[pimpc]

alrite so i'm not on meds yet, but i have just gone to see someone and chances are i have ADHD and have had it undiagnosed my whole life. this got me into thinking maybe this is attributing to some girl problems i have. lately i've noticed that i'll say a few things to girls and if it doesnt work out i'll get frustrated because its difficult for me. i attribute this to attention problems. it sucks.

but i was wondering if anyone else on here has it and what they do w/ women to help

[zorgon]

While I don't know the details of your situation, I'm a little skeptical as far as all these psychological disorders go. I think it's dangerous to blame your behavior on a disease, especially if you tie your hopes to changing your behavior on some "magic pill" or whatnot. And I say that as someone who, while never formally tested or diagnosed, fit the description of Asperger's Syndrome nearly to the letter as a kid. Also, I had a bipolar cousin who committed suicide (in a rather horrifying way) after becoming addicted to painkillers.

Look, some of this stuff is real. Some folks' brains just aren't wired up quite right, or at least "differently." Mine sure was -- genius level ability at math and computers and reading, completely retarded when it came to anything social.

"i'll say a few things to girls and if it doesnt work out i'll get frustrated because its difficult for me" -- who doesn't? I've gotten frustrated about women more times than I can count. Social interactions and social cues simply did not come naturally to me. They were something I had to learn the hard way. I was really weird as a kid, plus I had to deal with a 2-year age deficit (I skipped 2nd and 3rd grades, graduated from HS at 16, from college at 20). It's all rather embarrassing when I look back on how I behaved then. I'll spare you the worst horror stories, but let's just start with this: I basically didn't have any friends at all in 7th or 8th grade aside from math team. I didn't really have a proper social circle that I did activities outside of school with until 10th grade (when I was 13/14 and classmates were 15/16).

There were times when I got really down on myself after college. No women in my life, no clue how to meet them. I did little other than work, eat, and sleep for some of those years. Then when I finally started getting actual dates from online (didn't know any other way to go about it) occasionally, every single time I would get rejected asking for a second date. There was one girl in particular -- smart, attractive -- who I emailed for a while and got fairly attached to emotionally (she said she felt the same way about me in her emails, and hinted that when we met up sex was a distinct possibility). We emailed regularly for about 2 months before I finally got a chance to meet her. She was moving to California once she graduated and I happened to be back in Boston for work, and so we got to meet up. It went terrible. Started reasonably warm, and then went rapidly downhill. At the end she said she wasn't interested. I went back to my hotel room and cried. How could she do this to me?? I sent her a rather long and depressed email when I got back. She wrote back saying that (1) I was creeping her out, (2) she didn't want to talk to me ever again, and (3) I needed to get counseling. Left me an emotional wreck. I did get over it, and I did not end up getting counseling (I thought about it), but what a total mess.

I had no idea what I was doing (when was I supposed to learn? who was supposed to have taught me? I think I went on 5 dates in high school, and I went on zero in college), and the results were terrible. A steady cycle of: (1) emails or online chats with girl, (2) get emotionally attached to girl and needing to succeed with her/impress her, (3) date with girl, (4) rejection. Well, OK, sometimes without step (3).

Sometimes I seriously thought I might die a virgin. Fortunately that's out of the cards.

While I shouldn't presume about your situation without knowing medical details (which you have every right to keep private), I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that whatever issues you are having... they're not even remotely close to my apocalyptic failures with women. You know that advice that even if you try and fail, at least you tried? Some of my failures seriously made me question the wisdom of trying.

My innate level of social competence was probably in the bottom 1 percent of the population. Yet today, while I'm not going to claim to be the world's most outgoing or social person, I probably approach more women than a lot of "basically normal" guys. That's not because of any pill (there are no drugs for Asperger's or autism). No magic bullet. No miracle cure. Just an *enormously* painful, depressing learning process where, gradually, spectacular failures became modest failures became modest successes. I used to get negative about it. Now I know better: I know that those spectacular successes are soon to come if I just keep at it!

