32 replies to this topic

[sam1022]

Hey there,

I'm a new user so if I cross any boundaries let me know. I'll begin with a little background, I'm a 17 year old Australian male with a history of depression and anxiety. I have trouble talking to females unless I'm familiar with them or they are adults. I have no trouble talking to men of any age.

I have above average intelligence and all throughout my schooling I was able to achieve high grades with little effort and no preparation. I than went to university with no idea of what I wanted to do, but dropped out after a short time as I had no motivation or focus to do required reading, take notes in lectures or even travel to university.I have offers deferred from 3 universities to study Law, Arts and International Relations.

I am quite a lazy person by nature, and find it difficult to put any sustained effort long term.

I'm here searching for a wonder drug(s) to help with my motivation, focus and social anxiety. I really do want to go to university to secure a future for myself, I just can not motivate myself. What Noots would you recommend I take? And do you believe they could help me? Also are the any Noots that can help with decisiveness and allow me to pick a path to follow?

Cheers for any help, I really do appreciate it.


Regards,

Sam

Edited by sam1022, 01 November 2011 - 08:51 AM.

[nupi]

You sound exactly like me ten or eleven years ago (well except at that time I still thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life, boy was I wrong). Here's my advice: see a psychiatrist NOW, I waited MUCH too long to do so. Noots will more than likely not be effective enough for what you describe, at least I know they would not have been for me.

But to be frank, to this day, I have not gotten over the social anxiety part of it when it comes to girls... I have given up the belief that I can change that, now I am content with working towards accepting it - a very liberating feeling, I must say.

Edited by nupi, 01 November 2011 - 10:23 AM.

[sam1022]

So your recommendation would be to take anti depressants? Would Noots work in combination with them? Or even ritalin or adderall? Anti Depressants really are a last resort for me also. Even if they boosted my mood, I would still like to take Noots to help me focus and study.

Cheers

[Blue22]

Read "The Game" by neil strauss for the girl issue.

There unfortunately isnt a wonderdrug for social situations.

[MrHappy]

I think he's suggesting therapy not antidepressants. There are 2 other open threads on here at the moment you might want to browse with topics similar to "anxiety / ocd" and "brain damage." I've made a few large comments in those. Could be helpful to you.

There are plenty of noots here that will assist with focus and drive.. but before you do that, maybe look at lifestyle, diet and exercise.. As well as the origins of your social anxiety. It's pretty common with above average intelligence, btw..

Edited by MrHappy, 02 November 2011 - 12:53 AM.

[noos]

If you need discipline why not take a course or activity that requires discipline? e.g. some volunteer work in another place.

Girls: you are young and will learn but if you are shy don´t pretend to change a lot.

Nupi, what kind of psychiatric treatment did you take?

Edited by noos, 02 November 2011 - 02:19 AM.

[nupi]

So your recommendation would be to take anti depressants? Would Noots work in combination with them? Or even ritalin or adderall? Anti Depressants really are a last resort for me also. Even if they boosted my mood, I would still like to take Noots to help me focus and study.

Personally I believe more in antidepressants than therapy but ideally you would probably initially combine the two anyway. One word of advice if you go the antidepressant road to tackle shyness: try a non SSRI AD first because you are hardly helped by getting over shyness with an SSRI and then get depressed by they sexual side effects they seem to invariably come with.

As for therapy, If you want to get a head start, read David Burns' Feeling Good for a readable introduction of what CBT (which is by far the most scientifically backed therapy) is about, while I agree with a lot of the underpinnings of CBT, I to this day fail to see how one would actually a lot of it. To me CBT just always seemed like boiling down to telling me its all in my head - yes I know that my thoughts are irrational, thank you very much - and that I should get over it - yeah why do you think I am talking to you in the first place?


As for game, there are some valid points in the field but if you are anything like me, you can master it on a rational level quite quickly, but implementing it will be very very hard (one of these days I might just take a crack at writing a 10 point summary of it, proving that I can nail down even the most alien topics). I personally don't think Strauss is any good, if anything, look into Mystery Method and Magic Bullets. There are different strains of it and you will have to look into various ones, if it does not feel somewhat matching your personality, keep looking.

