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Find a local psychiatrist and schedule an appointment. If there's reason to believe you may have ADHD, by the end of the session they will prescribe you one or more medications and schedule a follow-up appointment in a few weeks to evaluate feedback.

There are stimulants (amphetamine) and non-stimulant medications, which your doctor can go into detail to decide which is right for you. It's also possible you may need to try a few different meds before something "clicks", so don't be surprised if you're taking Adderall one week and Vyvanse the next. You'll likely start with low dosage like 5mg, and work your way up to 30mg as needed (which usually means taking more pills until your next script ups the dose).

If you don't have insurance, expect to pay $200-400 for your first 90-minute session (1st session runs long), and anywhere from $20-100 for the prescriptions (generics can be pretty cheap). Should also expect to have a session at least once a month to every six weeks otherwise the doctor may not renew scripts. Some are fine with sessions every other month, but they need to have regular check-ups to cover their butts since they're dealing with controlled substances.

ADHD has high comorbidity, such as with depression and bi-polar disorder, so the psychiatrist may expect a more holistic approach including working with a therapist, but it's usually "optional". Your psychiatrist and therapist can also discuss your situation directly to improve your treatment plan.

I think you'd find the books Digital Minimalism and ADHD 2.0 useful. The former talks about how digital maximalism, for lack of a better term, leads to a lot of what you're experiencing. And the latter is written by a world renowned expert in ADHD. My personal takeaways from reading it were: it's a spectrum not binary; it has its pros and cons; there are things you could do to mitigate it; it's not a deficit of attention it's a matter of controlling it.

I had undiagnosed ADHD all throughout highschool and got diagnosed my first semester of post secondary. Out of school now and I’ve been medicated for ADHD for six years or so now. For me, the only thing that reliably works to combat my ADHD is my medication (supplementing the meds with a healthy sleep schedule also helps improve their effectiveness).

In my personal life, when I’ve had friends mention that they think they might have ADHD, I have always been very adamant that the very best thing they could do for themselves is to schedule an appointment with their doctor and ask for an assessment.

For me, the assessment was very simple— I was given a self-reporting questionnaire of 20 or so questions and told to monitor my symptoms and be mindful of what I was doing during the next week, and bring it back in at the end of the week for my Doctor to have a look at my answers / questionnaire. I did that, and my Doctor agreed that my symptoms were strongly correlated with ADHD, and gave me a two week supply / trial prescription of Vyvanse 20mg.

The first time I took my ADHD medication, it was like a light switch was flipped on in my brain. I was immediately so much more productive, less lazy, more capable, more focused, etc. After I finished the trial I scheduled another appointment and told my Doctor how I felt about it, which was that I felt it provided me a great positive effect. It was at that point that I was then “officially” diagnosed with ADHD, and six years (and a few dosage / medication changes) later, here we are.

Personal anecdotes aside, I highly recommend that you take the time to simply schedule an appointment with your Doctor as soon as you can. Once you have the appointment, the first step is complete and the process is more or less on autopilot from there (provided you show up to your appointment, that is).

If you’d like something quantifiable to help you determine whether or not you’re likely to have ADHD, you can take the questionnaire I took and see how you score [0]. I am Canadian, but I have an American friend who told me he filled out the exact same questionnaire when he was being assessed for ADHD as well, so I believe it may be standardized to some extent, at least for Canadians and Americans.

[0]: https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/ftpdir/adhd/18Q_ASRS_Eng...

Do what my psychologist told me: read “Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD” by Tamara Rosier, PHd. This book will help you confirm (or not) that you have ADHD. This book was SO life changing and eye opening. I wish I had known this 20yrs ago. (I’m 42)

2nd year clinical psychology doctoral student, have an “ADHD” diagnosis since high school, it’s also an area of academic interest.

In my very humble opinion, the diagnostic category of ADHD isn’t particularly helpful, it’s too broad, one person with ADHD looks completely different from another. Additionally it’s very easy to identify and over-identify with diagnosis to the detriment of your personal potential. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy and all to common trap.

