Comment by alexfoo

What quietened the “thousands of competing thoughts” that used to go through my brain constantly was an ADHD diagnosis and then medication (methylphenidate / Concerta XL in my case, I tried lisdexamfetamine / Elvanse first but it did nothing for my ADHD symptoms. Everyone responds differently to the various medications, you may have to try several until you find one that works for you).

The diagnosis/medication route isn’t for everyone but, in my case, it is a thousand times better than trying any systems/strategies unmedicated.

Medication alone isn’t a magical cure but it gets me to the point where various systems/strategies do start to work.

Also whilst medicated I don’t get as distracted anywhere near as easily. If I do think of something else I can write it down and go back to what I was working on.

Whilst medicated I don’t try and keep track of 4 different conversations going on around me whilst not giving enough attention to the actual person I’m supposed to be listening to and talking to.

Whilst medicated I don’t just endlessly write, rewrite or reorder TODO lists, I can actually start (and finish!) items on that list. This means I’m not just motivated by stress/deadlines, I can get things done way ahead of the last minute.

An ADHD diagnosis and medication has been utterly transformational in my life.

I tried a whole host of stuff in the years before I finally went for an official diagnosis. In hindsight I wish I’d spoken to my doctor years earlier but, guess what, people with ADHD procrastinate.

Lastly, I now no longer have to expend huge amounts of energy masking my ADHD symptoms. Prior to diagnosis I didn’t realise just how much of a toll this was taking on me and I just attributed it to 25 years of working in the IT industry and possible burnout.