82 replies to this topic

[pheanix997]

Hi everyone.

My main problem is with verbal expression. I have trouble finding the right words to clearly and efficiently express my thoughts. Before I speak, it's as if the right words dangle in suspension as I struggle to grasp them in time to form my thoughts into concrete speech before the other person loses interest in what I have to say. I often stutter, stammer, mispronounce words, use the wrong words, e.g. "sesame" seed instead of "sunflower," speak slowly, get tongue-tied, and just generally suck at clearly conveying my thoughts. People have a hard time understanding what I'm trying to say.

Talking is physically exhausting for me. I know the content of what I want to say, but putting that into actual speech is mentally taxing for me. Is there a reason why this might be? Simply poor brain functioning or low intelligence? Mild aspergers?

I've toyed around with the idea that I'm low in acetylcholine, but I've read the book "The Edge Effect" and I actually resonate with the acetylcholine-dominant personality more than anything else. I'm an emotional person who loves listening to people and empathizing with them, and I primarily navigate my world through my intuition. However, the book argues that low acetylcholine tends to cause speech difficulties, e.g. trouble using the right words, etc., which can be a manifestation of varying degrees of dyslexia, aspergers, Alzheimers, etc.

So here's my predicament: Since I'm pretty sure I have an abundance of acetylcholine, taking Acetyl-based supplements to improve my speech won't be smart because it would further deplete my levels of serotonin, which I am definitely LOW in. In fact, I'm currently on a low dose SSRI for anxiety, and have found it to be tremendously life-changing.

So my question is, what can I do?

I'm very new to the world of neuroscience and brain health, so I'm trying to figure out how I can get my brain to do what I want it to do without screwing things up further, i.e. raising my acetylcholine levels whilst further depleting my serotonin supply or nullifying the effects of my SSRI medication.

I'd be a much more functional and happier person if i could speak more fluently, like others seem to do so effortlessly. Anyone with any ideas about how to achieve this end would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Luminosity]

Clearly you don't have a low I.Q.

Reducing everything to bio-chemistry is not necessarily a good idea. Maybe even more so because everyone, including doctors, are just guessing at what might be amiss. There are no tests of brain chemistry in a living person, no matter what anyone implies.

Why don't you go to professionals, like doctors or people who diagnose learning disabilities? Is what you have called a speech impediment? Not sure. I think there are speech therapists who can deal with things like this. If you are still young enough, you might want to talk to your parents or someone at school about getting some help with this. Some or all of that might be paid by insurance or the government.

[Godof Smallthings]

I agree seeking a specialist first would be a good idea to get a better idea of what the issue is.

Could it be social anxiety is holding you back in some sense? If so, CBT will help.

To boost skill and confidence there are other things you can do:

Study comedians and other competent speakers - TED talks are good, see many of them without thinking so much about the content, but rather focus on rhythm, emphasis, phrasing/pauses, key vocabulary, repetition, body language, jokes, etc - all the stuff that can be used to increase the weight of the message or the receptivity of the listeners, rather than the message itself.

In terms of social interaction, read up on and practice 'mirroring' and see if that brings any insights.

In terms of the cognitive, read advanced literature, underline vocabulary and phrases you do not know or use that could help.

Video yourself talking about a subject and then play it back to yourself. Make notes of what you think you could do better, then re-record trying to rectify the stuff you noticed. Etc. Doing this often will expose you to performance anxiety (even if it is just you and the camera, the exercise is somehow different than if it were just you) and gradually teach you how to handle it better.

All skills can be improved by persistent practice, so this is probably no exception. But if you do have an underlying issue then that would be useful for you to know, so examine that too.

Edited by Godof Smallthings, 17 March 2014 - 05:06 AM.

[brookmesfin]

The post by Godof Smallthings is almost exactly what i was going to advise also, since i used to the same issues as the topic starter. I also HIGHLY advise reading outloud everyday, it helps build your ability to sound out words efficiently and improves your confidence.
You should also realize that everyone stumbles over their words at some point or another, either when a new idea or insight hits them, an emotion overcomes them and many other reasons.
As you practice reading outloud and reading about communication, you will begin to see aspects of verbal communication that you have not noticed before such as optimal breath in time, which tones are best to end certain sentences with and how to vary speed to suit your needs and get what you want to communicate across to the other person(s).

