[kd1221]

I've tried Adderall a few times and never got the productivity burst that users claim to receive. It tends to have the opposite effect on me. My attention darts everywhere and my skin feels like it's being pricked by thousands of needles.

The reason why I was productive in college and pulled 4.0s most semesters is because I actually found my coursework interesting. It wasn't something I was plowing through because the degree would get me fame and fortune. I didn't need exogenous motivation in the form of a pill.

I know three people who swear by Adderall/Ritalin/Vyvanse/etc and I've heard the same summary from each of them: "It helps you get through boring work, but it kills your creativity." One guy will switch between pot and Adderall to do his work. He smokes when he needs to be creative and takes Adderall when he wants to bang out lines of boilerplate code.

The substance lifestyle really isn't something I can buy into.

[jamesbritt]

I've tried Adderall a few times and never got the productivity burst that users claim to receive. It tends to have the opposite effect on me. My attention darts everywhere and my skin feels like it's being pricked by thousands of needles.

Such drugs typically work by correcting an imbalance. If you don't start with this imbalance (say, lack of dopamine) then the effects may not be what you want.

The substance lifestyle really isn't something I can buy into.

A big problem is that one tends to become adapted to the drugs and their effects are diminished. Ritalin stopped doing anything for me, and Adderall doesn't seem much better (when taken as prescribed).

People thinking of taking such enhancers on their own should have in mind a plan to get off them.

[jerf]

"takes Adderall when he wants to bang out lines of boilerplate code."

Tell him to smoke a bit more pot and learn how to program the boilerplate away. :)

[cellis]

Also, it sounds like "Takes a hit of crack just before servicing a client".