Picamilon and update on others

Picamilon basics from wikipediaPicamilon Basics

Getting that out of  the way, this is what I've noticed.  It has great anti-anxiety potential but doesn't have as much of the down side of the cognitive problems that most anxiolytics that a doctor might prescribe.  It does impede memory formation slightly, from what I noticed, but not to the degree that a benzodiazepine might.  It works better at higher than recommended dosage, but the curb seems to have a plateau effect with its effectiveness and there are probably not too many investigative studies on such high dosages and their effects.

I have been taking a range from 300mg-3g and I have seen that the effectiveness stopped around 2g, so I have stuck with the 2-2.5g daily dosage.  It has also helped cravings for alcohol; which, isn't discussed anywhere I could find on the internet, but might have some value there.

I have increased, added, and removed things one at a time to determine its usefulness in replacing or acting synergetically (correct adverb?) with certain ones.  It seems to be a great one to take with the correct dosage of phenibut (which I've seen has to be adjusted in respect to picamilon's dosage).  My normal "stressed-state" reaction to things have improved, but the combination can be synergetic in respect to creating a bit of brain fog, so watch out for that.

I would like to see how effective it is long term, but I will try to remain objective about whether or not an adjustment in dosage is truly warranted.

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Others:
Cayenne pepper:  Taking a medication like omneprazole (Nexium?) seems to help a lot with the stomach acid problem without preventing the cayenne's ability to work (not a bad thing to try out after a few days of nexium if you require cayenne for whatever reason and have a stomach ulcer/acid problem).


Aniracetam cessation:  Watch out for X2 brain fog (ie- if you were taking it to sharpen your attention and memory to start with, stopping supplementation can make it seem worse for a while, it's hard to say if it is truly that much worse or not, but it appears to be this way).

Phenibut:  Dosage curb seems to make effects far more pronounced at higher dosage.  Has an effect on memory: qualitatively- at a certain dosage memories are much harder to make and/or retain; quantitatively- 2x~=50% memory (rough estimate- cannot be confirmed).

Taurine:  Is a great addition if you are already taking amino acids for weight training and you need to fight off anxiety.  I would recommend starting low (~0.5g) and working your way up.  (*I weigh 200 lbs, so my dosage requirements are likely different than someone who weighs 120 lbs).

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Possible therapy options:

PTSD- biometric stimulation, exposure therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Biometric stimulation- I've only used a couple of times, but it helped with retrieving memories from the traumatic event.

Exposure therapy-  Helps to desensitize someone from the triggers of the flashbacks.

CBT-  Well, sometimes it is good to just talk about what happened and how and what emotions it stirs up and how to handle those emotions, memories, sensations.

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 Sorry about the long absence:  I had some person problems come up and I wasn't able to make an entry and after making this entry I realized how unprepared I was for certain changes in my life.

Oral Oleamide (Oleic Acid Amide)- CB1 agonist? But what does it do orally?

*See edit at bottom*

Oleamide

(Vendor-Liftmode)
50 grams (1.76 oz) >99% purity
Serving size suggested 50mg (dose more likely for injection-Will talk about that later)
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Observations of product.

Very fine granulated white/translucent powder (grains seem 1/2-1/3 size to nearly as large as normal table salt grains)
Strange plastic-like aroma.
Tasteless.
Greasy feeling between fingers (slip agent industrially).
Contains 16X28mm desiccant packet(probably shouldn't eat this).
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Measuring Method for this document.



AWS scale Lot:00-20739 (Capacity=600g, Graduation=0.1g/actual graduation and accurate to 0.2g [as 0.1g >/= +,- 0.03g-0.05g "best estimate"])

5 capsules=3.3g (-0.5g = 2.8g/5cap therefore 560mg Oleamide/00 capsule- specific method of filling, always measure!)
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Personal dosage and purpose*see edit at bottom*:

Dose worked up to 2.2g-2.8g per day.
560mg/morning
560mg/noon
560mg/afternoon (optional)
1.1g/bedtime

Used for regulation of sleep and as pain reducing agent for muscle pain (neck) from old injury.  Original purchase was to assess abuse potential and medicinal value.  Turns out that lung pain has improved also.  Scoop used for measuring Oleamide's addition to drinks:  Orange 0.625cc=1/8 Teaspoon, measured to be approximately 500mg/scoop. 
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Solubility.
Solubility in water is 0mg/ml, ethanol reported as 14mg/ml (testing was inconclusive, but methodology was flawed), should be soluble in chloroform and DMSO and might also be soluble in other solvents, but DMSO is the only one I plan to test next.  Seems to be mixable with cream and will likely test various oils, fats, and lecithin as well.  The idea is to make a solution that can be used to dose using a medicine dropper.
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Findings:

Dose started at 500mg/day and gradually increased to 2g/day (with optional dose bringing final total daily dosage to 2.8g).

Experimental high daily dosage tried at ~5g/day for 5 days.  No noticeable increase in effects/benefits at this daily dosage while increase in side-effects were noted.  Slightly sedating, even when taken orally.  Might even be compared to being very slightly stoned.  This effect seems to plateau at 1.5g/day and subsides with continual use.

Causes constipation!  I mean, very much so.  This is dose dependant, so the more you take each day, the more solid your "stuff" gets.

Resistance was noted.  To maintain effect for diminishing neck pain, dose had to be increased after 1.5-2 weeks.  Increase might be variable with each person. 

Synergetic effect noted with certain herbs, medicines, drugs, and nootropics (starting low is important because of this, but is a good practice with anything you put into your body).

Effects with narcotics are completely unknown at this time, but I would suggest that this is possible based on Oleamide's ability to dull/kill pain and increase constipation.  [Though:  "Correlation is not causation."]  Just watch out for this interaction in particular.

Possible interaction with Cannabis based on Oleamide itself, but unknown by myself at this time.

Might have applications of alleviating nightmares (I suffer from it myself and it improved greatly).
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We should talk about what Oleamide is and how it is normally used.
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Oleamide is Oleic Acid Amide, meaning it is oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid, reacted with ammonia.  No, you won't get the same results from consuming oleic acid, which can be found in various products including flax seed oil.  Oleamide is used as a slip-promoting agent in industrial applications (ie. using oleamide on plastic films/packaging that normally stick together, will glide apart fairly smoothly- which makes it a tricky-buggar at times to put into capsules).  It has been researched as a sleep-inducing/promoting agent when injected into the abdominal cavity (doses 5-50mg) and is found to be at increased levels in sleep deprived cats (feline).  Long-term administration of oleamide into living creatures is lacking documentation.  It was documented that animals (feline) injected with oleamide on a daily basis seemingly became resistant within 1.5-3 weeks.  Oleamide is considered an endocannabinoid and is broken down by FAAH similarly.  Whether it activates cannabinoid receptors when taken orally seems to lack documentation.  Oleamide is listed as a CB1 agonist (like THC), but it's effects are hugely different than would be expected when taken orally.  Questionable, ?-opioid activities mediated via cannabinoid receptors or opioid receptors in its own right.  When taken orally, does not seem to possess addictive qualities and does not induce physical withdrawal symptoms when stopped abruptly.



All-in-all, very useful and might be far superior in many aspects when injected, but since preparations/methods weren't detailed anywhere, no attempt was made to assess oleamide's effects when injected.

Use measuring tools and start low!  I hope this helps and please refer to previous post for vendors of oleamide, but liftmode.com is a good place to start.




EDIT:
Symptoms of apnea have dissipated.  A document I found later confirmed oleamide as a possible sleep apnea treatment.

