More energy, happier state of mind?

6 am may be a little late for the EMA, but I am not sure on that. If you can fall back asleep pretty quickly after that initial wakeup, I wouldn’t worry too much.

The human body is an amazing thing, and it often provides clues as to what is wrong….we just don’t always listen. :)

You mentioned you go to school part-time. I assume your school has resources like a counseling and testing center that can be used by students at no charge. Check it out if the situation warrants it.

1. I agree with doubles that it’s possible you’re depressed. I know you said it half-jokingly, but getting laid more often is unlikely to make life suddenly bountiful with joy.

2. You mention that you’re in bed by midnight and don’t get up until 8:30 or 9:00 am. That could be part of the problem — 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep is too much for a lot of folks. Too much sleep can make you as languid as too little. Why don’t you try setting your alarm so that you get up at 7:30 or 8:00 every day for the next week? You may sleep more consistently and feel better.

3. I also think that some aerobic exercise (in addition to the weightlifting) might help. Not only might it give you more energy and help regulate your sleep cycle, but aerobic exercise is also a powerful antidepressant for many people. After a long run, all my worries dissolve and I feel curiously satisifed with the world — sort of like booze, but without all the negative side effects :)

4. Finally, how often are you masturbating? Certainly this isn’t true for everyone, but I know that for me frequency of orgasms can have a huge impact on energy levels. When I’m jerking off all the time — or, especially, when I’m having sex a lot — I’m constantly wanting to crash during the day, even if I let myself sleep late in the morning. I find that my energy is optimal when I limit myself to three or four orgasms a week. It’s more intense that way, anyway.

My school does have a counseling center but I’m not sure how useful it is. They provide

1. help students make decisions and set educational and career goals;
2. provide academic program planning to complete certificate, associate degree, and/or university transfer programs;
3. help students evaluate current academic readiness and plan coursework to build skills;
4. assist students to use campus services and resources;
5. evaluate transcripts from other American colleges and universities for credit applied to certificates and degrees at Cañada College;
6. teach students important skills, strategies, and techniques to enhance classroom and academic success; and
7. work with students to resolve personal concerns that may interfere with the ability to succeed.

My issues are last on the list and I can’t believe that they can be too helpful in solving them.

Since I’ve posted about girls in almost every single thread I appear in I won’t say much here. But I’m 99.9% sure that having a GF and being in a secure relationship will end my depression. Until that happens I need other ways.

I actually thought guys my age need 8.5 to 9 hours sleep. I hate getting up early so maybe the solution is to go to bed later? I never thought I could be getting too much sleep.

I don’t know about aerobic exercise I want to gain weight and I heard that aerobic exercise isn’t good. I’m not too sure on that. But it’s all about getting the heart pumping right?

I usually only jerk 3 or 4 times a week. It seems to have weird effects on me. One day it can make feel completely relaxed and another day it can completely drain me.

>>I actually thought guys my age need 8.5 to 9 hours sleep. I hate getting up early so maybe the solution is to go to bed later? I never thought I could be getting too much sleep.<<

Different people require different amounts of sleep for optimal functioning. There are extremely rare individuals, for example, who need only a half-hour or hour of sleep per day — they cannot sleep any longer than that, and they do as well as anyone else in their functions when awake. Others fall on the opposite extreme of the spectrum. Most adults, however, have sleep requirements in the 6 to 9 hour range, with the large majority clustering around 7 or 8 hours. I think your idea to stay up slightly later is great; give it a try for a week and see how you feel! The extra hour of waking time should be useful for squeezing in (heh) some more PE.

>>I don’t know about aerobic exercise I want to gain weight and I heard that aerobic exercise isn’t good. I’m not too sure on that. But it’s all about getting the heart pumping right?<<

Yes, aerobic exercise will burn some calories, so it can interfere with weight gain for some individuals. In my experience, though, the exercise stimulates my appetite enough that it has no effect on my weight. So long as you eat a bit more food, adding 3 or 4 aerobic sessions a week (maybe 30 minutes each) should not interfere with your weight-gaining and may yield benefits in terms of energy, sleeping well, and feeling happier. Be warned that at first, aerobic activity can feel pretty awful. The body needs to condition to it.

>>I usually only jerk 3 or 4 times a week. It seems to have weird effects on me. One day it can make feel completely relaxed and another day it can completely drain me.<<

Yeah, I totally understand what you’re saying. Doesn’t sound like you’re overdoing it in this department…

May or may not be of any use (probably not (: ), but I find if I get more than about 8 hours sleep per night (7 is perfect for me), I feel like a slug all day long.
However, Maxtro you’re young aren’t you? When I was your age (late teens and in to my early 20’s?), I NEEDED 8-9 hours otherwise I was a slug.

So whats the moral……I don’t have any friggin idea!

Sorry Bro! Hope you feel better though!!

Maxtro,

So - you hate turkey, no problem - it seems the FDA recently backed off of its ban on tryptophan so it might once again be found in Health Food stores and/or on the net.

Later,

MrTips

1)Marijuana - might even help you take the edge off, see outside of yourself and see the big picture of your life. (Great for sleeping too.)

2)GABA - helps sleep and relax you

3)Red Panax Ginseng - gives you energy and a general sense of being on top and in control of things.

Little update.

I’ve been taking Melatonin and a vit B complex for a couple of days now but none seem to have any effect :( The Melatonin doesn’t help in making me sleep or stay asleep. Does it take several days before it starts working or should it work immediately? Before bed my mind is in overdrive and that is what is really keeping me up, even though I’m tired.

I don’t feel any different taking the B complex. It’s b-12 is 1,667% DV. Actually it does to one thing. No matter how much water I drink my urine is neon yellow. I swear it would glow if I peed in the dark.

If the Melatonin doesn’t start working I’ll pick up a bottle of GABA or tryptophan. BTW what is recommended?

1981,
Red Panax Ginseng seems interesting but I’ll pass on the weed. I’m proud to say that I’ve never done any drugs or smoked anything in my life.

Everything is a drug.

For the past couple days I’ve been taking 500 mgs of acetyl carnitine and 750 mgs of DLPA on an empty stomach.

I like the feeling. I’m more alert and focused, plus the combination is a good mood elevator but without the weird seratonin-rush giddiness I’ve had with some anti-depressants.

This is the DLPA I’m taking:

I take Ambien. It works like a charm.

Ambien is great, but my MD won’t give me more than 30 days worth, and even then only when I have what he thinks is a legit reason, like two years ago when my mom died.

Maxtro -

So have you tried sleeping less or adding aerobic exercise?? In my opinion, they are likely to have a much more powerful effect — good or bad — than any supplements you could take.

I occasionally take Provigil to combat fatigue. It’s FDA approved for treating narcolepsy, the disease that causes well rested people to suddenly drop off to sleep, but is frequently prescribed “off label” just to help busy people stay awake.

It works much better than caffeine, with fewer side effects. It has also been used to treat ADHD. I find it helps me to focus when I have a lot of boring work to do.

I’d like to find a stimulant like caffeine or ephedrine, that doesn’t have the side effects of these drugs like diuretic or vasoconstriction effects. Anyone know of any, preferably legal and easy to acquire… but I’m just curious what you guys know about.