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Comment by samketchup | Hacker News Reader

Adderall is better in every way and half the programmers I know are using it.

Source is me, a burn out

No programmer I know is using it and I've never met one who has been. Perhaps it's the circles and companies you've worked for?

A lot of people use it, but not everyone is open about it. I wouldn't use it though personally.

You don’t tell everyone you use it. There’s a stigma attached to it.

It’s better when people aren’t trying to guess when you’re on it or joking that you must have taken a double dose when you are extra productive (with or without the drug).

But fyi it’s super common in the US and often unheard of outside of it.

> No programmer I know is using it and I've never met one who has been. Perhaps it's the circles and companies you've worked for?

You either don't know many programmers, or they're not being forthcoming with you about such personal matters.

or they're working in environments where people aren't trying to crush every bit of productivity they can

This. Sure Ritalin is readily available here in Switzerland, as well as Adderal or even better straight up Dextro amphetamines.

However only very few of my peers went into working directions where it even makes sense to push yourself so hard.

I'm not exposed to people consuming such stuff nor have I had it but I'm intrigued to read that people actually use drugs to boost their performance in their day job. I understand the high pressure and high performing environments, however, what I do not understand is how do these drugs help you in that respect? I figure that it could help you in short-term peaks but what about if you're working in the environment where high expectations are a constant and so the pressure is as well? Care to share some details? Thanks!

> I'm intrigued to read that people actually use drugs to boost their performance in their day job.

Give me a break dude, what do you think Coffee is?

It's just performance, getting less tired, etc. It's coffee for stupid adults. It's not short term if you don't stop using it.

If you want to actually benefit from 'illegal' drugs in a work environment look into microdosing psychodelics.

> It's coffee for stupid adults.

It isn't. The side effects of adderall are lower than that of coffee and way more effective at dealing with the symptoms of ADHD.

Many of my friends are programmers, and I have pretty open conversations with most of them. I know a few of them who have or still use various recreational drugs. I don't know anyone who uses Adderall.

Maybe it's different where ever you live, but in my neck of the woods "using Adderall to stay on top of things" seem virtually unheard of.

> Maybe it's different where ever you live, but in my neck of the woods "using Adderall to stay on top of things" seem virtually unheard of.

The tone you're using here seems quite judgemental to me. If I had to, I'd bet anyone working near you detects the same and is not going to be open with you about their use of such things.

> I'd bet anyone working near you detects the same and is not going to be open with you about their use of such things.

If you only knew how ridiculous that statement is you wouldn't have made it.

I don't understand why you keep insisting that everyone in the world must have the same habits as the people you know, or that there must somehow be something wrong with people ("no programmer friends", "judgemental attitude") if that's not the case.

> I don't understand why you keep insisting that everyone in the world must have the same habits as the people you know

My mistake, I assumed we were talking about the USA. In the US ADHD meds are commonplace, without even considering knowledge workers using them for increased performance.

Does therapeutic use count? Some of us have actual adhd and a low consistent dose is kinda life changing without any of the euphoria or crazy work output

I'd like to thank them for making it harder for people with ADHD to access medicine.

I've always wondered why privileged people like to abuse Adderall or Ritalin when methamphetamine is clearly better, and more readily available. Programmers, law students etc.

Is it because abusing prescription drugs is considered bad, but not that bad, in their circles, but using meth is a bridge too far?

Or is it just a way to lie to yourself?

Because they are guaranteed to be what it says on the label. When you get your drugs from the street, you have no way of knowing what you are ingesting unless you take a sample to a mass spectrometer every time.

That's... ...a very valid point I hadn't thought of.

Hmmm, damn it, I'm going to have to re-evaluate some existing notions.

The people making it harder for you are college/highschoolers sharing it with their friends to cram for school or party through the night.

The other problem is the low bar to get a script. If someone had to see a psychiatrist then be put on a drug like guanfacine for several months before they were put in a controlled substance, many (including those with ADD) would fallout.

Programmers getting scripts to do their work is hardly the problem.

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