Dimensions/specifications of subject:
215 pound white male
Currently taking medications.
Restrictive diet (gluten and dairy).
Sensitive to paranoia + anxiety inducing substances.
Other items pertinent, but unable to document at this time.


 

Still Testing Items Of Interest-oleamide usage, dosage, methods

Sorry for the delay and the out of office experience.  I have been testing oleamide supplementation and because I have run into some roadblocks, it is taking longer than expected.  I will likely be able to post something soon, but I wanted to complete certain aspects before presenting the information I have so far.  Information will include, how to take it (including what I have seen and noticed to work and not work), dosage (information on tolerance, effectiveness/dose, etc), and other random items and tidbits on methods of consuming it effectively and ineffectively.  Plus, some useful links for your own research and foundation on deciding if this might be a supplement you might want to try.  If you want to get started before I complete this post (ie. you don't need my help to decide that you want to try it :-) ):

US source:
LiftMode.com Oleamide 99% 20grams (50gram option available) for ~$11

Australia source(100gram):
 ebay.com Wild Distributions Oleamide 99.9% 100grams (25gram option available) for ~$40

CBD oil testing, CBD product to avoid, tips on cutting CBD costs

To start, I have to apologize for my sense of humor at times.  Just because I think something is funny doesn't make it so.  I won't be cracking jokes on my blog due to the fact that it would really just distract its purpose.

CBD oil products are "supplements only" in the eyes of the FDA, but even if that is the case there should still be testing done on these products to make them safe to use and to contain what they should and nothing they shouldn't.  I tried to reach out to consumerlab.com to ask them if they would be willing to test the most popular ones, but I received no response.  I will be contacting other organizations, but if I receive the same result I might have to proactively establish the need for this to be done and the responsibility of the government to do it.  If I can prove that any of these products are falsely advertizing and/or selling products with harmful substances, this would become a much easier argument to make.  This would require me to pay for testing and volunteer samples.  If any of the samples exceeds the 0.3% THC limit, I might be able to get something started with certain agencies.  If any of the samples contain levels of toxic/harmful substances that exceeds the limits established by laws surrounding supplements, I can contact other agencies to do something about it.  If companies are advertizing one thing and providing another, that would involve yet a totally different agency.  This is not a problem that is going to get solved with the- "let's see what happens" mentality.

hemphealthtechnologies.com product reviews from unbiased sources are next to impossible to find.  The product description of their 2 ounce CBD oil is confusing at best.  "Our CBD Oil contains 15-20% CBD that increases to 35% when held under the tongue (or warmed slightly) for 30-60 seconds."  First of all, warming a CBD oil will not spontaneously generate more CBD.  The label on the product is pretty unclear.  3 drops being the suggested dose.  This dose not only failed, but so did increasing it to 10X of recommended dose (based on the premise that their label actually meant that each 2 ounce bottle contained 100mg CBD).  I can't say for certain why this happened, because I don't know what these different products contain and how they differ.  Perhaps the other products simply contained adequate levels of chemicals that hemphealth did not; whether that means that hemphealth's product didn't contain enough CBD or chemicals that would make the CBD it does contain effective. 

CBD is expensive and can be easily much more expensive than buying pure gold.  If you can't afford it because of this, there are some options.  CBD oil products come in varying strengths.  If you want to initially try a CBD supplement, choose one from a company that offers a higher strength of the same type of product because the higher strength will likely cost less per milligram and trying the cheaper version can help you test a company's product line without spending too much.  After trying a weaker version of a CBD product and you find that the company's product you tried worked for you, it would be something to consider to buy the higher potency to cut down on costs.  The plus CBD has been very effective (although I thought the vanilla CBD oil tasted pretty gross) and that being so I decided to try their CBD capsules, 25mg CBD each (they have 10 capsule and 30 capsule products in case you want to try it first).  Seeing as how my daily requirement of CBD is only about 6mg, a $40- 10 capsule supply provides more than a month supply or roughly $55/g CBD.  This will work for anyone who has basic math skills, an accurate scale, and additional capsules (available at health food or supplement stores and can be even cheaper in bulk on the internet).  Be warned that it would a silly mistake to assume that each capsule contains 25mg and with everything used to make the product, each capsule contains about 500mg of a yellow powdery substance making each 20mg of powder a 1mg CBD dose.  This might be a little difficult to work with as the more accurate a scale becomes, generally the more expensive it becomes.  There are a number of ways around this, but this post is not intended to be about compounding techniques.  Milligram scales are available at a reasonable price on the internet, but I can't suggest that they all will be terribly accurate at 20mg measurements(knowing where your scale is accurate/inaccurate is very important).  I plan on contacting plus CBD to ask them if they plan on carrying CBD capsule products that have a lower CBD/capsule amount and at the same time suggest that idea so that can be an option- I don't mind making my own custom CBD pills and find it to be somewhat fun, but not everyone will feel that way. 

The easiest ways around this: solubilize the CBD powder, cut it with another powder, or order a special scoop for the purpose of measuring out 20-25mg.  Best of luck!

The Gangnam Style Phenomenon

It might seem trivial at face value, but it is very psychosocial in nature.  The most viewed version of "Gangnam Style" tops the most viewed youtube video with a blistering 2.3 billion views (twice as many as the second most viewed, "Baby" by Justin Bieber).  "Gangnam Style" secures 10% (strangely, it was exactly 10%) of all the top ten most viewed combined.  It's silly, catchy, fun, mesmerizing, and even sexy.  So why do so many people like it?  To better understand where I'm coming from in the rest of this post, you should watch the video, decided if you like it and ask yourself why you do or don't like it.  I chose the HD official music video, so it won't reflect the number of views that I mentioned.

"Gangnam Style" by Psy

Humor:
The rapper plays, makes fun of himself, performs a silly dance, pokes fun at social norms and trends, and even might inspire others to be humorous.

Charisma:
We've all known that charisma is a desirable trait and can make people convincing; thus, powerful.  So, what is it about charisma that makes most of us want to have it and be around people who do?  If you've been around someone who has it, what do you remember about being around that person?  They are confident, fun, easy to get along with, often funny, and tend to focus on what is happening now.  They also seem to be much happier people, also a desirable trait.  Most women agree that charismatic men are far more desirable than men who lack that quality;  I'm uncertain, but I would venture a guess that this appeal factor could be linked to a woman's inherent need for survival.  Psy plays the charismatic rapper very well and even President Obama, who is known for his charisma, not only took notice, but made his own "Obama Gangnam Style" music video (click the link below).

"Obama Gangnam Style"

He does very well and conveys many of the same messages as the original.  Besides, it's nice to see a public servant do something like this... It shows a side to him that we ordinarily wouldn't get to see and know.

The music:
The music is catchy, rhythmic, memorable, and, depending upon taste, enjoyable.

Sex appeal:
Most people know that "sex sells."  This video is very sexual in nature and it's not just sexy, it exudes sexual confidence.

The dance:
It's silly and pretty easy to replicate.  Dance has been important to humans for a very long time.  Because this particular dance doesn't require a lot of time and dancing abilities, people can replicate it themselves and, hopefully, have as much fun as Psy seems to be having.

"Jump on the bandwagon!" factor:
Throughout the video, it's not just Psy dancing in a silly way, everyone seems to join in.  This implies, "everyone is doing it and so should you."  This can be seen in the trends that have affected society.  In that, once a trend reaches a certain point, it really takes off due to the fact that people don't want to be left out- people generally strive to be a part of a group.  This can be seen throughout history and amongst other creatures.  It generally ensures survival.  If you want to understand why certain things suddenly change, "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell is an interesting book on the point where drastic changes can happen.



