention to more things.
My work around for this is to take a walk without headphones. For me, it means that the only thing I can do is think (can't read, can't watch video, etc). And by the time I've finished a 30 mins walk, I've usually got a bunch of things that I'm enthused about working on.
> I just spend all of my time on HN and youtube on my unmedicated days.
The first times I tried stimulants, after 2-3 hours of euphoric productivity, the effects would wear off but the residual stimulation would be enough to make me continue working and I would always think "hey, I can do this no problem without the stimulants, I just need to push over the hump", but never seemed to work.
A few years in, and yes, I can do without stimulants on easy tasks, but not really on complex stuff.
I also can drive wile not on stimulants and not be a complete nervous mess afterwards, which is a big permanent gain for me.
Also the "OMG, OMG, I'm so screwed by this messup at work, they're going to find me, things are going to crash because of it" changed to "it's going to be ok, things always work out in the end"
the opposite for me, makes it easier for me to solve problem because i can cohesively hold multiple thoughts in my head for long enough for me to see the patterns to be able to understand them, along with the emotional regulation an increase in executive functioning ability that meds help with (which is what adhd really is, not just problems with motivation or bad at concentrating)
but i also work out 5-6 days a week and that + meds have been a huge boon than just meds because it keeps the depression down too, which is what you might be afflicted with because on my rare off days i still can do some work & be motivated
Im the same way. Days are not enough. You basically need to have like an umedicated week to gain your creativity back. I also (2xmicro)dose shrooms (i.e enough where I feel a very very slight trip but can still function).
Ideally, I’d have unmedicated days where I just sit and think through problems, and then medicated days where I’d work on the actual implementation. Unfortunately, I just spend all of my time on HN and youtube on my unmedicated days.