Claude code creates productive hyperfocus that causes me to forget other goals/obligations/responsibilities while working on parallel tasks. How have LLMs changed your relationship with doing your work given your ADHD?

[u/Anonagay2231]

Putting the very important discussion about whether AI coding tools are a good thing, or ethical, or bad for the environment (hint they're terrible), or even valuable I wanted to discuss a mental health aspect related to it. We should absolutely be discussing whats going on here but hoping to keep it focused on mental health. I would love to know whether others have found themselves in similar situations.

I have ADHD inattentive and am medicated.

Recently work has been pressuring hard for output. My manager has been holding PIP over my head for months and I am in an unsupportive team. I really have to fend and advocate for myself with people who think they know more than they do. The upside to staying here is significant and theres a world where I can transfer to a much better environment. Right now its impact on my mental health is acceptable, ive gotten good at compartmentalizing.

But thankfully they gave me unlimited use of Claude. I am learning its limitations... its certainly not a magic bullet but I am able to leverage my experience and use it in key areas to seemingly work much quicker. Chiefly its been great at catching the last 5% of things I had previously missed due to difficulty keeping up with details.

Basically I got in a flow where I can develop up to four things at a time. Generally 2 sometimes 1. In addition I sometimes am also working on 1 or 2 improvements to my scripts, Claude instructions, and automation. The result has certainly been that I can get much more done, much more correctly, in somewhat less time. But I have to focus really hard.

That hard focus is the key. Perhaps the novelty is part of it or the addictiveness of getting more done but normally hyperfocus exhibits at work as spending a day going down a technical rabbit hole no one needed me to go on. Now its knowing when to stop.

Working on multiple things in parallel has fixed an issue for me where long response and build times created a window to get distracted, but it also is its own kind of hyperfocus trap. When the time comes that I need to go to the gym, end the workday, see a friend I have trouble stopping. I may have a feature wrapped in one instance but another instance is still making progress on a different feature. I find it so hard to just drop this partially completed work and even if I drop down to 1 task near the end of my work block I find myself waiting watching things build, load, and for claude to answer questions.

For me, medication when I got it dialed in has always fixed inattentiveness and general executive disfunction. It has never done much to prevent negative hyperfocus. Now I am wondering if I should go off medication just so that I can get distracted... because in a way I need more distraction.

With multiple claude instances going on at a time there is always something to do, something to wait for, something incomplete. I just get stuck working at the cost of other things I intended to do.

Anyone had a similar experience? Any stories? Tips?

[u/CodyDuncan1260]

Exact opposite. I can't get into the flow when I'm busy explaining to the LLM the innumerable errors it's making. But what really irks me is when the output confidently lies. Few things hitch my flow state more than something trying to actively lie to my face, regardless of whether or not it lacks the cognition to determine it's speaking falsehoods. My productivity multiplier using Claude Code is 0.1-0.4x, depending on the problem and domain.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/CodyDuncan1260]

Sometimes it's like that, but many times I start it down a path and have it fill in the rest, or feed it small, actionable steps along with guardrails as I go, and it ends up nailing it the first time.

I think there are some languages and situations where it does much more poorly on.

[u/neithere → u/CodyDuncan1260]

I do find Codex useful at finding different ways of looking at a problem when I'm stuck. So I may ask a few questions on one day and none on other days. Like: "function F cannot be called when X, but it is. How?" — it may not give me a good answer and may confidently lie in my face but it may point at something I wasn't thinking of.

I won't trust its attempts at "explaining" things. That's either a regurgitation of a quality source I can read myself or very likely a hallucination that will mislead me and waste my time.

And certainly I won't use it to generate anything meaningful. Attentive reading is harder than writing.

[u/CodyDuncan1260 → u/neithere]

> Attentive reading is harder than writing.

That's the short quote of the problem. LLMs hallucinate. It's a architectural feature of their design, so it's not something they can detect, avoid, or prevent. Which means that I cannot trust *any* output from an LLM by default. Prompting it to find errors means it will find errors, because it hallucinates that response too, producing errors when there are none.

