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Comment by uptownfunk | Hacker News Reader

I am shocked at how quick doctors are today to prescribe medicine to treat psychological conditions. They’ve told me “if we don’t give them what they want, they’ll just go somewhere else” how to deal with this conflict of interest? What about other non pharmaceutical ways to treat these conditions, get fresh air, go to the gym, put down the phone, etc etc.

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My experience has been that it is difficult to get treatment from primary care because they are hesitant to prescribe stimulants. The amount of times a doctor has treated me as drug seeking, a risk to go sell stimulants on the street, or prescribed me a stern talking that I lack life skills and need to buy a planner is frankly insulting.

I do go out to get fresh air, use my phone for 1-2 hours a day including work Slacks, exercise, meditate etc. Nothing helps like a well dosed stimulant and the drug shortages do not help.

On top of that, the "Adderall shortage" isn't from a lack of supply: it's from the DEA arbitrarily deciding to constrain the amount that drugmakers may legally manufacture; despite a significant increase in diagnosis.

It's all bullshit politics driven by the same thoughtless sentiment we see here.

I don't think you mean to be, but saying these disorders can be fixed with some fresh air and exercise doesn't match with reality.

I have ADHD, exercise and fresh air didn't fix it. I even got rid of my smartphone and home internet connection for 6 months to try to improve my focus. That didn't help either. After years of dead ends, getting a diagnosis and medication is more or less the only thing that has allowed me to hold down a job and live life.

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