Thanks for your post, just wanted to contribute by deconfusing ADHD a little (hopefully). I agree that you and OP seem to be agreeing more than disagreeing.
So speaking from a pretty thorough ignorance of the topic itself, my guess based on my priors is that the problem-ness of ADHD has more to do with the combo of (a) taking in the culture’s demand that you be functional in a very particular way combined with (b) a built-in incapability of functioning that way.
Correct. However that problem-ness is often a matter of survival/highly non-optional. ADHD can be an economic (and thus kinda literal) death sentence—if it wasn’t for the support of my family I’d be homeless.
I think what the OP is referring to, why they raised ADHD specifically in this context, is because this habitualized conscious forcing/manipulation of our internal state (i.e. dopamine) is a crutch we can’t afford to relinquish—without it we fall down, and we don’t get back up.
I’m speaking as someone only recently (last year) diagnosed with (and medicated for) ADHD. I am easily twice as functional now as I was before I had medication (and I am still nowhere near as functional as the average person, let alone most of this crowd xD)
And, quite tidily, ADHD is one of the primary reasons I learned to develop slack—why I’m capable of grokking your position. ADHD is a neverending lesson in the necessity of slack, in learning to let go.
ADHD is basically an extreme version of slack philosophy hardwired into your brain—it’s great from a certain perspective, but it kinda gives us a healthy appreciation for the value of being able to force outcomes—in a ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til its gone’ sense.
I raised ADHD because it was the first thing that popped into my mind where a chemical habit feels internally aligned, such that the narrative of the “addiction” reducing slack rang hollow.
And, quite tidily, ADHD is one of the primary reasons I learned to develop slack.
ADHD is basically an extreme version of slack philosophy hardwired into your brain.
That has not actually been my experience, but I get the sense that my ADHD is much milder than yours. I also get the sense that your experience w.r.t. ADHD and slack is really common for anything that is kinda-sorta-disabilityish this old post comes to mind, even though it doesn’t explicitly mention it).
I think what the OP is referring to, why they raised ADHD specifically in this context, is because this habitualized conscious forcing/manipulation of our internal state (i.e. dopamine) is a crutch we can’t afford to relinquish—without it we fall down, and we don’t get back up.
Gotcha. I don’t claim to fully understand — I have trouble imagining the experience you’re describing from the inside — but this gives me a hint.
FWIW, I interpret this as “Oh, so this kind of ADHD is a condition where your adaptive capacity is too low to avoid incurring adaptive entropy from the culture.”
This is actually confounded when using ADHD as an example because there’s two dynamics at play:
Any “disability” (construed broadly, under the social model of disability) is, almost by definition, a case where your adaptive capacity is lower than expected (by society)
ADHD specifically affects executive function and impulse control, leading to a reduced ability to force, or do anything that isn’t basically effortless.
Thanks for your post, just wanted to contribute by deconfusing ADHD a little (hopefully). I agree that you and OP seem to be agreeing more than disagreeing.
Correct. However that problem-ness is often a matter of survival/highly non-optional. ADHD can be an economic (and thus kinda literal) death sentence—if it wasn’t for the support of my family I’d be homeless.
I think what the OP is referring to, why they raised ADHD specifically in this context, is because this habitualized conscious forcing/manipulation of our internal state (i.e. dopamine) is a crutch we can’t afford to relinquish—without it we fall down, and we don’t get back up.
I’m speaking as someone only recently (last year) diagnosed with (and medicated for) ADHD. I am easily twice as functional now as I was before I had medication (and I am still nowhere near as functional as the average person, let alone most of this crowd xD)
And, quite tidily, ADHD is one of the primary reasons I learned to develop slack—why I’m capable of grokking your position. ADHD is a neverending lesson in the necessity of slack, in learning to let go.
ADHD is basically an extreme version of slack philosophy hardwired into your brain—it’s great from a certain perspective, but it kinda gives us a healthy appreciation for the value of being able to force outcomes—in a ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til its gone’ sense.
I did start with “I agree 90%.”
I raised ADHD because it was the first thing that popped into my mind where a chemical habit feels internally aligned, such that the narrative of the “addiction” reducing slack rang hollow.
That has not actually been my experience, but I get the sense that my ADHD is much milder than yours. I also get the sense that your experience w.r.t. ADHD and slack is really common for anything that is kinda-sorta-disabilityish this old post comes to mind, even though it doesn’t explicitly mention it).
I found this super helpful. Thank you.
Gotcha. I don’t claim to fully understand — I have trouble imagining the experience you’re describing from the inside — but this gives me a hint.
FWIW, I interpret this as “Oh, so this kind of ADHD is a condition where your adaptive capacity is too low to avoid incurring adaptive entropy from the culture.”
This is actually confounded when using ADHD as an example because there’s two dynamics at play:
Any “disability” (construed broadly, under the social model of disability) is, almost by definition, a case where your adaptive capacity is lower than expected (by society)
ADHD specifically affects executive function and impulse control, leading to a reduced ability to force, or do anything that isn’t basically effortless.