Hey guys, just a quick post to share something that I've found very helpful over the last few weeks. I started taking 5-htp, a natural supplement extracted from the seeds of the african griffonius shrub, a natural precursor to serotonin production. It has been shown to help in dealing with mild anxiety and depression, an interesting side effect I've found is that it seems to lessen the intensity of urges drastically and makes hard mode less, well, hard. Anyone else had any experience with this supplement? It doesnt make it easy, it's not a miracle pill but it certainly seems to take the edge off
As far as I am aware serotonin and dopamine go against each other if one is abnormally high. So if serotonin is abnormally high dopamine will be abnormally low, if dopamine is abnormally high serotonin will be abnormally low. I could be wrong about that, but I think this is how it works. Look at SSRI anti depressants. They don't actually cause the brain and body to produce more serotonin, but they block serotonin from being sucked back out synapses in the brain, which basically causes the brain to have high serotonin constantly. But a big side effect of SSRI anti depressants is sexual dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation difficulty. Some of them actually completely block orgasm. But this action caused from SSRI's seems to lower dopamine. Anything that raises serotonin abnormally high seems to lower dopamine. MDMA, alcohol, anti depressants, serotonin supplements, so like 5htp, st johns wort ext. This is why sexual dysfunction is a side effect of anti depressants and serotonin supplements. Dopamine is what is responsible for causing an erection, it is what is responsible for making you chase after something. So chasing after that woman to have sex with, chasing after those porn clips to masturbate to. See dopamine is mainly responsible for addiction, it will make you chase after those things. But dopamine isn't really responsible for pleasure, it's just responsible for making you chase the pleasure. I could see how in theory taking something that is going to raise your brain high in serotonin could well be a way of fighting addiction and reducing cravings. When your brain is high in serotonin it gives you a sense of well being. Nothing is bothering you the same. You generally feel more calm and relaxed with everything.
Exactly right. I've never been a fan of taking hardcore medication like SSRI's though, so when I stumbled upon this natural supplement I was intrigued, it actually works though, and my urges have been much more manageable since I started taking it
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326090.php "Serotonin inhibits impulsive behavior, while dopamine enhances impulsivity." The limbic system and the gut has the highest amounts of serotonin in the body so SSRIs and 5-htp isn't really necessary as it's already in you lol.
You're absolutely correct, however dopamine and serotonin work like a seesaw, when one is up the other is down. By constantly artificially raising our dopamine to unnaturally high levels many pmo addicts show symptoms of low serotonin, specifically no drive and depressive symptoms, and we often use porn as a coping mechanism for these feelings. By naturally increasing serotonin we can help alleviate the depressive symptoms that lead us to use porn, and gain better impulse control to help deal with urges in a more productive manner. This stuff really works man I cant recommend it enough
Yeah I thought most serotonin was produced in the gut. I have been on a lot of different types of medications in the past. Many that were serotonergic medication, and some that were not serotonergic medication. Only the ssri's helped my mental health, particularly prozac. When I was on prozac for 4 years it felt like all my problems run off me like water, and anxiety and depression was non existent. But when I took the medications not involved with serotonin most of them actually made me feel much worse. No way do I think the prozac and other ssri's were placebo with me. I tried loads of supplements and things like that as well, changing my diet, exercising regularly and nothing was on the same level as prozac at improving my mental health. Like I said mental health issues seemed like they didn't exist when I was on prozac.
Yes exactly. Unfortunately there seems to be very little on these forums about increasing serotonin levels. I've found out by accident funnily enough that shouting swear words internally is the way to activate serotonin neurotransmission. https://www.vox.com/2014/8/26/6066069/swearing-science-obscenity-research "swearing seems to activate the autonomic nervous system" https://theshoeman647325124.wordpress.com/category/medicalisation/ "Odynophilic (masochistic) pleasures derived from pain trigger a reaction from the autonomic nervous system." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16157378 "Especially high levels of serotonin are found in limbic forebrain structures." - This is where swear words come from.
You'll probably wonder why I am not on prozac if it gave me such relief from my mental health issues? Long lasting sexual dysfunctions and a lot of weight gain.
Haha hey man if it works it works. I wonder if shouting swear words externally has the same effect, because if so my serotonin levels should be through the roof. It's interesting that serotonin never comes up in discussions if it is so closely linked to impulse control, especially when a large contributor to our pmo problems seem to be due to a lack of impulse control
That's annoying lol. SSRIs prevent the uptake of serotonin I believe which is a different thing to neurotransmission. I'm not fully knowledgeable about the way it works however.
If it feels like a fight or flight response it should be the same. I've been doing this voice thing since February and my agoraphobia has almost completely gone.