[pheanix997]

The post by Godof Smallthings is almost exactly what i was going to advise also, since i used to the same issues as the topic starter. I also HIGHLY advise reading outloud everyday, it helps build your ability to sound out words efficiently and improves your confidence.
You should also realize that everyone stumbles over their words at some point or another, either when a new idea or insight hits them, an emotion overcomes them and many other reasons.
As you practice reading outloud and reading about communication, you will begin to see aspects of verbal communication that you have not noticed before such as optimal breath in time, which tones are best to end certain sentences with and how to vary speed to suit your needs and get what you want to communicate across to the other person(s).

Thanks. I'll try reading out loud everyday. I can see this being effective because I actually don't speak enough in my daily interactions - I'm worried about tripping over or slurring my words, etc. It really sucks. I've always kind of been like this; I had to do speech therapy in the second grade for a lisp. It's a big reason for my (somewhat) social isolation and depression.

I did go to a speech therapist two years ago (I'm 24 now), and was told my difficulties were probably more psychologically-based. This is because in one on one conversations, I'm generally fine. She didn't notice my stuttering or any problems with my fluency. But put me in a large group with so many different things going on, and I get overstimulated and murmur some half-comprehensivle gibberish that makes me come across as dull and stupid. I'm starting to realize that I probably have some aspergers traits, and this may all be contributing like a perfect storm.

So - to the other poster - yes, social anxiety is definitely a LARGE part of it. But my concern is that even when I'd video record myself speaking alone, my thoughts would still come out all jumbled and I'd take long pauses. I worry that it might be something neurological. I did hit my head snowboarding as a kid and got a very mild concussion (was still conscious). But the more I think about it the more I realize I just don't practice speaking enough, and never have as a kid due to social anxiety and other things. So I guess the social anxiety has created behaviour patterns, i.e. speech avoidance, which have become an entrenched habit and way of life for me, so much so that my speech is like an underdeveloped muscle. So even though I could take away the physical anxiety, the speech difficulties remain - because I had failed to optimize my speaking skills growing up.

Shit, and here I was hoping somebody would recommend a magic pill that'd cure everything overnight :P

Edited by pheanix997, 18 March 2014 - 02:49 AM.

[brookmesfin]

Haha, one thing I've noticed in life, is that the hard long way is usually the best way of growing as a person.
Good luck with your endeavors bro. It'll be hard work with plenty of seemingly insurmountable plateaus, but just keep pushing.

[pheanix997]

Haha, one thing I've noticed in life, is that the hard long way is usually the best way of growing as a person.
Good luck with your endeavors bro. It'll be hard work with plenty of seemingly insurmountable plateaus, but just keep pushing.

Thanks very much man. So you've overcome most of your previous speech difficulties?

[brookmesfin]

Yeah most of them, I still have an issue with the word "strategy" (damn that word) but i'll keep working on it.

[rc897]

I say jump right in.



The cheap way to fix this is go to toastmasters club. http://www.torontobiztm.com/

Side benefit is being able to present, sell yourself, your company, product, new girl, etc.

Plus the bonus boost in confidence. If you have cash to blow- go to a media trainer or speech therapist as well.

Shit changes if you take some steps. In my teens I failed math and English and was very introverted. Now I work in finance and got a very late (30's) finance degree, speak in front of people all the time, write lots of research papers and am working on a book.
Was also afraid of heights, so I jumped out of an airplane- funny scene the instructor prying my fingers off the airplane strut at 6200 ft.

Edited by rc897, 18 March 2014 - 04:56 PM.

[pheanix997]

I say jump right in.



The cheap way to fix this is go to toastmasters club. http://www.torontobiztm.com/

Side benefit is being able to present, sell yourself, your company, product, new girl, etc.