As other have said, you can go see a psychiatrist and they’ll evaluate you and maybe you end up with stimulant meds. Attentional issues are not just due to ADHD, they can be part of anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.

If you do get an ADHD diagnosis, The meds help some people (actually they make everyone focus, i.e. why they gave them to fighter pilots). They also suck for other people.

What I believe will be helpful is learning how to live your life with your unique mind. If you can find a therapist who practices mindfulness-based interventions, (ACT, MBCT, DBT) it could be incredibly beneficial. Good luck on your journey!

I wouldn’t ask a doctor to evaluate the architecture of my web app.

Please consider consulting with a specialist.

> I can't focus on things unless i've a very strong interest in it

By definition then, focus/attention is available to you.

What you wrote overlaps a lot with the description of someone who has a lot of stake in their personal values. Not everyone does, but it's OK if you do! It can be a great inner compass.

I would define and rank every like/dislike or interest/disinterest you can, ASAP and quite often, so you can start being more focused.

I would also allow for shifts in interests on intraday time scales. Like look, you were interested in coding 30 minutes ago, but right now not so much? Fine, go back and rerank your interests. Find the thing for the next 30.

Surf the waves like that.

Bigger/longer waves will emerge over time. The bigger waves will be high-focus, career-defining areas. More energy will be more available and it won't cost you as much energy.

If that doesn't work for you, then yes, I'd look at medical stuff.

But this isn't medical advice.

OP is decribing hyperfocus, common among people with ADHD. ADHD doesn't focus/attention is "unavailable" - it means you have a very difficult time controlling it.

Solving a problem nobody has solved before: lots of fun, easy to focus.

Solving that same problem 33 more times for different clients... no fun.

(Sound familiar?)

novelty is definitely helpful, i have found I'm interested in things up until I get it then I lose all interest. I.e. A new game, I play it obsessively until I figure out how to beat it. That's probably very normal thing, but going from 1000 interest to 0 seems suspicious

If you are in USA like me, then you are in luck. Book an appointment with the nearest psychologist and get yourselves tested. Pretty sure they will diagnose you with something if not ADHD - after all every natural function of the body is a disease in America which requires pumping yourselves with medications.

The replies here are well meaning, I'm sure, but this isn't the place to ask this kind of question. If you're worried that you have ADHD, then book an appointment with a medical/psychological professional to get a proper diagnosis.

I would highly suggest reaching out to a trained psychological expert rather than this forum.

I'm not a medical professional and don't know you. You could have ADHD. And if you went to a psych they'd probably prescribe stimulants (dexamphetamine), which are highly effective at boosting focus (being, pretty much, speed).

But do think hard about that route. Included in your treatment isn't a pathway to getting off them one day, so you'll be taking these forever basically. They have a high potential for abuse/addiction, especially as they can become less effective over time, just like caffeine. They're illegal in many countries (eg Japan), so you'll have to stop taking them for a bit if you travel there. There's also side-effects, like heart palpitations, anxiety, increase risk of heart attack/stroke.

That's not to say you shouldn't take them. Personally I have been diagnosed with ADHD and do take stimulants (though I work hard to keep the dosage very low).

However I'd like to point out that there are many lifestyle changes you can and should make before you leap immediately to a ADHD diagnosis.

  - Sleep. Get enough, but don't get too much. 8 hours. Get up at the same time every single day.
  - Eat well. A healthy diet has an enormous impact on the brain.
  - Exercise. You don't need a six pack, just go for a run in the morning or do weights a few times a week.
  - Look into dopamine detoxing. Smartphones are toxic!
  - Write down a list of tasks at the start of a work day and tick them off. Trust me, it helps.
  - Consistent schedules. Eg if you work remotely, stick to 9am-5pm. Schedule lunch time at 12pm-1pm. Of course different times might suit you better, as long as it's consistent.

