Coping with ADD

[pete fabrizio]

Poker players probably have the highest rate of serious ADD of any group I can think of. There's a real synergy between the game and the condition. On the one side, the constant stimulation, the emotions generated by winning and losing, and the low-effort mental exercise are all very attractive to the ADD personality. On the other side, there are also certain ADD characteristics that are advantageous for playing poker -- being ADD is sometimes like being "supercharged" (not my word), and although people with the disorder have difficulty structuring their lives and tasks, frequently when they finally engage in an activity they can exhibit "hyperfocus", which leads to heightened sensitivity and intuition, and the ability to sift through a huge amount of input data efficiently. Also I think the impulsivity that goes with ADD contributes to ones likeliness of playing poker at all, and also to the "guts" it takes to pull the trigger on very risky plays that are necessary to long-term success in tougher games. Lastly, the freedom that being a professional poker player offers is very appealing to ADD players who find their normal jobs much more taxing -- if they can manage them at all. (I believe even DS cited this as a reason why he decided to be a professional gambler rather than a businessman or academic)

So based on all of that, I assume that a lot of you in this forum are ADD. I would be interested in hearing what strategies you guys have found effective as far as coping with the disorder. For example, have you found it more effective to run away from structured commitments that you find too difficult (the "eliminate roadblocks" strategy), or have you structured your life very rigidly so that your ADD manifests the least (the "develop routines" strategy)? Are there certain goals or aspirations that you have recognized as unrealistic and just given up on? If you are taking meds, 1) how do you keep from having your ADD interfere with your taking them, and 2) what kinds have you found most effective for you? The type like wellbutrin or amphetamine salts (or to a lesser extent, slow-release ritalin) that try to keep you balanced, or the short release (4 hour) ritalin that basically gives you a boost to get through whatever you're doing? From the poker side of things, if you are trying to lead a normal life in addition to your poker playing (job, kids, etc), do you find that poker brings out the best of your ADD or the worst of it? I'm interested in any and all tricks of the trade or helpful coping mechanisms you might employ.

If you don't believe that ADD exists or you want to vent about how we are overmedicating our kids or whatever, please take those thoughts elsewhere. I'd like to hear from people who take this stuff seriously, especially those who deal with it on a daily basis. And no I'm not doing a research project.

[El Diablo]

All,

Please stay on topic per Pete's request.

"If you don't believe that ADD exists or you want to vent about how we are overmedicating our kids or whatever, please take those thoughts elsewhere."

If you want to discuss that stuff, Dids' thread seems like a good place to discuss it.

[Colt McCoy]

Your theory about ADD helping poker makes no sense at all to me. Hyperfocus? Doesn't ADD result in a lack of ability to focus? I think this is one of the biggest problems I see in bad players. They sit down and start out fine, but don't focus or concentrate and start making mistakes. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[NoCarsGo]

I've found that the structured routine works best. It is easiest to keep at bay when I have a busy schedule, full of activities that provide significant mental stimulation. When I have to get through low-stimulation tasks, I usually take 20mg of Aderrall XR, which has been fairly effective in allowing me to become engaged in such tasks (long, uninteresting writing assignments, etc.).

The high-energy aspect sometimes present due to ADD has been effective in motivating me to constantly find tasks that are productive and will keep me busy / engaged. On the other hand, there are definitely days where I feel lethargic and the kind of boredom and restlessness that seem impossible to eliminate.

Additionally, I have found ADD to sometimes be a problem in social situations, as I tend to become very impatient with getting to know new people. Also, my thirst for constant stimulation is not always satisfied when out with people (if the conversation is uninteresting or whatever else) and I get the urge to leave and immerse myself in something else. I feel uncomfortable taking medication for social occassions, though, so not sure how to deal with this yet.

Edit: It seems to be like using the computer / internet on a regular basis has caused my ADD to become worse. I receive a higher level of stimulation at the computer (being able to play multiple poker tables, chat on AIM, watch movies, listen to music, etc. simultaneously) than I am even able to come close to anywhere else. This makes everything else seem far more mundane in comparison ... anyone else wanna weigh in on this?

[pete fabrizio]

[ QUOTE ]
Edit: It seems to be like using the computer / internet on a regular basis has caused my ADD to become worse. I receive a higher level of stimulation at the computer (being able to play multiple poker tables, chat on AIM, watch movies, listen to music, etc. simultaneously) than I am even able to come close to anywhere else. This makes everything else seem far more mundane in comparison ... anyone else wanna weigh in on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely have found this to be the case, and I think that the introduction of high-speed internet really bumped up the adverse effects of ADD on my life. But I don't know what to do about it because 1) I make a lot of money on the internet, and 2) I'm just not really willing to give up email and [censored].

[pete fabrizio]

[ QUOTE ]
Your theory about ADD helping poker makes no sense at all to me. Hyperfocus? Doesn't ADD result in a lack of ability to focus? I think this is one of the biggest problems I see in bad players. They sit down and start out fine, but don't focus or concentrate and start making mistakes. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I think long sessions for people who are ADD are a bad idea, for this reason. But while ADD leads to a lack of focus overall, when ADD people get dialed in, they're frequently intensely focused and like superhumanly alert. In fact this is one reason that some doctors and such don't like calling ADHD a "disorder," because they see it as just a condition with tradeoffs.

Anyway, even though this comes from my intro paragraph, it's a little off-topic. However, it is kind of related in that I am interested in what ways that ADD people minimize the negative effect and maximize the positive - at the poker table. I find that the traditional rule about playing long sessions only when you're winning is even more true wrt my ADD. If I'm losing and waiting for cards I completely lose focus and end up making dumb plays because I lose my patience. But when I'm winning I can be very stimulated and "hyperfocused" for incredibly long periods of time.

[Bicycles_Biatch]

I think you guys are mistaking the actual Medical condition of ADD with the affect that electronics are having on our life.

With computers, IM, et. al... you are able to multi-task... not the same as ADD... my nature, true ADD patients CAN'T multi-task

[NoCarsGo]

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm losing and waiting for cards I completely lose focus and end up making dumb plays because I lose my patience. But when I'm winning I can be very stimulated and "hyperfocused" for incredibly long periods of time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely second you on this point. I haven't really found an effective way to deal with this other than diagnosing my crappy play early on during a losing session and leaving the table until I feel like I can focus again. Once my focus is shaken, I have a very hard time regaining it, at the poker table in particular.

[pete fabrizio]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you guys are mistaking the actual Medical condition of ADD with the affect that electronics are having on our life.

With computers, IM, et. al... you are able to multi-task... not the same as ADD... my nature, true ADD patients CAN'T multi-task

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if you're talking about yourself or what but from my experience (and I'm certified on a million different levels -- if ADD exists, I have it), this is definitely not true. I multitask excessively to the point of not doing what I'm supposed to at all, with one window distracting me from the next as I develop and lose little mini-obsessions with a thousand different things a day. It's like heroin.

[Emperor]

There are cures for ADD/ADHD/OCD. One doesn't have to "cope" for a lifetime. The cures don't involve drugs. The cures do involve aggressively treating the source of the problem.

(Drugs just treat symptoms)