Plus the bonus boost in confidence. If you have cash to blow- go to a media trainer or speech therapist as well.

Shit changes if you take some steps. In my teens I failed math and English and was very introverted. Now I work in finance and got a very late (30's) finance degree, speak in front of people all the time, write lots of research papers and am working on a book.
Was also afraid of heights, so I jumped out of an airplane- funny scene the instructor prying my fingers off the airplane strut at 6200 ft.

Toastmasters is something I have been meaning to try out. Thanks!

[Luminosity]

I'm aware of a number of people who joined Toastmasters to get ahead in life. I think it worked.

[pheanix997]

I'm aware of a number of people who joined Toastmasters to get ahead in life. I think it worked.

Yea, I'm always surprised to find out that my former bosses were regulars at toastmasters.

I do have a concern, though, which is probably why I've put it off for so long.

Wouldn't it only help with presentation-style speaking, e.g. job interviews, speeches, etc.., but not much in the area of spontaneous interaction, which is where I struggle most? I'm okay when it comes to job interviews or scripted conversations where there's a structure to the dialogue because I can prepare, mentally rehearse, and pre-forumlate my thoughts so that I can get them out without too much hassle. But these situations don't resemble real-life interaction.

My problem is when i'm on the spot - that's where I get tongue-tied. So while I see how a speech club could help very much in some areas, I can't see it helping me to express myself more quickly and with less inhibition and hiccups, i.e. stutters, pauses, backtracking, using the wrong word, etc.

Or am I underestimating the power of toastmasters?

[rc897]

Why it works is you get used to presenting and debating. argumentation and rhetoric- tons of stuff on net about this its the nuclear weapon of getting your point across.

as per your clicks and pops, try this:

think of a sentence you want to say in your head.. is it fluid? of course it is. So if the words are not jumbled in your head when you are pretending to say it then its just mental and quite fixable. PLUS you will have a great origin story when you get over the temporary impediments that you say you have now.

Toastmasters is cheap, give it a shot.

[Major Legend]

There is a huge difference between mental verbal fluency and "spoken fluency" , alot of great writers do not actually make good speakers for example, in fact if you are a talented writer its highly likely that you would be unable to speak fluently due to the noise in your brain.

As far as I know spoken fluency is based on a few things, such as confidence in competence in the subject spoken, social anxiety (how relaxed you are), extraversion, how focused you are, these are some chemicals which may be of use:

Adrafinil
Centrophenoxine
Colouracetam
Galantamine
High Quality Ginseng
Benzos

In my experience - if you are not a natural speaker - repeat exposure to situations will not make you a better speaker, it a kind of subjective topic anyways because
what do you consider a good speaker? Charming doesn't mean intelligent, intelligent doesn't mean creative, good speakers come in many forms somebody who is good at speaking at a silicon valley seminar could be a complete wreck in a cocktail party speech.

Here are some tips on sounding better:

Deeper voices command more attention,

1) say ha ho hu hi but sigh it, in a deep voice. then go mmmmhmmh and go from high to low pitch, as low as you can possibly make it
2) part yours lips and vibrate it as much as possible going into a deep voice.

- add pauses to your speech. A good one is pause and look at your audience then just smile - people love that.

- whenever someone speak pause 2 seconds before responding, you'll look like you are listening and speaking with alot more confidence, alot of times intelligent people are anxious because they actually think too much and as a result speak too fast, as a result they appear less well spoken.

- practice speaking from your heart, watch good speakers like obama and clinton, note how they speak in phrases rather than sentences, with pauses for effect.

- don't look for approval when speaking, this ruins your thought process

Edited by Major Legend, 25 March 2014 - 08:37 PM.

