
A Natural Fix for A.D.H.D.? - elijahparker
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/opinion/sunday/a-natural-fix-for-adhd.html
======
adhd_anon
I have severe inattentive ADHD.

1\. There is absolutely no sympathy: The problem with ADHD is that it is a
disorder of degree not kind. If I had epilepsy or cancer or had some of my
limbs missing then people around me would be supportive and understanding. But
not ADHD. Everybody's mind wanders. Everyone would like to only do interesting
things. Everyone forgets things from time to time. But, the problem is the
degree to which these afflict people with ADHD.

We don't expect someone without legs to walk normally or properly. Yet, when
it comes to the mind we have little patience. Somehow, we expect people to get
their act together. We label them lazy, unmotivated and indisciplined. A
product of poor parenting. We get frustrated that they are not reaching their
full potential. In a way, having ADHD in 2014 is like being Gay or having an
interracial marriage in the 60s or 70s. Ignorant cynical judgmental people
assume that you can will your way out of ADHD through discipline and will
power.

2\. ADHD does give you super powers: Insane creativity. The ability to think
outside the box. The ability to make off the wall zany connections. Always
looking for small advantages and using creativity to your advantage. I use
mnemonics to remember things. I hired people overseas who follow up on
everything I do. I built products that are on track to doing well. When I do
succeed, people write it off as being lucky.

I wish I could write more. But I am actually supposed to be doing something
else right now.

~~~
mfisher87
>I hired people overseas who follow up on everything I do.

Can you expand on this one?

~~~
adhd_anon
Sure. So, I pay like $60 - $70 per month per person. I found highly detail
oriented, responsible and non judgmental individuals via elance.com, guru.com,
taskrabbit (before it changed its model.) I hired two people.

All they have to do it ping me on Skype/Gmail and ping me every hour for a few
hours from Mon - Sat. Once in the morning and 3 to 4 times in the evening. It
just takes them a few seconds. That's it. They will just check in on your
progress and hold you accountable. They will notice patterns and give advice.
Like for ex: If I am not very productive, they will tell me to go to Starbucks
so I can focus. Basically I am outsourcing my executive functioning.

I am constantly on the lookout for tips and tricks that worked for other ADHD
people who became successful. So, this one I picked from Trudie Styler
(Sting's wife). Also it pays to read the comment section of ADHD related
articles because that is a goldmine of useful anecdotal information. There was
this case where the mom complained that the reason her son did well in school
was because he failed a grade and was doing school with along his sister. His
sister kept him on track and followed up with everything he was supposed to
do. Now that he is about to go to college alone, the mom mentioned her fears
about his future. So a combination of these pushed me to build a team around
me that keeps me on track.

~~~
ajolly
This seems very valuable. Would you be willing to share your hiring process,
exactly what you asked of your assistants, ect?

~~~
adhd_anon
I created a profile in the above mentioned sites and posted the job
requirements. I mentioned that I was very disorganized and needed help to keep
me on track. All I needed was someone who would check in on me every hour on
Skype/SMS for a few hours every day. Basically, they would enquire about my
progress and how far I have come in the last 1 hour on a particular task.

As soon as you post the job, you get responses within 30 mins. Now, most
applicants won't even care to modify their prebuilt response templates or even
read the requirements properly. These are easy to weed out. Now, the single
most important characteristic of the person you hire is that they should
_care_ about your success. You don't want someone who just goes through the
motions. You want someone who is assertive and will be your help mate.

After that I made a list of 4 to 5 most important things I wanted to achieve
in my life. (Source: Think and Grow Rich) Then made a list of things I wanted
to achieve in the next 10 years. 5 years. 1 year and 6 months. I emailed these
lists. Then, I made daily, weekly, monthly actionable plans to propel me
towards my goals.

This will give them ( and you ) a rough picture of what it is that you are
trying to do. The thing is that you can ignore a software reminder but it is
difficult to ignore a reminder from another person.

At the end of the day, I get an email report listing all the tasks that I did
and those I skipped.

------
guiambros
It's sad that the article didn't even mention exercise as a potential
treatment for ADHD. The OP implies that kids will simply "grow out" of ADHD,
drugs, or changing the environment may be enough.

While these are valid solutions, exercise may be equally or even more
effective.

John J. Ratey, one of the pioneers of ADHD [1], recently wrote the excellent
_Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain_ [2]. In it,
he explains in colorful details what happens in the brain, and why exercise
may be the best treatment for a bunch of neurochemical imbalances - including
ADHD.

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driven_to_Distraction_(ADHD)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driven_to_Distraction_\(ADHD\))

[2] [http://www.amazon.com/Spark-exercise-improve-performance-
bra...](http://www.amazon.com/Spark-exercise-improve-performance-brain-
ebook/dp/B000SFD21Q/)

~~~
JimboOmega
Exercise is the miracle cure for everything, it would seem.

Though it'd be a moderate help if we could agree on what "counts as exercise"
\- a 15 minute walk? Resistance training (how many sets/reps)? HIIT? The fads
can be tough on the average person who just wants health.

~~~
guiambros
The book ( _Spark_ , link above) analyzes a handful of studies comparing the
correlation between the type and duration of exercise, and its effects.

In short: you won't see any long lasting benefits from a single 15min. The
best results were achieved at 75-85% of your aerobic capacity, at least a
couple of hours per week (total).

You can also benefit from mixing simple aerobic exercises with others that
require more coordination and fine movement of your body - martial arts, for
example.

------
kurage
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 12. Classic, "textbook" example of one. I
felt like it was a curse until I was about 20. I was put on Focalin, Ritalin,
Adderall, Vyvanse over those years.. they all made me calm and focused.
Without my meds, I used to live in my head all day, theorizing how the
universe and neurons work.. playing with ideas, twisting shapes in my mind. I
was also prone to depression, anxiety, and I hated dealing with emotions.

Then one day, when I was about 23, I did LSD and cannabis together. My whole
world came crashing down, and I realized that ADHD was a label that limited my
true potential, and made me judgmental of "neurotypicals". After my trip, I
realized that I lost about 75% of my visual-spatial ability (I felt out of it
for a year or so as I missed having that ability), but I also felt more at
peace, open-minded, and in the present moment. I also became a "doer", rather
than a "thinker". I do not use any meds at all now; I meditate in the morning
for at least 20 minutes, and try to run at least once a week.