I'll admit it, I still feel jealousy when I read stories of some guys' successes with women, here or elsewhere, or when I see what look like ordinary-ish guys with hot women. I know the jealousy isn't productive, but it's real. I feel like I missed out on a huge chunk of what life had to offer growing up. I didn't have a "normal" childhood. My childhood was spent in front of computers and books rather than playing sports and socializing.

To this day, if someone were to insult me as being "weird" or "creepy", it would hit way too close to home.

Or, to look at it the other way: I was recently complimented by a woman (actually, the one from the "direct game" thread who I used the "Apocalypse Opener" on) as having a "normal" fashion sense, as opposed to the weird shirt this other guy hitting on her friend had on. (It *was* a rather weird shirt he had on, I must admit. Not in a good way.) That might seem like no big deal to some of you, but to me, having a woman describe *any* aspect of me as "normal" is actually kind of cool, knowing that I once gave off a very non-normal vibe. "Wow. Have I really made that much progress?"

[Trotter]

I'm very skeptical about mental diseases and disorders. Unless someone is overtly mentally handicapped I generally don't buy into the things like ADHD. I have friends that were diagnosed as being slightly ADD. WTF is slightly ADD isn't it you are or you aren't? To me that's like saying someone is slightly dumb.

I had to see a pshychologist when I was in the Navy because of combat related deaths. Some guys were just completely kirking out, but I feel like that was just an excuse not to have to go back. She wants to sit there and talk about my feelings and ask me if I have feelings of wanting to commit suicide and crap like that. Afterwards I keep telling her I'm find and there's nothing wrong with me but she still prescribed me a bunch of shit I didn't need (and never took).

Anyway, I say look for the most obvious answer and being open to accepting that first. It really annoys me when my friends are so proud that they were diagnosed with this ADHD bullshit and it justified all the reasons why their life is a steaming pile. In reality it's simply because they've been worthless their entire lives.

[zorgon]

Trotter: I think it's a bit unfair to think that this stuff doesn't exist. Autism, for example, is very real. People who have autism have brains that are wired up in a very, very messed up way. Not the same as how I was (autism is generally worse than Asperger's; autistic kids often have low IQ, etc., whereas at least Asperger's kids are more "idiot savants" who are socially dumb but really smart in some other area), but similar negative effects on their social lives. There's a clear genetic component. James Watson (co-discoverer of DNA) has gotten himself in some very deep trouble by making true, but politically incorrect, statements about these kinds of topics. For example, he once gave a talk at MIT (I didn't see it, but my friend did) where he said that MIT students should not marry other MIT students, because their kids are too likely to be autistic. Instead, he said MIT guys should find girls who have non-technical interests, e.g., in the humanities.

A summary of a typical talk by James Watson: http://rickb.wordpress.com/2006/04/05/dr...or-creepy/

Look, it ain't an excuse. I agree with you that far. All of us get dealt a hand in life, and some parts of that hand are good and other parts are bad. Some lucky people get a mostly good hand, some unlucky people get a mostly bad hand, and some people get something in between, usually a mix of good cards and bad cards. I clearly got some good genes in some areas (intelligence, most likely longevity), and some massively screwed-up genes in some other areas (social skills). All that means is that there are some things that are really easy and natural for me, like computers, and other things that take serious effort, like socializing. Whining is not the answer. Sucking it up and dealing and addressing your problems is the answer.

But these "everyday" mental disorders like autism and ADD are not just totally made up. They may be overdiagnosed in some cases, and having kids pop pills to "fix" their mental disorders is questionable, at best. Still, these are not joking matters. I have a lot of sympathy for autistic and Asperger's kids, knowing all too well the suffering they are likely to go through. The answer for those kids, I think, includes a lot of "tough love." Hard-nosed advice and training on how to interact with people. To say it's all the fault of the psychological establishment for coming up with bogus mental disorders... that's pretty unfair to kids who, through no fault of their own, ended up with screwed-up brains.

