Yeah, I agree with most not so interesting code (which is surprisingly much, if I think about it, especially average frontend/backend apps, client side oriented boilerplaty code (say e.g. React UI…)).

But coding a nice smart architecture, something novel/innovative (I think where the art of software engineering really lies IMHO)… well I’m not even thinking anymore about using AI (for now at least), it just confuses me, writes dumb code, and writing back and forth with it is cumbersome (to get better code), so that I just code it myself (being a fast typer is reallly helpful I think…). (I’m using it often though as some kind of StackOverflow replacement, but letting the AI code…? nah).

I think it’ll likely take a few years still where I really seriously can/have to think about using AI productively in these cases (where it may even teach me a few things about language features I haven’t known yet)…

Honestly I don’t like the article (as someone with long-undiagnosed and unmedicated ADHD). A good doctor will guide you (you have to communicate correctly though), try different medications (stimulants like Adderall aren’t the only drug that is prescribed for ADHD), maybe try without for sometime (when your environment has changed to monitor the effects).

What I’m reading in the article is that a lot of people are just uneducated (including the author of the article) about ADHD and effective treatment. And a distorted view on drugs in general, I read a lot of abuse, but no word of the most apparent (and dangerous) drugs that are totally legal and widely socially accepted but IMHO cause quite a lot harm to society (spoiler: I’m talking about alcohol and tobacco, and (although I also consume cannabis and can see quite a few good medical effects of it) - increasingly cannabis at least in the USA).

What I would really like to see at some time is really good neutral science-backed education about psychiatric conditions, substances, abuse of them and liberalization/normalization of them (because war on drugs has just failed anyway), so that we don’t have to have these articles anymore (the main reason for the shortage AFAIK is that the DEA artificially restricts Adderall).

Well I think the issue is less Adderall/stimulants or overdiagnosing of ADHD (~5% of the whole popluation is not a small absolute number), but more the “cancerous” way our society has developed (with capitalism driving it). The modern way to live is certainly not helpful and I’m sure of it that it promotes symptoms of ADHD (like staring the whole day on a screen, doomscrolling etc.). For me it’s really helpful to be active in nature, eating healthy, meditation etc. (these things will be helpful for most people I think, just to train the attention span and also help with executive function etc.).

I also don’t think your friend is the issue, AFAIK it doesn’t really help that much for people without ADHD, and well if he needs to do it, so whatever, if he’s hurting other people because(?) of it though (also by just looking down on others), that’s another story. IMHO liberating and actually really educating about drugs (including stimulants) will likely be helpful for normalizing different medical conditions and society in general, as the dangers of e.g. alcohol is often underestimated and too much socially accepted (like in a bar you’re almost socially required/pressured to drink alcohol), while other drugs are dreaded (like LSD) but may even have a good effect on society.

ADHD among other psychiatric conditions (like autism, which is actually quite often comorbid with ADHD) is a spectrum, not everyone needs medication, it sometimes even doesn’t help that much for people who have ADHD (as I’ve said it’s a spectrum), but most of the time it’s an effective helpful tool (e.g. actually keeping the good habits learned with psychotherapy is not easy without medication in my experience).

I think there should be way more education about what ADHD actually is (since it’s so common), it’s honestly shocking that even quite a few health professionals themselves have a wrong picture of ADHD (I was once diagnosed as a child, than after some time undiagnosed, but after researching quite a bit, I’m very sure that I also have undiagnosed autism (and these conditions in some ways cancel each other out), which is probably why I was undiagnosed, because I could focus at that time… but well executive dysfunction is another story…). Took another 20 years and COVID which made the symptoms worse that I finally got another look.

So regarding your wife, it’s absolutely possible to write a PhD with ADHD in a normal amount of time, hyperfocus can be quite a good help with that (and obviously being intelligent). My symptoms are mostly anxiety and executive dysfunction, I can focus really well when the topic is of interest for me (hyperfocus), but otherwise oh boy (often the most simple boring things)… So I think reading into actual literature and checking out a good health professional will clear things up, also just to finally know what condition it is (if it is one at all).

Have you tried Atomoxetine? I’m not diagnosed with autism (but ADHD), but I score a little bit too high on all the autism tests I took (and after watching a few videos of AuDHDers, it just makes sense).

For me stimulants are a slippery slope, I can be in a constant hyperfocus without being distracted by stuff (which can be super great when programming), but I forget e.g. eating (certainly way more than with Atomoxetine), my emotions are dampened, more hypersensitive to sounds I don’t like, I’m less social, more autistic I’d say (also maybe because ADHD and autism kinda work against each other AFAIK).

Atomoxetine is quite different for me, way better for executive functioning (less so for focus unfortunately), and (social) anxiety is definitely better (good explanation from the ADHD scientist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnS0PfNyj4U). I’m now varying stimulants depending on what I’m doing on the day (e.g. more if I almost only want to program that day, and if I have much social contact, I’m ditching it).

As someone with diagnosed ADHD (and finally on medication), I cannot emphasize enough, how much this view/attitude hurts those who probably have ADHD but are influenced by this attitude (including myself, as I now finally get my shit together in a relatively consistent way without being distracted by literally everything, after being unmedicated for 20 years…).

I even know a few who very likely have ADHD that share this view and don’t want to take medication.

Fine, everyone should obviously decide for themselves if they want to take medication (or any other drugs at that), but please don’t spread this attitude, it harms those who probably have ADHD but don’t get diagnosed and just think “that’s (my behavior) probably normal”.

Also it’s not just “being productive” in a capitalist system, but rather to get your life together (not forgetting important stuff, executive dysfunction etc. i.e. function better in society (impulsive behavior can be a problem sometimes)).

The shortage AFAIK is pretty artificial and caused by the DEA. So I would rather “shit” on the failed War on Drugs than on those who self-diagnose on ADHD and take/“abuse” medication. Drug abuse is a different topic and omnipresent and a social blurred sense of reality with hard drugs like alcohol (it’s actually a harder drug than stimulants like Adderall…).

IMHO everyone should decide themselves what they take if it doesn’t harm others…

Non the less, if one suspects they have ADHD they should obviously talk to a (good) doctor to verify and check side-effects, probably different medication (for me e.g. Atomoxetine works better for executive dysfunction, and stimulants are good to keep the focus on one topic, while not being distracted (but doesn’t fix executive dysfunction that well)).