And finally, at the same company as the latter, was a dad of two, probably about 35, doesn't touch any drugs legal or illegal, barely even drinks. always first in the office, spits code like clockwork, fastest learner I've ever seen. I guess having children forces you to prioritize your time. At my next company I'm gonna aim at recruiting 35+ parents.
Since I had an anxiety episode that prompted me to completely quit cold turkey, my coworkers have experienced both the high-on-ritalin and only-caffeinated versions of me a couple years of each. I've genuinely asked if they noticed any change and so far no one has (told me) been aware of one.
Other people in my life (like my partner) were well aware of my mood swings, sexomnia and hypnogogic hallucinations.
While I sometimes snorted Ritalin in the bathroom I was pretty low on the spectrum of abusers I would think, taking it in bursts and often less than the prescribed 40-60mg a day.
On stimulants you might be too eager to start working on a problem before considering all options.
But from my experience, if you're aware of how the medication can distort your thinking, you can counter it with some success.
For me, I see busy teams that are nevertheless underperforming.