[pimpc]

aight like first of all, most people that bash adhd just bash it because they think everyone thinks like they do. the hard thing to understand about add is that ppl with it just have their minds work differently. when u say ur friends get diagnosed w/ it .. they probably seem normal to you .. but its subtle things that separate ppl w/ adhd and ppl without it.

for example. say you take two ppl and both give them a boring thing to do. maybe something like math equations. for a regular person they'll grind it out and get it done. but with someone w/ adhd its almost like torture .. its so awful to be doing something like that because its too difficult for their mind to keep that focus. most ppl .. like you probably, would just think that sounds like a cop out since you can do it. but if you were ever to have an attention disorder you'd be able to understand what i'm talking about.

so adhd isnt bullshit, its a real thing that people suffer from, so complain about it all u want but its the truth

[X-Factor]

ADD/ADHD is measured on a sliding scale by the psychological community. Some people display a small portion of the myriad of symptoms, and hence, they are said to have mild ADD or ADHD. Conversely, someone who exhibits a large majority of the symptoms set forth in the DSM-IV is said to be exceedingly ADD or ADHD.

Second, whether or not someone believes that ADD even "exists" (as in the concept being created in our minds) is really not a debate. People exhibit various traits that are consistent with behaviors that the psychological community has given the name of ADD or ADHD. That's it. It ranges from mild mental disorganization to full blown hyperactivity and social ineptitude. This goes back to my first paragraph.

In response to the OP, I was latently "diagnosed" with mild ADD as a senior in college. What this meant was that I exhibited only a small portion of the characteristics that the DSM-IV has said is consistent with the disorder (And it's a disorder, not a disease. Come on people.).

I was given the option of taking a very small dose of a mild medication in order to mellow things out a bit. I declined to take the medication, and focused rather on accepting the fact that I think differently than most people and that I had to adjust my behavior in order to live a more stress-free life free of mental disorganization.

The other thing I learned was that those who have ADD/ADHD have the ability to HYPERFOCUS on activities/ideas that appeal to them. For instance, I used to play poker semi-professionally in grad school after learning the game as a freshman in college. I had this uncanny ability to hyperfocus at the table and play some serious marathon sessions, and had the ability to recall hands from days, even weeks, before with specific players. I could recall the betting action on each street, the position of the players, and the outcome of the hand.

But what is really funny is how I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning or not. Strange.

What I'm saying is this: you have a very unique way of thinking, and you need to learn how to harness your abilities effectively and make it work FOR you rather than AGAINST you.

[pimpc]

X FACTOR i know where ur coming from. the funny thing about it is when i graduated high school .. i knew i was different and got soooo comfortable with how i was thinking .. i actually loved the way i thought. but making the transition to college and having to meet all new people was difficult b/c it was really hard for me to like conform to the norms of such a huge school and not do my own thing. another way my add has been affecting me is the addition of college work. doing work, and studying is scrutiating so it upsets me and bogs me down a LOT. this is part of the reason why i can't totally let myself go when i'm out b/c i'll know i have something to do. in the real world once i get a job and dont have to worry about homework, i think i'll be fine and happy as hell w/ my adhd.. but college is just a struggle. i almost feel like as long as i have exams/schoolwork/classes i can't be fully happy. it sucks .. and it makes me look like a loser a lot of time around women

[X-Factor]

Check your inbox Pimp.

[Thomas Gabriel]

I have it. Went untreated for most of my life and really fucked me over with the anxiety & depression that came because of it.

I think there is something about our society that causes ADHD. I suspect it is extremely high amounts of stimulation from a young age. But that doesn't mean it isn't a real disorder with real physical effects.

[Nater]

Hello guys,

I don't know if this thread is still active, last post in 2008. I went to the university clinic recently and booked an appointment with a psychiatrist. I am 99% sure that I have ADHD. My mom says that I've always been an hyperactive kid, add to that the fact that many friends of mine tell me that I have concentration problem it made me think... I went on the internet forums and I can relate my personal experience to almost all of the symptoms.