With that said, I still like variety, and am a jack of all trades. Last time I
did freelance, I loved doing marketing research, design, coding, programming
and social media.

~~~
ahknight
That's an interesting story. I've read that even one use of LSD can alter the
brain (similar to this: [http://www.livescience.com/16287-mushrooms-alter-
personality...](http://www.livescience.com/16287-mushrooms-alter-personality-
long-term.html)).

~~~
kurage
I took a small dose of shrooms few months ago; it made me closer to nature,
and it got rid of my porn/fapping addiction. I really think that psychedelics
have the potential to "round" people out.

------
rayalez
It's weird and frustrating that people label many abnormalities as "diseases".

When I read a list of ADHD symptoms I keep asking myself - how is that a bad
thing? Being bored doing unenjoyable tasks, hating homework, "Not seem to
listen when spoken to",Struggle to follow instructions,Dash around, touching
or playing with anything and everything in sight, Have trouble sitting still
during school and homework, Be constantly in motion, Have difficulty doing
quiet tasks or activities....

These sound like symptoms of being a kid...

~~~
funkyy
I knew a kid that had ADHD. Unfortunately it was just a label - way for a kid
to get everything. The kid didn't had ADHD imo, he was just spoiled and his
parents were failing to do any parenting. The kid would eat whole mountain of
sweets, drink cola all day, play games and scream and cry whenever he was
prohibited something. In school he wasnt interested in learning and he
basically would do nothing or play portable games all day. He would also not
care for others and his needs would be always #1 before anything else.

Parents were really protective of him so they would fight with teachers
whenever they would try to do something about it. The kid seemed to be pretty
smart and he got all this figured out and used it a lot. But whenever he would
be with people he didnt knew in a room, or with no-bullshit people, he would
be actually quiet and behaving very good.

 _SOME_ ADHD cases sounds like just putting label on failed parenting to shut
parents and avoid being sued by them for not doing any proper parenting.

~~~
DonHopkins
Somebody was reading a list of ADHD warning signs to me from some self help
book, which all perfectly described a mutual friend of ours: things like
"interrupts other people while they're talking", "doesn't return phone calls",
"no respect for authority", "always wants to be the center of attention", etc.
I asked, "Maybe they're just an asshole? Isn't it possible to be an asshole
without having ADHD?"

Oh, all right, I'll admit: it was really all about me. ;)

~~~
funkyy
People LOVE to put labels on things. In many cases ADHD is one of them. This
hurts people that REALLY have ADHD though.

------
heurist
So how do you do this in software? Consulting? Startup? I'm a couple years
into my first software development job out of school and barely get through
the moderate amount of work that's assigned to me right now. I'm afraid of
switching to another development job where more would be expected of me
(consulting! startups!). Without having these problems under control I may not
be reliable despite my talent.

Over the last month or so I've been reading up on product management and it
sounds like a good fit. Interact with people, track markets, discover
problems, craft creative solutions, have other people figure out the exact
implementation... Lately I've been trying to discover broad problems and their
solutions in my current position, and it seems to be helping (helps me feel
like I'm actually contributing, at least). I don't know any product managers
to talk to about their day-to-day stuff though. Has anyone with ADHD found
that to be a good career path?

~~~
Swannie
Hah. Sounds very familiar. Get yourself in a customer facing role ASAP. This
was the advice given to me by a director of product management, who went on to
be the GM of our division, and now CEO of a well regarded UK startup.

I switched to delivery consulting after almost 4 years of product dev, and
wished I'd done it sooner. There are so many more things to concern yourself
with than straight dev work, that your AD(H)D can be a massive advantage.

On the other hand, you will need to teach yourself how to "cut corners" that
is antithetical to a software engineering/product maintaining programmer. It's
not actually cutting corners, but making calls about when the deliverable
should be in the customer's hands with some known design flaws, vs. stuck in
beta whilst you wrestle with the extendability.

Now, after a number of years in customer facing roles, technically leading
$1M+ programs, I'm thinking about the move to product management. Looking
back, I'd have been a crappy junior PM if I'd jumped straight across.

I've seen people with ADD thrive in the "technical marketing", "demo
developer", "internal system's engineer" roles, as they are constantly solving
different problems, often with little to no requirement to get it right,
document it, or look after their hacks. It does require strong (technical)
communication skills, though.

~~~
heurist
Thank you for your advice. Those are the roles I feel drawn to so it's nice to
hear some validation of those tendencies :) I'll keep an eye out for them.

------
oddtarball
This article's premise is built on an incorrect understanding of "treating" or
"fixing" or "losing" (symptoms).

If: baseline x is underwhelming to the point of painful boredom Else: baseline
y is higher and therefore satisfyingly stimulating

Then the fundamental problem of a lacking reward system for "normal" (x)
baseline activity remains unresolved.

I have ADHD and decided to try medication for the first time only a few years
ago (in my 20's). Sure, keeping things "interesting" and "new" can trick one's
mind into paying additional attention towards the daily grind, but not for one
second does that mean that ADHD would be resolved.

To make a more clear point, let's apply this thinking to another context:
Murderers would be cured if there weren't anyone to murder, right? No. You're
supposed to solve problems, not symptoms.

~~~
warfangle
That's the thing, I think. Treatment (both cognitive behavioral therapy and
chemical) has enabled me to get on with my life in so many ways.

It's not about getting rid of the symptoms - they're still there. It's about
knowing when your symptoms are getting the better of you -- and taking agency
over them. If my brain is a wall of TV's all tuned to different channels with
the volume turned to 11, adderal finally gave me a clicker to be able to turn
all but one off. Or, at least, mute.

And in many ways, I'm glad I'm not asymptomatic on medication: many of the
downsides of ADHD can actually be huge, huge upsides. I thought it would kill
my creative problem solving, going on meds: if anything, it's put it into
overdrive. Instead of stashing something in my subconscious and hoping a
solution percolates up a few minutes, hours, days, or weeks later ... I can
pick up the puzzle, look at it, really concentrate and think about it. It's a
life changing thing to realize what it's like to actually ruminate on a
problem. On the other hand, I still make the zany off the wall connections
between two problems that let me come up with a solution to both of them.

