I think I wouldn't be so quick to conclude ADHD or suggest stimulants. I have ADHD too, and I know exactly what you're talking about. Those alarms in your head going off. Where everything is an emergency so nothing is. I'm not so sure it is being "scatterbrained" as much as it is over-parallelism.

But the OP's points have more complexity than they think (in my main comment[0] I mention depth being missing). Let's take the quick math one for example. They made the assumption that a calculation was being made. This seems reasonable, but if you're doing a lot of those calculations you'll memorize them. I interestingly have experimental data on this. After my undergrad I had to get an EKG done and the tech asked me to do some basic math questions to get some readings. Problem is, I could answer her questions but she got almost no signal. They were just too easy for me because I was so familiar with them. You don't need to calculate what's in the cache. So we moved to 2 digit multiplications and signal was mixed. Good correlation with being able to leverage previous calculations. So then I had her and my dad pick 3 random numbers and I would multiply those in my head. That did the trick and she said it light up like a Christmas tree (I do this visually, so it really was using more parts of the brain than she was likely used to seeing).

My point is, there's more nuance to this. Your brain isn't just a computation unit, it has various levels of storage with different speeds and capacities, it has different accelerators and processing units that can be leveraged if programmed in the right way. The problem with the OP's assessment is they've measured output speed and assumed this is enough information to calculate FLOPS, but a slower processor can win that race if it just is pulling from cache. A slower processor can win in aggregate if it has more parallelism. The problem is that they're measuring something different than what they think they're measuring, even if it is right up to a first order approximation.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45242293

▲ throwuxiytayq 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

“May have” doesn’t indicate conclusion - you’re the one being quick. That said, the article really does seem to describe the symptoms of inattentive ADHD with a breadth of cues and close precision.

As to the rest of your comment, not to diminish your experience, it’s really difficult to tell what you’re trying to say, and how that has to do with any of the very specific symptoms and experiences mentioned.

▲ seanssel a day ago | parent | next [-]

This is my first time hearing about inattentive ADHD, but it seems to describe me pretty well. Do you have experience looking into this as an adult? I feel like there’s such a stigma around ADHD diagnoses and people seeking stimulants.

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istjohn a day ago | parent | next [-]

Not OP, but I was diagnosed as an adult. There are brief screening questionaires therapists or general medicine doctors can use as a quick first step. But when I was given one of these tests, I scored a couple points under the threshhold. Later, when a thorough, proper battery of tests was administered by a psychiatrist at a major university medical center, I was found to have significant ADHD impairment. So if you think you may have ADHD, it's worth seeking out a proper evaluation from a psychiatrist. The battery of tests will take multiple hours.

I haven't had a lot of issues getting treatment after my diagnosis, personally. I know some people do have issues, and there are inconveniences like annual drug tests I have to take, but my only regret is not getting diagnosed ten years earlier.

	▲	seanssel a day ago \| parent [-]
		Hey, thanks for the response. I'm in my mid 30s and have considered myself a "space cadet" my entire life. School was absolutely brutal for me, and I'm still amazed at myself for getting through it. Assumed that most of inability to focus was because of mild depression and anxiety, but I'd like to see if something else is going on. Feels like I've been living in a daze for decades. Guess I'll reach out to a GP first and see what they think. Appreciate you.

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throwuxiytayq 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Not much to add vs the other comment. Look into ADHD symptoms - inattentive traits that you relate to are all part of that. Upon reflection you might relate to some other symptoms as well. You might want to read about how all of diagnostic criteria are defined in the DSM-5, which is likely similar to what your psychiatrist will rely for diagnosis.

Disregard the stigma, it is mostly confined to people fully ignorant as to what ADHD is, how stimulant medication works, and its well proven safety profile.

▲ godelski 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

  > “May have” doesn’t indicate conclusion

Correct. We are placing different likelihood values. Adastra gave reasons they'd consider an ADHD diagnosis. I game reasons to consider other interpretations. I didn't assume Adastra made a definitive 100% conclusion that OP has ADHD. Not only because I understand qualifying words but because making immutable conclusions is typically dumb and I don't think Adastra is dumb.

  > it’s really difficult to tell what you’re trying to say, and how that has to do with any of the very specific symptoms and experiences mentioned.

Look back to my comment and skip to the "My point is" paragraph. If you haven't read the article, I would do that first, because I am picking a specific example from the article. In fact, the main example. They talk quite a bit about doing calculations quickly, including our 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication. Speed isn't enough because you can't distinguish between someone's raw calculation capabilities from use of a different algorithm. In my story I heavily implied I was using a different algorithm to do my calculations, and you bet I was leveraging the reuse of subcalculations.

My comment is saying "I think it is more likely that OP is comparing apples to oranges. They assume they're interchangeable because they're both roundish fruits, but if you're interested in health benefits then you need to consider additional aspects." It's just longer because I'm specifying aspects and providing an example.

▲ kashunstva 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> I had to get an EKG done…

Must have actually been an EEG by the description, right?

	▲	godelski 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Thanks, I looked to confirm and I'm pretty sure you're right. It was over a decade ago and well... I'm not that kind of doctor lol