I just feel a bit depressed right now and would like to hear how did you guys cope with it? Did medication help you? I feel very unproductive most of the time and it kills me. I get distracted easily and it takes me years to accomplish things. I'd love to hear from any of you.

Thank you very much!

[iknowexactly]

(10-22-2008 12:42 PM)X-Factor Wrote:  

ADD/ADHD is measured on a sliding scale by the psychological community. Some people display a small portion of the myriad of symptoms, and hence, they are said to have mild ADD or ADHD. Conversely, someone who exhibits a large majority of the symptoms set forth in the DSM-IV is said to be exceedingly ADD or ADHD.

Second, whether or not someone believes that ADD even "exists" (as in the concept being created in our minds) is really not a debate. People exhibit various traits that are consistent with behaviors that the psychological community has given the name of ADD or ADHD. That's it. It ranges from mild mental disorganization to full blown hyperactivity and social ineptitude. This goes back to my first paragraph.

In response to the OP, I was latently "diagnosed" with mild ADD as a senior in college. What this meant was that I exhibited only a small portion of the characteristics that the DSM-IV has said is consistent with the disorder (And it's a disorder, not a disease. Come on people.).

I was given the option of taking a very small dose of a mild medication in order to mellow things out a bit. I declined to take the medication, and focused rather on accepting the fact that I think differently than most people and that I had to adjust my behavior in order to live a more stress-free life free of mental disorganization.

The other thing I learned was that those who have ADD/ADHD have the ability to HYPERFOCUS on activities/ideas that appeal to them. For instance, I used to play poker semi-professionally in grad school after learning the game as a freshman in college. I had this uncanny ability to hyperfocus at the table and play some serious marathon sessions, and had the ability to recall hands from days, even weeks, before with specific players. I could recall the betting action on each street, the position of the players, and the outcome of the hand.

But what is really funny is how I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning or not. Strange.

What I'm saying is this: you have a very unique way of thinking, and you need to learn how to harness your abilities effectively and make it work FOR you rather than AGAINST you.

Good essay, for those who aren't real focused on these kinds of things, here's the brainscans and research, it's real, it's physical with mental, emotional, and behavioral manifestations.

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/br...gingScans3

One thing quoted posted added was very good: Some people like to call this VARIABLE attention. They can hyperfocus on some things that they like.

Big Harvard study can't remember citation, showed that something like 90% of adult ADHD is undiagnosed.

Some less-known consequences:

1) ADHD adults with graduate degrees make only half the income of normal grad degree holders.

2) ADHD drivers have a lot more car accidents/tickets. I know that one from personal experiences.

[Nater]

(11-07-2016 11:50 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(10-22-2008 12:42 PM)X-Factor Wrote:  

The other thing I learned was that those who have ADD/ADHD have the ability to HYPERFOCUS on activities/ideas that appeal to them. For instance, I used to play poker semi-professionally in grad school after learning the game as a freshman in college. I had this uncanny ability to hyperfocus at the table and play some serious marathon sessions, and had the ability to recall hands from days, even weeks, before with specific players. I could recall the betting action on each street, the position of the players, and the outcome of the hand.

But what is really funny is how I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning or not. Strange.

What I'm saying is this: you have a very unique way of thinking, and you need to learn how to harness your abilities effectively and make it work FOR you rather than AGAINST you.

Good essay, for those who aren't real focused on these kinds of things, here's the brainscans and research, it's real, it's physical with mental, emotional, and behavioral manifestations.

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/br...gingScans3

One thing quoted posted added was very good: Some people like to call this VARIABLE attention. They can hyperfocus on some things that they like.

Big Harvard study can't remember citation, showed that something like 90% of adult ADHD is undiagnosed.

Some less-known consequences:

1) ADHD adults with graduate degrees make only half the income of normal grad degree holders.

2) ADHD drivers have a lot more car accidents/tickets. I know that one from personal experiences.

I had 2 accidents since the age of 18. Another thing that confirms I have it.

