That's the problem -- anything that makes you "more focused" will stun your creativity and may cause you to obsessively repeat mindless tasks and anything that makes you more creative will prevent you from getting anything done.
So in the end you may as well just use your original god-provided brain.
I've read it somewhere too. It makes sense if you think about it. In certain types of ADHD, the hyperactiity is in the thoughts. So the person would have more thoughts racing through his or her head than normal and this probably constitutes the creativity since they have more random thoughts to seed a good idea. The drive for this is thought to be caused by understimulation. In other words the mind is bored, so we start racing through thoughts to try to make something more exciting. What Adderall does is stimulate your mind so that it's no longer bored. Less random thoughts are needed and the person can focus on one thing better. Of course, the random thoughts, which constituted the creativity, is traded off. It's actually my theory behind how it works (I have ADHD).
When I'm focused, I still get odd, interesting ideas popping in my head, but I have the wherewithal to either ignore them or to jot them down for latter.
There's a difference between focused and indifferent. My experience with assorted nootropics is that, with the better ones, boring things are still boring, but I have the means to do them anyway if I have to.
It hinders, it does not prevent you from being creative. And the reason why it would make you less creative is that it makes you more satisfied. When you are satisfied in your mind you naturally make less of an effort to strain your thoughts to come up with something exciting.
If you're on nootropics and something is exciting, does it get more exciting? And something boring becomes doable because you have less urge to replace it with something more exciting. So it obviously would still seem comparatively boring.
"And something boring becomes doable because you have less urge to replace it with something more exciting. "
Oh no, the urge is still strong. I just resist it. It's the difference between a diet drug that reduces appetite, and one that does not change appetite, but gives you the resolve to not eat just because you feel hungry.
In any event, I've never seen my creativity tied to any amount of satisfaction. Stuff just pops into my head.
There are endless variations on things; it's not like one needs a reason to make stuff up, because it's intrinsically satisfying.
EDIT: Also occurred to me that now, 2 months taking Adderal, I may be more creative than 3 months ago. I get more stuff done, and while doing things I have more interesting ideas than when just dicking around. So I'm at least more tangibly creative.
Strong is very subjective and relative. Why didn't you just resist it before taking Adderal then? What exactly does Adderal do for you then?
It is not impossible for a good idea will just "pop into your head." But say I need to come up with a good idea on the spot. Maybe I'm designing a poster. What I would do in this situation is run through a shitload of various possibilities through my head. This is what I meant when I said creativity, your ability to think boundlessly. So some people might be better or worse at doing this.
Now I believe the ADHD (at least inattentive subtype) sufferer has a problem where they cannot control this hyperactive thinking. So their minds are constantly polluted by a shitload of thoughts. This in term causes memory problem because so many new thoughts run through, it's like 5 hours of time passed in terms of thoughts when only 5 minutes has gone by.
Well in comes Adderal and like I said before, it takes effect by stimulating the brain. So there is no more need to go through all those thoughts, since supposedly they go through those thoughts so that they could achieve mental stimulation.
It hinders creativity in that the person no longer has racing thoughts all the time. Can they still pull that skill up on demand? Maybe.
I have a prescription for Adderal and I haven't taken it yet. I don't really want to though. I can attest to my theory of the mechanism behind ADHD, but I am not as sure Adderal has this effect as I am sure about the mechanism behind ADHD-inattentive. However since I read online from user experiences and whatnot that adderal hinders creativity, and it makes sense seeing how it acts that it would do this, that's why I believe it probably hinders creativity.
"Maybe I'm designing a poster. What I would do in this situation is run through a shitload of various possibilities through my head. This is what I meant when I said creativity, your ability to think boundlessly. So some people might be better or worse at doing this."
Here's what's changed for me since taking Adderal (caveat: I'm still adjusting dosage and how/when I take it, since the effects are varied throughout the day). I have no reduced ability to generate ideas (and possibly more ability to think up more substantial ideas). I have an increased ability to grab a particular idea and give it further thought. I have the ability to consider if right now is a good time or not to act on an idea, and if not, then make a note of it for later.
You seem concerned that you'll have fewer creative ideas popping into your head; you need to consider of what value are those thoughts if they are constantly replaced by the next new idea, and you cannot find the wherewithal to take a specific idea and properly act on it.
I really can't see the equivalence of racing thoughts with creativity. Nor valuing mere quantity of ideas over deliberately acting on even a fraction of those ideas.
Do some research on the near-term effects of Adderal and consider trying it. You'll need to give it at least a few weeks to acclimate. You may be surprised. In any event, it should be educational.
Why didn't you just resist it before taking Adderal then?
For the same reason a depressed person doesn't "just cheer up".
I have a prescription for Adderal and I haven't taken it yet....
I've also been struggling with the question of whether to take medication. I have a bias/desire not to take meds as well. But you know what? It doesn't seem like anyone's saying that the effects of most of these drugs are permanent! Seems like you and I could simply take the drugs, see if the benefits are worth the risks/deleterious effects, and make the decision then. If we notice, say, that there's too much of a creativity loss, then we stop. No big deal.
My reason for not taking it is not really the possible creativity loss. It's just that Adderal could have negative effects, and that I don't want to subject myself to that risk just so that I can conform to the system.
But I'm curious though, what type of ADHD do you have, inattentive or hyperactive? Why/how does Adderal help you?
Honestly, the psychiatrist didn't say, or I forgot it if he did. I am certainly hyperactive at times, but the inattentiveness is the major problem in my life.
I am not taking anything for this (besides caffeine at the moment), I've been rather against it as mentioned above. Thinking about starting. What I was getting at was that it seems that the risks seem temporary. One could try it, determine if the benefits are worth the risks, and if they aren't, simply discontinue with no lasting effects.
So in the end you may as well just use your original god-provided brain.