You've already said that the problem started when you began gaming/using social media. You've also said you're better on days when you've had a good sleep, which suggests that many days you aren't getting enough sleep. So there's at least part of your answer right there!

If you have bad habits, stimulants are just a bandaid. In fact, they can lead to much worse habits, because suddenly you can sleep less, swallow a bunch of dexamphetamine and code for 12 hours. Of course you'll probably have a heart attack when you're 30....

One additional thing I'd say is consider talking to a therapist, not a psychiatrist. Maybe you have issues with depression, which can lead to a general lack of motivation. But either way a therapist can give you great strategies to help overcome your issues without having to resort to medication.

And finally, if you do end up taking stimulants, you should still be doing all the above! Sleep well, eat well, exercise, etc. There's a reason these are cliches!

Good luck

OP absolutely should not wait to get a diagnosis just because you are so afraid of stimulant medication.

Even if they share your fears, a diagnosis doesn't mean a doctor will just shove pills down their throat. It means that a doctor will work with them to help!

Stimulant medication can be very addictive when abused. On the other hand, when used as directed to treat ADHD, stimulants have been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of new and existing substance abuse disorders.

It's incredibly difficult for someone with untreated ADHD to follow the rest of your advice. Why? Because they have executive dysfunction! Getting help with that is foundational to doing the rest, not the other way around like you implied.

You won't "probably have a heart attack when you're 30" because you take stimulants. Will you have a higher risk? Yes, but not over 50%! Not even close! If you actually keep reasonably good track of your blood pressure and heart rate, you will probably have a lower risk of cardiac arrest. The same if you start exercising & sleeping more, eating healthier, etc. because you finally have the executive functioning you needed to start doing those things.

Stimulant medication is the first line of treatment for ADHD because it has been extensively studied. Numerous peer reviewed trials have shown its safety and usefulness. The risks are well known and obsessively managed.

Yes, executive dysfunction makes it more difficult. But it's really not out of the realm of possibility that a person with ADHD can eat a side of salad and go for a jog. Or would you disagree with that? There are extreme cases but we're clearly not dealing with that here.

Furthermore, at least we I live (and I hear even more so in the US), it's well known that psychiatrists readily hand out stimulant medication with zero therapy. They give you a questionnaire (which is easy to bluff), and if you answer yes to enough they'll hand you a prescription. They don't ask about your diet, sleep, exercise, etc.

I'm not doubting the effectiveness of stimulant medication. As I said, I take them! But let's not pretend there are zero side-effects, and that it's not a big decision to make.

Particularly when oftentimes it's lifestyle choices that are the main driver of OP's symptoms. It seems pretty reasonable to me to suggest taking a look at those first, before rushing to stimulants. Is that wrong?

I'd also like to reiterate my advice to seek therapy, as if you are struggling they can give excellent, tailored advice for dealing with many of these issues.

And once again - I'm not against stimulants. I'm just suggesting a reasonable amount of caution before seeking them out. I'd say that's pretty sensible?

> But it's really not out of the realm of possibility that a person with ADHD can eat a side of salad and go for a jog.

Depending on the person, it can be really really hard. I for one could never get the hang of it, and I really tried. This is the case for most people that get diagnosed with ADHD; after all, executive dysfunction is the primary symptom.

You may not be asking for the impossible, but what you are asking is unreasonable. Most people with untreated ADHD have a very difficult time building healthy habits, but as soon as they start treating their ADHD, healthy habits become quite manageable.

> Furthermore, at least we I live (and I hear even more so in the US), it's well known that psychiatrists readily hand out stimulant medication with zero therapy.

Yes, it's so well known that most psychiatrists who do prescribe medication for ADHD have to deal with very serious threats of malpractice even based on unsubstantiated claims of misdiagnosis. Even if a claim of stimulant abuse is legitimate, that isn't necessarily the prescribing physician's fault. The reality is that ADHD can't be 100% proven or disproven to exist in a patient. Stimulants can only be prescribed for three consecutive months at a time between doctor/patient visits, and patients are expected to lock their medication away, or be held criminally liable as victims of theft. If a patient loses their medication, they cannot have it refilled. Dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate are Schedule II drugs: the most strict federal control for drugs that can be legally prescribed. Other Schedule II drugs include fentanyl, PCP, and cocaine.