Finally, the focus part, unless you also have ADD (an area where I do not have any first hand experience), focus gets a lot easier once depression is in check. As for motivation, I am still trying to figure that one out myself. I fear there may be, just like for shyness, no sustainable substance-based approach.

noos: I dabbled in CBT with a therapist for a while but ultimately, it is the antidepressants that helped me - and some luck in life. This time around I skipped the therapist - I know what they will tell me but I also lack the time. The OP has the luxury of being a student, so he can afford the time commitment which is why I would recommend to give it a shot.

Edited by nupi, 02 November 2011 - 07:09 AM.

[sam1022]

I have drive and motivation, for example I work 5 days a week, volunteer in the State Emergency Service (Aussies know what this is), coach a junior cricket team, play in a senior cricket team and go to the gym 3 times a week.

I just cant apply it to academics. Which really pains me. I feel like I'm falling further behind where I should be now. I have wasted almost a year now. I really want to be able to go to university in the new year and succeed.

I have been on anti depressants in the past, but went off them at the end of school. But even on them I couldn't really get myself to study for school. I was lucky I was able to just wing everything.

My failure at academics stresses me out the most, I don't wanna wake up one day and realise all I wasted.

[MrHappy]

Well, noots I can suggest, which have helped me with focus on the academic side (and are accessible in Australia):

Choline - alpha-gpc is my favourite
Vitamin B12
Magnesium
DHA/EPA or ALA

If you like experimenting a little:

Methylene blue - read the threads, if you're in Sydney, I have a spare bottle you can have. This also helps with anxiety somewhat. I have some reservations about it, but know it does have some good effects.

Uridine - I **love** this stuff. I reordered another 3 tubs after the first tests. Needs to be mixed with folate, alpha-gpc and DHA/EPA/ALA. Enhanced results with magnesium, calcium (berocca does those) and vitamin e. Brain boost, good for depression, good for anxiety. Takes a week to be effective.

Most importantly, SLEEP.
Bacopa (brahmi) 2 hours before bed gives me awesome sleep. You can take all the noots in the world, but so far, you can't cheat sleep. I hear that may be changing soon, however.

[noos]

Personally I believe more in antidepressants than therapy but ideally you would probably initially combine the two anyway. One word of advice if you go the antidepressant road to tackle shyness: try a non SSRI AD first because you are hardly helped by getting over shyness with an SSRI and then get depressed by they sexual side effects they seem to invariably come with.

Not SSRI like which one?. I don´t think the sexual side effects of SSRIs are so bad.

As for therapy, If you want to get a head start, read David Burns' Feeling Good for a readable introduction of what CBT (which is by far the most scientifically backed therapy) is about, while I agree with a lot of the underpinnings of CBT, I to this day fail to see how one would actually a lot of it. To me CBT just always seemed like boiling down to telling me its all in my head - yes I know that my thoughts are irrational, thank you very much - and that I should get over it - yeah why do you think I am talking to you in the first place?

LOL yes this is a problem. In psychoanalysis it is different, especially with lacanians.

Finally, the focus part, unless you also have ADD (an area where I do not have any first hand experience), focus gets a lot easier once depression is in check. As for motivation, I am still trying to figure that one out myself. I fear there may be, just like for shyness, no sustainable substance-based approach.

It seems some psychiatrists use low dose antipsychotics.

[nupi]

Well, to behold I have not technically ever tried a pure SSRI myself. I however remember Effexor quite well - it was kind of frustrating (potentially more for her than me, did not bother me all that much) to be in bed with a girl and not able to reach orgasm... She eventually persuaded me to drop the Effexor but to this day I can say that I definitely do not have any issues with premature ejaculation, LOL.

LOL yes this is a problem. In psychoanalysis it is different, especially with lacanians.

While I do not know lacanians in particular, psychoanalysis seems even more useless to me. Might just as well talk to a wall. Or train SIRI to be a psychoanalyst :P The theory behind CBT at least is pretty sound in my view (thoughts create emotions, not the other way round), it's just that I fail to see how you can change irrational thought patterns that you know yourself to be irrational...

