One thing you are right about is that, like many psychological conditions, ADHD is a matter of degrees. Everyone can potentially be anxious at times, or sad, or distracted. But if it gets to a point where it impairs functioning in so many things, it might actually be a somatic issue.
Just because you can't see a disease doesn't remove it.
You don't tell a cancer patient to just get up and exercise.
It's just that so many here on HN and elsewhere think they need medicines because they have problems to focus at work or in school or while reading a book.
On a slightly different note, focus and concentration is maybe not the ideal state either. Maybe creativity (new ideas, new angles, new thoughts) will be affected which in turn reduces performance and results. As others have mentioned here is that when they take medicines they sometimes get stuck focusing on the wrong things. And even if the focus on the right thing, maybe they get stuck on the problem at hand because they do not get new influences.
Aren't persons with true ADHD often quite creative?
Do not ascribe talents people have to their disabilities.
Besides, it's just a stereotype and doesn't hold for everyone with ADHD.
Anyway, it seems much more likely that there would be a causative link between ADHD and creativity- e.g. some common underlying factor that boosts the explore tendency in explore/exploit along with openness to experience. A brain that naturally roams more could be expected to produce more novel syntheses.
Anyway, ADHD is comorbid with plenty of other disorders that are limiting on creativity such as anxiety, low self esteem, inhibited decision making, that it’s definitely not a given.
Knowingly starting taking mind-altering substances because you have a problem is NOT easy. That’s as simplistic as saying that “women who abort are just looking to have fun without consequences”. They usually do it because they are desperate and have exhausted all other options.
Here’s what went through my head when I put that first pill in my hand: “I might need to take this expensive drug every day for the rest of my life”, “I hope I don’t get nausea like with the previous one”, “How much will this change me? Will I still be me?”, “I am doing this for my family”.
It's pathetic to read about how people take drugs or want to take drugs because they have difficulties to focus on reading a book or focusing on a hobby or a boring job.
Sure there are people who really have issues and really have ADHD, but in those cases it's pretty obvious.
People want to take pills against obesity. People want to take pills to improve concentration. The easy path. Why not instead try regular exercise and >8h sleep per night? And no alcohol and drugs.