I stunk at routine day to day work.
For me the worst pain possible is boredom. I’ve had kidney stones. Boredom is in same range.
First time I took medication was shocking to find that the pain of boredom was gone. I had no idea that was possible.
The most successful moments in my career have been when I have been at a place long enough to know the domain and being reasonably comfortable in the code base. Because then I have been able to take on those really difficult and urgent tasks. And I don’t get nervous or stressed while doing it :)
I ask because my attention issues are task-dependent, but doctors tend to view even the suggestion of occasional use as a red flag for recreational abuse.
I don't think this is the case - mine recommends 5-6 days a week maximum to avoid building up tolerance, and I believe this is fairly standard advice. And occasional longer breaks are encouraged for the same reason.
Later I got a proper diagnosis for adhd.