r/ADHD_Programmers

Something I've noticed while prepping for interviews, even while employed, is that I'm much better at building products than I am at solving random coding challenges. Need me to build and deploy a full stack app from a set of requirements? No problem. I can put the pieces together, hit the requirements, and deploy it.

Ask me to implement a sliding window, BFS, or DFS from memory though, and my brain just locks up. I understand the concepts, but translating them into code without Googling or referencing something else is almost impossible.

I have 8 years of experience across three companies, and when I struggle when prepping with mock coding interviews it honestly makes me feel like a bad software engineer. Then I think back on my career, and almost none of my day to day work has looked anything like those challenges. I've worked with product stakeholders, built features, delivered projects, fixed production issues, collaborated across teams, basically everything you'd expect to do on the job.

The biggest difference is that real product development is rarely about reinventing the wheel. You use libraries, frameworks, and existing solutions to solve problems. I can build a tower with Legos, but I don't need to manufacture the bricks. When something is complex, I research it, look at existing implementations, choose the right tool or solution, and move on. That's just how products are built.

To me, a typical product engineering job teaches you how to build products, not how to memorize algorithms. Yet some interviews optimize for one and hire you for the other. The interviews I've done best in are the practical ones, where you're given a feature, work through the requirements with the interviewer, implement it, and make the tests pass. And since that's much closer to the job, those are the easiest for me.

I'm not just throwing code together either. I still care about maintainability, performance, and reusability. But I don't spend my days implementing algorithms from scratch, so I'm not great at doing them on the spot.

Does anyone else struggle with this and end up feeling like they're a bad software engineer? It's pretty shitty and it's even harder with ADHD because if I don't like doing something, or there isn't something to show for it at the end, it's almost impossible to force myself to sit down and struggle through something. I can struggle through building something because the reward is seeing it completed and being able to use it. Sitting down and grinding DSA is pointless to my mind. I just hate it.

I'm frustrated...

One thing I've learned is that my biggest productivity gains haven't come from finding a better app... they've come from finding people who understand why I build systems in the first place.

I've been searching Reddit for communities of ADHD programmers and other neurodivergent builders who are obsessed with improving their workflows, sharing what actually works, and holding each other accountable to keep making progress.

I've realized that many people without ADHD simply don't experience the constant need to iterate on systems the way I do. I get it... its not their problem, but it is mine (and the need is urgent), this of course means it's hard to find people who genuinely "get it."

So, I'm curious:

• What communities (Reddit or elsewhere) have helped you grow?
• Do you have an accountability group (regular meet ups, Discord or wherever), or regular check-ins with other ADHDers? (Think almost like Alcoholics Annonymous, but ADHD-focused, online, and recurring on some cadence)

If something like this doesn't exist, I'd be interested in helping build it (I wait for no one... spent too much of my life waiting for something that ends up never happening, but I'm still stuck or barely progressing in the meantime). If that's something you'd want to be part of, let me know. I'd love to hear what's worked, as well as what hasn't.

???

AI makes decisions about day on what to do , when and why you should do with proper tracking , reasoning feedback loops on both work , personal goals and commitments.

as per me it increases productivity cause it takes away mental load of deciding .

what say ?

I'm AuDHD. Like a lot of us, I eventually hit a wall with traditional jobs. The masking, the sensory overload, and trying to fit into environments that were never designed for my brain became harder than the work itself.

I started building my own app instead. It began as something I needed, and over time I realized there are a lot of neurodivergent people building products, art, and businesses from lived experience.

One thing I've learned is that building is only part of it. If you're trying to crowdfund, you still have to find your own supporters and tell people why your work matters. That can be difficult when self promotion is the part that drains you the most.

Because of that, I recently started the Neurodivergent Builders Fund on Artizen. It's a community fund for neurodivergent creators building products, creative work, and accessibility tools. Artizen uses matching funds to help projects raise more, but founders still have to build their own community and bring people along. I liked that it didn't pretend there was a shortcut.

I mainly wanted to share this because I know there are people here quietly building things who may not realize opportunities like this exist.

Has anyone else here found that creating your own work has been a better fit than traditional employment?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been dealing with ADHD, depression, and anxiety for a long time, and I wanted to see if anyone here can relate to my current career crisis.

I’ve never felt truly "good" at programming because I’ve never been able to specialize. I’ve always jumped from one shiny object to another—a classic ADHD trap. I’ve been working since I was 15 (I'm 22 now), and unfortunately, I’ve had to deal with a lot of workplace mobbing and toxic environments along the way, which has really worn me down.

