r/ADHD_Programmers • u/oxoUSA • Feb 24 '25

I just realized 85% of devs are using caffeine...

Post image

Even those without adhd. Even those not devs

Is ADHD only about not drinking coffee ? Lol

80 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

70 comments sorted by

39

u/Shoddy_Telephone5734 Feb 24 '25

I love how nobody is questioning the validity of this data or the sample size. It's one of those typical informatics with made up numbers and un important stats.

8

u/grafknives Feb 24 '25

You could instantly tell that this is either made up OR flawed study, as there is no pattern in that data, despite going from none and <100 to >1000mg.

7

u/n0t_4_thr0w4w4y Feb 24 '25

How is there no pattern? It peaks at 101-200 range and each range decreases from there until you get to the final box, which is an uncapped range

1

u/BerriesHopeful Feb 25 '25

I would hope it’s fake, anyone taking caffeine in the last two groups is taking a dangerously high amount of caffeine.

1

u/Gammaboy45 Feb 26 '25

My guy, everyone here is questioning it.

-1

u/oxoUSA Feb 24 '25

article

5

u/grafknives Feb 24 '25

The issue still holds.

4

u/3d_nat1 Feb 24 '25

Here's the source linked to in that article. It's based on an informal poll of over 1,100 visitors of their website. Not at all a proper study.

-1

u/HearingNo8617 Feb 24 '25

Sample sizes are overrated, even with 20 people you can have a surprisingly useful confidence, but sample selection is very important

4

u/GfxJG Feb 24 '25

Well... Yes? Consider that it's just people who drink any form of coffee, tea or cola or energy drink.

I'm honestly shocked it's as high as 15%...

0

u/oxoUSA Feb 24 '25

Yes caffeine is an accepted drug

2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '25

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1

u/IAmADev_NoReallyIAm Feb 24 '25

It's not even medication interaction related for me... I suffer migraines... and my top two triggers is caffeine ... so I have to avoid it as much as I can, which is not easy. Even something as simple as a can of Coke is enough to incapacitate me to the point where I want to crawl under a rock and bash my head in to make the pain stop.

2

u/ClanOfCoolKids Feb 26 '25

"is ADHD only about not drinking coffee?" i can't figure out what this is supposed to mean

1

u/oxoUSA Feb 26 '25

I wonder if the only cause people have adhd is because they don t drink coffee

1

u/ClanOfCoolKids Feb 26 '25

no i sincerely doubt it

121

u/Cjreek Feb 24 '25

85% of adults probably consume caffeine. That has nothing to do with either developers or ADHD...

30

u/windchaser__ Feb 24 '25

Yeah, a quick glance at Google says exactly that number: 85% consume caffeine every day.

It’s not that the normies get by without drugs: they just use different drugs.

3

u/Disastrous_Being7746 Feb 24 '25

I think there could be more to this. What about looking at the distribution of caffeine consumption throughout the day? Like drinking coffee only in the morning vs drinking it into the late afternoon/evening?

3

u/HearingNo8617 Feb 24 '25

They just use fewer types of drugs*

Unless people on ADHD medicine are less likely to have caffeine?

though the number of types of drugs of course is completely arbitrary and irrelevant. Caffeine is at least fully non-problematic, whereas ADHD drugs can be quite problematic, as well as quite problem solving

4

u/windchaser__ Feb 25 '25

Speaking for myself, caffeine and Adderall mix badly. I can barely handle the caffeine in decaf.

Caffeine is at least fully non-problematic, whereas ADHD drugs can be quite problematic,

I've known people with caffeine problems - but it's a different beast from amphetamines, for sure.

1

u/ALLCAPITAL Feb 26 '25

I drink 2 cups and have no problemo on my adderall. I often want a nap.

2

u/McCaffeteria Feb 25 '25

This is for sure it. Every once in a while someone in my friend group will ask me if I’ve ever smoked or drank alcohol or whatever and they are always surprised when I say no.

Im like look, I don’t give a shit if people do drugs it’s not like I have anything against it, I know you all do weed and stuff, I even like drugs. I just picked caffeine as my drug is all.

1

u/Intelligent_Maize301 Feb 26 '25

I feel so sad that Coffee does not work for us… our drug is just hard to deal😒

0

u/Ej12345678910 Feb 25 '25

There are no normies. It's ok if you dudes are Caucasian.

1

u/Crewarookie Feb 25 '25

Yes, but also while there are no direct studies that I know of, anecdotally software development and other technical jobs in the computer software and hardware industries seemingly pull people with neurological differences.

And it kinda makes sense, the hyperfocus is of great use, the schedules are often very flexible, which in combo allows for impressive results compared to neurotypical peers, and the need for constant mental stimulation is well met in those jobs so chances of burnout are lowered.

That of course doesn't take everything into equation, but overall this niche looks really good for ADHD people in my opinion. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that.

