Coping with ADD

[cbloom]

Well, I have the same problems as everyone. In poker, I can play well online multitabling, but I just can't play live, it's way too boring, I start thinking about other things. Obv. you have to find a job where you can be stimulated enough or you will do a horrible job at it.

As others have mentioned, social situations are probably the hardest. I cannot for the life of me talk on the phone to anyone. It's just too boring, I totally zone out, or watch TV and email and get on 2+2 at the same time and then I'm not really carrying on a conversation. So, all my friends & family just know that I'm not going to talk much on the phone. Text messaging is good.

I also can't really just sit with someone and talk casually. This can be a problem with girlfriends, but I've found a few solutions. Basically I need to do some other activity and talk at the same time so that I'm engaged enough. The best thing for me is just to take a walk and talk. Any time I need to talk with a GF I suggest we take a walk together and then we can talk while walking. Talking over dinner or while playing cards works too.

One of the biggest problems is alienating people who don't really understand my condition. At work I would have problems where someone would come up and talk to me and just be talking so slowly, so I would get on the computer and do some typing while I talked to them. Obv. people find this rude and insulting and it's bad for the office relationship, but if I didn't do it I'd either zone out or want to kill them.

As for going out at night - I can't really handle just sitting around in a bar or whatever normal people do, it's so boring, so I try to encourage my friends to actually do something when we go out, like go to play lasertag, or go dancing, or something active so I don't just go nuts. If we do just go out to bars I can't really have a conversation with the group, I either zone out and get bored or create action/trouble.

[Heir_Aparent]

ever had any experience with/tryed medication?

[Seabass1974]

1) how do you keep from having your ADD interfere with your taking them, and
Pete - I tried Stratera at first about 2 years ago and didn't feel any effects other than a muted sex drive... then I found Adderall, I believe CaptZeebo has spoken of this drug before on here. I started out with a 5 or 10mg pill but it wasn't a timed release (XR) version. Now I get prescribed a 10mg Adderall XR prescription and take 1/2 of one each morning. It's like my coffee... at first I had the weight loss, dry mouth, speed effect. A year or so later it's just like a daily thing... it's the same as crystal meth which I was addicted to over 10 years ago... so I'm careful not to overdo it (partying on weekends, taking more than my prescribed dose, using them to wake up etc.)

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? Live in girlfriend, full time job, 3.5 y/o son 1/2 time... ADD can be the best or the worst wrt poker. See other typical responses, I've gotten bored and played too high stakes b4, etc. but everyone plays better when winning and can focus better I don't think that's different with ADD peeps.

I'm interested in any and all tricks of the trade or helpful coping mechanisms you might employ.

Sometimes prior to a game, I just know that I'm not going to play my best, can't explain it, but when I know that I shouldn't play... I still do so I'm still learning! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[AllinDan]

I used to take adderall very occasionally in high school and it was a tremendous help for school. I always thought I showed signs of ADD, but it wasn't with any hyperactivity and I didn't get diagnosed until a few months ago. I've had a lot of problems getting used to adderall and am close to trying ritalin or something else, this non stimulant someone mentioned sounds intriguing. Having easy access to adderall is tough- on the one hand it really really helps me with everyday social situations and conversation and is the only way I can get anything done for school or play a lot of hands. On the other, it messes with my sleeping and eating to the point that I become somewhat of a zombie, and is very addictive.

Add as it relates to poker is odd. I've always played tournaments and never gotten in to cash games because I'm very good at paying a little bit of attention to a number of different things, but find it impossible to actually pay close attention to more than one thing. Consequently I made a lot of money at party sngs when I could just learn a fairly simple system and grind grind grind, but have never really developed as a player because I intentionally found ways to play and make money while actively thinking as little as possible. I can play up to 30 low buyin stars sit n gos simultaneously at a winning roi with no misclicks, but can't concentrate on the whims and pace of even two nl cash games.

Being at the computer is simply difficult for me, having two big monitors+aim+itunes+multiple tables is both an ADD dream and nightmare. Like ZJ, I don't have any trouble concentrating in live poker. Generally the combination of higher stakes and other factors (incl. medication) is enough to get me to that sort of "hyperfocus" state, though of course I'll lose focus from time to time like anyone might.

edit:
to add more to my post. . .

there are definitely good times and bad times, and it can be really hard to know how my brain is working. This is more of a problem with poker, as sometimes I will buy in to a few mtts and then find myself ridiculously impatient and play every hand and bust before the first break in all of them, and other times when I have tremendous patience and can play only 5% of hands or whatever and not be the least bit bored. It can be the same with reading or other things. I might start a book and without even realizing it finish the whole thing in one night, or I might gloss over a few pages, thenrealize I have no idea what happened and not be able to maintain focus long enough to read a whole sentence.

[WhoIam]

[ QUOTE ]
it's the same as crystal meth which I was addicted to over 10 years ago

[/ QUOTE ]
Does your doctor know about this? There's no way he should have prescribed you adderall. Was this a psychiatrist or a GP?

[AllinDan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
it's the same as crystal meth which I was addicted to over 10 years ago

[/ QUOTE ]
Does your doctor know about this? There's no way he should have prescribed you adderall. Was this a psychiatrist or a GP?

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT! my doctor and I discussed whether adderall was a good fit for me just based on a history of heavy pot usage. Iirc a 2+2er I know of got prescribed ritalin instead of adderall due to some history with coke

[pete fabrizio]

Is there anyone here who has taken both Adderall and Ritalin who can compare the two?

[WillMagic]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there anyone here who has taken both Adderall and Ritalin who can compare the two?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have. I took adderall in the past, now i take metadate, which i'm pretty sure is a ritalin generic.

They are pretty similar. Ritalin seems to work at a slightly slower rate...the effects take longer to kick in but the side effects are mitigated some.

[good2cu]

you get such sweet drugs im jealous of you all.

[Seabass1974]

I think so but it was mentioned long ago... hasn't been my doc forever... fwiw, I've been "drug" free for over 10 years now.