Lately, I’ve hit a wall. I realized I have absolutely zero desire to learn or write JS, TS, or PHP anymore. I’ve honestly grown to hate modern web frameworks. My brain simply refuses to engage if I don't understand the underlying mechanics. I hate "magic" code; if I can't see how things work under the hood, my brain rejects it and I can't get good at it.

For example, I know I need to keep up with web dev ecosystems to pay the bills, but the burnout is severe. I’ll install Laravel, take one look at all the boilerplate and hidden abstractions, feel completely overwhelmed by the complexity, and instantly delete it.

On the flip side, I recently picked up Rust, and it feels like a revelation. I started diving into low-level systems and compilers—which has always been my dream. I’ve been working through things like Crafting Interpreters and building parsers from scratch. The dopamine hit I get from successfully writing low-level code or implementing something like string literals in Rust is unmatched. I actually love reinventing the wheel just to understand how it turns.

The catch? I don't have a CS degree. Because of that, systems programming and compilers have always felt out of reach professionally, so it stays just a hobby. I feel trapped between a web dev career that drains my soul and a low-level passion that feels impossible to break into without the right academic background.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of framework burnout? How do you manage the ADHD need to understand everything under the hood before you can build anything? And is there any realistic path into lower-level/systems programming without a degree?

Would appreciate any advice or just knowing I'm not alone in this.

Hey all, starting a new job in a week (C#/.NET + Angular/TypeScript full stack) and I'm trying to get ahead of a problem I've had forever: retaining domain knowledge across projects/jobs.

I've tried the whole Second Brain / PARA thing in Obsidian more than once. Every time I build a template it just doesn't stick, I end up tweaking it every single time I use it until it's not really a template anymore. And half the time the fatigue hits before I even take a real note, just setting up folders and figuring out "what's this for" burns me out and then I ghost the whole system.

Pretty sure some of this is ADHD related. When I take notes in the moment they're very "right now" focused, whatever's directly in front of me, and not written for future me at all. So a month later I look back and it's just fragments that don't mean anything out of context. Tags are also a mess, I never know what's worth tagging or how specific to get, and I've got no real process for going back and combining/cleaning up notes once they pile up.

Right now my actual workflow is just paper. Task notes while I'm working a ticket, meeting notes on paper during discussions, because that's what actually helps me retain stuff in the moment. But I want something that turns into an actual knowledge base over time, one that fits how my brain works, so later I can search my own notes and look like I know what I'm talking about instead of just remembering everything.

Anyone actually solved this? How do you decide what's worth capturing vs just letting it go? Do you organize by project, by concept, something else? And how do you deal with tagging and cleaning up/merging old notes without that becoming a whole chore itself.

I am poor at programming and high context logical reasoning due to ADHD. I wanted to get better under medication as I got diagnosed late for ADHD. Started with leetcode but felt too unstructured, even though it was fun but did not felt confident that I am mastering a building block. It felt like jumping from one block to another continuously. Found some old reddit post and signed up for codeintuition.io. The way they have structured the learning is absolutely fantastic. First time since I began this journey, I was able to type a full algo without any syntax error and was able to run successfully. Their algo may not be the most optimized one but learning structure is one of the best I have found that works for me. Highly recommend give it a go for someone trying to build DSA skill.

I am not affiliated to this company and I have paid my annual subscription fee like a regular consumer. The opinion shared is strictly mine as I felt out of tons of paid learning platform this one stood out (yes, I have subscribed to many including neetcode). Thank you for taking your time reading this post.

I'm not even sure if this is the right subreddit, but I'm hoping someone here relates.

I'm a software engineer by profession, although I'm currently unemployed after leaving my last job.

Ever since I was young, I've had an intense curiosity about almost everything. I love understanding how systems work—governments, psychology, economics, statistics, security, software architecture, ethics, even advanced mathematics. I'll spend hours watching lectures on advanced calculus or reading about theorems, not because I need them for work, but because I genuinely enjoy understanding them.

I also spend a lot of time thinking about better ways to solve problems or designing completely new approaches to things.

The confusing part is that despite all this curiosity, I haven't really achieved anything significant.

At my previous job, I constantly felt responsible for making sure technical decisions were actually correct—thinking about things like security, latency, scalability, and long-term design. Many times it felt like managers or even senior engineers only cared that something worked well enough to show the client. That mismatch exhausted me, and eventually I quit because the constant pressure became overwhelming.

Now I'm building my own software and trying to freelance.