[zeddy]

you're a spitting image of me pheanix997. i have the same thing where i feel like i know exactly what i want to say but when it comes out it, i sound like im a complete mong. ive tried to remedy it and when i heard about noopept and aniractam etc.. i thought i found the solution and it did help yes especially the noopept, it opened my mind a bit and although i dont feel any smarter, i can see things much more clearly now. it was like a train hitting a wall when i realised some of the stuff i was doing and it did make me feel like shit but im better off for it. you could say it changed my life but ive given some of my friends the exact same stuff and it didnt do much for them.

speech is a little better but still not on a par with the average person with "normal" speech, his/hers words just seem to flow. i think the main problem for me is i dont really analyse what im about to say, i havent really thought about what im about to talk about, i have a picture in my head but ive never actually thought about it. if i think about a subject whatever it may be, games, movies or sports and actually sit down and think about, i feel i do much better when talking about it to someone. i think i look at the world but never actually take any of it in, nootropics actually helped me realise that. i only wish i had them earlier.

p.s i have stopped taking noopept/ani for now, took them for 6-7 months, i think i got out of them what i needed.

[pheanix997]

Thanks Major Legend - some very helpful tips and perspective.

I do actually prefer writing to speaking. There's something invigorating about taking the time to pick out the right words to organize your thoughts as you wish them to be communicated. But I've never considered myself a good writer, so I'm reluctant to pursue it as a career - although I do have some experience in copywriting and other forms of writing. I also tend to be a deeper thinker, and writing's a tool to explore those thoughts clearly and effectively, which is why I enjoy it. But I still want to improve my ability to speak around people, and you gave some great tips there.

I think I have to accept the fact that I'm just not a natural in this area: I'd had a speech impediment (lisp) when I was a kid; I've always had a minor stutter; my social anxiety thwarts my capacity for clear thinking when I need it most, e.g. explaining something to my boss or a colleague or a girl on a date; furthermore, this social anxiety has led to a lifetime of avoidance behaviours, leaving me with quite sterile social skills; I also deal with others issues pertaining to "brain fog" (see my post about that), which is another inhibitor.

Major Legend, I agree with you about not becoming a better speaker with repeated exposure to social situations. Although it may help, there's so many other factors in play when you look at what's realistically causing the problems - and besides, who's to judge what makes an effective speaker, i.e. would Bill Clinton's charisma be a more worthwhile quality than Neil Degrasse Tyson's penetrating rational clarity?

Zeddy, you bring up a huge point. I think I'm prone to mental sluggishness and therefore have not strengthened my ability to formulate what I want to say in my head before I say it. Although I like to "convince" myself that I know exactly what I want to say, that's probably not the total truth. As you said, what I see is a mental "picture," but there're no specific words or sentences that pop across the screen of my mind, allowing me to quickly retrieve them and communicate that vague mental image to others.

So maybe another big component of improving in this area is activating my will to use my mind more often to "understand" a certain subject, to "think" about it and get a good grasp on it, as opposed to living in a passive, will-less state and wondering why I can't communicate something as clearly as others can when they're the ones who've taken pains to exert their mental powers to break something down until they understand it clearly enough to communicate it with relative ease. But this perspective is also limited because there are some subjects I know inside-and-out that I'll still have trouble speaking about.

Zeddy, you also said, " i think i look at the world but never actually take any of it in, nootropics actually helped me realise that. i only wish i had them earlier." I'm reading a book called The Psychology Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Brandon. I highly recommend this amazing piece of psychological literature. It's phenomenal - and don't be mistaken; it's no cheesy, feel-good, self-help book. It's a very hard, intellectual read. Anyway, the author's main idea is that man's mental problems or difficulties largely stem from the fact that he'd adopted a sluggish cognitive style early in life and failed to develop the habit of exerting appropriate effort to understand reality, the things around him. You might say such a "style" was caused by an emotionally turbulent childhood, which imprints onto the child's mind the fact that "reality and the behaviour of others is incomprehensible, confusing, and so I give up! Thus, the child reverts to a passive, sluggish relationship to life, to people and all that is around him, taking comfort in his foggy, mentally undemanding existence - because deeply engraved into his brain is the notion that it's of "no use to exercise my cognitive faculties to really 'look at' and gain an understanding of things."