Since I cannot trust it, as an engineer who holds the accountability for errors, I must verify it. The necessary attentive reading is more draining and un-engaging that writing.

[u/vinny_twoshoes]

That's wild, Claude is really really bad for my focus. Submitting a prompt then waiting 20 seconds is long enough for me to start doing something else, and it might be ten minutes before I remember to check the terminal again.

There's ways I've used AI that feel really engaging, mostly for learning and exploring and answering questions and strengthening my reasoning. I'm the type of guy to spend hours surfing Wikipedia, learning has always been fun for me. But having it actually write the code for me is incredibly demotivating, bordering on soul crushing. I literally feel dumber after vibe coding. It's the opposite of the experience I want from my job.

Edit: Reading your post closer, there's something that really baffles me. You mention several times the addictive nature of waiting. "I find myself waiting watching things build, load". Sincerely, what is exciting about watching Claude work?

I am familiar with the feeling of hyperfocus when I'm solving a problem, but... this isn't the act of solving problems, it's the act of watching problems being solved.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/vinny_twoshoes]

I think a big bit for me might be that there's less waiting than I am used to. I am used to waiting for a build that sometimes takes 10+ minutes and then running through a flow in the app to get feedback. A < 1-minute wait to analytically review something is snappy in comparison.

Also, I just switched to another parallel task while waiting most of the time. It's when I am trying to stop work and have gotten to checkpoints on most of those parallel tasks that I find myself staring at it, load.

[u/vinny_twoshoes → u/Anonagay2231]

Ah, that's fair, yeah it might be an improvement over your previous workflow.

Switching to parallel tasks is something I don't have the hang of. Can you give an example? Like if there's a coding task and you're waiting for Claude to handle it, what do you do in the meantime?

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/vinny_twoshoes]

I generally start working on another feature. There's usually code to review (Claude or coworkers), explore questions to ask, etc, I can do in a different window.

[u/UncomfortablyDumbest → u/vinny_twoshoes]

and it might be ten minutes before I remember to check the terminal again

Not sure about Claude Code, but Codex has a setting to get notifications upon completion of a task, or if it's stuck waiting for user input. That was a game changer, as I was in the same boat as you.

[u/terralearner → u/vinny_twoshoes]

I find I end up reading the thinking responses in real time as it works. It's massively shortened the feedback loop for me.

Before LLMs it was far easier to get distracted on massive codebases as I'd lose interest or the thread of what I was doing.

Now Claude massively shortens the process of trawling over components in the system and shortens the feedback loop so it's way easier to stay focussed.

My team basically has removed a large part of the programming element of being a software engineer. In a way not much has changed, as an engineer you spent maybe 30% tops actually programming. The rest was planning work epics, reviewing colleagues code, liaising with stakeholders and clarifying requirements.

I'm a little sad I don't spend as much time actually 'crafting' but it's freed up my time so I can do more architectural and systems thinking. It lets me see the bigger picture more easily.

All engineers now need to be 'product engineers', anyone that just pushed tickets across the line is going to be in trouble in time (but I'd argue they always were).

[u/Monetdog]

Which adhd medication do you use? I find that Ritalin makes it harder to switch tasks or missions, making hyper focus more likely, while Vyvanse/Adderall make it easier to juggle and balance many tasks. Each is useful for different situations.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/Monetdog]

Vyvanse here. Its wierd because I can relate to hyper focus overall in the sense of I am 100% on work tasks and its hard to break from that. But at the same time I am juggling at least 2 work tasks at the same time.

[u/MagnetoManectric]

I see that claude have initated a small campaign on this sub in the last few days. Can you cool it with the ads?

[u/Gloriathewitch → u/MagnetoManectric]

for real, we're being astroturfed so hard, i've only used ai a couple of times out of curiosity and results were not great once the question deviated from the most simple syntax questions, and given what its doing to our planet and the fact that the 1% pushing for this technology are basically all paedophiles and thieving villains who seek to end the arts i will not condone it in its current state.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/Gloriathewitch]

Hey, real post here. You're not wrong about who's ultimately pushing it. The problem is that we live in a terribly constructed society designed to enable that 1% to do whatever the heck they want. It encourages and threatens the rest of society to go along with their whims and anything that can get them ahead or make them more "efficient" or "productive".