The strange thing is... I know exactly what I should be doing.

I know how to find customers.
I know what features to build.
I know how to improve the product.
I know what the next steps are.

But I don't do them.

Instead, I'll research endlessly, discuss ideas with AI, read Reddit posts from potential customers, think about different approaches, organize plans, or work on something completely unrelated.

I use AI constantly—not because I can't think, but because I enjoy discussing ideas and refining approaches. I use it for architecture discussions, content, datasets, planning, brainstorming, almost everything.

The problem is that while AI is generating or processing something, I'll suddenly switch tabs, scroll Reddit, watch reels, play music, or disappear into random rabbit holes.

Hours disappear.

It's almost like I avoid the actual execution even though I genuinely want the end result.

Another thing is my energy levels.

During the day I feel mentally tired almost all the time, even if I slept reasonably well. I keep trying to force myself to work but can't get into it.

Then suddenly around 2–4 AM my brain comes alive and I can focus deeply.

My sleep schedule is terrible because of this.

Physically I'm not inactive. I do around 30 pull-ups every day (usually in random sets of 10) just to stay energized. I drink one coffee a day, nothing excessive.

What frustrates me most is that I genuinely believe I have good problem-solving ability and a broad range of interests, but I can't consistently direct that ability toward the work that actually matters.

Meanwhile I watch people who seem less interested in learning or less analytical than me steadily build careers, businesses, and projects simply because they can stay focused and execute consistently.

I'm not trying to say I'm smarter than anyone. I know intelligence without execution doesn't accomplish much. That's exactly what's bothering me.

Sometimes I wonder whether this is ADHD, burnout, perfectionism, executive dysfunction, anxiety, or just years of bad habits.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit.

I'm more interested in hearing from people who have experienced something similar.

* Did you constantly consume information instead of executing? * Did you feel capable of understanding difficult things but unable to consistently apply yourself? * Did your motivation only appear late at night? * If things eventually improved, what actually helped?

I think I need a sustainable way to consistently execute instead of living almost entirely in planning, learning, and thinking.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through something similar.

I used AI for readability and better arrangement of the points .

So I have sort of a dumb problem where I have AI at work, but it is really dumb and behind a firewall and I can't play with it in my IDE/even a Claude code or codex terminal.

I see people at least claiming that they've set up all these AI workflows to do most of their coding, and maybe it's my wanting to understand the whole system, but I just find the concept of the AI doing the bulk of the work to be a frustrating experience.

I can see the value of the AI building complex parts that would be a lot of busy work, but the entire project orchestration with where the technology stands feels extremely unreliable right now.

Maybe working with it as sort of a super charged function builder/helper? So far, my best use of AI has come with working at work (ironically) where the chat functionality I'm stuck with forces me to use the AI sort of as a partner to ask questions, but I feel like this is limiting what is actually possible.

Back story for context… 25 years as a web developer, started out in web design and then migrated to front end development (think IE6, CSS, JQuery, shims etc). Designing and building brochure and e-commerce frontends.

I then moved into full stack as WordPress became the dominant platform partnering. Working with design agencies as a self employed turn-key solution, building both the frontend and backend from supplied PSD visuals (oh how times have changed). This was from around 2011

Then came the adoption of React, Angular and Vue and at the time many companies were adopting these alongside in house design systems and component libraries. With a huge amount of experience in semantic, accessible markup, real css / scss skills, and a background in design - it was an opportunity to move into this domain. This was around 2017

Fast forward nearly ten years and the industry had changed a lot, and regrettably: I haven’t. I was able to sustain employment working for companies as a specialist in my domain, assisting product and design to build agnostic UI using component driven development and atomic design principles. Pixel perfect translation, accessibility, responsiveness and a great developer experience was what I was known for. Storybook was my bread and butter, I never actually worked within the main application my UI was being deployed within, instead engineering, testing and documenting components exclusively in storybook. Other engineers would consume my components within the application and take ownership of state integration and data fetching.

Here is the issue, I’ve been out of work for just over two years, the market doesn’t help (I’m based in the UK), and neither does the niche area I’ve specialised in. Most interviews advertise for frontend - my CV states “UI engineer”, and although I get an interview, it soon becomes apparent the skills gap for everything outside of my domain (state management, frameworks, etc) are all lacking. On top of that, AI is really closing the gap on my core skills; with some steering and a good model, it’s very capable of replacing me.