I just want to talk about the hyperfocus thing for a second. I feel like it's not a good thing overall. From my personal experience, I'd go all in when I do something I like but I will stop it altogether once I discover something more interesting. This happened to me with lots of things soccer, the game, guitar, school... Even girls.

The problem I have is that I can't push through the boredom phase and in order to master anything in life one should be able to go past that stage.

This is also an issue when you're young and don't know what to do in life. I like so many things but I don't know what I truly want because I am disinterested in a given activity once it gets boring.

@Iknowexactly Do you have ADHD yourself?

[Clark]

Here is a good article on ADHD that supports X-Factor's view.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/opinio...-adhd.html

Quote:

Recent neuroscience research shows that people with A.D.H.D. are actually hard-wired for novelty-seeking — a trait that had, until relatively recently, a distinct evolutionary advantage. Compared with the rest of us, they have sluggish and underfed brain reward circuits, so much of everyday life feels routine and understimulating.

Quote:

patient “treated” his A.D.H.D 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. And this, I think, gets to the heart of what is happening in A.D.H.D.

I, too, was suggested medications when psychologist pointed me to the ADHD symptoms. Instead of those with unwanted side effects and unpredictable long-term issues, I opted to change my life toward more exciting one: quit an office job and working on my own business. In addition to this, life-long love to multi day wilderness trips helps me a lot with balancing my restless brain. Recently I discovered meditation as yet another method to rebalance and train focus.

Highly recommend the book 'Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence' by Daniel Goleman.

Thus, instead of looking at ADHD as a 'disorder', I learned to take advantage of the very special biochemistry of my brain which only 3 to 5 percent of the population appear to have.

[Clark]

(11-07-2016 11:50 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

2) ADHD drivers have a lot more car accidents/tickets.

Interesting experience here. I love to drive. Because of this, always look for ways to improve and it keeps me very concentrated. No accidents in 17 years.
On the other side, majority of my friends own a motorcycle, but I stay away from it, knowing I'd kill myself on a motorcycle pretty quick. )

[younggun]

(11-07-2016 11:50 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(10-22-2008 12:42 PM)X-Factor Wrote:  

ADD/ADHD is measured on a sliding scale by the psychological community. Some people display a small portion of the myriad of symptoms, and hence, they are said to have mild ADD or ADHD. Conversely, someone who exhibits a large majority of the symptoms set forth in the DSM-IV is said to be exceedingly ADD or ADHD.

Second, whether or not someone believes that ADD even "exists" (as in the concept being created in our minds) is really not a debate. People exhibit various traits that are consistent with behaviors that the psychological community has given the name of ADD or ADHD. That's it. It ranges from mild mental disorganization to full blown hyperactivity and social ineptitude. This goes back to my first paragraph.

In response to the OP, I was latently "diagnosed" with mild ADD as a senior in college. What this meant was that I exhibited only a small portion of the characteristics that the DSM-IV has said is consistent with the disorder (And it's a disorder, not a disease. Come on people.).

I was given the option of taking a very small dose of a mild medication in order to mellow things out a bit. I declined to take the medication, and focused rather on accepting the fact that I think differently than most people and that I had to adjust my behavior in order to live a more stress-free life free of mental disorganization.

The other thing I learned was that those who have ADD/ADHD have the ability to HYPERFOCUS on activities/ideas that appeal to them. For instance, I used to play poker semi-professionally in grad school after learning the game as a freshman in college. I had this uncanny ability to hyperfocus at the table and play some serious marathon sessions, and had the ability to recall hands from days, even weeks, before with specific players. I could recall the betting action on each street, the position of the players, and the outcome of the hand.

But what is really funny is how I can't remember if I had breakfast this morning or not. Strange.

What I'm saying is this: you have a very unique way of thinking, and you need to learn how to harness your abilities effectively and make it work FOR you rather than AGAINST you.

Good essay, for those who aren't real focused on these kinds of things, here's the brainscans and research, it's real, it's physical with mental, emotional, and behavioral manifestations.

