ADD and Poker

[AgentBishop]

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Most medications for ADD/ADHD are stimulants and studies have shown that certain stimulants enhance a person's ability to perform almost any task. This is one reason why U.S. military pilots used to be (maybe still are) given stimulant medication before they go out on some missions. I was prescribed Ritilin at a young age and it certainly helped my performance in school. I have used ADD medication while at the poker table on several occasions and I believe it has positively affected my play. However, these drugs have many side effects that you can read about.

One side effect that you probably will only hear from first hand accounts is that fact that these drugs make you feel pretty crappy. It's not that you are depressed while under the influence of these stimulants, but you have a difficulty simply enjoying life. For example, if somebody makes a funny remark you may want to laugh but for some reason you can not seem to do it genuinely. Therefore, you need to think about why you play poker and weigh that against the effects the drug may have on you. I'd be interested to know what Dr. Al has to say about this, being a more informed source on the subject.

Zeus XIX

p.s. I wouldn't try any of these drugs w/o talking to a doctor about them first. As innocent as it may seem, it is in fact speed you are putting into your body.

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Zeus XIX
Yes, the military gives stimulants to pilots but not just for concentration. For overall alertness because of the lack of sleep they sometimes endure.

Most all drugs have side effects. Read read read before you try anything, not just ADHD meds. There are many drugs for ADHD with many different active ingredients. Just know what your taking and the risks involved. And they are more like cocaine then speed.

Some ADHD drugs make some people feel "crappy" some don't. Some make you very depressed some don't. It depends on the drug, the person, the dose, and many other variables. What they WON'T do is make you feel like a million bucks with crystal clear thinking and super concentration abilities.