I need to pivot, not sure where though and that’s for me to explore. I’m 45 and nowhere near retirement- I have to sustain an income, but have been fortunate to earn well and within the next couple of years can maintain a comfortable lifestyle on a much lower income.

I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has experienced what I’m going through and what you’ve done to remain relevant- even if it’s leaving engineering all together.

Thanks 🙏🏼

Hello everyone,

Nothing dramatic. No 5 am routines or “changed my life overnight” stuff. Just boring little habits that i added.

• I stopped reacting immediately. Messages, comments, even bad news. Pausing for a few minutes saved me a lot of unnecessary stress.

• I keep my phone out of reach while working or eating. Not off. Just not in my hand. Huge difference.

• I stopped over-explaining myself. A simple “no” or “I can’t” is enough most of the time.

• I go outside every day, even if it’s just 5 minutes. Sounds silly, but it resets my head better than scrolling.

• I realized watching random content while tired wasn’t relaxing at all. so i choose sleeping more than any hack I tried.

Hi everyone,

I’m a Computer Science graduate (about 1+ year out), and I’ve been struggling to build a consistent learning path toward becoming a software developer.

I most likely have ADHD (not formally diagnosed yet), and my biggest issue is consistency and focus when learning on my own. I often start with good intentions, but I end up jumping between random tutorials, YouTube videos, and resources without a clear structure, and I struggle to stay on one path long enough to actually build skills.

I also don’t really have developer friends or mentors to guide me, so I end up trying to figure everything out alone, which makes it even harder to stay organized and focused.

From university, I already have a solid foundation in Java, Python, and C#, as well as basics in algorithms, data structures, databases, software engineering, and web development fundamentals.

Right now, I’m trying to move toward full-stack web development, but what I really need is a structured way of learning that I can actually stick to.

What I’m looking for is advice from people who deal with similar focus/consistency challenges:

How do you structure learning when self-studying?

How do you avoid jumping between resources all the time?

How do you decide what to ignore without feeling like you’re missing out?

What kind of roadmap or system actually worked for you?

If you are in web development, how did you stay consistent long enough to become job-ready?

I prefer free resources when possible, but more than anything I’m looking for a system that helps me stay consistent rather than just a list of courses.

I also tried a paid local course before, but I couldn’t stick with it. I realized that I struggle more with structured “course-style” learning and do better when I have a clear but flexible roadmap with small goals and projects.

I’m based in Lebanon, but I’m open to advice from anyone since the fundamentals are mostly universal.

Any advice, systems, or personal experiences would be really appreciated.

Thank you.

I can ignore notifications all day without even realizing it. The moment I unlock my phone, I'm usually distracted by something else.

Recently I noticed a few productivity projects, including ZIEA, experimenting with desk-based reminders instead of relying entirely on apps and notifications. It made me wonder if changing where reminders appear is more important than adding more of them.

Has anyone found physical cues more effective than digital ones, or do they eventually blend into the background too?

On the fence about pulling the trigger to get one. But coding monitors are tiple the money of a regular one.

Reason to find one is because I'm getting old and want some eye protection.

Are they really worth it or waste of money?

I recently moved to Virginia, and transferring my ADHD care has honestly been a lot more difficult than I expected.
Before moving, I had been seeing the same psychiatrist for several years. It took a long time to find a treatment plan that worked, but once we did, it remained stable for about two years because it was effective and my symptoms were well managed.
Now that I’ve moved, it feels like all of that progress has been reset. My new providers are understandably cautious and want to evaluate everything themselves, which I completely respect, but it’s been discouraging feeling like I’m starting over after spending years finding what worked. I need a psychiatrist that will personalize a treatment for me and not just a one shoe fits all solutions. I also don’t wanna it to look like I’m fishing for a prescription for abuse or recreational use.
Has anyone else gone through this after moving?
How long did it take before your new psychiatrist felt comfortable continuing your established treatment?
Did your previous medical records help?
Was there anything you wish you had done before changing providers?
Any advice for making the transition easier?
I’m not looking for recommendations about medications or doses—just hoping to hear from people who’ve been through a similar situation and how they navigated changing psychiatrists after moving.
Thanks!