It seems some psychiatrists use low dose antipsychotics.

That I would not know. I prefer psychiatrists because they are MDs and can actually prescribe stuff and run tests rather than just simply talk... It also does not help that anyone I know who ever went on to study psychology was among the most fucked up people I know - presumably hoping to treat their own craziness as a first order goal... Then again, sometimes I think I should have tried to do a couple of semester of masters level psychology instead of my MBA, might have benefited me more (and the girls would have been hotter, for sure).

[MrHappy]

.. It also does not help that anyone I know who ever went on to study psychology was among the most fucked up people I know - presumably hoping to treat their own craziness as a first order goal...

Sooooooooooo truuuuuuue.

[noos]

.. It also does not help that anyone I know who ever went on to study psychology was among the most fucked up people I know - presumably hoping to treat their own craziness as a first order goal...

Sooooooooooo truuuuuuue.

I prefer a person that knows his problems and not to induce them in others than one that believes he is "normal". Though, I know some psycho psychologists.

[MrHappy]

I guess you can't generalise. Nor am I saying it's necessarily a bad thing at all, although I've seen some newer psychologists from that background react to triggers from their patients and relapse or project their own state onto the patient. On the other hand, they have a better appreciation of that emotional landscape. If they can successfully overcome their own trauma and history, they should make astonishingly good therapists.

[hippocampus]

- psychotherapy (any which suits you will be effective, CBT has more scientific proofs than others only because it has been more studied - but others are effective too. relationship with psychotherapist is more important than type of psychotherapy itself.)
- meditation
- exercise
- sunlight (or at least that light for treating SAD)
- good nutrition - use cron-o-meter for a month and supplement what needed: omega 3 and zinc are good for mental health and most people are deficient in them, maybe b-complex will help you if you're deficient
read about paleo diet, try a gluten-free diet for a month
and most important: social life

there is no magic pill, even if this things will help you, that won't solve your problems if you have social phobia or something like that.

also: maybe piracetam or any other nootropic will help you, but it's not really antidepressant. otoh, aniracetam is anxiolytic.

[sam7777]

One thing people on this forum fail to understand, is that there is no difference between ADD/lack of motivation in the severe form, and cognitive deficient. You are not as intelligent as you think you are if you are having genuine motivational problems that you think require medication. Yes you may be brilliant, but you have an impairment at the nuerobiochemical level within your brain. Spinning, whirling electrons and molecules are not doing as they should be, or at least as you would like them to do.

Your opposition, your competition is not unmotivated - they are hyper motivated. They think, act, talk, befriend, move, create, analyze, observe, discover, communicate, see, hear, socialize- faster, stronger, better than the average person. This is what you are dealing with when you are looking at anyone with a MD, P.E. certified Geologist, J.D, masters degree, or Ph.d These people have phenomenal motivation, social and communication skills, and initiative. If they are conscious, they are plotting, scheming, cavorting, and caniving a way to make more money and get more people to do things for them. They do not have many moments of "down", "depressed", "slow" thoughts. So at least those feelings do not make the majority.

The entire justification of this forum is to try to figure out WHAT is causing those down, depressed, slow thoughts to NOT be the minority, and HOW and with WHAT to ameliorate them with in the form of treatment. The what is the most important because, there is often something that cannot be fixed with medication.

I can take supplements that make social situations great, but I still do not capitalize on this. Why? Because I am still that emotionally hung up on such a bad history of bad traits, raising, behavior, and thinking patterns. Have you analyzed yourself for such "tendencies"? Are you sure you can trust your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions? How bias may you really be? Further, the supplements do not work for long term academic and work related requirements. You come down off them. You cannot rely on them. This is even made famous with piracetam- in the case of Isochroma. These racetams do not even seem to change anything for the better long term.