I don't know where I'm going with this, lol. Anyway, I'll look into some nootropics. I've tried piracetam and I don't know what to think about it's efficacy. I've ordered Modafinil from India and some days it "seems" to have some kind of noticeable effect, and other days I notice nothing. But, my God, when Modafinil seemingly does work, the world snaps into sharp focus. And this is a welcome relief to my living life in a fuzzy, perpetual fog. That said, I've found that Modafinil actually makes my speech worse. Go figure.

[brookmesfin]

That excerpt from the book The Psychology Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Brandon caught my complete attention. I definitely want to grab that book.
I think I had issues with my early childhood, moving from a different country and parents becoming depressed after they found out my brother was autistic, and I can definitely see how that made me lazy as a thinker (even thou I did well in school).

However, in the past couple of years, I've realized the error in my ways and I've been fixing them and man the way I view reality now is so much more, i don't know, indepth I guess?

[pheanix997]

That excerpt from the book The Psychology Of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Brandon caught my complete attention. I definitely want to grab that book.
I think I had issues with my early childhood, moving from a different country and parents becoming depressed after they found out my brother was autistic, and I can definitely see how that made me lazy as a thinker (even thou I did well in school).

However, in the past couple of years, I've realized the error in my ways and I've been fixing them and man the way I view reality now is so much more, i don't know, indepth I guess?

I'm changing my path too; I just wish I wouldn't have lived on cognitive auto-pilot for most of my life.

It wasn't an excerpt, I was just summarizing his ideas. You'll like it; I'm cherishing it right now. After trying to come to the root of my own difficulties, it's refreshing to hear that depression and anxiety are the result of a relinquishing of our mental capacities, which leaves us helpless to rationally solve our problems, re-adjust our thinking and values, become more competent in different areas of life so as not to feel chronically, and sometimes even acutely, anxious or inadequate (which is really a result of feeling "unfit" or incompetent to meet the demands of reality, of life.), etc.

According to the author (and my paraphrasing is not doing his ideas justice), this is why people fall into cognitive illusions and distortions, and erect psychological defences to protect them from the "facts of reality," i.e. that there is some problem in their life they are "refusing" to understand and solve. These unsolved problems pile up in the person's subconscious, which manifests in ugly symptoms like depression, anxiety, lethargy, fatigue, etc. The author's definition of self-esteem is pretty much the ability to understand the facts of reality, of your life, with a clear mind and not lose your self-efficacy or self-respect in the process. Therefore, a person without true self-esteem lives in constant evasion, passivity, suppression, and denial.

The book is really a splash of cold water, because it's telling you, look, "your problems are the result of a failure on your part to do the necessary "thinking" your life requires. Until you "wake up" cognitively, you're just a leaf blowing in the wind, never truly inquiring into why you are the way that you are, why you do the things that you do.

I know this is off-topic but I'm enjoying this book so much I thought I'd share a little more...

Edited by pheanix997, 30 March 2014 - 02:31 AM.

[Arjuna]

Hi OP
It's clear you're a smart person and have things to say. I communicate for a living so I have a big interest in your issue.

You should check out low dopamine symptoms. D2 receptor activity is high in really sociable people. People who do nofap (abstaining from pornography and masterbation - directly related to dopamine dysfunction in the limbic system and prefontal cortex) report become much more social, better communicators, and able to speak WITHOUT stuttering in the first time in their life. I do nofap and can confirm these benefits, I went from social anxiety to social butterfly in a month. The other thing that I've found to really help my communication is dual n back, because it strengthens your prefrontal cortex so that you have more working memory to "spin more plates". With more working memory you can have more concepts actively connected in your mind while engaging the person you talk to. Dopamine is the most important thing to keep in mind here, imagine coke heads and how they are practically yelling at each other all the time, that is because they have really high dopamine (temporarily).

Now some bad news: dopamine and seratonin have a see saw effect; one suppresses the other. People on ssri medication have blunted emotions and drive because the dopamine has been drowned out by the relaxing serotonin. So, when you are ready, please check out all the supplemental cures discussed for depression. The uridine thread is a great place to start.

