Ask HN: Those with ADHD, how are you doing?

Hello HN,

I am about to ask for professional help and finally check whether I have ADHD or not. Most likely, I do even though over the years I have learned to deal with some aspects.

Here are some examples:

* I find it extremely hard to concentrate on reading, listening, watching, etc. Just reading a paper or a few pages of book might turn into a multi-hour adventure

* The funniest thing is that the same happens when during leisure time when I just watch a movie or listen to music. I constantly distract, skip tracks and multi-task which results in the whole day spent with no completed activities

* I have frequent mood swings. That sounds even more like being bypolar but it's not that severe

Regardless of the above, I managed to be quite successful from the academic perspective, got a master's in computer science and mathematics and now work as a software engineer at a large company.

That said, I still feel frustrated sometimes by the lack of focus and concentration.

What I have been recently practising is using Pomodoro (pomofocus.io) and different background noises (like those on mynoise.net) so that there is no music, no irrelevant browser tabs, etc.

As for medications, I have serious doubts regarding stimulants. Based on what I have read, there is no concensus on the long term effect of this class of drugs so that makes me doubt.

What is your story? How do you deal with ADHD?