I speak from experience and current atrocious failures in the act- if you are suffering from ANY significant depression. Do not call it depression - it is not depression, it is an ATTACK ON YOUR INTELLIGENCE. I do not know if there are people running around burying their depression in dozens of hours of highly novel advanced calculus mathematics, but frankly if they are I AM JEALOUS. A happy brain is a brain that runs like a Ferrari. As far as I am concerned.

and most important: social life

This one will put you under an overpass or in a mcdonalds frying french fries for the rest of your life. If you want to succeed in this world at high level academic requiring careers, you must exceptional communication and social skills. People should come to you like a horse to water. If you cannot achieve this, start doing everything you can to aim for this goal.

I hear that may be changing soon, however.

NOOO that is such a perversity of nature. JUST DONT.

Uridine - I **love** this stuff. I reordered another 3 tubs after the first tests. Needs to be mixed with folate, alpha-gpc and DHA/EPA/ALA. Enhanced results with magnesium, calcium (berocca does those) and vitamin e. Brain boost, good for depression, good for anxiety. Takes a week to be effective.

Is this uridine a potential carcinogen?

Adderall is not going to help. Even depreynl or tianeptine cannot solve the problem you have, that I have, that others here have.

The Goodwill Hunting clip is as much as ever needs to be said. That clip is the cold cut facts. Hesitation and the lack of initiative is common with people of our nature, perhaps because we are not use to the amount of effort and stress others have to had to exert to get by. I often ask myself why I have always been so incredibly unappreciative of the amount of work others seem to exert, while I have sat back throwing my life away in comparison. It was not my raising or because I had brand new mustangs given to me or credit cards to buy whatever I pleased. I was raised exceedingly impoverished. I have the attitude I have because I have never had to work for 12 hours paving roads in 110 degree heat, because I barely ever had to pick up a pen and study 5 minutes to make A's in school, and because I was always under the impression that I knew more than others.

College has shown me that I was a fool for those reasons. When you get in college you will see that your peers are working 30 hours a week and scraping by with C's in hard ass business classes and science class's, often with exceedingly high student loan debt, and little help from their middle class parents. These parents are often even less sympathetic than my mother, who works at Walmart. One thing I can say about being poor, is that you do not have nearly the amount of money to grub and fight over. I find that I was actually raised exceedingly carefree towards money. These middle class kids have it pretty tough with the amount of pressure put on them by parents who are totally #@W$# brained as to what it is like to have to pave highways in 110 degree heat... My mother is happy I am not smoking and dealing crack...

Moreover, often these peers are pretty damn intelligent. You might be slick as hell in high-school, but out there in the cold real world, you are always the small fish in the ocean. Even if your peers cannot spell See Cat Go See Spot Run, they are going to be hyper social, hyper motivated, cut throat. They will go for all the part time work in the labs or internship positions within the school faculty assistant positions. They will grab up job offers and real internship offerings in a heart beat. They will do everything they can to make buddy buddy with the professor, and you better believe that leads to perks, money, references, more jobs, and more internships- often ones you would never otherwise get. In short, they will work you under the table.

I suggest
Meditation
Sunlight
Sports and Weightlifiting
Sleep at 10 pm.
Bacopa, Lion's Mane, Frankincense Essential Oil, Oregano Essential Oil
Piracetam and Aniracetem in moderation... Do not expect miracles.

For Social Situations especially:
Frankincense EO, STRONG Yerba Mate, Glucuronic Acid, Green Tea Extract, CDP Choline, GPC Choline

[What'sAllThisThen]

For Social Situations especially:
Frankincense EO, STRONG Yerba Mate, Glucuronic Acid, Green Tea Extract, CDP Choline, GPC Choline

Interesting post and I can certainly relate.

I'm also curious as to what this stack achieves for you. I've never tried several or even heard of Frankincense being used in anything other than gifts for the newborn king.

[sam7777]

They gave Frankincense to Jesus, aside from peer reviewed pharmacology papers showing the mechanisms which you can find on the net, need I say more? Essential oil is 1000's times stronger than just cut/sifted herb.

Forgot to mention that Schizandra + Rhodiola + Cordyceps + green tea extract + ALA + Yerba Mate = one hell of a combo. Yerba mate in large doses is sort of psychoactive, and for me it is a great way to think more socially and artistically, rather than analytically and logically. I could get into the chemistry but wont.

