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Comment by EdwardDiego | Hacker News Reader

So much of this is familiar, the timeliness, forgetfulness, the blurting things out, but especially that feeling of "FFS, why can't I do these things like everyone else, I suck".

I was incredibly lucky, once I got into software dev, that my untreated ADHD often manifested in hyperfocus, so I could deliver large amounts of business value in bursts, that meant my other foibles were tolerable.

Of course, my spending 20 hours of a day hacking on something for a week was very hard on my family, but at least I stay employed.

I much prefer being medicated. The symptoms are still there, but manageable. I still need lists to ensure I don't forget things, but at least with medication I a) remember I have a list and b) remember to use it.

So many times previously, people would say "Just write a list, how hard is that?"

It was quite hard.

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> "Just write a list, how hard is that?"

1. Remember to keep a list

2. Remember to update the list

3. Remember to check the list

4. Start a new list because I can't remember if / why I care about anything on the old list

(Personally, I've never started a list but I can imagine how it would go.)

Not to mention how onerous it is to remember to keep the list up to date consistently, it sucks.

I feel personally attacked by this comment. I've tried to used every single type of note taking software (even the second brain types) and I've failed because I always forget to use it.

I had the same issue for years, and silly little thing that has helped me a lot is that I put a reminder in my calendar that simply says "Just because you stopped using a system, doesn't mean the system is bad". That's enough to prompt me to 'get back on the horse' when I fall off versus spending a week looking for a better horse.

On balance, this shift in my attitude means I definitely use more simple organizational tools more often than I did in the past, and that has certainly helped my productivity.

I have a dozen draft emails in Markdown format:

  * Christmas / birthday ideas
  * House TODO
  * Project ideas
  * Car maintenance

I'm always writing emails, and I notice that I've got things in my drafts folder, so it reminds me to keep it updated.

Hard same.

This sounds like me, but i just keep putting it down to my poor time keeping skills.

One thing I think a lot of folks don't realize about ADHD is that even with treatment, there is still a whole skillset to pick up regarding organization, self-management related to time etc. Many neurotypical people pick those things up over time, but those of us who are diagnosed late usually need to develop those skills, often for the first time.

That said, gaining those skill and having treatment feels like a superpower

This is a very important point which I don't see repeated enough in discussions about managing and treating ADHD. As you noted, it's particularly important for those diagnosed later in life.

Treatment - whether medication or otherwise - will help you to focus, but it won't magically teach you organization, time management, note-taking, active listening, etc.

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