Has anyone here gone to a psychiatrist to get meds (adderol, vyavanse, etc) just to keep up? It feels like I’m cheating but honestly I felt like I was falling behind. I couldn’t concentrate and be on late at night like my peers without it.

Glad it is helping you for now but hear there are lots of crap side effects and it is really hard to wean yourself off of them. If you can get onto a better project with more WLB you should try. I’d also talk to your leadership about the workload, even if you are keeping up. With the burnout rate right now Deloitte is taking people more seriously (especially with the growing number of folks out on medical leave for mental health) and will work with you including potential help and resources with childcare. Please try not to lean on them as a long term solution and sending all the thoughts to you and your family right now.

Most people I know and myself included love it for a time, but the impacts of extended use start to cause harm in mental well being. Honestly adderall and coke aren’t too different of a drug. You can try to cheat nature, but at some point nature catches up to you. I’ve chosen to pickup meditation to help with my focus and caffeine to stay up late although admittedly it doesn’t have the same kick as amphetamines. If it works for you great, but really be cautious on your reliance of it.

Why would you put your health at risk for work. The most expensive thing in the world to buy is time and health and using drugs you don’t need will slowly hurt both of those things.

Is that what they are, pill dispensers? I’m no doctor but maybe you should be resting at night instead. Why fake a health condition to get a Rx under false pretenses so you can work yourself to death?

So some additional context.. My wife lost her job during the pandemic and has had difficulty finding a new one so we are down to a single income with two kids.. so before anyone gets too preachy with their responses, I need this job to do the single most important thing in my life - provide for my family. As consultants we get paid a lot of money even though we complain about comp. It’s not a cake walk to find another job with equal comp but less workload. Second, I did not lie to the psychiatrist. I told the truth that I was having trouble accomplishing my work and focusing for long periods of time. I told them I felt overworked but as my peers were able to accomplish the work, so should I. I knew they would write the Rx because they are financial inclined to do so (thus the wording in my original post), but if you want to call them “pill dispensers,” that’s on them. Last point, I gotta say it’s actually working. I am able to finish my work much faster and on less sleep then before. That means I have more free time to look after the kids and give my wife a break/ time to job search. Just can’t shake the feeling I’m cheating the system.

All my friends at goldman sachs are doing the same

I find when I take them, I get a ton done during the day but am wiped out at night. Also still can’t fall asleep but am no longer productive. It’s a double edged sword and makes you irritable. One thing I’ve learned is high productivity with out a sunny disposition diminishes the optics on your work.

Depends if you have a legitimate medical need for medication

You pay for everything you do in life

Sounds like the beginning of lots of sad stories … good luck OP

I really don’t think it’s worth it OP. Being average is more than enough for keeping this job and maybe try some productivity improvement skills rather than take the shortcuts. Shortcuts always come with a price

Don’t do that. You will crash and burn. If this is the case, find a different gig. Dont do life this way.

lol no I’m not a bozo. I don’t need meth to work.

What would you tell your psychiatrist?