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Comment by DontchaKnowit | Hacker News Reader

Just dropping a comment here because this is so interesting to me: I am the absolute opposite. I am extremely calm in interviews. For whatever reason when I am under pressure my brain just "turns on" and I'm immediately at my best. This has served me extremely well for interviewing and test taking. I've always felt bad for people that describe having nerves for important things like tests and interviews. Sounds like it honestly really sucks.

If I'm not stressed though, I am basically a complete fucking mess mentally. I can only really function at a high level if the stakes are high. This is why I graduated with a 2.9 GPA, but scored in the 94th percentile in my exit exams. I guess nobody gets it all, lmao

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I used to feel like this, but I fear I've burnt out the circuit. I'm numb to stress now. The stakes are never high enough.

100% this. Especially since COVID

Sounds like you might have ADHD and the epinephrine (adrenalin) and norepinephrine surge gives you the ability to focus again. You might benefit from seeing a psychiatrist to establish whether you have ADHD and if treatment might help.

I second this, I'm the exact same way. Interviews have always been very easy due to the intense, thrilling focus.

As someone with ADHD I always joke that if I ever had to give up adderall I would just hire a homeless man to break in my house and hold a gun to my head so that I could focus.

I have... Both? I get extremely nervous but if I can make it through the first 2 minutes I hit a bit of a manic state and do really well. I play music and it's the same. For the first 30 seconds I'm trembling so much I can hardly play and then something just kicks in.

I have exactly the same thing, I figured it was just my brain getting used to the adrenaline although I have no evidence or measurement of this.

Definitely experienced this as well playing music in public.

I also experienced a variation of it when I did karate. During sparring, once my sparring partners hit me for the first time, I was able to start focusing on sparring and not the fear of being struck.

The Harvard Crimson: Doping at the Philharmonic.

https://www.thecrimson.com/column/a-night-at-the-symphony/ar...

Anecdotally I think this is normal? I've heard actors and musicians can continue to get stage fright throughout their careers, but it fades after a minute or two.

I relate to this. Turns out it was undiagnosed ADHD for me.

same, and I think the same. how did you go about getting diagnosed?

(US Based Answer) - Talk to your GP and they can likely recommend a local specialist who does the testing.

What was the value that you saw in getting it diagnosed? I'm sure many people live their whole life without having a label for some of the stuff going on in their body/mind. If they're halfway through life and not obviously suffering, is it worthwhile?

You can get a treatment if you’re diagnosed with ADHD. Being halfway through life doesn’t mean you should just idly wait for death.

I think you misunderstand me. Somebody halfway through life isn't just sitting around waiting to die. But if there are ADHD indications and no obvious suffering or underperformance, it is clearly a condition that has been lived with. How valuable is the treatment at that point? There's quite a range between "meh, if it hasn't been a problem then it's probably not going to move the needle" and "it is lifechanging, you don't know what you're missing.". Sibling reply suggested the latter certainly _can_ happen. It seems like a number of posters in this thread have personal experience/wisdom to share.

If you actually have ADHD, trying a stimulant medication will tell you in 15 minutes how quiet everything is for people without ADHD.

So, I'm not diagnosed (though I recently had a member of my care team recommend going through an evaluation to maybe shed some light on things and am starting that process). Truth the "ask your GP" is generally the answer to any question on how to start a process in the US medical system.

Lol haha, I just realized that my stellar interview record and ADHD are related. I freaking LOVE interviewing. Not just interviewing, I generally enjoy someone watching over me as I code. This is not something I have ever seen anyone else enjoy. I thought I was just a narcissist, but I don't enjoy any other sort of attention.

Same for me. It is a known “symptom,” dopamine floods the brain, we normalize and go into a hyperfocused mode.

Seeing all those comments it looks like I finally have to get myself checked out. Thought too long about might having it and never got around actually talking to a psychiatrist.

I can focus very well in interviews or exams. They are even fun for me. But when I get the job and I don't have any concrete deadline, it's hard to focus for me and "get things done". Which ends up me thinking I am not good enough and falling into depression again. I can perform when I absolutely have to, but I never figured out how I can make it work outside those environments.

I have high physical stress levels during interviews but it does not interfere with performance. I feel at ease and perform well under pressure because my mind feels clear and it is easy to focus and recall similar problems. I used to be a very competitive chess player and found that I could easily focus for 4-6 hours during a tense chess game.

But the high levels of arousal does show up in other ways. Higher heart rate, extra sweating, suppressed hunger, difficulty sleeping that night unless I find a way to destress. It's not something that my mind and body can sustain for weeks at a time. It's important to remember to take care of yourself and choose the stressful moments that matter.

Ditto. I'm anxious most of the time but when shit hits the fan at work I can calm down and just fix it without panicing. Never had a problem with interviews or presentations either.

I am a bit of both. I am completely immobilized on leetcode rounds (tons of side projects so interesting coding challenges are always present). However I am extremely on the ball with system design round! I think it has something to do with which I care about more! Almost disdainful of leetcode!

Sounds like you should get into high stakes poker and retire a few years from now.

I have a weird mix where tests and interviews are terrible, but the stress at work makes me smarter and more productive (to the point of being concerning, I can keep working forever).

I wish I had some help for tests, my brain is completely disabled. I either know the answer by heart (i have a terrible memory, so that's still bad) or my ability to reason is completely gone.

I envy your skill!

Dear god, that's me! Though I'm a wreck days before the interview.

I have ADHD, not sure if this has anything to do with it.

I used to feel this but every time I go through interviews it gets less. Used to be anxious the whole day beforehand. Now I feel anxious for the minute I’m waiting for the call to start and then I’m fine.

dropout with 99,7+ percentile in AGAT tests, yep, you should get ADHD tested

Maybe you are an Examinator?

this is basically me. stress focuses me

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