Instead of hoping for the luck of the draw, though, I can stack the deck.

~~~
oddtarball
I 100% agree. People think ADD/ADHD is "resolved" on meds, but it's not the
case. They started me on 27mg of Concerta, then 54mg, then I was (thankfully)
moved to Vyvanse and titrated my way up to 60mg. The story hasn't changed -
it's still valuable to leverage the downsides into strength. An ADD/ADHD brain
is certainly a chaotic one, but going on meds has enabled me to do better
planning/execution and to actually complete tasks. Your wall of TVs analogy is
great - I often describe my head as the similar murmur you hear from a crowd.
Thoughts are like white noise where it's nearly impossible to pick the right
one out, let alone stay with it for a while when it's so easy to hear
everything else on top of it.

Not to sound skitzo, but I think the meds do a great job of quieting that
noise. While medicated, I have the ability to plan a task or project, execute
each step, and actually stick with it to the end. It's still possible to get
off task, and perhaps worse if you do (since then you're REALLY focused on
being off task), but the meds still help me think. But that is where it stops.
They don't resolve problems - they provide most of the tools needed to change
the way you think so you can work on resolving them yourself.

Now, to the popular point of diet and exercise; I'm sure it's a mix of
improved medication delivery, the natural stress relief, and the endorphin
benefit that comes with it - but eating well and regularly exercising seems to
amplify the medication's benefit by 15-20%. Those two things are marginally
helpful without meds, along with several other "natural remedies" that I have
tried, but I think a combination of all of the above is key.

My original point was just that the article makes it sound like symptoms
should be treated via introducing new parts to the equation which ultimate
distract people from boring situations. Yet, ADD/ADHD in its TRUE FORM works
100% independent of one's desire to pay attention. The argument of "BUT VIDEO
GAMES ARE FINE SO IT'S CLEARLY CHOICE" is 100% falsified by Dr. Thomas E
Brown's research. He provides such excellent insight - I am so fortunate to
have met him.

I'll close this novel of a post with an analogy made by Dr. Brown when we met:

"Picture a massive old wooden sailboat with dozens of crew frantically
fighting to pull the sails, keep up with the demands of their job, etc. Non-
ADD/ADHD folk can get a benefit from medication, but it just speeds up both
the captain and crew. ADD/ADHD folk, on the other hand, are instead sailing
through a terrible storm at a much faster pace than normal and can hardly see
- but the crew still keep up with their jobs. The captain is the problem. In
this case, the captain is the only one sped up by the meds, and suddenly, no
matter how chaotic and messy that voyage is, it's all under control."

------
barsonme
I'd say one of the causes for over-medication is the lack of willingness of
both parents and children to work on ways to succeed without use of
medication.

I have (fairly bad) ADHD and my doctor did give me medicine, but only half the
light dosage of Strattera, which isn't a stimulant.

Long story short, I ended up hating feeling comatose from the medicine so much
I began to work through my ADHD by structuring my life and finding things I
was actually interested in.

But it would've been so easy to give me some Adderall and let me just do my
thing, which I believe a lot of parents and doctors do. It's the quick and
easy route, but arguably worse in the long run when the children grow up to be
adults dependent on managing their ADHD with a crutch instead of on their own.

~~~
silencio
I'm not sure I agree with calling drugs a "crutch".

Nobody in their right mind would tell me that Singulair or Dulera is a crutch
for my asthma. Nobody would call albuterol inhalers overprescribed or asthma
overdiagnosed either. My allergist always has to tell me not to work my life
around my triggers past a certain point too. Yet I hear it all the time about
the Adderall and Vyvanse I used to take, and about ADHD. All. the. time.

I have pretty bad ADHD too. My parents didn't want to put me on any meds, so I
learned all the coping mechanisms the hard and expensive way _and_ feel that I
lost out on a lot of opportunities when I was younger as a result. It's the
only childhood issue I still hold a grudge over. When I could finally do
whatever I wanted, I felt like a huge burden was lifted with meds because I
never stopped struggling with said coping mechanisms anyway. Including stuff
like "take a shower" and "eat lunch" on my daily-todo HabitRPG checklist.

Unfortunately I'm trying to get pregnant and had to get off almost everything,
so now I'm back to digging myself into a hole, getting frustrated with even my
non-standard and fun life. If it wasn't for the fact that I have a partner to
rely on, I probably would be telling my obgyn to go fuck herself about her
judgment call regarding non-stimulant ADHD meds known to be safe. ADHD is a
huge negative impact on my life, and I'd even qualify it as being worse than
something potentially life-threatening like asthma >:P

Obviously not everyone is the same, and abuse is definitely a problem. That
doesn't equate to a crutch IMO. Not to mention there's a million other
problems in the way, one in the US being a lack of accessible and affordable
quality health care so people with ADHD can easily get help with non-
medication options...

~~~
ahknight
I watched a talk by Dr. Barkley a while back and he had a wonderful way of
phrasing it (paraphrased): "Suppose you had a person in a wheelchair who
needed in your building. Would you build a ramp and then after 30 days take it
down, saying 'Well, by now they should have figured out how to get into the
building.' NO! It's a remedy for a handicap. Neither should you deny
medication to someone with another kind of handicap when they need it."

After I let that sink in I suddenly didn't give a crap about the anti-pharma
crowd. I have what I need and it helps me, so fuck 'em.

And yes, without it the daily routine isn't one. Completely there.

~~~
chimeracoder
> After I let that sink in I suddenly didn't give a crap about the anti-pharma
> crowd. I have what I need and it helps me, so fuck 'em.

Unfortunately the anti-pharma crowd is actively making it more difficult for
you to access your medication, by placing increasingly strict controls on
access to Adderall and other Schedule II drugs, placing quotas on production
(which cause medication shortages[0]), and other measures to 'combat overuse'.

Of course, the only people this actually hurts are people who need the
medication on a daily basis and only use legal means to access it, whereas
people who abuse/'overuse' it simply stock up ahead of time, or turn to the
black market.