I left out the good stuff.

CHECK YOUR HEALTH.

Another problem no one seems to be getting. Bad body systems lead to brain issues. Particularly insidious, aside from detoxification organs not working properly, is the dysfunction of the endocrine system. Maybe you are familiar with thyroid issues, as that topic is common. Well as with anything, it gets phenomenally more detailed and encompassing.

One of the best way to get answers to health problems via self advocacy, prevention, and alternative means is by going to curezone. Point blank- this place does not let you down. It will force you to learn to research, as will longecity. Adrenal tests such as 24 hour cortisol tests, various thyroid tests, blood cortisol tests, etc can be done. Other tests besides adrenals can be done, but there is probably one test that I believe everyone should get if they have neurological problems, and this can be asked about on curezone as well,

- a hair mineral analysis test; SO CRUCIAL... though often giving false results..company quality is imperative.

to see if you have heavy metals. Plain and simple, I think heavy metals are what is affecting so many of the nootropic users.

As for the neurotransmitters, I believe blood serum is not exactly testable, but even if it were - it would be cost prohibitive. A more realistic means to measure the levels is EEGs and MRI which are also phenomenally expensive. They basically do not test peoples brains in this manner unless they are a research test subject, or it is an autopsy of some sort of insane criminal. If you have brain fog, you definitely have low neurotransmitters, and worse yet, parts of the brain "off their kilter" so to speak. The brain is like a system of subway terminals, your memory and your neurotransmitters are not so much to blame- they are like the tracks, it is the miscommunication of the system governing how the trains- or the sections of the brain communicate through those "neural networks" I mentioned. You can certainly have brain cell death where you lose receptors however. E.g parkinson's or a burnt out crack addict, etc.

Many, many others will argue against me and claim that it is parasites, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disease, food allergies like gluten and dairy intolerance, or genetic causes. They are going to tell you to do wild, wild things - saunas, enemas, 40 day orange juice fasts, strict meatless diets, carbless diets, liver flushes.

I am not a physics or math expert by even a LONGSHOT, but just read for yourself on the internet of what heavy metal poisoning is capable of doing to the human body. The only thing capable of allowing the detox organs of being overwhelmed with food allergies, fungi, parasites, bacteria, and viruses in the fist place is often harsh chemicals and metals.

In summary, meditation, heavy metal poisoning, food allergy toxicity, indulgence in food and sex, can all be explained with nueropsychopharmacology- which is a form of physics - a form of hard science. Spirituality, hallucinations, etc, etc all goes back to brain chemistry. This is enough to make me equally scared of herbs, nootropics, and prescription pills. It is enough to make me equally in belief of how fasting from food, sex, drugs, and meditating can physically change the brain.

I strongly urge any reader here to read these two threads

http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1

http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1

[MrHappy]

While I agree with a lot of what you say, it's not always just about willpower alone.

"Try striking a match on jelly, Mister."

As for uridine as a potential carcinogen - read the uridine thread, it's not the substance, it's uprating cellular genesis without sufficient building blocks to maintain the process. Easily prevented.

[What'sAllThisThen]

They gave Frankincense to Jesus, aside from peer reviewed pharmacology papers showing the mechanisms which you can find on the net, need I say more? Essential oil is 1000's times stronger than just cut/sifted herb.

I didn't realize that Boswellia was Frankincense. I'd still like to hear what that stack does for you in social situations.

[abelard lindsay]

If you need motivation, work on taking nutrients to feed your dopamine system.

It's good to start off with the basics and see if that is enough.

I would start by taking L-phenylalanine supplements. This is the essential amino acid that is the natural precurosr to dopamine and is found in many foods. The average daily intake from food is 3.4 grams. I take about a gram to about a gram and a half a day. I find it helps me get less of that burned out feeling if I consume a lot of caffeine and keeps me gently motivated throughout the day.

