My First Ritalin Experience | Hacker News Reader

My First Ritalin Experience

false-epiphany.com

7 pointsbkovitz15 comments

freakin tweakers. amphetamines may help you energetically do a bunch of mindless tasks, but when it comes to hacking - insight, intuition, and the ability to notice patterns as you go are all very important. these are also the things that diminish with the use of amphetamines.

see: http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/12/brain_performance_dru... and http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/07/the_neuroscience_of_i... and then google around for more...

do more research before messing with your brain like this. there's enough brain-dead yet hyper drones coming out of the younger generations as is.

The great logician and mathematician, Alfred Tarski, was an amphetamine user. As well as great sci fi writer Philip K. Dick.

So, in vulgar Popperian fashion, I declare the theories in your posts to be falsified!

How do you know those two wouldn't be even better had they not used amphetamines?

You are right, I don't know that, so while I can't falsify the anti-amphetamine claim in a rigorous scientific way, I can still point out that not all amphetamine users are spending their late night tweaking sessions on mindless tasks. That should be enough to at least spark some curiosity about the drug having some possible benefits, at least in moderation.

I think it comes down to a matter of values, i.e. the long-term constant health of your physical brain vs. the benefit from getting extra bursts of energy to focus on immediate work. Not something science can really answer.

" ... the long-term constant health of your physical brain vs. the benefit from getting extra bursts of energy to focus on immediate work"

BTW, the experience varies for people, and I suspect that if the drug is giving you that "speed" sensation it may not be a good choice. Stimulants calm me down. =I don't get a burst of energy; I relax and make plans, and see them through.

How do you know they would have?

Erdős. He quit for a month on a bet, but complained that mathematics had been set back a month.

Paul Erdös was a heavy Ritalin and Amphetamine user for the last 25 years of his life. He died at age 82. He was enormously productive at an age when most mathematicians have stopped producing anything.

http://www.amphetamines.com/paul-erdos.html

"[D]o more research before messing with your brain like this. there's enough brain-dead yet hyper drones coming out of the younger generations as is."

I did. In the '80s I spent a fair amount of time researching neurochemistry, talking with doctors, and experimenting with assorted nootropics (including prescription drugs, street drugs, and items obtained from overseas). I paid attention to what caused what effects (both good and bad). I'm a big fan of wetware hacking.

My research tells me my brain chemistry needs assistance. So I get it. And I will continue to pay attention to the effects of amphetamines to be sure they are they right choice.

No one should just pop wonder drugs and call it a day, but often there is no real way to know what's going to work until you go try it. The science is inexact; I've accepted the lab rat risks.

There's a down side to being bright and creative while never finishing anything.

"I’m going try Ritalin for two weeks, and then Adderall for two weeks."

I'm skeptical that is enough time with either to get a proper feel for their effects.

I've just switched from rit to Adderall; the ramp-up to the regular dosage of Adderall is two weeks.

Also, my experience with Ritalin is that it took some time to acclimate. I didn't care for it at first, but the experience improved. (Now, however, it hardly seemed to be doing anything, hence the change.)

How long did it take?

The usual story I hear about Ritalin is, "Wow! I took one pill, and in an hour or so, I was in a different world: totally focused, getting my art history homework done, and even caring about it."

What kind of "first experience" are the college kids who buy it illegally having?

"How long did it take?"

I noticed a change in mental state probably right away, but over time it shifted from hyper-rational to better-focused.

The point I was trying to make was that whatever you experience the first few days is likely not going to be what you experience, on average, over the long haul, so "pharm tourism" is not a good way to judge a drug.

One day is not enough. Two weeks is more than enough.

I'm not sure why this is here. Someone took methylphenidate for the first time and didn't notice much of an effect? This has happened to other people I know as well. Doctors typically allow a few weeks for brain chemistry adjust to regular doses.

I see you're now blogging in a fit of hyperactivity... and Twitter's down, which must just make your life miserable. Sorry mate ;)

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