I’ve been trying to find the right medication combo for a while now, but I still can’t get through a full 8-hour work shift without feeling like everything wears off.
Here’s what I’ve tried over the years:
Adderall XR
Adderall IR
Vyvanse
Generic Concerta
Generic Ritalin
Mydayis
Dyanavel XR
Bupropion (currently 300 mg)
Right now I’m taking 300 mg bupropion and 15 mg Dyanavel XR.
The medication that helped me the most was honestly Adderall IR. My ADHD is pretty severe, and without medication I can literally spend the whole day in bed unable to get started on anything. The IR gave me enough energy to actually get moving and function, which made a huge difference.
The problem is my psychiatrist will only prescribe one 10 mg IR tablet a day along with a long-acting medication.
Vyvanse only seemed to work for about 2 hours for me. Dyanavel XR has actually been my second favorite because I like the immediate kick, and it lasts longer than Vyvanse for me, but it still isn’t getting me through a full workday.
I’m curious if anyone else metabolizes stimulants this quickly.
Did you end up finding a medication that lasted longer? Did your psychiatrist adjust your dosing schedule, or did you have to see someone else for a second opinion?
I’m not asking how to get more medication or anything like that. I’m just wondering if it’s worth talking to another psychiatrist since I still don’t feel like my current regimen covers my day.
I’d really appreciate hearing what ended up working for other people.

i send a prompt, the agent goes off for a minute, and somewhere in that gap my hand opens a new tab on its own. by the time it's done i'm 15 min into doomscrolling and don't come back.

what's weird is it's backwards from the usual adhd thing. the agent took away the part that kept me hooked (the actual typing and figuring out part of it) and left a bunch of little waits that my brain reads as "ok you can leave now."

so, people here who use these tools:

• do you get this focus dying the second the AI starts working, not while you're coding
• what do you actually do in the wait
• has anyone fixed it or do you just bite into the context switch every time

trying to work out if this is a me thing before i build something dumb to fix it

You want to email, wash dishes, or start your computer. You'd sit, aware of your responsibilities, but unable to begin. The more you pushed yourself to "just get going," the more blocked you became. This difficulty starting tasks is a genuine problem, especially for people with ADHD or executive function issues.

But I started testing things. Small, practical things. And slowly, they worked. Here's what helped me get moving again no hype, no hacks, just real tools.

Task Initiation & Overcoming Paralysis:

1. Use a Physical Timer: Employ a simple, old-school kitchen timer (or sand timer) instead of a phone to avoid digital distractions and create a tangible sense of time.
2. The 5-Second Rule (or Variations): Count aloud (e.g., "1-2-3-4-5," "3-2-1-Go," "5-4-3-2-1") and physically get up or start the task immediately upon finishing the count.
3. Add Fun Phrases: Make counting more engaging by adding a phrase like "Blast Off!" or "Eat the Frog!" at the end.
4. Start Small (Movement): If feeling stuck (paralysis), begin with a tiny physical movement like wiggling toes, then gradually progress to larger movements like moving legs, sitting up, and standing.
5. Start Small (Tasks): Commit to doing only the very first, tiny step of a task (e.g., "just take the laptop out," "just put one dish in the sink," "just rinse one dish," "just walk into the room"). Often, momentum builds from there.
6. Focus on Setup: Instead of the whole task, just focus on getting everything set up and ready for the task (e.g., getting pen and paper ready, pulling out ingredients).
7. Act Immediately: When the impulse or thought to do something arises, act on it instantly before the brain has a chance to overthink or create barriers. ("&£$* it" approach).
8. Do It Tired/Hating It: Acknowledge the feeling (tiredness, dislike) but do the task anyway, detaching the action from needing the "right" mood.
9. Put Shoes On: Wearing shoes (even designated indoor shoes or slippers) can signal "action mode" to the brain and make you less likely to sit down or lounge, increasing motivation for chores/tasks.
10. Don't Sit Down: Avoid sitting down when you have momentum or are in the middle of active tasks, as it can trigger paralysis or make it much harder to get moving again.
11. Start with Cold Water: Briefly start a shower with cold water before it heats up; tackling the unpleasant part first can make the rest easier.
12. Throw Your Phone: If stuck scrolling, (gently) toss your phone across the room, forcing you to get up to retrieve it and breaking the paralysis.
13. Slide Phone Away: Set a 1-minute timer and slide the phone across the floor, requiring movement to turn it off.
14. Imagine a Subway Pole: Visualise grabbing a pole and physically pulling yourself up to get out of a chair or bed.
15. "I'M STUCK": Say "I'm stuck" out loud to acknowledge and potentially break through paralysis.

These might sound small, but that’s the point. When you’re stuck, tiny actions are the only way out. You can find more practical, low-effort activities in Soothfy App tailored to your energy level and daily schedule. It’s built for moments like this, when you're stuck and don't know where to start.
Hope one of these helps next time your brain hits pause.