[longevitynow]

SAMe, if you can get good quality and take 1-2 hours before food is a very good stimulating anti-depressant, similar to Welbutrin and completely natural. I also like Selegiline for a similar effect. All of these tend to give me problems staying or falling asleep, but I am a light sleeper. I would also recommend Adrenal glandulars as weak adrenals are a big source of lethargic depression. Exercise is essential. Mucuna, phenylalanine, and tyrosine on an empty stomach can help. Piracetam can be quite motivating for some people, maybe worth trying. ALCAR helps me be sharper. Green Tea. Meat and vegetable diet with very limited amounts of carbs and sugars.

[sam7777]

I always wondered about SAMe. I even heard a lot of bad side effects associated with it. I doubt it would help me at all with my level of severity in symptoms. Mucuna does not do much for me. I have unpredictable reactions to tyrosine. But, 5 htp does work for me. If SAMe is as strong as those other three than maybe it could help. I did not tolerate wellbutrin well at all. Things to consider.

[nito]

try baclofen if you got anxiety. Some say it works. Or buspar.

Edited by nito, 17 November 2011 - 07:30 PM.

[Raptor87]

Zoloft is said to calm the amygdala down though indirect effects of serotonin regulation and is used against clinical shyness. Check google books for The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook, try to get some CBT while you are at it.

Also everyone becomes nervous when they first meet someone, its a response in nature in order to protect yourself from dangerous people. Girls become nervous too so you dont have to worry!

Cant help with the other stuff though.

[nupi]

Also everyone becomes nervous when they first meet someone, its a response in nature in order to protect yourself from dangerous people. Girls become nervous too so you dont have to worry!

This is exactly the type of statement that does NOT help social phobics. It's not like they do not know on a rational level that their fears is irrational or abnormal (although in fairness, some argue there are some people with Avoidant Personality Disorder who truly believe their fear is justified but that seems fairly rare)... If anything, it makes the situation worse in the way of "everyone else can get over it, why can't I?"

Edited by nupi, 26 November 2011 - 10:44 AM.

[Raptor87]

It depends how you interpret it Nupi!

I used to believe I was somekind of freak because I had anxiety issues. By realising that it wasn't just me made me socialise more. I realised that people might seem shallow or have some kind of mainstream behaviour because they are retards. Soon I figured that people are stale because they are insecure, nervous and basically have an individual boundary around themselves before they get to know someone. I concluded that it wasn't just me who was like this, a lot of my thoughts around my fear response were irrational and that I needed to learn how to interact with people by getting through our boundaries. Sure I still have issues, but I dont become crazy when around people although it happens sometimes because I fall in the old though- patterns. I dont think that you can get over it, but you can learn your brain to think differently which puts the response to a normal level that most people have. The way to get through it is to learn social skills that gives the person the opportunity to get through the social boundary and maintain a normal nervous level before it disappears when the brain realises that there is nothing to be afraid about.

The best thing that has helped me is becoming more mature. I understood that there are some assholes out there but they dont define the world. I stopped living in my bubble and stated that people need eachother and that every social meeting is an opportunity. I thought that I had to hide my personality and shell myself socially because I didn't like the world (due to having anxiety and not coping). Sometimes today (work in progress) I even enjoy meeting new people because there is another energy there, like Im drawn to socialise even if Im nervous which makes it more fun.

The world might seem dangerous which is a big reason why a person must get out of the house and challenge himself, the further you push yourself to get out of the comfort zone the better, you acquire new things.

I used to sufferer from severe panic- attacks when around people. Today the heartpounding comes and goes but nothing as severe, I've learned new skills to calm my nerves down.

I hope that OP understands what I mean. Just because you suffer from anxiety doesn't mean that it defines you.

Edited by Brainfogged, 27 November 2011 - 12:31 PM.

[magister]

I think it also has alot to do with environment. In some places the only place
to socialise is the bar and if you don't drink alcohol you are not in good environment
as that is the social lubricant. Everyone is anxious and they consume alcohol to ease
this feeling but then they let their guard down. If you can learn to control it to just 1-2
drinks then you can master that realm as well.

To find other social opportunities requires creativity. Most people social lives revolve
around work. They get established by the friends from school and university then move
into their work lifes. If you are an international travellor who have lived in many places
you will notice the difference between yourself and the landed natives. They have roots
and you must make yours, you can find your place in a multicultural international city,
but it will be more difficult to find entry into positions in politics or leading positions because
this will be saved for the landed 'natives' so the image of control is maintained.

