Hacker News Reader

Comment by perfect_wave | Hacker News Reader

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com