[0] [http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/anatomy-of-the-great-
addera...](http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/anatomy-of-the-great-adderall-
drought)

------
darrenkopp
For the past few years I've taken both Adderall and Vyvanse, with the past 2
years being Vyvanse. I thought I would be taking these drugs for the rest of
my life if I wanted to be successful, because when I didn't take them, I could
not focus on work tasks at all. However, the "cost" of these drugs for me was
that I couldn't turn off. I was driven from the time I woke up to the time I
went to bed. My social life definitely suffered.

So, as I started a new job this year in January, I decided to make a clean
break. I quit Vyvanse cold turkey and started a new job. I've been doing
exceptionally. I never thought this could happen. Thinking back on the issue
just yesterday I was telling a colleague that I thought this was likely
because I must have been bored with the tasks at my previous job, and I've
found all the new tasks to be interesting enough to bring out what I consider
great performance from myself, though not the insane amount of performance I
was doing on Vyvanse.

Anecdotal at best, but I independently came to the same conclusions as this
article, for whatever it's worth.

------
mvlad
"In short, people with A.D.H.D. may not have a disease, so much as a set of
behavioral traits that don’t match the expectations of our contemporary
culture."

~~~
Argorak
On a positive note, there are A.D.(H.)D. symptoms that do have upsides and can
be worked around very cleverly.

Still, there are some that squarely fall into the problematic kind, for
example the problem to go back to a task when disturbed (instead of Task A ->
disturbed with Task B -> Task A, you go Task A -> Task B -> Task C) or the
tendency to avoid mentally taxing task.

------
whiddershins
> Nor am I saying we that should not use stimulant medications like Adderall
> and Ritalin, which are safe and effective and very helpful to many kids with
> A.D.H.D.

are they really safe and effective? I've taken these after being diagnosed
with ADHD as an adult, and although I believe they are quite effective, I am
really surprised they give these drugs to young children. I would not.

------
emcarey
I'm an adult woman with adhd and it's definitely been an advantage as an
entrepreneur. When I hyper focus on our company, brilliant things happen
because I can think out of the box and my passion and obsession for our
product has my undivided attention. Needing to constantly shift work
environments, go for walks, and multitask has worked well for me in my startup
life. However, in my former corporate life, it was at times crippling and
embarrassing. I really appreciated this article because it elevates the need
for those with adhd to choose the work environment best fit for their
behavioral needs and hopefully sheds light to a wider audience that adhd is in
fact 'a real thing'. In a previous corporate role, when i spoke to HR about my
daily struggle working in an office environment with tv's on and lots of cubes
with loud people talking, they didn't take me seriously and just thought it
was a 'millennial' problem. I had to work saturday nights and sundays just to
complete my work because during the work week it was so difficult to focus
with all the surrounding noise. I lied to my manager about all my weekend work
because she down played the very realness my adhd had on my ability to focus
like I was making it up. I hope this article brings to light that many people
do suffer from adhd and to take their work environment requests seriously. I
hope it also encourages those with adhd to be more vocal about it.

~~~
kpennell
I worked at an office park in the SF peninsula for a year and see now why I
was the guy always going out exploring. I'd ride my bike around, found out we
could get on the roof, checked out all the wetlands surroundings, and asked a
whole lot of questions on Quora. Haha, I was the wacky energetic guy. Some of
the stuff I had to do just about bored me to tears.

------
austenallred
I was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age, and have been doing battle with
my attention span for most of my life. I had only read a half dozen books all
the way through when I graduated from High School, despite reading at a
college reading level before I was out of elementary school and having started
hundreds of them. The few books that I had read included Les Miserables and
War and Peace, both of which I binge-read over a period of a few days, barely
allowing myself to eat and rarely allowing myself to shower while I read them.
The other ones were Frindle, Tangerine, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night Time, and Catcher in the Rye. They were completely consuming. My
addiction to video games was so intense and so severe that they were outright
banned at my house. I was terrible at school, skipping more than half of my
classes, but tested in the 99th percentile for standardized testing, learning
a lot of what I should have learned in school by deduction as I was taking the
test. That allowed me to get into college, which I later dropped out of,
electing instead to buy a one-way ticket to China unsure if I would ever come
back. Basically I was either 0% engaged in something or 110%, and if I wasn't
engaged it felt like no matter how hard I fought I couldn't force myself to
care.

The turning point came when I was living in eastern Ukraine serving a Mormon
mission. As per the mission rules, the only books we read were scriptural, we
only used a computer for 30 minutes a week to email home, and in my particular
mission I spent 90% of my time, every minute from 11 AM to 9 PM (except for a
one-hour dinner) walking around, talking to people in the streets.

I don't know if it was age or that I was finally rid of the many stimulants I
used to have, but my mind just slowed down. I concentrated on _everything_ ,
and, perhaps especially because I was speaking Russian, I could literally
recall every word of every conversation I had. I sat down in the mornings and
studied the intricacies of the Russian language for an hour straight without
blinking an eye. I read the Old Testament cover to cover; something that would
have made me literally pull my hair out just a year earlier.

Then I went home. I got an iPhone, I got on the Internet, and it all came
back. I try to limit the stimulants, (I've become very minimalistic), and I
usually spend a lot of the morning with a calmer mind, but... I work online. I
love the Internet. And I haven't yet been able to calm my mind like it was for
those two years.

It may be a matter of self-control - it probably is, but learning to program
is incredibly painful. 10 minutes at a time sometimes with an incredible
number of stops and starts.

