[Gasp0de]

I also believe I may have some form of ADHD, and I find this self-optimization idea where people start taking drugs to optimize their productivity a bit dangerous. Keep in mind that productivity for your job isn't everything that makes you yourself. I know quite a few people who took ADHD medication and became super good at their job at the cost of everything fun including their personal life. Sometimes it might also be OK to tell yourself "It's okay I am not as productive as person XYZ, it's not because I am lazy but because I have ADHD".

[SteveNuts]

It's not just your job though, it creeps into everything you do and it affects you more than people without it realize.

Even if you want to get something done (house project, cleaning, making appointments) it's very difficult to complete these tasks due to the distractions you meet along the way.

It's like if you had a spotify playlist of 400 songs you really want to listen to, but by the time you hear the first 5 seconds of the intro, the song skips to the next one, ad nauseam, all day long, every day of your life.

[rubicon33]

As someone who has resisted medication his entire life, I totally understand your sentiment. Medication definitely isn't for everyone and it comes with its own costs.

That said, I have decided more and more in my adult life that I am not going to struggle needlessly. If doing so only affected me, fine. But when I have a shitty day(s) at work because I didn't get anything done, my wife gets to hear about it. My family gets to experience me being less jolly. Etc.

My focus these days is on being the best person not only to myself but to those around me. That means if I need to take some stupid pill to enable robot-mode then that's what I need to do.

I've tried the "don't let your work output be your identity" approach. That ship sailed in elementary school man. Success & output are weaved into your psyche from a very young age. To truly divorce myself from that burden I would need to completely change my life and go live in a commune somewhere. Not realistic.

And for the record, I actually really don't like the feeling of being on medication. It turns me into a robot with slow reaction time. Great for reading a book or focussing on some boring work... But horrible for the things I love in life which are all fast-paced sports and video games. If I can avoid medication, I absolutely will.

[Gasp0de]

Isn't it sad that we live in a society where you're forced to take medication that doesn't make you feel better personally so you can fulfill other peoples (and your own) expectations? I feel like in a better world you would just find a job that plays well with your ADHD. It might be because I'm young, but I refuse to accept that I have to take medication just to fulfill expectations.