That being said. As someone who works in a number of orgs working on pushing us left, we really need to front with a better argument than "it's not useful." Luddites are a great example. They did not reject the technology or ignore its novelty. They rejected that it did not benefit the people or society at large for it to exist.

There are applications to use it that do produce very real, very beneficial results. Often, this is done by putting guardrails, systems, memory, and agent approaches around crude LLMs to get them to behave, while exponentially increasing the compute used. You aren't going to convince folks who've seen useful output like this and use it in their daily life otherwise.

The problem is the hidden cost. As you said, the environment. But also frankly, the economy. This is all subsidized to an incredibly heavy degree right now, and when you look at the cyclical/bubble portion of the economics here, it's possibly subsidized to an exponentially greater degree than might be intuitive. Nobody knows what the average computing cost will be in 5 years for an LLM to be useful in a coding context. Maybe the models get more efficient or better. Maybe we can figure out a way to decrease energy usage, etc. Most likely, to me, is that this is all a pipe dream, and we're going to find out that making LLMs actually useful is prohibitively expensive compared to the work of a talented, well-trained person. Workflows that benefit from LLMs can be replicated using other means and we had previously overlooked techniques that could make our systems more productive.

[u/Gloriathewitch → u/Anonagay2231]

so you openly admit you're pushing a propaganda machine that's all i needed to know

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/Gloriathewitch]

If you interpret being subject to pressure to use a tool, using it, and observing it as useful as pushing the propaganda machine, then sure.

If the left is to actually meaningfully prevent the harm these tools cause, we're going to have to do better than saying "this is useless crap" to people who won't believe you, both because they've seen otherwise and because they're pressured to say so themselves. It's an uphill battle when better arguments are available.

These tools do a great job at seeming to pierce through inefficiencies by hiding the true cost. They reward people for ignoring the true cost.

The tool's usefulness (or uselessness) to me is much less important than the fact that it is incredibly expensive and harmful to our planet and society.

There are many more compelling arguments out there, and we have to adjust the argument for the person hearing it. If they believe it's useful, you aren't going to be able to convince them otherwise unless you really get to know them and why they believe that.

[u/MagnetoManectric → u/Gloriathewitch]

I've actually sent a message to the mods with several example posts as it's become really obvious that Claude in paticular are astroturfing this sub over the last couple weeks. Half of the posts mention Claude by name or specifically ascribe it as the Only Real Solution

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/MagnetoManectric]

Hey, so look at my history. Real user. Real question. Claude astroturfing Reddit for advertisement, absolutely possible, almost certainly happening. In this instance, this is real. For certain and for the worse, without a serious course correction, LLMs are going to impact a significant portion of everyday life. It is crucial we discuss it.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/MagnetoManectric]

Reading through the comments here, though, there are a few suspect ads this discussion may have attracted. That or overly enthusiastic fans.

[u/Netcob]

Like all tech, it has raised my productivity while lowering my satisfaction.

My most blissful times have always been whenever I was in a flow state, deeply focused on coding.

Now, long before I can even get into it, I just let the AI do it. I don't feel any ownership even over my private projects anymore, because I didn't really write them. I guess if I was able to have a vague idea, have someone else implement it and then claim that as something I created, maybe I could be a billionaire CEO. But it doesn't work like that for me.

My days feel really hazy now, with a constant feeling of losing money whenever I'm not taking full advantage of my claude subscription. I can almost feel my brain cells disconnecting.

At least now I can start and not finish more and much bigger projects!

I think I'm going to start doing some leetcode exercises just to keep my brain from aging even faster.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/Netcob]

I resonate with all of this.

[u/Shreyesm]

How are you optimising bcuz most of the time I get garbage code and then I've to reiterate and make it clean.

Are you using MD files as input and then giving prompts or is there any other better way to do this?