[snuffie]

social anxiety...i have wrestled with this my entire life. it does help to know though that almost everyone gets some level of social anxiety (e.g. public speaking); if you can't see it in others then don't worry, they probably can't see it in you.

CBT really is helpful. it's not about someone telling you that your anxiety is all in your head. it's about learning tools that the rational part of your mind can use to rein in the irrational scared part of your mind. first you learn to listen to what your automatic negative thoughts are...they're such a habit that we often don't even realize we're thinking them. recognize them, write them down. then you examine and challenge them, with questions like "is this really true?"; "so what?"; "what's the absolute worst thing that would happen if this were true?"; "are there any other ways of looking at this situation?" etc. then you construct a more balanced, realistic thought. it's not about shoving negative thoughts out of your head and stuffing it with positive BS. so if you're saying to yourself "i have no social skills", you can pick that thought apart and replace it with something more accurate, like "i want to improve my social skills in these specific areas..., but i'm good with people in these other ways...." Take it to extremes if you have to. "I may be a little socially awkward but at least i'm not rude and i don't spit at people or grope them on public transit and i don't vomit on people out of spite." Downward comparison is really helpful for this...there's always someone who sucks way more than you. E.g., when I catch myself calling myself a horrible person, i say to myself, "fuck that, Hitler was a horrible person; I haven't engineered any genocides, I'm not a horrible person." Extremes can help point out how over-dramatic you're being by using absolutes against yourself. anyway, i could natter all day about CBT. it's good, just try it out. see a good therapist if you can; if not, get a workbook and practice the hell out of this stuff until it becomes automatic.

another trick that has helped me in social situations is to plan an out. if i'm invited to some social thing, i immediately think "oh god i don't want to go have to be social for like 5 hours; torture!" i used to bail on that shit all the time and then feel bad about it. now what i do is i tell myself i only have to make an appearance. show up, stay for half an hour, make nice. if after half an hour i feel like going home, i leave (sorry guys, early morning tomorrow, etc.). usually once i'm there i end up having fun and staying longer, but it takes off so much pressure if you know you don't have to stay for long and be 'trapped'.

3rd...beta blockers. propranolol has been really helpful for me. i take it before any really stressful social situations...e.g. giving a presentation at work. it helps keep the physical part of anxiety under wraps so it doesn't spiral.

oh, and, about talking to girls...i think the best way to go is to just tell yourself right up front that you are absolutely not going to get romantic with that chick...zero chance of sex. take the pressure off...you can just be yourself instead of worrying about how to pick her up. just talk to her like she's any random person. be interested in her as a human being, be curious, ask questions (not too many; don't want to grill people, lol). questions are a great conversation tool. if you go into conversations hoping to say the "right"things and pick her up, you'll just psyche yourself out.

[thedevinroy]

You may have ADHD or Depression... or both. See a Pyschiatrist and get it diagnosed for sure. From there, I'd recommend methylphenidate when you need to get homework done. Huperzine A when you need to pay attention and remember stuff (best if combined with 3mg of Methylene Blue or other antidepressant). DL-Phenylalanine when you need to wake the hell up. I have yet to try Sulbutiamine and Desmopressin, but they both look promising as a methylphenidate replacement for short-term use.

Selegiline treats the depression/anxiety aspect to ADHD. Takes like a month (at 5mg 2x/day) before it stops making you high everyday. I find it goes very well with Ashwagandha, Green Tea, and Huperzine A.

Cholinergics have a positive effect on the dopamine system (when methylation is in tact). Consider precursors, ALCAR + Lecithin Granules. I felt completely in control of my head with this combo. Sometimes I get an electronic cigarette to calm down and get work done. Nicotine might as well be nootropic...

Consider an herbal combo like: Cat's Claw, Rhodiola Rosea, and Ashwagandha. Consider Gotu Kola and Lemon Balm to calm down.

Edited by devinthayer, 06 December 2011 - 10:32 PM.