I don't know what the answer is, nor do I pretend that I can project my
experience onto some greater understanding of what ADHD is, how to defeat it,
or if it needs defeating, but the experience of feeling like I could finally
do all the things I wanted to do because I didn't have anything else to
stimulate me was fascinating, and it may be valuable to someone else.

~~~
ahknight
Similar story here: early age, 0 or 100, high tests and little completion. The
difference is I've been programming for most of my life (I'm not exaggerating;
I started at 7y). It's likely because I started so young that I find that's my
hyper focus outlet, though I still find that every time I try to learn Java it
feels so painful I break something and run away (though I know C, C++, Obj-C,
Swift, Python, PHP, Perl, shell, and even some Forth). Don't get me wrong, I
know exactly two people that like Java and everyone else says it's painful,
but they can do it anyway. I simply cannot. My mind shuts off and boycotts the
information until the topic changes. It's infuriating.

Having anything at all near me that supplies instant gratification
(electronics, mainly) puts me in what I call "hunted mode". That is, I'm
itching for something to switch my attention to and very easily distracted.
When I remove such things and engage with the world (and turn off or DND my
devices -- important) then I seem to enter "hunter mode" where I can put my
focus where it needs to be and hold it.

So, of course I become a professional software developer, right?

Adderall lets me work. Turning shit off when I get home lets me live. Paper
books let me read (ebooks for reference, though; I'm not a Luddite).

Which is to say: I'm with ya, and you're right about environmental sensory
stimulants. But you're kind of wrong about it being a matter of self control.
It is, but the problem is that you (we) lack the control of self-control.
That's the nasty thing the article doesn't go into. This is an Executive
Function disorder, a "cousin" disorder to things on the Autism scale (ever
read a list of those symptoms and check off an uncomfortable few?). That's why
we wind up medicated. We do need that dopamine to hang around to push through
the daily administrivia.

Yet, the article was right that outside of city life this would be great. But
I'm a city guy, so ... yeah.

~~~
schalab
The article insinuates that the core problem is the higher base line of
stimulus required for motivation.

How does Adderall fix this?

Do you feel mundane repetitive tasks are more rewarding now?

What about tasks that would feel great even without the medication? Do they
overload your circuits then?

Am curious as to how the drug manifests itself in your day to day routine.

~~~
molsongolden
Sp3000 made a relevant comment in response to this but he may be hellbanned as
it came up dead.

The article cites research into dopamine receptor issues in those with ADHD
and I believe adderall works to inhibit reuptake so you have more dopamine in
circulation than you would normally.

I can't speak for everyone but personally it is never a matter of "this feels
rewarding and this doesn't". It's more being able to function vs. not being
able to function. Without medication "I know I need to do these things, man I
should really do these things, look at this list I made of things I need to
do" which can spiral into what may be depression when the things don't get
done, people get let down, etc... Whereas with medication you are just able to
do what you need/want to do.

With unmanaged ADHD I have many ideas and desires that would be rewarding to
complete but I am frequently just unable to perform.

~~~
blincoln
It's exactly the same for me.

The article seems to be making a case that people with ADHD should find things
to do with their life that don't conflict with their condition.

I think "we have the technology" to give people the ability to alter their
brain chemistry to let them do things they wouldn't be able to otherwise, and
having that choice available or those who want to take advantage of it is
better than not having it.

------
ajcarpy2005
Essential Fatty Acids play a role. It's not productive to focus on just one
causal factor normally but EFA deficiency is quite common because of:

1\. maligning of dietary fats

2\. high cost of fish relative to other foods

3\. time and effort required to cook eggs in morning and the tremendous
marketing investments in easier but ultimately unsustainable 'foods'

It's a shame that so much knowledge about human health goes to waste because
of either ignorance or misplaced priorities.

~~~
54mf
[Citation Needed]

~~~
ajcarpy2005
I'm not against citations but obviously it would be nice if we were amply
schooled in the biological functions of dietary nutrients so that the
knowledge was just more tacit.

On some level it feels like you're asking me to link to a proof that
a<sup>2</sup> \+ b<sup>2</sup> = c<sup>2</sup> solves for the hypotenuse of a
triangle.

To learn about EFA's and their general function:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_fatty_acid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_fatty_acid)

Here's a start: <i>CONCLUSION: The ratio of membrane omega-3 to omega-6 PUFAs
can be modulated by dietary intake. This ratio influences neurotransmission
and prostaglandin formation, processes that are vital in the maintenance of
normal brain function.</i> <b>Source:</b>
[http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12728744](http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/12728744)

Some medical observations about EFA deficiency symptoms include: <i>Symptoms
of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart
problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation. It is important to
have the proper ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in
the diet.</i> <b>Source:</b>
[http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/omega3-fatty...](http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/omega3-fatty-
acids)

Notice the fatigue and poor memory.

Sources studying links between EFA's & ADHD:

[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584601...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584601002548)
(positive correlation found)

[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23574158](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23574158)
(this study doesn't include the term ADHD at all but it does speak of the need
for EFA's in hippocampal neurogenesis, the common clinical finding of
hippocampal atrophy in depressed patients, and the finding that EFA
administration gives a statistically significant improvement in depressed
patients in clinical trials. The reason this matters for our purposes is
because the hippocampus

<b>Hippocampus and amygdala morphology in attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder.</b> <i>The enlarged hippocampus in children and adolescents with
ADHD may represent a compensatory response to the presence of disturbances in
the perception of time, temporal processing (eg, delay aversion), and stimulus
seeking associated with ADHD. Disrupted connections between the amygdala and
orbitofrontal cortex may contribute to behavioral disinhibition. Our findings
suggest involvement of the limbic system in the pathophysiology of ADHD. </i>
<b>Source:</b>
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818869](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818869)

OK, admittedly, I didn't know or expect to find that people with ADHD often
have an !ENLARGED Hippocampus. This doesn't mean that EFA's aren't part of the
problem/solution equation though.

Just knowing that the amygdala is involved should also cause us to form
hypotheses about traumatic memories and anxiety type issues being co-involved
with ADHD (struggle with learning, self-control of behavior)

Dietary studies are indicated to determine if essential fatty acid
supplementation can influence central nervous system serotonin and dopamine
metabolism and modify impulsive behaviors related to these neurotransmitters.
Source:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715354](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715354)

[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18019397](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18019397)

[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15925295](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15925295)

The brain is sufficiently complex and interconnected that when you see
problems like ADHD (which generally seem to be very
treatable/preventable/reversible with certain dietary choices rather than
inherent structural problems from birth/genetics) strongly expressed in a
person then you can be pretty sure that a large portion of nutrients which
relate to brain development and health are either deficient or otherwise not
being metabolized normally.

One of the first things IMO that should happen when trying to provide
treatment for patients with any disease should be to question them about their
diet and emphatically educate them on the critical and irreplaceable role of
the different nutrients and how a lack of them may be effecting them.
(commonly green vegetables, seafood, healthy fats, Magnesium...etc.)

The diet of most Americans in the last few decades may have increased in
calories but I think it's become less diverse and inclusive in essential
nutrition. This is arguably the cause of the rise in behavioral and mood
disorders among our youth.