The way I understand this pathology that many in our generation are experiencing (anxiety) is like this: highly stressful environment (maybe unsafe upbringing in childhood or other painful period in life)-> brain states of hyper awareness are favored (dopamine systems) instead of normal relaxed behavior (balanced brain)/ less emotional trauma releasing systems utilized (seratonin systems not activated)-> pathology develops to keep hyper stimulation of dopamine so that trauma is pushed out of awareness (over use of electronic entertainment, bad food, meaningless sex all overused to escape pain from trauma) -> dopamine systems in the limbic system no longer route to emotional centers. When people in this state take ssri medication their seratonin systems are being activated for the first time in a long long time, and there is great relief, but it's only half the solution as the dopamine remains dormant.


Important thing to know is that social anxiety is absolutely correctable, and your brain is incredibly plastic, just give it a chance. If you give your brain what it need in supplements and develop new behavior you will grow. You should practice mindfulness so you are aware if you are putting yourself down, and stop it. Find a hobby so that you can meet awesome people. Maybe see a therapist. Ask out that girl who gives you the look. Go on a psychedelic adventure (psychedelics repair the serotonin-limbic system connection, nmda antagonists destroy depression). Do something nice for yourself like clean your place or write a friend or exercise. Good luck.

Edited by Arjuna, 30 March 2014 - 03:25 PM.

[pheanix997]

Arjuna, fortunately I haven't experienced the infamous emotional blunting or lack of motivation with the SSRI. Not only am I on the lowest dose, I'm naturally a very self-motivated, goal-oriented person with a strong work ethic - so I wouldn't exactly say I'm deficient in the area of Dopamine. However, I know the issue is more complicated than simply saying "I'm self-motivated and highly focused and thus I have high dopamine." I have a boss who I'd like to dub "dopamine-dominant," and he acts very differently from me. He's extremely alert, very "wired," very sociable and motivated.

I have the motivation, just the mental sluggishness that holds me back from taking full advantage of the internal drive. But I'm working on this; I don't think a pill could cure my ailments anyway, though it's probably good to tackle this problem from all angles. That said, is there some way I can, as you said, activate my dopamine system without depleting my serotonin levels? Would a L-tyrosine and ALCAR supplement be a safe bet whilst continuing with the SSRI meds? I appreciate you recommending alternative methods to cure depression, but unlike many who believe SSRI's are merely the concoction of a money-hungry empire, I actually believe these meds offer many, many benefits - for those who are actually low in serotonin.

I've watched that Ted Talk on how fapping screws up the domaine system, though I haven't tried it out yet! I do agree that dopamine is probably the crown-jewel here that will help my specific issues, but the matter gets more confusing when you consider the fact that low-gaba and low-serotonin leads to anxiety, which will also affect speech.

Edited by pheanix997, 30 March 2014 - 04:41 PM.

[Arjuna]

So the alcar and tyrosine will be safe. Tyrosine is good, and will raise the dopamine in your brain, especially if you have a methylating agent like tmg, but that will fix things only short term. What happens is your brain will become less sensitive to dopamine as it's raised. Don't take mucuna pruriens -- dangerous.

Long term solution is wiring the reward centers to higher thought and sociability by cutting things out like drug use and fapping (or any other overstimulating addictive activities). You should check out the anecdotal reports behind nofap, they cover the symptoms you talk about.

Outside of the neurotransmitter issues, "brain sluggishness" can be caused by oxidative stress. There are many studies showing how just a multivitamin (which improves your antioxidant profile) improves students' focus. You hear people talking about omega 3 a lot? That's because it is the easiest way to alleviate depression and increase iq, fully backed up by studies. Get 2g of DHA and EPA each a day. Unless you diet is stellar you are likely working against this issue.

Also minerals, how are your magnesium zinc and iodine? Those three are crucial to brain health and thyroid health. If your thyroid isn't functioning right you will have low energy, and your body will drop dopamine levels in attempt to stimulate the thyroid. Thyroid levels are great for alertness, and it is a big part of why caffeine packs such a punch; it stimulates the thyroid to release.