There a many other potential driving forces with this video.  Freud's works can also help, but I didn't want to touch on that because this post wasn't intended to be in depth.

myo-inositol: personal experience with its effects (a description of what got me here and how it changed, as well)

Whatever it's called that is wrong with my brain is of little importance (especially since giving it a name has never seemed to help doctors effectively treat it).  I have been diagnosed with some pretty serious mental disorders and if I thought telling you what names they have put in my patient files would help, I would mention it here.  Because myo-inositol is not FDA approved to treat illnesses, vendors sell it as a supplement only and legally can't sell it for the treatment of anything, even though that's why people often buy it.

Even before my life-altering and traumatic event 10+ years ago, I had symptoms of mood instability, poor impulse control, anxiety- to name a few.  These are the things that myo-inositol affected the most. 

My mood was chaotic, fluctuating from depressed to the point of wanting to die to a megalomaniacal, euphoric state, and often those two would occur simultaneously.  I'm sure those of you who know a thing or two about mental illness might think, "Oh, I know what that is!"  Knowing what that is is pretty irrelevant when trying to treat it.  I've tried close to 20 different mood stabilizers with varying degrees of success and in the end, even the most effective combination of the right ones left me with terrible side-effects and little relief.

My impulse control problems were not likely due to OCD, but more likely from another pathology.  I would know about a particular boundary, possibly understand it, and might even really, really want to obey it, but, against my will at times, I would violate boundaries anyway and even when the consequences are well known to me.  I couldn't reason it, will it, or medicate it away.  I would have all the proof in the world not to do something, but still be driven to do it.  It really got old years and years ago.  My first memory of this happening, I was about 4 or 5 years old.

My anxiety was through the roof!  This started at very young age with most of the other symptoms.  I started drinking at a young age(8 or 9).  Initially it wasn't to combat anxiety (I didn't even know the word or that what I was experiencing was anything other than how I was).  I realized very quickly that alcohol was super effective in removing the anxiety and providing a superior comfort with interacting with others.  If you're wondering how I managed to start at such a young age, you should spend some time with some Polish families...  This approach was very effective and without consequence until high school.  Up until that point, I generally drank very little (I had to- even at a young age I figured that I should keep it to a minimum so nobody noticed and I would, in turn, be able to keep it up).  I never went to school intoxicated or even inebriated.  But during the first part of high school, I started to experiment with getting drunk, which was how Pandora's Box was opened.  Even though I kept it to the weekends and enjoyed how great it made me feel, as I increased the amount and frequency and would have black outs.  By this point, I wasn't using it like medicine anymore.  I will end my alcohol story there, because, as you can imagine, it only got worse.  I had long periods where I didn't drink or do anything else.  So for much of both middle and high school, I used exercise, vitamins, and nutrition to assist the problem... But it still prevented me from doing a lot.  When I had just turned 17, right before I was supposed to become a senior, I looked right and not left (literally and metaphorically), and that truck changed my life (again, literally and metaphorically).  I am not going to sit here and claim that I did nothing wrong and that I didn't deserve any of it, but this event took my awareness, my psyche, my soul to a place I wouldn't wish upon even my enemies.  One incident, one moment can change a lifetime.  Even to this day, I can't explain the full extent to what I experienced: not to my family, my friends, my therapists, not even my dog.  From that point, it took everything in me to hang on, but everything just kept unraveling faster and harder.  It wasn't until I grieved that I was able to start to get past it and I still have to fight back the tears.  Perceptions were permanently hijacked, belief systems shattered, and my will to live seemed to be melting away like an ice-cube on a hot day.  My anxiety was no longer a problem...  It completely took over.  I tried a variety of therapies, a variety of medications (many were addictive, which produced a new variety of problems), and when those failed, I sought help from drug dealers.  Though smoking pot was very helpful, it wasn't practical to do long term.  This cascade effect and dwindling desire to live, set me up to consider suicide as a potential solution.  I had already had one close call with suicide in 8th grade, but had abandoned it until I thought my life, which was already unbearable, would continue to get worse- so yeah, the concept of ending my life seemed more logical than prolonging my agony.  This continued until the end of last year.  I had recently regained my faith, but still thought that dying was the only option left.  I had plans of hanging myself, asphyxiation, or using a substance to either stop my body's ability to get oxygen or my heart's ability to contract.  Ideally, I wanted it to not appear to be a suicide so my family would be spared from blaming themselves in any way.  So, I prayed about it and every time I made a move to get ready to go through with killing myself, I received an answer of some kind.  Not being convinced by these answers, I still had plans to end my life.  Finally, out of the blue and without anything really provoking/preceding it, I had a vision that changed my life.  What I saw was unimportant, but the message that came with it was "Not yet."  Seeing as how I hadn't used a drug and that I have never had a hallucination of any kind like this, I was pretty stunned.  So I vowed to not give up and to gaze upon my life in a different perspective.  So I devoted my time and efforts to fixing myself which set the stage for the rest of my life.

Done with that lengthy explanation of how I got here.  Now to explain what happened when I started supplementing with myo-inositol.  I started with very low daily dosages and worked it up over time.  I started with 1g/day for about a week.  By the end of the week, I was noticing that the severity of my mood swings was decreasing.  I increased it to 2g/day for a week.  To my amazement, my mood swings were going away with great haste and the only side effect I noticed was loose stool.  I kept it at 2g/day for a little longer (not certain if it was for an additional week or 2 weeks).  I noticed that the longer I took it, the more I noticed my mood swings continued to improve.  I then increased it to 3g/day.  That seemed to be the tipping point for my mood swings, at this dosage they nearly vanished.  What's more, by this point I noticed that I was able to control my impulses and no longer had a huge desire to use psychotropic drugs.  Whether it has to do with my mood instability, impulse control improving, or some unrelated issue- I wasn't losing my temper like I was.  In fact, it was as if I could be more reasonable and logical when interacting with other people, even people that drove me bonkers.  A random and confusing thing changed as well:  the hair on the back of my legs especially, but also elsewhere on my body had been gradually disappearing for 2-3 years before I started taking myo-inositol; after a month of taking it, nearly all of the missing hair came back... Right now it seems a little bizarre.  As far as the anxiety is concerned- yes it helps, but CBD was more effective in that regard (and I might do a post just on anxiety relief options).  And just to make sure I make this perfectly clear, the higher the dose means more of a problem with loose stool, BUT if you don't already have a problem with that sort of thing and are willing to wait it out, it does subside/even-out.  I would suggest the possibility of increasing the daily dosage as gradually as possible to minimize that side effect (I was told that consuming a lot of sugar can do the same thing and is a practice used in children with constipation.  Since myo-inositol's structure is very much like sugar, is nearly as sweet as sugar, it might be fair to consider the loose stool effect to be the body identifying it as a sugar).

All-in-all, I would never have guessed that myo-inositol would do so much.  I still can't locate adequate information about how it effects the brain.  It is naturally occurring in the body and can be found in various food (highest concentration in whole grains).  It used to be called Vitamin B8 but is not considered an essential nutrient (ie. required in our diets).  My thought is this, if we called it Vitamin B8 in the past, we must have thought that our bodies need it.  Question came to be when I studied it and witnessed my reaction to taking it:  can a person be deficient of myo-inositol?  If so, what would cause a deficiency?  Could people with certain conditions have a higher risk of deficiency compared to others?  With fast paced lifestyle people are so used to, would a diet deprived of foods that contain myo-inositol have any impact on the brain and/or body?  Though important questions to consider, answering them would likely produce more questions.