------
pulkitpulkit
Interesting that the article goes down the route of providing more stimulus to
help treat ADHD.. wonder if there's also a case for reducing our need for more
stimuli (e.g. with mindfulness or meditation) or whether that's just too
against the grain of how we are moving as a society (in to a more digital,
multi-tasked world)

~~~
toodles1234
> wonder if there's also a case for reducing our need for more stimuli (e.g.
> with mindfulness or meditation)

A study was done in Australia ten years ago on a type of meditation that
encourages you to be more mindful to see what effect it can have on ADHD.
Children were able to reduce or even cut out their medication completely after
completing the meditation program.

[http://ccp.sagepub.com/content/9/4/479.abstract](http://ccp.sagepub.com/content/9/4/479.abstract)

[http://www.m.sahajayogaportal.org/papers/manocha.pdf](http://www.m.sahajayogaportal.org/papers/manocha.pdf)
(non-paywall link)

------
jvdh
I have only experienced ADHD second hand, my partner has been diagnosed with
it years ago, and a good friend of mine as well. I recognise the "coping
mechanisms" with alcohol, and the frustration of getting mundane things done.

The article suggests that the intense concentration or "hyperfocus" they have
when they find something interesting can be used to their advantage. Both my
partner and friend have gotten into occupations where they can do this. But
there will always be mundane things that have to get done as well. Everyone
has to pay taxes, and has to watch their spending. Few people like to do this,
but almost everyone has to. Having a thrilling job does not alleviate you from
these things.

So yes, it can probably help somewhat, but it can't "fix" ADHD completely.

~~~
Swannie
Yes. Paperwork, taxes, expenses, etc. _sigh_.

No amount of structure can remove the fact that they are inherently extremely
unrewarding, and even staring out the window offers more rewards. The stick
just doesn't seem to work for my ADD inclined mind - never has.

------
bayesianhorse
This unscientific narrative is dangerous. ADHD can go away over the years,
without medication. But you can't predict it, and there is no evidence for
particular causes of "remission".

More stimulation is hardly the answer to the social problems arising from
ADHD, to drug addictions or a myriad of other problems patients have. It
certainly doesn't work against depression, and good luck curing 5-10% of
children just by "stimulating" them more.

Coping with ADHD means improving Attention and Focus. The single most
effective way is medication. Additionally mindfulness/awareness meditation has
been shown to work. Other activities like martial arts or dancing may have
similar effects, but less reliably so.

------
myrandomcomment
I take my 54mg of Concerta (time released Ritalin - methylphenidate - ie, pure
government speed) every morning.

6th startup now? They hit about 100 people and I move on. Wonder why?

Job wise in the startup I am the "fixer". The get it done guy. I wonder why?

------
elijahparker
Excerpt from article:

Another patient of mine, a 28-year-old man, was having a lot of trouble at his
desk job in an advertising firm. Having to sit at a desk for long hours and
focus his attention on one task was nearly impossible. He would multitask,
listening to music and texting, while “working” to prevent activities from
becoming routine.

Eventually he quit his job and threw himself into a start-up company, which
has him on the road in constantly changing environments. He is much happier
and — little surprise — has lost his symptoms of A.D.H.D.

~~~
ahknight
Having worked at an ad agency and startups, if you can find an interesting
startup you're going to be in a much easier place when it comes to motivation.
It may not solve everything, but it'll make things easier.

------
mercurialshark
I'm glad the article spoke to specific regional recruitment issues in the
brain and evolutionary advantages. As someone who was diagnosed at a young age
and retain the condition through adulthood, it wasn't until I understood the
evolutionary advantages to not being able to quiet regions of the brain not
involved in the specific activity - that I learned how to self-learn.

Long story short, it's not just the testing conditions in which it's
beneficial to not be in a class-room setting, but the learning phase too.
Essentially, I'm completely worthless trying to absorb new information in a
room full of people. It's nearly impossible to not be conscious of those
around me. However, at home - where I can control environmental factors -
everything changes. I am not forced to be reactive and can happily concentrate
- even with other portions of the brain remaining active (listening,
wondering, whatever).

------
ohyes
I've never been diagnosed but I'm bored all of the time. I'm almost 30. I've
been fairly successful in jobs where I'm learning new stuff all the time. Is
it possible I'm ADD?

Edit: I got bored halfway through the article.

~~~
adhdthrowawy
Do you find routines to be near impossible to establish / follow (eating
breakfast, waking up within the same two hour period, taking a shower, etc.)?
Are you unable to remember anything without a constantly visible list /
alerting system? Do certain irrelavant noises cause you to instantly lose all
concentration? Do you have a tendency to forget to pay bills for months while
racking up several hundred or thousand dollars in fees? Do your relationships
suffer as you often go months without remembering to talk to close friends?
Are you usually 5 - 10 minutes late for all meetings and social functions due
to an inability to accurately predict durations and intervals of time?

Maybe then!

~~~
ohyes
Yes, this is basically all descriptive of me :( the relationships thing hits
the nail on the head and has been a recurring problem.

------
amelius
I think I'm having the exact reverse problem. My focus at work is very good,
but I feel anxiety levels going up during the day. Drinking coffee sends my
anxiety through the roof. Also I'm often so concentrated on things happening
_inside_ my head, that I forget to pay attention to the outside world. This is
especially problematic when talking to other people (that talk slowly), or in
traffic.

Probably these symptoms are not so bad when compared to ADHD, but at times I
just wish there was a (preferably natural) medicine to deal with this.

~~~
ericabiz
You may want to look into the PI variant of ADHD (primarily inattentive.) It's
the "daydreamer" type, but you aren't hyperactive. See more details at
[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivi...](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder_predominantly_inattentive)

It isn't unusual to have generalized anxiety or a specific anxiety disorder in
addition to ADHD.

Definitely see a psychiatrist to get an official diagnosis--it will help you
feel better just knowing what you have. Also, I'd recommend seeing a doctor
and getting a physical done too. You may have something physical that is
causing the anxiety.

I have both ADHD and anxiety. I went to a psychiatrist and got an ADHD
diagnosis. In addition, blood tests plus followup tests done by my doctor
showed Graves' disease--a thyroid autoimmune disorder that causes anxiety.