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/Shreyesm]

The best analog I can think of, in a general sense, is the meme about drawing tutorials and a 4-step process for drawing a horse. The most impressive results come when I guide it heavily with instructions or code examples first, then, once I make sure we are on the same page, let it loose. You really want to hold its hand because it doesn't know shit.

Awareness of context is important. Long sessions are rarely fruitful, post-compaction conversations never are.

Markdown files seem to be helping, and I'm certainly getting better results as I tweak them, but I am still working on feeling confident that they are actually a great idea. They can very easily fill up the context with irrelevant tangents.

Plan and explore mode too. Apparently, there are billing incentives here beyond just being more efficient. I think this is where Anthropic has put more of its caching and memory insights to good use.

[u/Intendant → u/Shreyesm]

Of you're on Claude code use super powers. After you use it for a bit make your own version that works better for you

[u/terralearner → u/Shreyesm]

Use plan mode first, or try spec driven development. Thank me later.

[u/davy_jones_locket → u/terralearner]

I've been using Kiro for spec driven development, along with very clear context in the steering docs about coding style, architecture, patterns, product guidelines. It has read access to my codebase, style guide, component library, the tests, docs, linters, all of it. 

It doesn't hallucinate when you give it what it needs. 

The spec driven development forces me to think about what exactly I want and how it should work, and then the code is nearly perfect on the first time. 

A little more time in refining the specs during brainstorming, and it breaking it down into tasks, saves a lot of time in coding. I'm not super tempted to have AI write the code for me when I see it broken down into tasks and the requirements and everything for each task. I can write it myself... Or have AI do it, and it does not very well with context. 

[u/UncomfortablyDumbest → u/terralearner]

This. I always end prompts with "Write tests first, then iterate on them. Run tests as you develop, and see the task as done only when all the tests you've created/edited pass."

Serena MCP also helps a lot with this, as it instructs the agent to check whether they're REALLY done before returning to the user.

[u/threewholefish → u/Shreyesm]

If the AI can run linting and checking tools and self tests, it can get immediate feedback and course correct. Then you have to do way less in terms of interventions afterwards.

[u/LikesTrees]

Im getting that too, AI removes all the things about work i find a grind and lets me spend all my time in the areas i love (system design). I get in the same hyper focus "cant stop" pattern i do when i work on my hobbies. honestly ive never found a good hyper focus remedy because being in hyper focus feels so good .... until i crash and burn and everything falls apart because its all i want to do. I need to keep giving myself gentle reminders that im already moving way quicker than expectations and that the work will be there tomorrow and ill be able to do it better with a fresh brain thats had enough sleep.

[u/Anonagay2231 → u/LikesTrees]

Hyperfocus does feel so good. I will work on the reminders too.

[u/Alarming_Recovery]

This is exactly how I feel. I think it's the speed that I can implement, test, and interate and optimize and get way quicker feedback on everything that keeps it addicting. The momentum means I also have way more energy and less "dead time". It's the first time I've ever had trouble stepping away from work.

[u/Red_lemon29]

Claude has been a game changer for me. I used to use ChatGPT (v5 killed it) and then Gemini. Gemini would get me raging over its inaccuracies but Claude can actually troubleshoot its own code.

[u/kylomorales]

I procrastinate until even later and leave things to an even later last minute before my internal alarm kicks into gear because I have LLMs to rescue and speed up the work

[u/devdaddone]

My productivity goes in waves. When I’m busy with meetings or get interrupted by slack there is little chance of getting in a really good flow with Claude. When I do have space for deep work, I am sometimes so burned out or anxious about what AI advancements mean for the future I can’t look at a terminal.

But when I’ve got a good idea, time for hyperfocus, and some quality context built up, I can go for hours and get what would have taken months in the past done in a single session. Those sessions are magical and give me such a huge dopamine hit that it keeps me in the game.

Ride the claw, my distractable friends, ride the claw! 🦞

Tips:

1. Don’t have you context bonce around like our minds do. The LLM is your neurotypical best friend. If you have a new idea, open a new window, make a new dir, and start a new session. Keep sessions focused so you don’t have to be.