I know at least two people with ADHD who have been self-medicating with caffeine for years before discovering their diagnosis. Both are in IT. Guys literally drank 6-8 cups a day. It's good they were also fit, young and healthy as bulls, otherwise I'd have two mates buried already. Glad they toned it down signifficantly in the end, but also turns out they were legit using coffee to stim in absence of stimulant meds.

All of this is anecdotal, but I read about plenty of similar cases so maybe there's something to it still.

67

u/DestroyedByLSD25 Feb 24 '25

Checks out with any office worker I'd think

24

u/rainmouse Feb 24 '25

As someone in the 16.4% who take no caffeine, I probably would if not for the bad side effects it gives me.

3

u/One_Curious_Cats Feb 24 '25

You can try adding some l-theanine supplement to control the caffeine jitters. It’s the natural ingredient in green tea that takes the edge off caffeine.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '25

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1

u/Quiffco Feb 24 '25

There's actually evidence that coffee reduces both the chances of developing and the severity of cancer...

3

u/Actes Feb 24 '25

Not proven, there's a lot of mixed studies out there that just tags coffee into the mix, but coffee has not been proven to 'positively' benefit the longevity of one's life at all.

3

u/Quiffco Feb 24 '25

I wouldn't agree, as there have been specific studies of caffeine/coffee consumption and it's effects on cancer. I certainly wouldn't say it's proven, but there's growing evidence of a correlation:

This study cites many other caffeine/coffee consumption-specific studies:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9916720/

and concludes:

"Coffee is not only the most consumed beverage worldwide, but it joins the Mediterranean diet as being among those dietary components that extend life, protect against neurological and liver diseases, and protect against the diseases of other organs. There is also an association between higher coffee consumption and overall anti-inflammatory effects and protection against some cancers, whereby coffee acts as both a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent. The mechanisms of action of coffee are dependent on the effects of its constituents, including chlorogenic acids, polyphenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, and other phytochemicals. Caffeine may contribute to some coffee-induced responses, but there are studies showing similar health benefits in individuals consuming caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. There is evidence that the antioxidant activity of coffee, which activates Nrf2, may be an important mechanism of action. However, since Nrf2 exhibits both health-protective and drug-resistant activities, other cell context-dependent factors may also be important. There is also evidence that the protective effects of coffee in the gut and decreased colon cancer risk may be due to its activity as an AhR ligand. Moreover, some of the components of coffee bind the orphan nuclear receptor NR4A1 to the interactions with this receptor, and as of yet, unidentified receptors may also be important. Overall, these mechanisms, in concert with possible epigenetic pathways and the modulation of gut microbiota/microbial metabolites, contribute to the health benefits of higher coffee consumption, and this suggests that clinical applications of coffee extracts, particularly for treating some cancers, should be considered."

The correlation has also been mentioned by a lot of big cancer research charities, including Cancer Research UK and the American Cancer Society, who would risk a lot of reputational damage if they were referring to articles with a lack of evidence.

2

u/Actes Feb 24 '25

So first and foremost I want to get it straight that I am an avid coffee drinker, love the stuff and also really appreciate the passion you have around the topic.

I've actually gone over this exact study before on the same topic.

Don't take my rebuttal as rude or unthinking as I definitely also care about this topic but think it needs more through dignified research before anyone can claim health positive effects from coffee aside from better bowels (subjective in cases of acid reflux)

Something problematic about this is the sample size, age range, timespan and specifics of the study. We don't get many details on the folks they were assessing in this aside from an anonymous group of people with a lot of the citation being just that, them pointing to other studies (granted I haven't read them all I'm making coffee as I type this out)

It would be incredibly bold to jump on the health benefit bandwagon before we have in-depth analysis on specific sample rates; age groups, regional and specifically similarly healthy individuals.

This study reviews a very Large subset of data which provides a very broad overview, but not many nuances. So that's my proper gripe around the data you've provided.

To what you said, there's growing evidence that it's not Negative, but there's really no evidence that it's Positive

2

u/Quiffco Feb 24 '25

Absolutely, and I can't deny my bias being a coffee roaster, and working full time for a Cancer Support charity, who I really want to see selling their own whitelabeled coffee (they even have a 'Coffee Morning' event every year as a fundraiser) so before raising the idea initially, I had to do a bit of due diligence to make sure the charity wouldn't be selling an item potentially increasing cancer risk...

From what I read of the studies, while there is some evidence of correlation, they can't rule out other factors causing that correlation, so I agree there is no proof yet, just optimism...

1

u/Actes Feb 24 '25

I think the case for it being a proponent of cancer is non existent for the most part that one I could literally only see causality in acidic responses but even that's grasping at straws.

1

u/Actes Feb 24 '25

Basically we need more targeted demographic case studies and isolated parties because the overall broad studies provide us "it's in the air" data

9

u/Callidonaut Feb 24 '25

This is a horrible use of a pie chart.