Having both of these diagnosed and seeking treatment has provided me with a
lot of relief. I strongly recommend you do the same.

------
lnanek2
The article wonders at the huge increase in diagnoses that mysteriously
disappear in adulthood, but if the author had spent some time at college
recently he'd know that Adderall is seen as THE way to ace tests and study
more.

It isn't difficult to walk into a doctors office and act and say the right way
and things to get your prescription after you get tired of buying it off
friends, either.

------
Xcelerate
Well huh. I'd never thought I had ADHD, just a complete inability to motivate
myself to do things. However, the descriptions in this article describe me
perfectly! Everything seems dull, I'm constantly seeking new experiences, the
idea of a daily routine terrifies me (even though my father keeps encouraging
me to develop one), but I can play piano for an entire day.

~~~
jacques_chester
Ask to see a psychiatrist. A proper diagnosis will require a history going
back to childhood.

I'm 33, I was diagnosed about a year ago. It's made a positive difference on
my life.

~~~
throwaway9387
I'm 32.

I've spent at least two decades depressed at my inability to get things done.

Earlier this summer, I tried to talk to my psychiatrist about my inability to
reign my focus, and how that was severely impacting my life and my ability to
accomplish my goals. Her responses both times were dismissive, that "No one
likes doing boring things." Obviously... but the things I'd mentioned weren't
boring to me. I had no idea how to help her understand.

Do you have any suggestions for talking to a psychiatrist?

~~~
jacques_chester
I think you should see a different psychiatrist.

------
justifier
i come from a generation where adhd is vocalised using a cash register chime,
so i aggressively avoid acknowledging the diagnosis stead the syndromes

> My patient “treated” his [distraction'boredom'frustration'creative
> depletion] simply by changing the conditions of his work environment from
> one that was highly routine to one that was varied and unpredictable. All of
> a sudden, his greatest liabilities — his impatience, short attention span
> and restlessness — became assets.

i developed a similar work environment.. i called it distracting my
distractions

i often have multiple projects i want to work on with varied goals and
requirements and if i start to lull while working i just shift to another
project

i used to do this when i was a younger when reading

i would have many books open and scattered on my floor, all open to different
pages

my friends might start reading a book at the same time as me and finish the
book in one week what took me a four weeks to finish, but after that four
weeks was over i would have finished reading three other books as well, each
finishing at the end of that four weeks

books are really easy to build productive workflows around: you can
immediately determine speed and pace based on time it takes to read the second
page and how long the book is; with projects it is more difficult, i may get
stuck on one function for hours and another will come out of me effortlessly,
it is a now a matter of correctly recognising when i've begun to sludge
signalling i should move to another project

most recently i have been taking breaks from work every thirty minutes or so,
unless i am whistling through something, and get up and stretch, while giving
my back and butt the rest i try to analyse my progress since the last stretch
and determine if a project shift would do me good

------
jamesisaac
This is pretty much the same approach I took to largely overcome ADHD-like
symptoms. I happen to believe that, if you've fallen into a routine, it's time
to re-evaluate, anyway - so the tactic of engineering a more stimulating
environment seems like a great idea regardless.

~~~
ahknight
> overcome ADHD-like symptoms

First, good for you -- really!

Second, it's _very_ important in discussions like this to qualify the target
audience. A LOT of people have SOME of the symptoms, even to levels that
impair their lives. NOT a lot of those people have full-blown ADHD.

If you have SOME symptoms and things like that help you, that's fantastic. In
my direct and social experiences, however, those with clinical ADHD diagnoses
are _assisted_ with such suggestions, but very rarely do they improve things
to the point that there is no longer a significant impairment to that person's
life. THAT is when medication is a good fit: clinical diagnosis, life and
environment changes haven't significantly helped, and there is still a
negative impairment on one's life.

~~~
jamesisaac
I realise there are others that likely have much more severe manifestations of
the symptoms than me, but I don't think it's quite as black and white as
you're making out. Surely the line you describe as "full-blown clinical ADHD"
is somewhat arbitrary, when the symptoms exist on a spectrum?

I didn't attempt to get myself diagnosed, but yes, it was a significant
impairment towards my life, and yes, there still is quite a negative
impairment. If I wanted to get routine tasks done with any kind of
consistency, I may well have to look into medication.

But instead, I structured my life around a very diverse range of stimulating
past-times, and set myself up with very few obligations (e.g. no employer).
This leaves a lifestyle of jumping between stimulating and challenging
activities, which allows me to be a lot more productive, and achieve much
more, than I ever did when I was in formal education or working a repetitive
office job.

> In my direct and social experiences, however, those with clinical ADHD
> diagnoses are assisted with such suggestions, but very rarely do they
> improve things to the point that there is no longer a significant impairment
> to that person's life.

How far did they take the suggestions? Did they quit their job and start their
own startup? While I agree that medication is probably the best solution for
certain types of lifestyle, I do think adjusting one's environment is an
underrated and underexplored solution, that could do with more research.

~~~
ahknight
> Did they quit their job and start their own startup?

They forget to shave and flush the toilet, so no. When I mean full-blown
clinical ADHD I don't mean interrupting people and being unable to finish a
coding project on time. I mean "gets fired from Mickey D's for randomly
staring at the walls". Inattentiveness on a scale that's not being discussed
in this article or this thread.

Perhaps I feel so strongly about all of this because I've attended group
sessions with non-tech people that are truly suffering because of this thing
and I don't have any way of bridging the understanding gap with mere comments
on a website. This is a difficult malady for those in tech. Outside of tech?
It's sink or doggy paddle, and when you sink there's a whole ocean under you,
not a swimming pool.

------
dasmithii
Here's an audio snippet of Alan Watt's perspective on this issue. In general,
he sees modern mental illnesses as personality traits. Thoughts?

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN8B8jMuDZE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN8B8jMuDZE)

~~~
ahknight
Willfully ignorant of science.

~~~
dasmithii
How so?

Watts doesn't deny the differences between those affected by ADHD and those
who are not. He argues that these differences are best understood as
personality traits and not products of an affliction.