Something to leave you with (tried to html the images into the post but .jpg and .png images didn't appear correctly with my limited html skills):

Click on hyperlink text to view image


This enzyme...

Is our body's manufacturing site of the phosphate version of...

Hyper weed vs sleepy weed (head high vs couch-lock high): CBN pills as an alternative to marijuana for sleep?

For those of you who have smoked various kinds of marijuana, you will understand this post's title.  To explain it simply to those who haven't experienced the difference:  some batches of marijuana will make you energetic, clear-headed/focused, and motivated while others will make you want to sleep, not think very well(in some cases you will feel stupefied), and pretty lazy.  It is often a misconception that all weed smokers become lazy right after they smoke, when it depends on certain variables.  Though, in essence of how the body metabolizes and responds to certain cannabinoids, some degree of sedation and a kind of "winding down" will usually happen.

Why does this happen?  Well, to put it simply: depends on the strain, growing and harvesting practices, and age and storage of the final product itself.  Different strains have different phytocannabinoid profiles.  A perfect example of this is the difference between: the high THC % + low CBD % type strains (psychotropic strains) and the low THC % + high CBD % type strains (commonly called hemp).  I've seen a recently emerging trend of selective breeding transitioning from favoring THC strains to THC:CBD:CBN (1:1:1) strains (which is nothing terribly new, just more prominent and profitable now).  Growing and harvesting techniques gets complicated as you address the different variables that can affect the plant's phytocannabinoid profile.  Easiest way to explain this is to demonstrate the diverse "tricks" that can be employed to manipulate a plant.  Generally, it's a pretty terrible idea to shock or cause excessive trauma to any plant, but in some instances, it can be a great thing for cannabis.  Some examples for vegetative plants are: trauma and shock early in a cannabis plants life can kill it or even shift it's sexual preference (generally cannabis favors hermaphroditic, both reproductive parts, identity and various common environmental mistakes can induce this-hermaphrodites and males generally contain far less THC);  mistakes involving water, fertilizer, temperature, neglect, or light can severely stunt a plant, leading to its death or making it difficult to work with and possibly affecting yields;  even the wrong kind of light (poor intensity and/or color/composition) will ruin a grower's crop.  Those were some problems with growing a plant and can also affect the composition and amount in the yield, but here are some nifty tricks for making a superior end product:  light timing manipulation (you can easily trick the plants into working harder during the flowering stage, increasing mass and quality); light composition (HPS, high pressure sodium, lights are the kind we use to light streets, and though, when used as the sole source of light, usually increases the weight of the harvest it isn't the best if you want more resin and a higher potency final product; use MH, metal halide, lights or another configuration that provides enough UV-B light); the list goes on and on.  Another trick used to produce a final product with a purple coloring (yes, some strains do it anyway) is careful treatment of the plant in a certain point in the flowering stage with cool air (notice I said cool and not cold) and increasing potassium levels in the fertilizer can also do this, but that method is undesirable.  All these things can affect chemistry, quality, and yields.  The THC-killer is this part: THC degrades to CBN and many factors shift the reaction to be more favorable of CBN; like havesting too late, storing final product improperly (ie. UV-intensive light, heat, air, time, or a combination of those).  There is so much more I didn't mention because there is so much and would entail writing a book and not a blog post.

I'm sure you're thinking- What about CBN pills.  CBN is a very sedating component in poorly managed cannabis and unless you live somewhere that you can buy it you best bet is to force the degradation of THC in the cannabis you can locate it (CBN is not scheduled and is available in US states that have legalized cannabis enough, BUT even though it's not specifically mentioned in the Controlled Substance Act and doesn't get you high, the chemical structure is similar enough to THC to qualify it as "implied" illegal in the Federal Analogue Act.  Not to mention, most CBD oil products are, by virtue of having ANY THC, also illegal(lower than 0.3% is overlooked, but more than 0% is technically illegal).  A thing to remember is that the "umbrella law" nature of the FAA can be argued in your favor in some cases.  These CBN pills are offered exclusively to those who live somewhere that there is some level of protection to use them.  There isn't a lot of information about how effective they are, but if they work at all, it sure would beat the medicines a doctor might put you on.  But take it with face value, you won't know if a CBN pill will really work for you until you try it.

Understanding infinity and the infinity of understanding

Scientists and mathematicians are like the rest of the world in that we all accept things that have a concise value given to them far more readily than something that cannot be given one.  In the various sciences, some have accepted the fact that we might simply be fixated on completely understanding something that cannot be fully understood.  As a society, our progress might as well be representing an approach to an infinity: simply, we are striving for reaching a point of understanding that cannot be reached.  Sounds a bit too depressing and damning, right?  It's actually the opposite.  There is the possibility that our ability to understand might accelerate to an infinity that is greater than the infinity of an understanding.  The easiest way to break this possibility down is to dumb down infinity and infinities.

Some infinities are bigger than others.  How can that be?  A simply demonstration of this is:  there are an infinite number of numbers that can exist.  That being said, there are also an infinite number of numbers between numbers (ie. 1-->2; in that, 1.1,1.01,1.001,1.0001,...-->2).  Which means, there are twice as many numbers that can exist in 1-->3 than 1-->2.  So, all the numbers that can possibly exist could be represented by a mathematical equation (Cantor's Theorem is a nice place to start if you're good at math and/or have years to kill).

Some infinities are bigger than others, so what?  Understanding the universe might hinge upon understanding infinities.  The expansion of the universe is widely accepted to be accelerating.  But to what end?  Some suggest we are heading towards a "big rip"- a cosmic limit and tipping point.  Some suggest that it can just as easily be representing an infinity that could be better understood if we had something to compare it to.  I like to compare it to the evolution of chemistry, physics, and beyond.  What people called magic 2000 years ago is called science and technology today.  Eternity hasn't changed much.  Eternity is, in fact, a little different, but it based on the same principle of something not having a limit, an infinity.  What does this have to do with understanding it instead of just accepting it?  If we can gain an understanding of how infinities behave and what laws might govern infinities, we might solve mysteries that have plagued man since...

Possible infinities:
-Size of the universe (current accepted age based on what we can extrapolate from what we can see)
-Number of dimensions (3 dimensions satisfies most, but a fourth, time, resolved problems in physics.  Now, we think there might be as many as 11, but who can prove that there has to be a limit of dimensions?)
-Smallest pieces (energy seems to be that limit, but what if energy could be broken down further?)
-Consciousness (there might be an infinite number of variables involved)
-God
-Age of the universe (if the universe cycles, that implies that it could have existed before the big bang and we'll keep bangin' forever: thus, the possibility of an infinite measure of time)
-Understanding (it might simply be impossible to figure it all out: that's what God is for)
...

Websites to add to your research tool belt

The purpose of this post is to provide a variety of websites as resources for a variety of subject matter.

DrugBank
(great for nailing down exactly what your medication is doing)

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database
(To search for: what is in a particular plant, what plants contain a specific chemical, chemicals with a specific activity, ethnobotanical usage, lethal dose, etc)


I have been using both for more than 10 years and though each have some limiting factors, they can be very useful if used correctly.  I wanted to add a website with very accurate information about psychotropic plants/ethnogens (because there is a need for it), but I found too many sites with misinformation (ie. writers telling readers to take a dosage that would cause an over-dose).  I will share more on the subject at a later date.