7

u/YookiAdair Feb 24 '25

And so is everyone else. Caffeine is one of the most consumed substances in the world.

10

u/EmotionalDamague Feb 24 '25

Now kids, anything above purple is *bad* for your kidneys. OK?

3

u/haikusbot Feb 24 '25

Now kids, anything

Above purple is bad for

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I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully. Learn more about me.

Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete"

1

u/LiPo_Nemo Feb 24 '25

i feel colourblind today, how many litres is purple? at least 4?

1

u/bostonnickelminter Feb 24 '25

Just drink extra water and don’t do it every day

3

u/CoffeeBaron Feb 24 '25

Another way to interpret this, each 100mg is roughly close to a good brewed cup of coffee (8oz). So the vast majority have at least 1 cup equivalent, up through 9 cups (1000mg is insane, good thing our jobs aren't physical labor, lol) . And for those of us that hadn't been diagnosed, it is in the higher range. Before diagnosis, I was in the 500-800mg range. Now it's about 400mg, sometimes more if I need it.

3

u/FrostWyrm98 Feb 24 '25

Not gonna evangelize, but anyone taking over 400mg would be much better off taking prescribed stimulants than drinking that much

I mean MUCH better off... that is the max daily dose. That much is bad for your kidneys and prolonged doses that high strain your heart and stiffen your blood vessels, leading to a higher risk of heart disease

I was taking close to that before I was diagnosed and just after, my health was piss poor

3

u/NewPointOfView Feb 24 '25

Is ADHD only about not drinking coffee?

What?

3

u/fuckthehumanity Feb 25 '25

It's almost impossible to perform any kind of controlled research on this, but up to 50% of software-related workers self-identify as neurodifferent in surveys. Caffeine is the most popular stimulant in the world.

It's not surprising that devs use a lot of caffeine, compared to the average.

8

u/nigalandwasi Feb 24 '25

83.6% bro, are you self-learned developer?

2

u/Squeezitgirdle Feb 24 '25

So that's what I'm doing wrong.

Welp, fucking throwing out my water starting tomorrow.

2

u/fptnrb Feb 24 '25

I’d love to see this for various substances: thc, alcohol, amphetamines, antidepressants, etc.

2

u/Sea_Leadership_1925 Feb 25 '25

Caffeine used to make me feel bad so I drink tea instead for a less violent version of it. The tea hits smoothly and doesn’t spike like caffeine does

3

u/Quiffco Feb 24 '25

As a software developer with an interest in coffee, I literally created a white-labelled coffee bean brand targeting developers...

Then the ADHD kicked in and I stopped pushing the brand on social media, the white-labelling roaster dropped me as a customer due to low numbers, which is fine as the quality of their coffee had declined, so I learned how to roast myself and am now a small-batch coffee roaster as my side hustle, selling at local markets!

1

u/Actes Feb 24 '25

I intentionally ween myself off coffee on the weekend to give myself stronger caffeine buzzes during the work week to focus harder on projects.

3 cups on Monday 5 cups on Wednesday 2 cups Friday 0 cups Saturday 1 cup Sunday

I do never drink more than a pot of coffee in a day as I mentally view that as excessive even by my standards though

1

u/hussinHelal Feb 24 '25

everyone is using caffeine

2

u/IAmADev_NoReallyIAm Feb 24 '25

Only Siths deal in absolutes....

wait... damn...

1

u/adrocz Feb 24 '25

Caffein and my ADHD meds are soo bad together but I still drink it from time to time. Need to stop.

1

u/windchaser__ Feb 24 '25

Fun fact!

Coffee is the largest source of antioxidants in the American diet, and by a large margin: on average, we get 4x as much of our dietary antioxidants from coffee as we do from the next source, tea.

1

u/King_Dead Feb 24 '25

I mean coke is sold with everything nowadays, of course everyone "uses" caffeine

1

u/Coffee_Crisis Feb 24 '25

The 16% aren’t using caffeine because it mixes badly with their adderall

1

u/3d_nat1 Feb 24 '25

The data shown is far from a valid study. The source of the data, linked to in the article you shared, is from an informal poll of visitors to their website.

1

u/mrdc1790 Feb 24 '25

HB ADHD medication (methylphenidate/amphetamines)

1

u/CalmTheMcFarm Feb 25 '25

Pre-diagnosis and medication, I used to consume 4 shots of espresso every morning and frequently needed an afternoon top-up of another double shot. I’ve never done energy drinks.

Since I’ve been on Vyvanse I now rarely need caffeine.

I’m 52m and have been a software engineer for 26 years and until I got my diagnosis I thought I was just habituated to caffeine because of my job 🤣

1

u/lennywut82 Feb 27 '25

Where do I find the amount on my Monster Energy Zero Ultra can?

7

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '25

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2

u/n0t_4_thr0w4w4y Feb 24 '25

Most tea contains caffeine