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/br...gingScans3

One thing quoted posted added was very good: Some people like to call this VARIABLE attention. They can hyperfocus on some things that they like.

Big Harvard study can't remember citation, showed that something like 90% of adult ADHD is undiagnosed.

Some less-known consequences:

1) ADHD adults with graduate degrees make only half the income of normal grad degree holders.

2) ADHD drivers have a lot more car accidents/tickets. I know that one from personal experiences.

Can attest to this. I'm lucky not to have been in many car accidents (only 1 so far) but I've had plenty of near-misses due to "brain farts". If you have ADD, and these happen to you frequently, it may be worth taking medication. I personally don't and have never been tested.

Nater, the only solution is maintaining discipline. Motivation isn't enough because it is fleeting, and your already at a disadvantage due to lack of drive towards a specific goal. Schedule the important things in your life and police yourself to not deviate. For your hobbies, I had a buddy like you who had a new hobby he was obsessed with every month. It's not necessarily a bad thing, you'll never be an expert at anything but you can be a jack of all trades type

[Nater]

(11-08-2016 02:52 PM)younggun Wrote:  

Nater, the only solution is maintaining discipline. Motivation isn't enough because it is fleeting, and your already at a disadvantage due to lack of drive towards a specific goal. Schedule the important things in your life and police yourself to not deviate. For your hobbies, I had a buddy like you who had a new hobby he was obsessed with every month. It's not necessarily a bad thing, you'll never be an expert at anything but you can be a jack of all trades type

I do my best but sometimes it's just beyond my power. I get distracted easily and get off topic in conversation. I have an appointment sometimes next month to see a psychiatrist. We will see what he says. I want to try out medicine and see if it can improve my life. Even with the best planning, I still waste a considerable amount of time. Friends of mine can easily shut off their brains and concentrate when studying for instance. This is something I can't do unless I am 100% interested by the topic.

Here is a little video on how you can treat ADHD. Hope this helps!

[RichieP]

For those of you with ADHD -

How do you experience it? What are you symptoms? What made you suspect it?

(Particularly interested in the attentional issues)

Cheers!

[stefpdt]

I've been diagnosed with ADHD. I know people are skeptical about the condition, but it's the real deal. I knew from a very young age (4th grade) that I processed information very differently than the rest of my peers. I couldn't perform long division math at the time, while all of my classmates could, but I excelled in creative writing and storytelling.

I could go much deeper into details about this, but I was basically diagnosed only recently and it helped me make a lot more sense of my life.

Adhd is probably what drives me to accomplish bold and wacky shit, so I've actually learned to appreciate it. I can't do corporate either, so it's forced me to start two businesses.

If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to help. Medication, supplements, nutrition or whatever.

[Nater]

(11-14-2016 05:26 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

For those of you with ADHD -

How do you experience it? What are you symptoms? What made you suspect it?

(Particularly interested in the attentional issues)

Cheers!

One word unproductivity. I plan my days as much as I can and force myself to respect my calendar, but at the end of every day I waste a considerable amount of time. For example, I will be studying finance my mind will start thinking about all the finance thing related… Warren Buffett… One thing will lead to another and I am on wikipedia looking up Heinze revenues. I can’t focus and it kills me. About concentration, I grew up and notice how people around can fully concentrate on what they are doing and literally shut down. I am unable do that.

This random train of thoughts bothers me also when discussing about something. I will go off topic often and start talking about non-related stuff. I will talk about anything I have on my mind even if it’s not related.It’s usually frustrating for the interlocutor when we are talking about serious matters. because I see people around me able to study for 2 hours straight and I will need all day to focus 1 hours. It’s horrible.


I also tend to hyperfocus on things for a little amount of time then drop them altogether. For instance, I will learn guitar. I will do it for 3 months and then stop it altogether because it start boring me. Same thing for salsa and many other activities I engaged in. I can’t push through the boredom phase, I usually find another thing that interests me more and I start learning that.


