[paul_milovanov]

Your very brief description appears highly consistent with a possible ADHD diagnosis. Go talk to a psychiatrist ASAP if you haven't yet. Medication can do wonders and improve your quality of life and future prospects dramatically. So can understanding better why your mind works the way it does.

A psychiatrist told me once that curiously, many complaints that people have about memory are better explained by attention patterns. E.g in order to notice, remember or understand something, you need to direct your attention to it, and if your attention is shifting all the time, you are not going to retain very many things.

[kusina]

Hi HN/Paul,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I do have ADHD. I got the diagnosis and I have medication prescribed. But, I have strong internal resistance towards taking medication. I realize I have no choice and took some today. I keep thinking if Teddy Roosevelt had ADHD he would spend all his time on working out, eating perfectly nutritious food and use whatever natural means there is to beat it.

I took around 2 to 3 vipassana meditation courses. It was brutal but it helped me focus for a few months (4 to 5 months) but afterwards I slowly reverted back.

I have strong entrepreneurial inclinations. I simply see too many possibilities. I am not very detail oriented. Should I play to my strengths or simply suck it up and rewire my brain through hard work. What if I don't have ADHD but I am simply a very creative individual? I know I am very creative. All my thoughts are out of the box. My problem solving approach is pretty wild and not straight and linear like everybody else.

I am afraid that the medication will dissolve some brain tissue and I will end up being dependent on it eventually. I don't think logically that clearly but I am very intuitive. Do you think if I get my attention under control I can think more logically? Sorry for too many questions. I am in a desperate place right now.

[dllthomas]

You should still spend plenty of time working out, and try to eat well. Medication should be a part of your approach, rarely should it be the entirety.

"What if I don't have ADHD but I am simply a very creative individual?"

One can be very creative and also able to focus.

[bjourne]

That's exactly what I thought too. There's also ADD which is a sister diagnosis to ADHD. I had a relative who had it and with medication he went from "no good slacker" to super ambitious achiever.

[paul_milovanov]

Btw, I wish the answer was "only work on very interesting stuff" :) But such is the nature of the profession unless you're independently wealthy.