EDIT:

HerbMed

Additional information on CBD products: how to choose

There are a lot of CBD products out there, but how do you choose?  Considering the multitude of variables involved and the fact that I don't want anyone wasting their money or using a product that is contaminated.

The buyer should be aware of the potential risks before buying and using any CBD based product.  In a perfect world, you wouldn't have to worry about buying an ineffective and/or harmful product- We don't live in that world... Yet.

Before getting into the risks some information needs to be known.  CBD products are manufactured from a certain kind of cannabis.  This cannabis contains very little THC and varying amounts of CBD depending on strain and other variables.  Whereas the psychoactive cannabis grown and smoked to produce euphoria and an altered state has been selectively bred to contain very little (if any) CBD and a range of THC (today's high potency strains can be many times more potent than what was available in the 1960's).  Due to a recent increase in demand for strains containing both THC and CBD in different ratios, it is far easier to locate products that have both (I've seen 1:1 THC:CBD to be much more commonplace).  Going back to CBD rich hemp, the raw material used to manufacture CBD products is hugely imported due to current laws (if I remember correctly, CBD hemp cultivation is being done in certain states, but many companies don't use it due to current laws surrounding it).  Foreign hemp can be safe or unsafe.  Depending upon how the hemp is cultivated and processed, it can potentially contain unacceptable levels of toxic substances, pathogens, and/or CBD.  This standard of importation vs cultivation increases the price of CBD products.

When you buy a CBD product, don't assume it contains what it advertises.
FDA CBD product tests
This link offers a glimpse of cannabinoid level tests performed.  Because CBD products are not regulated, it is possible to purchase a CBD product that contains no CBD whatsoever.

I recently decided to try a different CBD oil product and noticed some profound differences.  I originally tried Cibdex and I cannot attest to it's effectiveness, but it had a pleasant flavor, appearance, and consistency (the original flavor).  The next product I tried was Hempathy CBD oil and found that it can be effective if used correctly and had a pleasant flavor, appearance, and consistency (original flavor).  The third product I tried was +CBDoil by CannaVest Corp.  This product's effectiveness in comparison to Hempathy CBD oil is currently being explored.  I purchased the Vanilla flavored version and found it to look and taste pretty bad.  Its consistency is what has me a little concerned... It is far thicker, has a brownish-green appearance, and tastes very little of Vanilla and has a acrid-like bite to it.  This difference could be due to its formulation: contains glycerin, lecithin, vanilla flavor, sorbate, and stevia.  These differences could be the causes of the vastly different consistency and flavor.  The thought that troubled me was: are there other possible causes that are potentially harmful?

Beating the high price of CBD products:  Shop around, do the math (ie. price/gram and cost/month), and preferably choose a product with a verified potency.  As far as choosing a specific form of CBD based solely on the price/gram of CBD: the higher potency oil (ie. 500mg/60ml vs 100mg/30ml) does work out to being cheaper in the long run and the capsule form ends up being cheaper (price/gram) if it indeed as effective as the oil.

WARNING!  Beware of fake/counterfeit products and fake testimonials and fake lab results.  There is money to be made in the CBD market, especially if you are selling a product that appears to be a CBD product, but isn't and is cheaper to manufacture.  I strongly urge anyone planning on using CBD to avoid amazon.com, ebay.com, and the like.  It is not a very trustworthy or stable market place.  That's not to say that you can't get quality CBD products on these sites, but it's not worth the risk.

When the day comes that high CBD hemp cultivation and product regulation is seen differently at the federal level, citizens will have more control over producing and consuming their own hemp-based products.  Imagine how inexpensive CBD could be if an increased awareness shifted the mindset and thus the laws surrounding CBD.

[EDIT]

Two additional links belonged in this post-
NIH's Dietary Supplement Label Database (search results on "CBD")
Consumer Lab (12 month access for under $40)

Cayenne pepper as a potential semi-cure for nose bleeds

This post is more about some ways to deal with nose bleeds and less about cayenne pepper itself.  When I was about 4 years old, I was walking our Siberian husky, Prancer, down a gravel road when she gave me a strong tug and I dove face-first into the gravel.  I didn't have cuts all over my face, as one might expect, but gravel going up my left nostril had a lasting effect.  Right after that event, my nose bled for hours until the cold, damp rag looked like it was used to clean up after a murder or something.  I continued to have severe nose bleeds that usual were resulting from trauma to the nose, but not always the case.  I could just slightly bump into my nose, blow it too hard, or even just wake up with a nose bleed that resembled a profuseness of a nose bleed following a hard punch square in the nose.  This was more of an inconvenience than anything else, but truly became a problem when I started driving and working.

Options:
There are lots of remedies out there and I've tried many, but there are some options available that I've seen more effective than others.

-Vaseline- Treating the area of the nostril that bleeds with vaseline does help if done regularly, but is by no means a cure.(if the location that bleeds can't be easily reached, this is not a helpful option)
-Salt water-  I haven't tested sea salt, but regular table salt mixed with water (as saturated as possible) can help.  This needs to be done almost daily and you can either spray it up the nostril or soak a tissue with it and apply it to the nostril (don't put raw table salt up your nose, please).
-Vitamin C-  Great to carry on you to virtually halt a nose bleed in less than 30 minutes, but with that luxury comes a price- I consistently saw a rebound effect with my nose bleeds returning once I stopped using vitamin C, so it's rather imperfect as a long term solution unless you don't mind taking moderate doses of vitamin C very often.
-Cauterization- Most effective, long-term cure for regular, severe nose bleeds.  But for those of you who recoil at having your nose treated with a tool that basically burns blood vessels, I have an awesome suggestion.

A little about cayenne pepper:
-Belongs to the nightshade family (probably best to avoid eating any other part of the plant)
-Benefits: circulation, metabolism, fat metabolism, blood pressure, digestion, and the list goes on.
-Contains vitamins A, C, and E along with other nutrients.
-Active ingredient for cuisine is capsaicin; also the active ingredient in many non-lethal, self-defense products.
-Can add zest to a variety of dishes, but the amount used in cooking won't be enough for treating nose bleeds (well, unless you don't mind burning your mouth and throat).

How to take:
- Capsules of cayenne pepper are available at a variety of stores and are inexpensive.
-With food- This can help prevent what often occurs with taking it on an empty stomach.
-On an empty stomach- If you simply can't take it with food for whatever reason, I would keep an antacid handy.  I suffered from stomach ulcers and couldn't afford to increase risks regarding that problem, so taking a tums or two right when I started to notice a problem knocks it right out without causing the cayenne to be ineffective at preventing nose bleeds.
-How much?  This depends on you... I see faster results when I take more, but because my stomach doesn't tolerate it very well, I had to take less at a time.  I found that taking one (~500mg) capsule daily was effective.  I also found that taking 2 capsules daily reduced the treatment time required to obtain lasting prevention of nose bleeds, but because I tolerated the 1 capsule/day regiment better, I stuck to it.


Side effects:
-Stomach complaints (ie- possible pain and reflux) that can be made worse with coffee.
-Increased metabolism- Generally not considered a side effect, but for some people it would not be welcome.
-Body temperature- Can cause a person to feel warmer, but this is more evident in high doses.