Figure out if you are methylating well and if your thyroid is healthy, because they both are, then your dopamine will be sky high just from a normal diet. You can try tmg or Sam e for methylation. Iodine (1-10mg/day) with selenium (which is already in multi and helps with oxidative stress and testosterone) for thyroid. Good thing about getting you oxidative system and thyroid going together is you HPTA will be balanced and your hormones like testosterone will start playing a better role if there were any deficiency there.

I'm not against ssri medication, but I think people should give the body a chance to heal itself by giving it what it needs.

Edited by Arjuna, 30 March 2014 - 06:47 PM.

[pheanix997]

Thanks for your input, Arjuna. It's much appreciated.

I've had my thyroid checked twice, and the blood results came back "normal." I take omega 3 supplements, but when I run out I tend not to re-stock right away. I need to start taking them regularly and long-term.

I don't really feel like I have low physical or bodily energy; I'm able to put in solid, intense workouts at the gym. I know that seems contradictory, but I just seem to lack the mental clarity or crispness that I need to function at my best. I'll look into how oxidative stress can create this fogginess. But best way I can describe it: some people just seem "awake" all the time, like their brains are "turned on." I feel like I'm half-awake most of the time, like my brain hasn't "lit up" properly. This what has led me to believe I may have a sleep disorder - I have a study booked for this month, so we'll see what they find.

In terms of levels of magnesium and zinc, I take supplements from time to time. I have no way of finding out my true levels, though, because my doctor doesn't do full panel blood tests.

I've also started taking Ginko and Rhodiola for cognitive function. I'm discovering how easy it is to waste money on supplements that may or may not work, though, so I really want to narrow my stack down to the most essential for my goals: mental clarity and alertness, which in turn I hope will improve the efficacy of my speech.

Edited by pheanix997, 30 March 2014 - 06:59 PM.

[Arjuna]

I hear you, regarding the cost of supplements thing. Here is something to keep in mind: anything that increases neurotransmitter levels is subject to homeostasis and will lose effect. As neurotransmitters go up, the body will balance by depleting receptors. This is the basis of tolerance and addiction. This means homeostasis will eventually kick in when supplementing direct amino acids like tyrosine and tryptamine, or releasing agents like your ginkgo, or MAOIs like your rhodiola. Use them to pick yourself up after a lot of stress or partying, but they have no purpose as a long term solutions.

I'm really sorry that I keep bringing up nofap, but I once again because... It's free. And more powerful than any pill.

Look up under methylation symptoms, if that sounds like you, try tmg. It's cheap and it's great.

Edited by Arjuna, 30 March 2014 - 07:31 PM.

[pheanix997]

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't know all neurotransmitter-boosters were subject to tolerance without exception. I guess I'll keep these supplements for occasional use.

No worries, I can see how not fapping would help, but I think my horniness would reach unbearable levels to be frank, lmao. Either way, I'm going to try it.

From what I understand, poor methylation is basically related to symptoms of CFS? If I'm not way off, that's really interesting, because I have a history of getting really sick, really easy as a child and still to this day (in grade 9 I had a bad case of illness that mimicked many symptoms of mono, but turned it wasn't actually mono), bad allergies, and mental fogginess.

Edited by pheanix997, 30 March 2014 - 08:07 PM.

[pheanix997]

I hear you, regarding the cost of supplements thing. Here is something to keep in mind: anything that increases neurotransmitter levels is subject to homeostasis and will lose effect. As neurotransmitters go up, the body will balance by depleting receptors. This is the basis of tolerance and addiction. This means homeostasis will eventually kick in when supplementing direct amino acids like tyrosine and tryptamine, or releasing agents like your ginkgo, or MAOIs like your rhodiola. Use them to pick yourself up after a lot of stress or partying, but they have no purpose as a long term solutions.

I'm really sorry that I keep bringing up nofap, but I once again because... It's free. And more powerful than any pill.

Look up under methylation symptoms, if that sounds like you, try tmg. It's cheap and it's great.

Arjuna, just wanted to let you know I've been trying the NoFap thing and it really does work. I relapsed a couple times after some 1 week streaks, and just recently made it to a week and a half. The results were very real and noticeable. I went into this experiment skeptical but now I'm definitely convinced. 

