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Fuck. I have ADD. Any good therapy out there?

4 points by mojsilo ↗ HN
Just read this: http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2014/11/02/why-add-might-actually-benefit-startup-entrepreneurs/

and figured out that's how I'm wired. How to help my self?

6 comments

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n3ro
ADD isn't an illness or bad. it just means you thin kabout alot all the time. If you know this you can use it.

I make music to calm myself a bit and express things i can't put to words. Other than that itry to challenge my other (logical) side of the brain with programming. With this i try to balance myself and keep my mind occupied with positives :). don't help yourself. use yourself :) add can be a gift!

davelnewton
That is most certainly not what ADD is.
UnoriginalGuy
That's such a generic list of "symptoms" I'm sure the majority of the population could have "ADD" by that logic.

It is like the medical equivalent of tarot card reading: Do you ever feel tired? Are you ever depressed? Does your arm itch occasionally? Definitely cancer!

halfcat
1. See a doctor who knows the fuck about ADD (probably not your family doctor). Get properly diagnosed. ADD is similar to dozens of other things.

2. If you have it to any significant degree, then you need to understand you are working with a Swiss cheese brain [1], that your brain may be closer to that of someone with brain damage or substance abuse. Therefore until you change the brain chemistry (with medication), you may not see significant changes.

I thought I could manage it with exercise and diet and life strategies, but over 10 years I have learned that is not the case for me. Seeing the brain scans really made this a reality, that I'm not working with a full deck unmedicated. I would not have a great job or a great wife and a great kid if I were not medicated.

[1] http://www.amenclinics.com/the-science/spect-gallery/attenti...

rabidonrails
That seems like a pretty extreme way of putting ADD. If you think this is really an issue for you, see a qualified doctor.

In terms of management, I like halfcat, find that things like exercise have no affect. Instead, when I have a task to complete, I make a list and then focus on completing those tasks on my list.

On the other hand, I think that having ADD brings an advantage to being a founder because my mind likes to manage lots of things at the same time. So, I can keep track of multiple issues at the same time and it's enjoyable and stimulating for me to actively resolve all of those issues simultaneously.

davelnewton
Step 1: Don't obsess about how to help yourself.

Step 2: Don't self-diagnose; observe over time, and seek a professional.