The fascinating part of using cayenne to treat nose bleeds is the long-term success.  I am not dependent on dosing daily with cayenne for the rest of my life.  When I first tried it, I took it for 2 weeks and had to stop because I couldn't handle my stomach's reaction.  To my surprise, I simply didn't have a single nose bleed for almost 1 year!  When my nose bleeds started to return, they were so minor in comparison to what I had when I simply accepted them as part of my life.  They did get worse, but I decided to treat with cayenne again, but toughed it out for 1 month (during which, I figured out that tums helped to deal with it).  I was nose bleed free for well over 1 year (almost 2 years) and when it did return, it was very minor (ie. bleeds stopped quickly and were slow bleeds).  When they did return, I considered taking it daily, indefinitely because of the other health benefits of cayenne.  This basically lasted for 2-3 months (1g/day for 1 month, 0.5g/day for the remainder of the treatment) and I didn't have nose bleeds for 3+ years.  I'm fine with taking 0.5g/day of cayenne for a couple months every few years.

This is a general suggestion not a guarantee of being free of the bondage of nose bleeds.  The cause of my nose bleeds might be different from yours, but even if that is the case, tolerating a pill a day for 1 month every 12+ months might be worth trying if you are simply fed up with living with that axe looming over your head.  The only reason I knew of this solution to nose bleeds was during personal research project to test different ways to deal with the problem that didn't involve going to the doctor.  I came across this personal website when a man lived with nose bleeds for almost all of his life until he discovered cayenne.  Considering the variables involved, I wasn't hopeful, but to my surprise it was the most effective, natural option I have ever tried.  Be practical, but don't lose hope!

Coming soon: myo-inositol and Sacred Lotus!

Aniracetam use and effects

Aniracetam is in the racetam chemical class and is more specifically called an AMPAkine.  It is more commonly known as a nootropic drug, so if you want to search the vast variety of natural and synthetic chemicals that can improve brain function, that will help.  Aniracetam is considered chemically similar to piracetam, but if you compare them, they primarily share the 2-pyrrolidin parent chemical, but have different effects and potency.  Aniracetam is many times more potent than piracetam and slightly more potent than oxiracetam.  Don't be confused by the potency differences, just because aniracetam is more potent doesn't mean it's a good fit for you.  The biggest reason I chose to stick with aniracetam is because of it's lower profile of stimulation, but perhaps you would prefer a more stimulating one.

How it is believed to work:
It can affect dopamine, nicotinic acetycholine, serotonin, and AMPA receptors.  It is thought that aniracetam has anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, and memory enhancing effects.  It is argued that its mode of action is preferential modulation of certain receptors, but is conversely argued that it primarily stimulates activity at these receptors.  It has the potential of replenishing the brain of certain neurotransmitters, but is this an "across the board" increase of neurotransmitters or a more regulatory increase?

Personal notes on effects and dosing(aniracetam):
-Increased memory
-Increased thinking speed
-Better reaction time
-Some mood elevation
-Some anxiety relief
-A slight increase in reasoning

I started at a very low dose, because when I first acquired it, there was little information about how stimulating it would be (if you've ever been over-stimulated, you would know why I was so careful).
-Initial daily dosage: 150mg.  Dose tested for 2 weeks with almost no change.
-Increase of daily dosage to 300mg.  As before, 2 weeks of very little change.
-Aniracetam abandoned.

Upon researching the drug class again, I found better information about proper dosages and dose frequency.
-700mg, 1X/day for 1 week.  Noticed that recall was easier by the end of the week.
-700mg, 2X/day for unknown number of weeks(basically stuck with this daily amount).
With settling with 1400mg/day (some suggest taking 2100mg/day), I noticed the effects I listed above.  You need to be patient with this chemical, though some effects are noticed fairly quickly, others take time and you might not even notice the change until something happens (ie- I didn't notice an effect on my reaction time until I was consistently catching things I would have ordinarily fumbled).

I tested an additional theory out: would the benefits remain even after ceasing administration of aniracetam?  Because I didn't perform any definitive tests to verify it, it should be seen as anecdotal also, but 1-2 month administrations of aniracetam seemed to have lasting effects for months that diminished differently based on the effect.  I only tried this twice because I prefer to take it continuously.

Dosing might be different for you, you might need more, you might need less, you might even have a VERY different reaction, so be wise and start low.  There are some natural alternatives to racetam drugs, but they are by no means as effective.  These findings on the effects of aniracetam are based purely on personal observations.

A quick touch on sunlight: the good and the bad.

Studies have proven the benefits of sunlight and the disadvantages of too much, but that's not all there is to it.  Too much sunlight exposure is linked to certain types of skin cancer; too little has been linked to an increased risk of a variety of diseases, illnesses, and depression. 

Top links on google for a search of benefits of sunlight include:

National Institutes of Health
Mind Body Green
Healthline

They are all worth looking at and comparing.  Through further investigation of more sites in the result of this simple search on google shows that there is more knowledge on what benefits sunlight exposure has and less knowledge on how sunlight causes these beneficial changes.  If you search for your own answers, avoid relying on sites that basically advertise sunlight's benefits and base your decisions on the information provided by sites that explain how sunlight causes the benefits or if the sites offer where the information was derived (preferably a source that conducted scientific studies or research to support the information) or if links to sites and studies that rely on scientific methods to produce their conclusions.

Sunlight's potential to prevent and heal diseases appears to be completely awesome, but watch out for the things that increase risks for acquiring health problems.  Sites that call "anti-sunlight" people "paranoid" probably don't understand the science supporting the risks of over-exposure or exposure to high UV sunlight.  Weather reports don't include a "UV index" for fun- over-exposure to UVR or even short exposures to sunlight with high levels of UVR can damage the cells in the skin and even your retina.

Things to watch out for:
-Long duration exposures
-Exposures to midday sunlight
-UV index- ozone depleted zones in the stratosphere can create a high risk location (ozone helps to block harmful radiation)- Australia and New Zealand, for example
-Products designed to block UVR can be bad for you in many ways

Tips for adding sunlight to your life:
-Limits are good: short exposures will maximize benefits and minimize risks, to an extent; watch your UV index forecast; choose the right kind of sunlight- midday light is best avoided; eat a proper diet (different colors can add nutrients, fun, and flavor!)
-Vitamin D- Unless your deficient and eat foods that have it, you shouldn't need to add a vitamin D pill to your intake; plus not all vitamin D pills are equal and absorption and sunlight are key
-Don't throw your antidepressant pills out just yet- Some people have medical problems that can even prevent sunlight from being very helpful for depression alone: reason for this is there are many different serotonin problems via pathways in the brain and metabolic problems.  Sunlight can easily be a missing puzzle piece in making your antidepressant as effective as it could be.
-Antioxidant support-  If you work out a lot and require more calories to compensate it or you have other other forms of increased levels of free radicals, a diet high in antioxidants will be helpful in protecting your cells genetic material.  The effectiveness of some antioxidant supplements is often argued to be nowhere near as effective as consuming the same chemicals via food sources.

A fun fact: fluorescent lights produce a good bit of UV light and have protective lenses or coatings to help this problem.

Protect your eyes: UV damage to your retinas is truly no joke.  They offer UV protecting lenses for prescription eye glasses, UV protecting contact lenses, UV protecting sunglasses (common practice, but I wouldn't suggest that sunglasses at the dollar stores always have the same protection), and UV protecting windows for your home.

Personal choice or evidence based supplementation?

This post's purpose is to pose an important question in the mind of any reader of my blog: why are you taking your supplement?  WebMD suggests that we're idiots who buy a supplement for treating a condition based on no evidence.  Chances are there is a decent percentage who fall victim to news casts, recommendations of friends and family, or some other evidence-lacking motivation.  Is that to say that these sources are never right?