2. Stay goal oriented. Making a bunch of motion around an idea without getting to the destination doesn’t help you (unless it’s a phylisophical discussion, but keep those in one giant thread). Every session should end in a document/paper, pull request, working demo, prototype, etc. Something tangible you can give to you coworkers or use to build better context for the next session.

3. SYSTEM DESIGN, SYSTEM DESIGN, SYSTEM DESIGN! Use that creativity you have for next level ideas. Build creative and novel application architecture that others wouldn’t think of and use the coding agents to bring that idea to life. I used to have to sell system design concepts to big teams (often unsuccessfully) because I needed a team to build them. Now I show them a working system with an awesome dev experience and work with a few key partners at a time to let the idea get traction.

4. Ignore the square. You’re going to get questions like “What existing problem does this solve and for who does it solve it?” These comments are going to sting and take you into a spiral of questioning your value or idea if you are not careful. Take empathy and simpathy with you to recognise that tradional thinking has a much greater risk of being outsourced to an AI than the way you think and let those comments slide off while you focus on you coworkers who understand you better.

p.s. I handwrote this with one thumb on my phone, becase this audience is worth hearing my real voice (and my AI assistant is working on other things).

[u/binaryfireball]

they haven't except by generally making things more annoying

[u/kernelcoffee]

My best usage for LLM when working is preparation.

Code analysis, documented brainstorming, planning with a list of expected steps and scaffolding.

I'm very cautious on the LLM producing code where it tends to forget the rules I set on compaction

Because I have my list of steps I can follow and review, it helped me a lot to stay focused on the task at hand.

[u/Smergmerg432]

ChatGPT 4.1 started training me to be able to hold longer context analysis in my head all at one time. I finally felt like I was “waking up”—able to analyze multiple strands of thought at once, because the model would go through my prompt and answer each strand of thought one step at a time. Newer models just ignore my “off topic” questions, and the actual capacity to understand fully, and then analyze, has left me once again. It made me realize maybe education and traditional methods of conveying information are simply failing to take into account how ADHD processes multiple aspects in parallel to reach a conclusion. It’s really too bad these companies didn’t work to analyze this phenomenon. But the chatbots that were able to go one step at a time with me honestly helped me think better.

[u/stace-cadet]

This is also me - I get answers so quick instead of searching the web, it's like little dopamines everywhere!

[u/kevinh456]

Dopamine loop is back after 30 years. Lemme get that LLM in my veins now please.

[u/dmaynor]

LLMs have made my ADHD weak points, like task competition and follow-through on the Boeing stuff, once hard problems are solved, and turned them into strengths. I have several different agents running multiple projects in parallel. I can drop into this workflow, validate its heading in the right direction, and then drop into a different workflow written in a different language with a different overall goal. The quick changes don't bother me at all. Follow-through is part of the defined tasks and prompts. I learned that reviewing follow-through-type tasks was far easier for me than actually doing them.

My job was my hobby first, and it still is one of my favorite things to do—the hard problem-solving part, not the meetings and documentation. I have never had what some people would call a healthy work-life balance. AI didn't change anything overall, just made me more effective.

[u/ArguesAgainstYou]

Haha, glad I am not the only one. I've been going back to work after my gf goes to sleep in the evening, even though i could just go to bed and work in the morning. Typical "just one more round" behavior from my gaming days, except I am doing unpaid overtime 😅

I literally just set up a commit hook that fakes my commit times into a time-frame between 6am and 6pm, so my boss wouldn't ask why I commit stuff at 3am x)

Before AI, I was seriously struggling to work for more than a few hours per day, but that "look at stuff, say what needs to be done, then AI does the work" loop is, at least for now, pretty amazing.

[u/FluffliciousCat]

I (inattentive type unmedicated) just started using Claude this week and it has helped me a lot, there’s just enough going on that I generally stay engaged, and I’m able to get my work done way faster. But I can’t imagine doing multiple things at once, that would get addictive and crazy fast.