Today was the first day I really noticed improvements in many different areas: My speech was better (spoke quicker with less hiccups and articulated better), my usual mental brain fog was gone, and I just felt quicker and more "alive." My vision felt sharper for some reason, and I just felt powerful. I was socializing more smoothly and naturally, and was enjoying it more too. My usual stuttering seemed to have decrease tremendously, and I was miraculously able to string clear, coherent sentences together :O.

 

The downside, however, is that these incredible benefits came the day after the horniest night of my life, lol! I was incredibly horny all day and ended up relapsing. Now I just need to find a way to harness this natural energy while controlling my urges, which build to a nearly unbearable level after 1 week in, lol. I heard cold showers can help with this. 

 

Like you said, this is definitely better than any pill. I really don't feel the need to take piracetam or even modafinil anymore. And for anyone reading this, please understand I'm not exaggerating the benefits... this shit is the real deal. Can anyone else confirm the benefits from NoFap on speech fluency? 

Edited by pheanix997, 16 May 2014 - 01:31 AM.

[Arjuna]

Yeah nofap can make life vibratingly real, and turns me into a strange improvisational poet wizard and I find it easy to talk people into doing things. It is just really hard to make it through the long stretches of horniness or acute lack of horniness.

Something I've found recently that has really boosted my verbal and conversation skills is isochronic tones. Many studies show that high alpha tones increase iq in ADHD types (which you sound like with your deep sensitive thinking). And theta has been proven to improve creativity. They both synchronize the brain.

Give this a read: http://www.nueva-men...Research/13.htm

http://www.independe...ity-419575.html

I've been using apps on my phone at 14 and 6 hz with great results.

Edited by Arjuna, 16 May 2014 - 03:50 PM.

[Arjuna]

Also modafinil is subject to homeostasis: not a long term solution.

Paracitam is a nmda agonist: strengthens addictions, ergo harder to persue nofap.

[Brafarality]

Keats, T.S. Eliot, Melville, and Whitman do it for me...not just reading them, but being them, like an actor becoming his character. Let the verbal patterns infuse themselves into you, but not take you over, just influence, while you retain your own sense of self. To me, great literature is the best way to become more articulate and I am considered extremely articulate in real life, though I am not sure on what it is based since I think I am a 2 bit savage most of the time. Taking it a step further- memorize Ode to a Nightingale and zone on every line individually, not at the same time, but throughout the course of a month. Just fly forth with its meaning, don't over analyze. It may sound out there, but it will definitely improve verbal and vocal articulation.

Edited by Brafarality, 16 May 2014 - 10:19 PM.

[Brafarality]

I have mantra lines I go to again and again, when bored, waiting in line, in traffic (though I usually have radio blasting while driving, so not as much in traffic), when nervous or anxious...they just repeat over and over in my head. It is never the complete poem, which I usually have memorized, but is often a key imagistic phrase that rings and rings over and over in my head like a song you just heard but can't exorcise, but over 20 years!. I just whisper them or repeat them non-vocally:

"...one luminary clock against the sky..." -Frost

"...lake water lapping with low sounds..." -Yeats

"...not ancient ladies when refused a kiss..." -Pope

"...behold the junipers shagged with ice..." - Stevens

 

It took years to get to the point of familiarity with verse I am now fortunate enough to possess, so I am not sure if it will be a quick fix or a lifelong endeavor at self-betterment. Much success in your endeavor in any event.

Edited by Brafarality, 16 May 2014 - 10:27 PM.

[adamh]

One thing that helped me in this regard is piracetam which must be taken with a choline source. The other advice in this thread is good too but its hard when you are struggling with what may be a biochemical problem. I found it increased my verbal fluency a lot. This in turn gave me more confidence because instead of worrying that I won't think of the right thing to say, I was talking almost with no effort. Its a feedback loop, speaking more fluently gives confidence which makes you more fluent. Then do the public speaking and so on and watch the miracle happen.