focus.

[Theloose]

This thread is to be kept uncomplicated, for (hopefully) obvious reasons

If you are having trouble focusing on anything besides your current obsession, you probably have low dopamine. Folate and not overdoing protein should be helpful.

If you are having trouble focusing because your mind is jumping and won't settle on any one topic, you probably have high dopamine. Folate and B12 should be helpful. Betaine will also work, but may increase stress.

Probably safe starting points for these nutrients:
folate: 400-800mcg, food source
B12: sublingual supplement (or shots) of methyl- or hydroxy- cobalamin
protein: RDA for nursing mama ~75g/day

[dannic]

Wow. I'd say just by reading that, that DH is LOW and I am HIGH!
Gotta get back on thos B's...

[neveryoumindthere]

Ok, not to complicate things, but I dont know if I obsess or am all over the place :<--this smiley says everything


If it's low dopamine, would b12 be a bad thing?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere

If it's low dopamine, would b12 be a bad thing?

I doubt it. It just might not have quite as obvious effects.

[WuWei]

Interesting, I believe that I hyper focus and block out everything else that needs to be done AND forget things as the "new" thing pops into my head and I obsess about it. But, I believe I have high dopamine.





Pat

[lil_miss_understood]

Subbing.

[Theloose]

I can speak to low dopamine, but I'm not such an expert on high

"...with high levels of Dopamine our focus becomes narrowed and intense to the point of focusing on everything in our environment as though it were directly related to our situation." from here

For me, low dopamine is the feeling of "what in the world are they talking about, why would anybody care, and WHEN can we talk about MY obsession? Oh, you wanted me to PAY ATTENTION to all that? Oh dear."

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by whoMe

I can speak to low dopamine, but I'm not such an expert on high

"...with high levels of Dopamine our focus becomes narrowed and intense to the point of focusing on everything in our environment as though it were directly related to our situation." from here

For me, low dopamine is the feeling of "what in the world are they talking about, why would anybody care, and WHEN can we talk about MY obsession? Oh, you wanted me to PAY ATTENTION to all that? Oh dear."

I believe that quote is actually in relation to paranoia rather than focus, per se. High dopamine with low GABA, if I'm not mistaken.

[Theloose]

http://blog.plantpoisonsandrottenstu...twork-and-add/

eta:
but to stay focused, can someone with high dopamine say what their focus feels like?

[momofmine]

Hmmm, that link is interesting, because when I first read your post, at first I would have said I have high dopamine, but I don't have any of the paranoia, auditory hallucinations, etc, etc, and never have. I just thought I had high dopamine because of the not focusing because of jumping around from thing to thing. But nothing else in that description of high dopamine fits for me.

I can't find a link or a chart that describes high and low dopamine symptoms besides what you linked. Are there any, kind of like the two links you gave in your OP to the histamine and dopamine thread? Those two charts are all about how to tell if you have high or low histamine, giving cross indicators, etc. Have you found any like that for high or low dopamine? I am looking but haven't found anythings like that yet.

If you had high dopamine, and thought you had low, and tried to increase your dopamine, would you risk those symptoms of the high dopamine? That sounds kinda serious, losing contact with reality and having auditory hallucinations and such.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by momofmine

If you had high dopamine, and thought you had low, and tried to increase your dopamine, would you risk those symptoms of the high dopamine? That sounds kinda serious, losing contact with reality and having auditory hallucinations and such.

IIRC, it depends on whether or not your glutamate is low or high. If you also have high glutamate, you are at an increased risk of having delusions and hallucinations. It's still possible to have them without high glutamate, but it's not as common.
Believe me, you immediately realize when it starts happening and it's not something that's enjoyable (imo) so I can't see anyone continuing to do whatever was causing it, given that choice. So, as long as you're aware of the possibility and stop if you should begin to experience auditory hallucinations (that seems to be the most common order- auditory starts before anything else- for me it was like people talking or a radio playing in the next room at first).... Often times, it's not so much really losing touch with reality- you're aware of the truth of what's going on around you- you're just semi-convinced of a different reality... It's very difficult to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it.