WebMD's explanation in full

This really says it all.  A point to make is that Regan Bailey, who works at nih.gov must not read any of nih's publications because she say's,"...The majority of scientific data available do not support the role of dietary supplements for improving health or preventing of disease."  When nih.gov not only provides supportive data with the beneficial effects of certain supplements in their publications, but, more often than not, conducts a preliminary study on the supplement on either mice, humans, or both (albeit, not often controlled, double-blind trials- which is generally what is required for medical professionals to accept said findings).

So, yes, those of us who use supplements are probably idiots in the eyes of the very people who are part of organizations that test the effectiveness of supplements.  If these supplements have no value, why do some doctors suggest them?  Not an all to common practice with most doctors, but some continue to educate themselves and wouldn't make such recommendations without seeing evidence to back up their suggestion.

Here is another question to pose- Do we need medical professionals who work with our doctors in regards to supplements?  Say a person finds out that omega-3 fatty acids and/or plant sterols can further lower their cholesterol levels and they simply go out, purchase, and start using these.  Something happens to this person and they go into surgery.  Even if they aren't taking Warfarin or another blood-thinner prescribed by their doctor, enough omega fatty acids can thin the blood and then the mess ensues: patient gets put on something to clot the blood in response to higher than normal bleeding, then while in the hospital bed the omegas diminish and now this person's clotting is too effective...  And, it could end up being a catastrophic miscalculation.  Let's face it, rarely do people carry a list of supplements and/or always inform their physician.  Adding a professional to fill the gap or increasing the educational standards of doctors would not only prevent potential dangerous interactions but also could make treating a condition with a medication and supplement (should that person qualify) increase effectiveness of the treatment of ailment.

There is a wealth of information about supplements benefits, but far less on interactions.  Frankly, some things that suddenly become mainstream likely lacked the motivation to test effectiveness and interactions previously.  So, keep that story in mind when you take medications or plan on getting a surgical procedure done, something you take that the doctor isn't well educated on or even know about could impact these things.  Be safe with anything you take, you can always put something into your body, but it's not an easy thing to take it back out :-).

Preliminary assessment of CBD (cannabidiol)/hemp as medicine

Ok, this might be a little vague and/or hacked up, but I decided to try CBD products and see if it could assist some of my symptoms.  I initially tried it for anxiety, but experienced little relief and abandoned it.  Possible reasons for that failure: 1) sub-therapeutic dosing 2) ineffective product 3) other.  When I first tried it, I followed directions indicated on that product and it could have fallen below the therapeutic range effective for CBD to treat anxiety.  The product itself might have lacked potency or had a poor formulation rendering the CBD difficult to absorb (research indicated that the FDA tested and determined the product to contain .3% CBD which suggests that it contained an adequate amount serving).  The other issues involved that sparked my curiosity was the fact that I might have been consuming something to make it less effective (ie. supplement, medicine, food, etc) or that the product I initially tried lacked synergistic agents (triterpenes and the like) causing loss of CBD's potential that is seen with the other chemicals found in hemp.

Cannabidiol has various properties and likely others that are not yet known.  It is a CB1 antagonist, thus counteracting THC's (agonist) effect, but strangely enough increases THC serum levels suggesting that it could lengthen the effect of the THC + CBD combo (I have not found documentation to validate that CBD would indeed lengthen the high obtained from smoking THC containing marijuana while consuming CBD).  CBD also has NMDA modulating potential- exact mode of action not specified.  It can reduce pain, inflammation, oxidative stress, and inhibit progression of certain cancers (among many other uses).  They have oil, concentrate, gum, e-liquids(for e-cigarettes), salves, and patches on the market.  I plan to test various oil-based products as well as e-liquids based on personal requirements and curiosities. 

Warning!  CBD isn't cheap.  In fact, pharmaceutical medications are waay cheaper.  I calculated the cheapest avenue I found available (for personal supplementation, not for formulation purposes) and it is quite literally 5 times more expensive than buying pure gold, by weight.

What I found with the oil:
Differing products are not equal.  In fact, when the FDA tested various CBD/hemp products, many that claimed to have a certain potency of CBD contained no cannabinoids at all!  Do your homework and maybe accept the fact that an unregulated item, like CBD-based products, do not have to comply with certain regulatory rules.  That being said, there is a component of trial-and-error with choosing a CBD product. 

Treating symptoms of schizophrenia:  I suffer from various symptoms like paranoia, delusions, dissociative states, etc.  I have been placed on many different medications over the years and nearly all failed to effectively treat all of the symptoms (risperidone being an exception, the only one).  I finally decided that enough was enough and sought after answers and alternative treatments.  Many documents indicate a therapeutic dosage that would cause this treatment's cost to skyrocket to at least $900/month.  I found that though it is more effective at higher dosages, 4mg/day seemed to work really well.  I initally tried taking 2 doses of 2mg/day (once in the morning, once in the evening), but found, through experimentation, that the more divided the dosing is, the more even and effective it becomes.  4 divided doses of 1mg each seemed to work.

Treating anxiety:  Against my prediction that therapeutic dosage of CBD to treat anxiety would be lower than the dosage effective in treating schizophrenia.  Maybe my physiology is simply strange- I responded very well to low levels of CBD for eliminating my paranoia (a symptom that seemed very treatment resistant across the board).  Moving along, I found that nearly twice the dosage effective for my schizophrenia symptoms was effective for my anxiety.

Keep in mind that I do take medications and supplements which potentially play a role in CBD oil's effectiveness.  It was so effective in treating my schizophrenia symptoms that I was able to remove Saphris from my combination.  I don't suggest stopping any medications like I did- you could have a severe reaction by doing that.  One last thing: as with taking any supplement or medication, start low and work you way up, because you can always take more of something, it's pretty damn hard to un-take something.

Account Security- Password Protection Tips (not very all inclusive)

Account security is a pretty basic concept where the motivation can be inferred from a possible hard-wired desire to keep others from getting what's ours.  As humans evolved, we devised ever more complicated methods of securing ownership, but when computers, computer networks, the internet, communication systems, etc came into the picture- ahha, spawned the historical opponent wanting what's not theirs and the apparent, ever-increasing methods to get it: basically, the hacker and the hack.

I am not going to get into hardly any technical information because I simply don't have the knowledge of it.  There are ways to snatch information off your personal computer/device or simply as it is being transmitted.  I am not going to go into all the different ways this is done: that would take too long and involve methods that I don't understand well enough.  So, how do hackers get into your password-protected accounts?  Well, that actually doesn't really matter too much.  This is because when what once worked no longer does, these imaginative "pirates of code" will exploit some other method.  Now, since we are a little ways away from computers "really" being able to identify a person against an imposter, we are working towards that eventuality.

Biometric authentication is currently the evolving method of secure access.  If you've ever seen various spy movies, you might remember seeing this.  Typically, it involves a password combined with a technological identification of the authorized subject with a far more narrow window for the unscrupulous to be able to exploit.  Fair secondary methods to a password that are advancing are: finger print, iris or retina identification, DNA, and even brain imagine techniques are being explored.

Motivation for bothering to write about this?  I have been developing my password creation techniques for over ten years now.  I invented fairly moronic and easy to guess passwords when I first started.  As the power shifted in regard to information acquisition, I decided to up my game. 

