I Shattered My Brain - Please Help
I noticed last night that (in some fashion), I have wired my brain's dopamine to be solely centered around 3 things: food, sex, and sleep. These are quite literally the only things I look forward to. It has gotten so bad that even activities you would think would be relaxing (scrolling WSJ, YouTube, Hulu, etc). are not fulfilling because I feel like I can't get the dopamine relax I'm looking for. I stress about finding the "perfect entertaining show" or "perfect article that's interesting". My attention span outside of work is literally 4 seconds.
However, even the thought of eating lights up some dopamine. I'm skinny enough and fast 13-14 hours a day to where that might be the reason I'm always thinking about food, but it's a clear problem. Same goes for sex and sleep.
Outside of going to the middle of a dark cave and being in darkness for 5 days (shootout Aaron Rogers), how can I reset my brain? I have put some rules in place where I have have sex once a week and I only sleep for 7 hours a day (or less if a live deal/busy). But I'm not sure this is working because the dopamine imbalance is still present.
Comments (29)
I sympathize. Nothing wrong with sleeping more than 7 hours, especially when you need to catch up after a few days of 4-6 hours of sleep.
Ultimately, the sex and eating aren't fulfilling either. Those dopamine hits don't last long. I'd recommend meditating, getting outside, working out, and reading physical books.
神经科学专业。经验是很正常的a lack of focus if you're deprived of sleep, so I would try to prioritize sleep as much as possible. Don't neglect working out, there are many studies showing that exercise helps the brain just as much as the body. Reduce inflammation as much as possible (avoid greasy and sugary food), eat more fiber(fruits and vegetables), and make sure you get omega 3(EPA and DHA, can get this from fish oil). Would also recommend quitting caffeine, as your body builds a tolerance over time, making it less and less effective with continued use. Try implementing a meditation practice as well, there are many studies showing the effectiveness in increasing focus and overall mental acuity.
I haven't had coffee in 5 years, so I feel good about that. No alcohol either. So I'm healthy on that end. No vaping, cigs, or drugs. I'm just a plain Jane. Which is probably why my main addictions are sex, food and sleep because what else is there lol.
You're raw-dogging life? That's crazy man.
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
sound like the solution to your problems is "try drugs". There's a reason most people have some drug they enjoy, whether its booze, weed, nicotine, or even something as banal as caffeine.
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Learn moreGood point with the inflammation reduction
Good points, except for the caffeine.
"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
All due respect, but caffeine can, will and does mess you up. It only keeps you awake, it doesn't "wake you up". You need real nutrition , activity and healthy sleep instead of my once upon a time 24 year old ass slamming a Rockstar every morning in the office to the point where people thought something was wrong if Ididn'thave one.
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“长期饮用咖啡也似乎布鲁泰克t against some neurodegenerative diseases, and is associated with improved asthma control, and lower risks for liver disease and cancer."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29474816/#:~:text=Chronic%20coffee%20consumption%20also%20appears,for%20liver%20disease%20and%20cancer.
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"Novel approaches in epidemiological studies and experimental researches suggest that coffee consumption may help to prevent several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus and liver disease. Most prospective cohort studies have not found coffee consumption to be associated with a significantly increased cardiovascular disease risk."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28675917/
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近年来，咖啡因的饮食摄入量显着增加，咖啡因的有益和有害作用已被广泛研究。本文回顾了咖啡因的抗氧化剂和抗炎活性，以及对心血管疾病，肥胖，糖尿病，糖尿病，糖尿病，糖尿病的保护作用。癌症，神经退行性和肝病。”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35574653/
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"The stimulant effects of caffeine on the central nervous system have been known for centuries [3]. In the 19thcentury a well-known consumer was Honoré De Balzac. Saying that he loved the coffee is not enough. He was completely dependent on it and in the period in which he wrote "The Human Comedy" he went on to drink up to 50 cups a day. In 1830, he published an article in a French magazine called "Pleasures and pains of coffee", which recounted: "coffee slips into the stomach and you immediately feel a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand Army on the field of the battle and the battle takes place. Memories come at a gallop, carried by the wind."
"With regard to cognitive functions, caffeine's properties have been investigated in both human and animal studies. In epidemiological reports, a link between chronic caffeine consumption and a significantly lower risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, has been described [4]. Likewise, chronic treatment with caffeine has been shown to be effective in preventing β-amyloid (Aβ) production and memory deficits in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease [5,6] Caffeine seems to prevent or restore memory impairment due to disturbances in brain homeostasis [7]"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462044/
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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
Ah yes, the classic "I only set dopamine from the 3 fundamental aspects of human life" problem
lol you have a point but I also think the lack of deviation and diversity from these core elements is amplifying the problem from a regular person. A regular analyst vapes/drinks alcohol/maybe occasional kush/coffee, etc. I do none of that, raising the pressure on the core 3 to trigger dopamine.
Agree 100%
You're limiting yourself to sex just once a week as a single guy? Ok brad pitt. Lol.
That was my takeaway as well. This man told his roster he can only play once a week
Having felt the exact same as what you described, what I recommend is also using your brain in different way: I.e. creatively and that requires physical objects: build/put together a piece of furniture, hang curtains, paint, play board game, organize house, BBQ, enhance living space, excessive outside anything that involves physical use of your hands or body or change of scenery helps.
Brain is looking to exercise other parts of it i.e motor Skills, as opposed to simply looking at computer, TV. All in all, doing things you wouldn't normally do/different helps tremendously.
How old are you? I can relate - have found joy in trying to be best version of myself (physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially)
Early 20s.
Gotcha I'm a bit older than you. My mindset on life has changed drastically the past couple years. I now care more about who I am as a person than I do about material objects and money. I get huge dopamine rushes after accomplishing stuff that gets me closer to "being the best me I can be".
I get a rush of excitement that stays whenever I finish a rough workout or build a new model that completely ties
Mid/late twenties
Who are you having sex with? Is she hot?
You don't eat all day so you think about food.
You don't have sex all week so you think about sex.
You don't sleep enough so you think about sleep.
It's pretty simple buddy. Just listen to your body. If you ignore your basic needs (Sorry Pizz, sex is a basic need) then that's all you're gonna think about.
Not sure why you're getting MS, this is the correct answer.
Take care of your health.IBcan be depressive and if you don't put the effort to maintain some healthy habits then you can go downhill. Some people get fat, others might have neurological issues. Prioritize healthy activities whenever you have time. A good starting point is to cut all your crap from the phone and all your TV shows (unsuscribe from Netflix) and use that time to unwind by reading on a Kindle, listening to music, or calling someone.
Try taking up chess. It'll help with your attention span and I swear I get a great hit of dopamine when I mate some random fucker from Russia or the UK. The chess.com app is the one I use. There are always people to play and the rating system will always match you with an opponent of similar skill. You can pick timed games ranging from 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 minutes. Etc. I'm partial to the 5 and 10 minute games.
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