ETA: It should be noted that having sufficient GABA also protects one from the adverse effects of high glutamate and high dopamine...

[neveryoumindthere]

I changed my mind...I'm sure I'm low dopamine because of non-existent libido

[Theloose]

I'm looking for a better list of symptoms...

In the mean time, dopamine inhibits prolactin, so your milk supply might be an indicator.

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by whoMe

I'm looking for a better list of symptoms...

In the mean time, dopamine inhibits prolactin, so your milk supply might be an indicator.

So if you always had copious amounts of milk, an abundant oversupply, even sometimes still dripping from the other breast even when your nursling was 1 or 2 yrs old, that would mean low dopamine?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by neveryoumindthere

I changed my mind...I'm sure I'm low dopamine because of non-existent libido

And prolactin is associated with feelings of satisfaction, especially after dtd.

Originally Posted by momofmine

So if you always had copious amounts of milk, an abundant oversupply, even sometimes still dripping from the other breast even when your nursling was 1 or 2 yrs old, that would mean low dopamine?

Given focus issues of any sort, yeah, that would tip the scale for me. I will still SPRAY from the other side at 27mo. Actually, in the last week or so, the letdown feeling is getting less intense. Sometimes I don't even notice it!

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by whoMe

Given focus issues of any sort, yeah, that would tip the scale for me. I will still SPRAY from the other side at 27mo. Actually, in the last week or so, the letdown feeling is getting less intense. Sometimes I don't even notice it!

Wow, yes, that was me, still at almost 2, I would still have that also. BUT, I have a normal, healthy libido, no problems in that area, plenty of satisfaction. Do those two things counter each other?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by momofmine

Wow, yes, that was me, still at almost 2, I would still have that also. BUT, I have a normal, healthy libido, no problems in that area, plenty of satisfaction. Do those two things counter each other?

High prolactin could cause the high supply and the satisfaction. Higher dopamine tends to correlate with higher libido, but I'm not putting too much stock in that symptom, there seem to be a bunch of other factors influencing libido.

[neveryoumindthere]

ya..that's just a big one for me
I also have every single symptom of low dopamine/catecholamines according to "The Mood Cure" by Julia Ross.

One thing that jumped out, which is related to 'focus' is, it said sometimes that if you are low in the "cats" you WISH you were obsessed with something just so you could get things done.

[momofmine]

I would say that my focus is very spotty. Right now, I feel overwhelmed at everything that needs to get done, so I don't start. And I procrastinate and wait until the last minute, then stay up late to cram it all in. When I have a deadline, I am focused and energized by getting it done in time. But I focus better when there is some sort of external structure (like a deadline, or other people involved in a project). I tend to have lots and lots of ideas and a hard time implementing them because I want to do them all, all at the same time.
I also have always had major oversupply of milk.

Does that description point to low dopamine?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by momofmine

I would say that my focus is very spotty. Right now, I feel overwhelmed at everything that needs to get done, so I don't start. And I procrastinate and wait until the last minute, then stay up late to cram it all in. When I have a deadline, I am focused and energized by getting it done in time. But I focus better when there is some sort of external structure (like a deadline, or other people involved in a project). I tend to have lots and lots of ideas and a hard time implementing them because I want to do them all, all at the same time.
I also have always had major oversupply of milk.

Does that description point to low dopamine?

This is turning out way more complicated than I thought.

Yes, I think I'd agree with low dopamine - you pretty much described me, pre-dd. The procrastination thing, I found was an adrenal issue. I (think I) had high cortisol for a really long time, and that was my normal. As a result, the only way to motivate me to do anything was to put a hard deadline, and then I'd make it through on adrenaline at the last second (papers the morning they were due, etc). Only I get ideas for projects and totally dive into them to the exclusion of everything else, then lose my momentum and leave them hanging for the rest of time.

And I'm going with low dopamine for me, but I have the advantage of knowing my MTHFR gene, to know that I'm prone to low dopamine already.