On top of that, many insurance providers refuse to cover stimulant medication outright, all because of the very fears and stigma you are sharing. This is incredibly problematic, because stimulant medication is the most effective treatment for most ADHD patients, and has been thoroughly studied and peer reviewed.

We have a very serious problem in the US, and elsewhere, of putting fear above science. A sensible risk analysis that incorporates peer-reviewed data is not being used - or even considered - when creating public policy. ADHD is the most well-studied mental disorder there is. To pretend there is some unknown danger lurking in a dark corner where we haven't bothered to look yet is entirely disingenuous; yet this is the approach that many take with stimulant medication.

It's easy to understand why fear is so much more effective at influencing policy than science: selection bias. We all hear about the worst case scenario, but almost never hear about the best or median cases. As humans, we are wired to predict cases we hear about as more likely than those that we don't hear about.

> Particularly when oftentimes it's lifestyle choices that are the main driver of OP's symptoms.

That's the point. If OP has ADHD, then it's not their lifestyle choices that are the main driver of their symptoms: it's their ADHD symptoms that are the main driver of their lifestyle choices! And if that is the case, then they will need to start treating their ADHD in order to effectively manage their lifestyle choices.

What you have recommended is that OP, "think hard about that route" before seeing a psychiatrist. You have recommended that OP make, "many lifestyle changes [they] can and should make before [they] leap immediately to a ADHD diagnosis." There's a serious problem with that recommendation: If they don't have ADHD, then avoiding a diagnosis just keeps them from knowing so with reasonable certainty. If they do have ADHD, they will almost definitely struggle to make the lifestyle changes you recommend, and never be able to get to step #2 (see a psychiatrist about ADHD diagnosis).

You are very seriously asking OP to put the cart before the horse, for fear that the horse might shit in their face. People have been putting carts behind horses for over three thousand years; and despite the position of the horse's ass in front of the driver's face, it's still considered the best positioning method available.

Practically everything we do has a risk attached. Stimulant medication has plenty of risk. Leaving ADHD untreated has far greater risks: an assertion backed by peer reviewed study. The most effective and safe way to deal with potential ADHD is to make that treatment readily available.

Maybe a step back is in order.

We can both agree that, clearly, we don't know whether or not OP has ADHD. They merely listed some issues around focus/motivation.

OP mentioned that the onset of this coincided with access to online video games & social media, which are distracting by nature, and that they are much better on days when they've had good sleep.

Yet somehow it's putting the cart before the horse, to suggest that lifestyle might be a large factor, when OP listed lifestyle as a factor?

Yet it's not putting the cart before the horse to jump to seeking an ADHD diagnosis? And it is over-diagnosed, and stimulants are overprescribed. I'm sure you'll disagree, but it's true. Of course stimulants will work, it's basically just speed. You can give them to anyone and they'll feel great. There's a reason overachieving students buy them off the street for exams.

And I must now step back from HN today as, surprise surprise, I'm distracted by it!

> Yet it's not putting the cart before the horse to jump to seeking an ADHD diagnosis?

No. It's not.

There is a huge difference between seeking a diagnosis, and seeking a positive diagnosis. None of us here recommended OP just walk to a psychiatrist and say, "I have ADHD, now give me meds." No one told OP to lie about their symptoms to coerce their doctor into giving them meds.

> And it is over-diagnosed

That is absolutely not true. In fact, the opposite is true for adults. ADHD is a lifelong disorder, yet the overwhelming majority of diagnosed people are children. It's expected that most adults who have ADHD have not been diagnosed.

> and stimulants are overprescribed.

