Ask HN: My manager suggested me to start taking Ritalin I'm a Software Engineer, and I used to have a manager who in a 1:1 suggested me to start taking Ritalin to improve my focus. What are your thoughts about that? It's legal to suggest that kind of medical advice in a work environment? I don't feel like my focus is a problem. |
Remember kids, all drugs work, until they don’t. You can always take more I guess.
This conversation happens in reality all the time, for millions of adults that take it for their work.
That would be entirely different for two reasons. First, a coworker is not in a position of power over you. Second, there's a world of difference between saying "this was effective for me" and saying "you should do this."
"Nootropics are drugs, supplements, and other substances that may improve cognitive function, particularly executive functions, memory, creativity, or motivation, in healthy individuals."
So CNS stimulants like methylphenidate (which definitely increase motivation in healthy individuals) are nootropics by that definition.
Also - find a new job your manager is terrible. It’s probably illegal and/or against company policy but you’d have to go around/above him to report this and honestly that never works out well.
The best part of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and starting medication was my ability to sit quietly with my then 3 year old son and play blocks for longer than 10 minute stretches. Previously that was impossible. My diagnosis was a life-changing discovery that improved how I lived in a variety of contexts, both at home and at work.
Maybe your manager sees what he thinks your inability to focus as a real issue, and is, in a clumsy, intrusive way, suggesting you take it seriously. Or he's just an asshole and is trying to get more work out of you. That's for you to figure out.
Meds can help if there's a real issue, but there's almost always side-effects. Growing up, my parents were anti-medication and anti-psychology. It turns out I had untreated depression, Asperger's and ADD-I only diagnosed as an adult. Atomoxetine really helps me because I can't tolerate amphetamine stimulants or caffeine. I tried Adderal, Ritalin and Provigil, and they all made my anxiety and blood pressure much worse.
Also, I'm currently cross-titrating to my 14th anti-depressant. (The last one, mirtazapine, worked for 9 years at the expense of 25% weight gain.) Ketamine, LSD and invasive/ECT treatments are just about my last choices if this new one doesn't work. And the 12th one I tried gave me terrible vertical and horizontal nystagmus and whole-body, sporadic myoclonus. (Beware of extrapyramidal-causing and anticholinergic medications!)
It’s a huge huge leap to go from “I feel like your focus needs improvement” to “go get an amphetamine prescription because I feel you are not working hard enough.”
And mostly I avoid prying about mental health, except to the extent the individual relationship makes the topic come up (e.g. if they mention it).
If it's impacting work performance, I can inquire in more open ended ways than that.
You might ask them why they feel you lack focus. If they do not have a good answer, then perhaps you could request a skip level 1:1 with their manager, or if you feel that is a no-win, you could speak with HR, or decide to let it go. You know your work environment better than any of us and would have to weigh the pros and cons. I agree with others that say this doesn't always end well.
* You may not be aware that you have a focus problem. Are there any (personal) logs of your working hours? Are you getting things done within the deadline?
Your manager's attitude is quite reasonable. If you need some imporved focus, nothing wrong to take Ritalin.
Best case scenario, your manager is well-intentioned but is misinformed (or under-informed) about what is/isn't okay to say. Mild kerfuffle, not a big deal.
Worst case scenario, your manager is outright crap and the personnel around them is equally bad. (Aka the "you should really think about moving companies now" scenario.)
In either case, escalating is the way to resolve things.
Definitely get it in writing and then take it to HR. Alternatively, if you feel like this would fall on deaf ears, start looking for new employment.
All of that aside, your manager is not a physician and you are free to ignore anything they say regarding your health. I would still reflect on why they might have said that and whether you are struggling in your role.
If, as you note, you are no longer working there, I wouldn't worry yourself too much about it unless you think that you do have focus issues. If that's the case, I would try correcting the problem in non-medical ways first. There's a number of things you can try - keep a tidy workspace, listen to soothing music if possible, try meditation, keep a low sugar diet, etc. If you feel that you've expended your options, consult your doctor.
Would it be illegal if his manager told him to go get a Tamiflu prescription as well?
I am not a doctor. I told a stranger (who is now my friend) to visit a psychiatrist because I suspected he has ADHD. His psychiatrist diagnosed him with that, and he got a prescription for a stimulant. His life has changed tremendously for the better. It turned his life around. I gave him other medical advice (because I learnt a lot of medicine) about a variety of things that has improved his quality of life. I have no regrets.
If a manager has a hunch that one of their employees has an unknown medical condition they might tell them about it. If their relationship is good enough.
If, on the other hand, they notice a performance issue, they can talk about that and potential ways to fix this. Which would include a quiter workplace, more interesting tasks or an inquiry of underlying issues.
I have ADHD and would have been happy if I had been diagnosed earlier. But I became a Machine Learning engineer without diagnosis. And while meds are nice, they surely were not the end of my problems. I am glad you don't work there anymore, because the real problem there was this manager.
But it may have been a helpful suggestion from the manager based on observation or personal experience that the OP might have some attention deficit issues that may or may not be improved with medication.
Hanlon's razor may apply here also.
However well intended, it's so wrong.
Idk about the legality but it's hugely unprofessional.
But a few side points:
- ADHD is an actual condition that can cause lack of focus and/or hyperfocus
- there are plenty of other reasons why a person can exhibit lack of focus and/or hyperfocus
- in people with ADHD, stimulants are often very effective, but dosage and side-effects need careful medical management
- in people without ADHD, stimulants often make them feel like they are more focused that ever before, but blind studies have shown that their actual focus is not truly affected
No job is worth your health, I think glass door is a good outlet for this type of information.
Of course our reactions are heavily biased towards our personal experiences. If my manager said something like that to me I'd laugh it off as a bad joke or a poorly executed gesture with good intentions.
"Stimulant drugs do improve the ability (even without ADHD) to focus and pay attention. One function, which is reliably improved by stimulant medications, is sustained attention, or vigilance. Stimulants improve sustained, focused attention, but “selective attention” and “distractibility” may be worsened, possibly because of a drug induced increase in impulsivity."
And that seems to contradict your point.