A list of my symptoms:

1) I have trouble keeping attention on tasks. I can’t really concentrate on an activity unless I am 100% into it.
2) I get bored easily.
3) I zone out when people talk to me. When my friends speak to me I just can’t concentrate on what they are saying. This can be frustrating for the interlocutor.
4) I can’t get shit done / I procrastinate a lot.
5) I was hyperactive growing up as a kid. I broke my leg and had several stitches, 6) I don’t know if it’s a symptom though.
7) I will not pay bills until the last date…
8) I lose stuff (I lost 2 coffee a month ago)
9) Crappy memory I forget things easily.
10) I fidget a lot with my feet
11) I got into 2 car accidents. One because I was using my phone...
12) I often blur out the answer to a question before answered.


What made me suspect it?


Two good friends of mine who don’t know each other told me that I had concentration problem recently. I was studying with my friend and he told me “it’s a shame you’re smart but you have concentration problems”. Two days later, I am talking to a friend of mine overseas and he mentions how I always had concentration problems.


Maybe ADHD is overdiagnosed in the West but I grew up overseas where people don't know about ADHD. I am sure an ADHD pill would have made many lives better, more student succeed at school and more people successful in life in general. I wish I knew about it before I would have probably been more successful but whatever better late than never. I have my appointment with the psychiatrist in a month to see what he thinks about this.

[Nater]

(11-16-2016 01:02 AM)stefpdt Wrote:  

I've been diagnosed with ADHD. I know people are skeptical about the condition, but it's the real deal. I knew from a very young age (4th grade) that I processed information very differently than the rest of my peers. I couldn't perform long division math at the time, while all of my classmates could, but I excelled in creative writing and storytelling.

I could go much deeper into details about this, but I was basically diagnosed only recently and it helped me make a lot more sense of my life.

Adhd is probably what drives me to accomplish bold and wacky shit, so I've actually learned to appreciate it. I can't do corporate either, so it's forced me to start two businesses.

If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to help. Medication, supplements, nutrition or whatever.

Hey Stefpdt,

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a question about the medication. Do you have to increase the dosage as time goes by because your brain needs more of it? Like a drug addict who needs more drug to get the same kick as before or no.

Also could you tell me what medication are you using? How has it helped you in terms of productivity? What kind of nutrition and supplements do you take?

[Pollito]

My experience is pretty similar to most of you guys, but in my case nothing diagnosed or to a degree that I feel the need for professional intervention, nor that I feel requires prescription meds. What I have found extremely beneficial-- almost indispensable-- lately, especially at work, is a constant supply of nicotine gum. Night and day difference in terms of focus and generally feeling on the ball. 4 mg store brand, very affordable and well worth the minimal investment. An added bonus is a highly chiseled jawline.

[stefpdt]

(11-16-2016 09:31 AM)Nater Wrote:  

(11-16-2016 01:02 AM)stefpdt Wrote:  

I've been diagnosed with ADHD. I know people are skeptical about the condition, but it's the real deal. I knew from a very young age (4th grade) that I processed information very differently than the rest of my peers. I couldn't perform long division math at the time, while all of my classmates could, but I excelled in creative writing and storytelling.

I could go much deeper into details about this, but I was basically diagnosed only recently and it helped me make a lot more sense of my life.

Adhd is probably what drives me to accomplish bold and wacky shit, so I've actually learned to appreciate it. I can't do corporate either, so it's forced me to start two businesses.

If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to help. Medication, supplements, nutrition or whatever.

Hey Stefpdt,

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a question about the medication. Do you have to increase the dosage as time goes by because your brain needs more of it? Like a drug addict who needs more drug to get the same kick as before or no.

Also could you tell me what medication are you using? How has it helped you in terms of productivity? What kind of nutrition and supplements do you take?

No one can make you do anything. You control exactly how much medication you want to take - all the time. People who abuse ADHD meds (those with weak willpower) make doctors more skeptical about prescribing the medication, and it makes things more difficult for everyone involved.

