You’ll have noticed how previously normal people start acting like addicts to their favourite generative AI and shout at you like you’re trying to take their cocaine away. Matthias Döpm…
Curious what a study on relative AI uptake by Parkinson’s patients and my fellow adhd’ers looks like. The same dopaminergic systems whose underperformance drives symptoms also makes us more likely to get hooked on gambling than average.
Edit: also, AI-to-cocaine is the new cloud-to-butt
I always wonder if an ADHDer gambling while a stimulant dose is active would find gambling even more addictive than a non-ADHDer because of the artificially increased amount of dopamine floating around. Or the same but with other potentially addictive behaviors.
@jonhendry@o7___o7@techtakes Anecdotally, I didn’t quite understand the appeal of fishing, watching sports, or instant lottery tickets before taking medication. But I’ve heard studies show that typically ADHD people tend to be more prone to addiction issues without medication. I think it might be more drive to see things to completion vs. actual addiction. Like I feel like my “social media addiction” is worse now, but it’s more that I was always addicted and now it takes longer to get bored.
@jonhendry@o7___o7@techtakes There’s also a common misconception as to what dopamine does. It’s not actually the reward chemical as such, it’s the motivation chemical. Dopamine levels increase throughout a task until it’s complete then dopamine levels drop off. So if you have ADHD and you’re not medicated, rewards are still rewarding but working towards them is difficult, which is why you’d be more prone to easy rewards like drugs or gambling without meds than rewards you have to work towards
@jonhendry@o7___o7@techtakes To clarify my point a little, by instant lottery tickets I mean the slightly less instant ones like crosswords or bingo. Before meds I found them too tedious to be worth the brain reward, but not anymore (of course I’d never *pay* for lottery tickets, but I get them as gifts sometimes). So I can kind of see how meds could enable some addictions that wouldn’t have had a chance to form otherwise.
In my experience, stimulants mean more self-control!
ADHD is a broad church, but most of us generally show reduced dopaminergic activity around the frontal lobe, which can manifest, as an example, executive dysfunction. The right stimulant medication at the proper dosage helps balance that out. My unmedicated brother can drink a latte and go to sleep immediately.
Gambling, browsing, etc feel good for the same reason, and I will never touch casinos, cocaine or street meth because I suspect that it’d ruin me.
Curious what a study on relative AI uptake by Parkinson’s patients and my fellow adhd’ers looks like. The same dopaminergic systems whose underperformance drives symptoms also makes us more likely to get hooked on gambling than average.
Edit: also, AI-to-cocaine is the new cloud-to-butt
@o7___o7 @techtakes
I always wonder if an ADHDer gambling while a stimulant dose is active would find gambling even more addictive than a non-ADHDer because of the artificially increased amount of dopamine floating around. Or the same but with other potentially addictive behaviors.
@jonhendry @o7___o7 @techtakes Anecdotally, I didn’t quite understand the appeal of fishing, watching sports, or instant lottery tickets before taking medication. But I’ve heard studies show that typically ADHD people tend to be more prone to addiction issues without medication. I think it might be more drive to see things to completion vs. actual addiction. Like I feel like my “social media addiction” is worse now, but it’s more that I was always addicted and now it takes longer to get bored.
@jonhendry @o7___o7 @techtakes There’s also a common misconception as to what dopamine does. It’s not actually the reward chemical as such, it’s the motivation chemical. Dopamine levels increase throughout a task until it’s complete then dopamine levels drop off. So if you have ADHD and you’re not medicated, rewards are still rewarding but working towards them is difficult, which is why you’d be more prone to easy rewards like drugs or gambling without meds than rewards you have to work towards
@jonhendry @o7___o7 @techtakes To clarify my point a little, by instant lottery tickets I mean the slightly less instant ones like crosswords or bingo. Before meds I found them too tedious to be worth the brain reward, but not anymore (of course I’d never *pay* for lottery tickets, but I get them as gifts sometimes). So I can kind of see how meds could enable some addictions that wouldn’t have had a chance to form otherwise.
In my experience, stimulants mean more self-control!
ADHD is a broad church, but most of us generally show reduced dopaminergic activity around the frontal lobe, which can manifest, as an example, executive dysfunction. The right stimulant medication at the proper dosage helps balance that out. My unmedicated brother can drink a latte and go to sleep immediately.
Gambling, browsing, etc feel good for the same reason, and I will never touch casinos, cocaine or street meth because I suspect that it’d ruin me.
Wait…I would like to hone in your brother drinking latte point, could you explain that in a bit more detail, if you don’t mind?
dunno about mechanism, but as someone absolutely fried by ADHD i can tell you there’s no nap as sweet as the nap after your third coffee of the day.