Some people who do not have ADHD are mistakenly diagnosed. Some who do have ADHD are mistakenly undiagnosed. Many who are correctly diagnosed do not have stimulant medication available to them, despite it being the first line of treatment, all because there is so much fear and stygma about them. It's a complicated situation involving millions of people that won't be solved by OP avoiding a diagnosis.

The fact that mistakes happen isn't a good enough reason to just avoid diagnosis and treatment all together. There is a significant chance that OP has ADHD, and if that is the case, they need treatment for it.

> Of course stimulants will work, it's basically just speed. You can give them to anyone and they'll feel great.

There's a reason that coffee and tea are the most popular drinks in the world: caffeine. It turns out that everyone can benefit from a small dose of stimulants. Those with ADHD see a much greater benefit because we reuptake dopamine too quickly.

Having too much of a stimulant, on the other hand, can be harmful and lead to a substance abuse disorder. Thankfully, some formulations - like the prodrug Vivanse - cannot be abused.

> There's a reason overachieving students buy them off the street for exams.

And no one is recommending OP do that. Yet here you are equating a diagnostic visit with a psychiatrist with buying drugs from the black market!

You distrust the diagnostic ability of trained physicians, yet you take prescribed medication yourself! Are you the only one allowed to benefit from Ann ADHD diagnosis? No. OP deserves the very same opportunity.

TL;DR: ADHD is actually mislabeled executive dysfunction. This cheesy YouTube channel is very informative and encouraging: https://m.youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD. It's going to be hard, but very rewarding, to see a therapist/psychiatrist and be officially diagnosed.

We can't answer the question in the title for you, because that would be a diagnosis, which we are either unqualified to make, or would only be able to do so in an explicit professional setting.

We can - or I can (hopefully) - help you get a better handle on the surrounding context of ADHD.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most unhelpful acronyms I have ever seen.

- For those with ADHD, hyperactivity is an emergent effect of the more fundamental symptoms, and many with ADHD present with hyperactivity inconsistently or not at all.

- Attention Deficit isn't even a symptom. It's just what most of the base symptoms look like to an outside observer.

We should really start calling it EFDD: Executive Functioning Dysfunction Disorder.

- ADHD's primary symptom is Executive Dysfunction. We have plenty of attention, but can't choose where it goes. We can listen intently only to have our focus unintentionally moved elsewhere. We have a very difficult time starting or switching tasks, which makes us appear lazy, uninterested, and distracted.

- The next major symptom is a deficit in working memory. We struggle to hold more than a handful of data points - or even 2 or 3 - in memory without writing and referencing them externally. This compounds on the executive dysfunction, because we often can't remember all of the parts of a conversation that we did listen to. It also means we have an easier time focusing on subjects that we have built contextual long-term memory around.

The executive dysfunction part is because we don't feel enough dopamine.

- Specifically, we have too many transporter proteins at the "synaptic cleft" that are responsible for "reuptake", which is how dopamine gets put back in the neurotransmitter to be used again later. Because reuptake happens too quickly, we don't feel the effects of dopamine long enough to utilize them effectively.

- Not enough dopamine leaves us "understimulated". It's hard to get up and do something, because we don't feel ready.

- Our brains are constantly trying to find easier sources of dopamine, like novel hacker news arguments, or that annoying ticking sound from down the hall that no one else noticed or cares about.

Getting diagnosed and starting medication and therapy is the most meaningful thing I have ever done for my mental health.

It was incredibly difficult, too, because I had to find affordable insurance that would cover therapy, find a therapist that accepts that insurance, set an appointment with them, wait about a month for the earliest appointment I could schedule, set another appointment with a psychiatrist that could prescribe me medication, etc. etc. all on my own, all while struggling with the very disorder I was seeking help to manage. It fucking sucked, but it was absolutely worth it.

I'm not a psychiatrist but it sounds like depression combined with obsessive compulsive urge for reddit brainfarts. Seek medical help, maybe you are low on some hormone, heck it can even be an un-diagnosed Lyme disease or similar that is causing your mental fog.

Ask HN: Do I Have ADHD?