Here's the best tip I can give you is this:  the more random and devoid of any discernible correlation to any aspect of your life (especially if your password contains ANYTHING that can be found out about you).  There are many places on the internet that give OK advice on creating strong passwords that probably work just fine right now.  Ask yourself this, do you want to make your password 'sufficient' or very secure?  Now for the meat of the post: common mistakes and tips on making and remembering a very secure and complex password.

Don't:

-Use one word passwords.  Reason: hackers can either guess or utilize code to figure it out.

-Use passwords using information about yourself or someone you know that can easily be acquired.  Reason:  you might think that your mom's middle name and part of your social security number should make a pretty decent password, but that information can be acquired through simple searches on the internet and incorporated in a hacker's toolbox of goodies.  Avoid birthdays, addresses, names, social security numbers, phone numbers, how many kids you have, even your dog's name, etc.

-Use the same password for all accounts.  This is hard because most people can't remember different, easy, insecure ones for the different accounts- how in the world is someone supposed to remember a bunch of complicated ones?  The reason for not using the same password is that when a person guesses that one password, they suddenly have access to all your accounts and this can result in someone, in one swoop, acquiring a generous amount of power and can with one password, wreak havoc on your life.

*There are many more tips, but I wanted to move on from the Don't's because the Do's are more useful anyway.

Do:

-Use a combination of letters(uppercase + lowercase), numbers, and symbols.  The more random and essentially meaningless, the better.

-The longer the password, the better.  I can see this becoming a problem with using different and complicated passwords.  Generally, people use shorter passwords because it's easier, but that can change if you train yourself to store the password in your mind.
Here are some things I've noticed about remembering passwords:
-Association: This helps by coming up with a password that you can remember by using a combination that your unique mind already has reference points to go on.  A simple example is a line in a song you like or favorite prayer and using the first letters or last letters.  Those are not examples of a secure sources of letters, but that method can be employed on low-risk accounts with decent effectiveness.
-"It's you!"- Using something you have never told anyone about, wrote about, or documented anywhere.  For example: say your a woman (suppose men occasionally experience this) and your best friend's boyfriend in grade school, high school, registered a pervasive thought that was A) not something you told anyone B) not something someone could know any other way.  This would be something unique to your mind, your memories, your psyche and becomes more secure the more obscure it is.  Let's say you liked him or you thought he was scum and you simply never said anything or acted it out because, well, she was your best friend, right?  This example was brought up as a useful possibility for a dating site (last thing you want is some asshole hacking your dating account and really screwing with your profile).  Not a perfectly practical suggestion of mine, because a lot of people who date online have more than one account.
-Practice!!!- This one worked the best for me.  Ever play a musical instrument?  How does a person remember piano keys, positions on a trombone slide, or anything else?  Well, pianists remember how to play without actively trying to remember what key, where the fingers should be, how to press the keys, etc.  This is because storage and retrieval of that kind of information simply isn't the same as a name of something, a color, an emotion, etc.  So, even if your password is: 9n745F*mx@8p, you can train your mind to store that piece of information by repetitively typing it and continuing to access the account regularly enough to maintain the memory (Similar principal with not doing something, as skill, for a while and go and try to do it and it seems to require more thinking to do it).  Sometimes it's good to write down the really complicated and long passwords until you've got them practiced into memory then put those passwords somewhere safe (or destroy it if you'd like). 
-Default rescue account-  The idea behind this is that forgetting any of your passwords can and will likely happen; having an account with a strong password that's impossible to forget (for whatever reason) that your other accounts are linked to in case you forget the password, security question, or an account does get hacked (even bullet-proof passwords can be bypassed, sucks huh?). 
Choosing this account is pretty basic: A) Choose one that has added security features (ie. security question, linkable to a separate device like a phone, biometric authentication capabilities are becoming more and more common and don't hurt) B) try not to use it for anything else C)Pick an account with a low-risk potential for becoming a target for a hacker (anything that is linked to a desired account in this manner has the potential for becoming a target.


In the end, the math on this is simple: if you have something a excellent hacker or better yet a government and/or well financed group with resources and skills wants, you're password might as well be "password".  The evolution of an authentication that is 100% error-proof is really required in an age where a person's identity is sacred to that person but could be nothing more than a commodity to someone else.

Augmentation and alternatives to psychiatric medications- specifics to come

The end of last year was pretty rough for me.  I have several diagnosis and other potential ones- of which I don't really need to detail because diagnosis are sometimes inaccurate anyway.  I was intensely suicidal; experiencing aggressive mood swings that resulted from various substances (even foods), environmental cues, and independent of any discernible initiating factor; engaging in risk taking behaviors both dependent and independent of mood disturbances; experiencing severe negative symptoms of a schizophrenic nature; had poor impulse control; and, severe drug seeking thoughts and dreams despite having abstained from engaging in the destructive pattern I had exhibited in the past.

Being on 5+ psychiatric medications for current diagnosis and receiving 2+ hours of psychotherapy (CST- CBT + substance abuse therapy) left me stable enough to not be admitted into the hospital, but the removal of self-medication seemed to initiate my suicidal behaviors/tendencies exponentially.  Not long after I stopped(roughly Christmas of last year) I had definite plans of committing suicide and even had ways of doing so that would divert suspicion of suicide to an accidental death.  I didn't want to leave my family feeling responsible or that they should have done more- I simply wanted out and to not live such a life where I felt that my mind was truly my biggest enemy.  I never voiced my intentions of ending my life at this time because I had every intention of doing it right this time.

Something inside of me remained defiant to the option of ending my life despite my mind incessantly desiring such an end.  I wasn't always a religious/faithful person, but renewed belief in GOD surely didn't hurt.  I ended up searching for a legal replacement for my drug of choice, alcohol, since I don't drink alcohol because I am prone to violent and impulsive behaviors with said use.  That being a blind alley, I diverted my attention from replacing the drugs I used to self-medicate with to a better option.  I adopted the philosophy that I was not involved enough in my treatment and began to search for answers and solutions.

I will have to say that what was next, regardless of being successful and doing it very cautiously, is not advised.  The main reason I say that is because this direction involved trying treatments of all kinds that are neither FDA approved nor treatments that prescribing doctors cannot truly advise on or predict the interactions of.  Dietary changes, nutritional supplements, and plant-based treatments were employed.  This is my final warning, no two people are alike and because something works for person A doesn't mean it will help person B and can, in fact, be VERY harmful for person B.  Correlation is not causation and you should keep that in mind when you try anything that is anecdotal and not proven through scientific methods.

I am testing various theories and also employing treatments that have proven validity to their effectiveness AS WELL AS being very cautious about methodology and documenting when, how much, how, with what, for how long, and purpose of the treatment.  Now, I not just taking about putting a substance in my body and we'll see what happens- but researching various treatments, how they work, what evidence supports efficacy or lack of, historical information, chemistry of treatment(if applicable), pharmacology, interactions, alternatives, and the "X" factors (ie- determining possible reasons for the success or failure of any treatment and basically try to factor that information into determining if it should be continued or not).  Since not even the smartest of doctors can say for sure how a patient will respond to psychiatric medications because the mind and exactly how it works is not currently understood and may remain that way despite advances in medical science.

I will be sharing what I found to be successful in my case in due time.  I will end with this:  I probably would be dead and gone by now had I not changed my approach, but I strongly urge you to avoid doing as I did- If you truly have no other choice, as in my case, I have to let you know(if you are getting help and it's not working, you're not alone) one last piece of advice: you can always put more of something into your body, you can't just "un-take" something.  Don't fret if being careful takes longer, it's a process and, as such, simply takes time.