This isn't a matter of ignorance, but interpretation of and reaction to
scientific discoveries.

~~~
ahknight
There is no success because of ADHD. There is success despite having ADHD.

It's not a personality trait that I cannot physically do something I want to
do and need to do without medication and, frankly, I'm sick of people who
don't experience it offering new theories on it as if they have some grand
insight into it.

Get a head injury that breaks your executive functions. Join us. Then try to
offer it up as a personality trait.

~~~
ashleyp
Love a lot of your posts here you're very vocal and well explain. I'm an
ADHDer, software developer, avid researcher, fascinated with neuroscience and
cognitive science and studied modules of it in university. But I sense you've
been reading a lot from Barkley? And Barkley unfortunately can be closed
minded(his brother had ADHD and died in a car crash so it's understandable
he's negative towards it). We've seen in neuroscience that certain
characteristics in ADHD, i.e lack of inhibition can lead to positives. The
brain compensates. Honestly, I feel in the next decade ADHD will be looked
upon as a subset of personality/neurological traits, more in line with how as
Aspergers is been seen nowadays.

------
wander55
I just read the article and all of the comments and I am still on the
toilet... Does that level of hyperfocus mean I have ADHD?

~~~
ahknight
Either that or you're constipated.

------
SteventM8
Now give me some

------
frozenport
A harder question:

If ADHD isn't real but the drugs do something with utility what should be
societies stance? If somebody wants to, or needs to do work that requires more
concentration, how do we justify denying them the opportunity to better
themselves?

Much like giving welfare under the guise of disability, this discussion
reflects yesterday s ethics on today's questions.

------
dasmithii
I'm not a fan of the perspective from which this article is written. Where the
author writes "X is affected by ADHD", I'm inclined toward "X has a short
attention span", or "X is hyperactive".

The same perspective is taken by "victims" of ADHD, parents, and members of
the media alike. I think we'd all be better off if we stopped speaking of
these conditions as external forces acting upon the self, and instead, as
mutable characteristics of the self.

~~~
trippy_biscuits
I don't have a short attention span and I'm not hyperactive. I spend a lot of
time thinking about things. I deduce things noticeably faster than my peers as
long as it's not socially related. I have intense focus as long as something
remains stimulating. When things lose my interest or are pointless they become
tedious and it's not about attention span. I cannot stop worrying about
assigned tasks to the point of anxiety. There is a mental barrier and I cannot
work on the task despite intentions and efforts to do so. Medications don't
really help me. They do at first, then they become less effective. An
interesting side note about meds: The first time on meds I finally could see
social cues and body language. It was a whole new world. I still see them off
the meds now that I know about them but I may have trouble understanding what
they mean due to lack of experience in receiving those signals. Getting proper
sleep, nutrition, and having regular, serious exercise help more than meds.
The affliction is very real. Just because you can't see it or refuse to
believe in it doesn't change the fact that it impacts the lives of others.

~~~
dasmithii
> "I don't have a short attention span and I'm not hyperactive"

I thought these were the defining characteristics of ADHD? I'm sorry, please
forgive my lack of familiarity.

> "When things lose my interest or are pointless they become tedious"...

I don't understand how this is considered a symptom of anything. To me, this
is entirely normal. Things that you aren't interested in _should_ be tedious.
The mental barrier you speak of is internal honesty - you don't find
importance or interest in X, and consequently, motivation doesn't emerge.

~~~
ahknight
You speak with the world view of a neurotypical human. I'm happy for you.

For the perspective of the broken toys in the box, let me explain. :)

When an NT is asked to do a boring, repetitive task, he'll do it for eight
hours and then get drunk afterwards to recover. Good job.

When an ADHD-afflicted individual is asked to do a boring, repetitive task,
he'll do it for about five minutes and then spend eight hours trying to find a
way to not do it again. Or stare at the wall. Or berate himself for not
working. Or rack up a disabling level of anxiety because he's not working.

You present this as something everyone does, and you're right to. The disorder
comes in when someone _cannot_ do it. Not that the person will not muster some
internal whatever to push on, but that the person's brain is physically
incapable of doing it. The same kind of incapable as a major depressive being
incapable of talking himself out of an anxiety-induced depression.

When it's a disorder, it's a disorder. The problem is that so many people see
the high numbers of people being diagnosed and write it off as a fad. It's
not. Maybe the numbers are high and some are being misdiagnosed, or maybe
we're learning about all the edge cases. I don't know. I do know it exists and
it's an impairment and it goes well beyond basic motivation.

I've had "do it or you're fired" moments where THAT wasn't enough to motivate
me, and I had a very real fear of being unemployed.

~~~
dasmithii
First of all, thank you for this in-depth response. It beats the hell out of
anonymous and explanation-less downvotes.

I had never come across the word neurotypical before your comment and now,
after reading the corresponding wikipedia page, I am aware that it does
characterize me (i.e. "anyone who does not have autism, dyslexia,
developmental coordination disorder, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, or other
similar conditions").

For the majority of elementary, middle, and secondary school, I fit your
anecdote pretty well, minus the getting drunk part (I was young, sheltered,
and without access to or interest in alcohol).

However, after sophomore year or so, I realized how much time I had wasted
pushing through boring, repetitive tasks, and I grew incapable of completing
assignments. This turning point left me in the position of ADHD-afflicted
individuals for the final two years of high school. Call it burnout, early
senioritous, or whatever - the symptoms were the same. With fear of college
app rejections as my motivation (like your fear of unemployment), I couldn't
bring myself to do mandatory, largely weighted assignments. They were just too
boring, meaningless. Somehow I remained motivated up until then. I really
don't know how, to be honest.

Out of curiosity, how would you say my realization [and subsequent drop-off in
academic performance] relate to ADHD and NT?

On another note, are A DHD-afflicted individuals literally incapable of
mustering the "internal whatever" you speak of? Is the ability to conjure
motivation entirely absent? It's really hard to compare similarly subjective
abilities, like pain thresholds and the like.

Even if this incapability is just that: a true incapability, I'm not certain
that portrayal of ADHD as an affliction is a net-benefit. It seems better for
people to believe in their own capabilities, even when many are literally
incapable, as you say. Similarly, the belief in free will is good for people
and society - even if free will is obviously nonexistent. Determinism yields
higher rates of depression and discourages self-responsibility.

~~~
tormeh
So does the experience of repeatedly failing at tasks you are expected to
master.

