Even if ADHD is a "personality trait" or a "personality flaw" and not something with an easily-identifiable chemical cause in the brain, the end result is the same and the need for solutions is the same.

And either way, it's not something anybody should use as a crutch or an excuse. We all have strengths and weaknesses and those of us with ADHD have a very peculiar and particular set of them.

That's why I find the ADHD naysayers totally misguided. Who cares if it's "real?" There are studies that suggest that there are indeed physical phenomena in the brain unique to ADHD, but like I said, that's besides the point to me.

I used to think ADHD was a scam to sell medicine to kids (mis)raised by crappy parents. Perhaps that's true to a certain extent, but I'm pretty sure nobody's getting rich from the $20 generic Adderall my doctor prescribed me. Anyway...

Non-Tech Solutions

My biggest single leap in dealing with mild ADHD (inattentive type) was reading the book "Getting Things Done." While not specifically written for those with ADD, the core message of the book is a set of concrete methods to reduce mental clutter and focus on the task at hand. Valuable to all, I think, and particularly so for ADHD sufferers!

My second biggest leap was reading books like "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, Or Crazy?" Some things in the book will apply to you and some won't. For me it was really just important to know I wasn't alone.

My third biggest leap was getting prescribed stimulant medication. There are a number of medications and they all have drawbacks but the stimulants seemed to have the mildest ones. This was an important step but pales in comparison to the other two. No medicine can compare to learning coping skills and working hard and believing in one's self.

Tech Solutions

Hiding the browser or disconnecting the Internet doesn't work for me because I need to consult it often. Blocking specific known timesucking sites (like S.O.! haha) was somewhat effective for me.

Another thing that works for me, and might sound slightly odd, is using virtual machines. My OSX laptop is my general-purpose computer. But the Win 2K3 VM running in it is "for work" and putting that in fullscreen mode helps me focus on work. In the VM I just have Visual Studio and other development tools. No "toys" or IM.

Working at night helps a lot because there are less distractions. Obviously, it's not always practical.

Investing time and money in keeping my machine optimized helps. If I have to wait more than a second for something to happen I can get distracted easily. When my computer is fast and snappy I can use it at the speed of thought. I seem more concerned with this than your average person so maybe this doesn't apply to you. If this does, install at least 4GB of RAM and an SSD if you can afford it.

Most of all, good luck! ADHD is beatable and has probably given you some genuine gifts, such as hyperfocus, as well. Find out what you're good at and work to your strengths. :-)