I take 20mg of Vyvanse five days a week. I take the minimal dose that still gives me results. It's a child's dose. Search for 'Vyvanse titration' if you need to split capsules using water. It's a game-changer.

The truth about ADHD medication is that it makes life easier for people with ADHD in the short-term. Taking meds for a relatively short time (one year or so) can help you realize what you're capable of accomplishing.

But I don't recommend taking ADHD meds for too much longer than a year though, because the reality is that you're putting unnatural stress on your brain/body when you use something like Vyvanse. Read Antifragile by Nassim Taleb to understand his view on taking medication. It's the most truthful write-up that I've seen on the topic.

At the end of the day, ADHD meds are a calculated risk.

Are you willing to put unnatural stress on your brain/body for a certain period of time so that you can take a chance at accomplishing something worthwhile?

It's a tough question to answer, especially when you're using drugs to work against the forces of nature.

But some people (myself included) think it's worth the risk if you're extra careful.

- Get lots of sleep
- Drink lots of water
- Eat clean high-quality food
- Eat turmeric (with black pepper) and other spices to hopefully counteract the negatives of putting chemicals in your body
- Food-grade vitamin b complex daily
- Fish oil daily
- Vitamin D daily
- Exercise
- Avoid alcohol (go sober if possible - Vyvanse will already put stress on your body)
- Get a Vitamix and drink green smoothies as often as possible
- Stack lots of cash
- Read RVF, run lots of game, get poosy

[stefpdt]

(11-16-2016 06:22 PM)Pollito Wrote:  

My experience is pretty similar to most of you guys, but in my case nothing diagnosed or to a degree that I feel the need for professional intervention, nor that I feel requires prescription meds. What I have found extremely beneficial-- almost indispensable-- lately, especially at work, is a constant supply of nicotine gum. Night and day difference in terms of focus and generally feeling on the ball. 4 mg store brand, very affordable and well worth the minimal investment. An added bonus is a highly chiseled jawline.

I once read about how Dave Asprey (scammy marketer) would chew nicotine gum because it works like a nootropic. I kinda dismissed the idea because I don't trust the guy, but I'm now having second thoughts about this.

How safe is it to chew nicotine gum? How many pieces do you go through in a day?

If it's safe, I'm definitely going to try this out. Thanks for the tip.

[Pollito]

I go through about a blister pack of gum, or ten pieces x 4 mg = 40 mg per day. Chew through one for about 45 minutes, give my mandibles about a 15 minute break, and then pop another one, through an average 10 hour work day.

The google tells me an average cigarette has about 12 mg of nicotine. Doing some quick back of the envelope math, assuming (entirely nonscientifically) that you absorb 25% of the nicotine contained in a cigarette when you smoke it, I estimate I'm at an equivalent half a pack a day. Which is twice what I burned through when I used to smoke, but without the lung cancer risk or wasted time spent outside my office (but also without the game opportunities or general human interaction that comes with smoke breaks -- some of the most interesting people I've met were while smoking; but I digress).

I've noticed no negative effects from usage of the gum in the short term. In the past I've researched effects of long term use but came back with nothing conclusive.

In terms of positive effects, I'm realistically 50% more productive on the gum than off. I'm admittedly biased and I recognize I'm addicted to some degree, but speaking from the experience gained from a prolonged layoff from all nicotine and then falling off the wagon, the contrast between my focus off gum and on is really pronounced-- to a degree that I'd even liken it to that stupid movie where that guy takes some magic pill and gains 200 IQ points and can see into the future & etc (can't remember the title at the moment).

[stefpdt]

If it works for you and you feel good about it, that's awesome. I just Googled it too, and agree there's nothing conclusive about the health risks.

The FDA mafia cleared it as being safe but they don't give a fuck lol. I'm guessing that like most things, it's probably all good in moderation.

Completely agree with you about smoking. Used to be my favorite vice in the world.

If Nicorette is your version of the limitless pill, I say go for it. It's probably safer than using ADHD meds to be honest.