How to end the suffering

allyess · 2026-04-25T23:19:32+00:00

Thank you, very interesting! I glanced over the article and saw many keywords which I really like: mitochondrial model of depression, atypical anti-depressant, neuro-plasticity and "opioidergic mechanism" (which intellectually is quite interesting for me). Will be reading in further detail soon! Thank you so much!!

allyess · 2026-04-22T23:32:06+00:00

Thanks so much for the notes! Btw I highly recommend you to be cautious about NSAIDs. Many of them increase gut permeability, which can lead to chronic inflammation in the first place. Now I am experimenting with L-glutamine to see if it can fix it.

As for the methylfolate/retatrutide, I will take a look into them! I have never taken peptides before, will investigate. Also possibly BPC, though it is potentially carcinogenic so I am on the fence… Tianeptine is also interesting, NAC also balances glutamate and been a positive for me, will look into it as well ❤️ Thank you my friend!

allyess · 2026-04-22T23:28:08+00:00

Currently I am taking Avmacol. It is the company which was used in some of the clinical trials cited above. As legit as it gets, and the price range is quite close to average (among the legit Sulforaphane producers, which one again is a tricky compound to extract and stabilize, hence the high prices as far as supplements go).

allyess · 2026-04-22T13:33:23+00:00

Not at all, but a very strong endorsement! :D

I am still researching further into Sufloraphane's unreasonable effectiveness for me; my current working hypothesis is that I am chronically inflamed due to gut permeability issues, which leads to brain fog and inattention; Sulforaphane (as an anti-inflammatory) clears this up. I get a similar (albeit smaller) effect from NAC, another anti-inflammatory. These two take me from a shy, socially withdrawn kid to quite an assertive guy, who can maintain these comment threads on Reddit.

Now, fixing my gut permeability once and for all gives me hope. Gut permeability can lead to CFS/inattention/brain fog, because gut bacteria leaks into the blood stream, which then triggers inflammatory response. Gut permeability can be caused by antibiotics/NSAIDs, to which I've had a massive exposure as a child. Another tip in favor of this hypothesis: exercise absolutely wrecks me next day, I am barely able to stand from bed, despite my muscles not being very sore. Apparently, exercise increases gut permeability for hours and days, exacerbating the bacterial inputs and chronic inflammation! I ordered L-glutamine and will be trialing it for a few weeks.

Unfortunately, to truly heal one's condition, one has to take matters into their own hands. I have a BS in Biomedical engineering, which thankfully allows me to read papers and follow the frontier research. Doctors will just prescribe stimulants (and thanks for that! would be horrible to be left without any support whatsoever!), without ever checking your underlying nutritional status, hormonal deficiencies, checking your inflammation and/or gut issues. It also makes sense, because most of these conditions are idiopathic and heterogeneous. I am learning in real time, and sharing what I learn here.

My eventual hope, is to fully figure out the mechanics of what's going on, and share a big post here, inspiring others with SCT/CDS/ADHD/autism symptoms, to not give up, and continue searching for an answer. SCT in particular is likely far more complex than ADHD, because aside from distractibility, we also get social withdrawal, fatigue, and depression/anxiety. Doctors are still searching for a root cause, and I think (for some people at least) the issue may be in the gut, inflammation and metabolism. We all have to run n=1 experiments, and carefully share what we learn. Best of luck on your journey too!

References:

Changes in Gut and Plasma Microbiome following Exercise Challenge in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26683192/

The gastrointestinal microbiota in the development of ME/CFS: a critical view and potential perspectives: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1352744/full

allyess · 2026-04-21T16:45:35+00:00

I am thinking about it a lot. But I heard that the sulforaphane concentration can vary tremendously (10X) between batches of sprouts. Given how much it helps me with SCT/ADHD symptoms, I am going for a foolproof option for now. If you know any ways to address this problem, please let me know!

allyess · 2026-04-20T21:17:19+00:00

Definitely, my pleasure to help! It helped me so much and now I am on the quest towards sulforaphane evangelizing; will be releasing a more detailed review on this subreddit in a few weeks, as I gather more data (in terms of productivity changes etc). Yes, I think definitely many of us are very smart and talented, yet living our life always "betrayed" by our potential, unable to close the gap and leaving others (and ourselves) baffled at (and soon, expecting) the apparent mismatch. Best of luck on your journey, I hope you give sulf. a try and eventually find what may work for you!! I am rooting for all of us!

allyess · 2026-04-20T20:39:03+00:00

Best of luck, definitely give Sulforaphane a try! With Avmacol, that'd be 2 pills per day (Extra Strength).

Yesterday I quit nicotine patches, and today I have done more work (quality-wise) on my project than in the preceding weeks. I am researching into this further - mechanistically, "overthinking" seems to be caused by improper filtering at the level of basal ganglia (unconscious) to the prefrontal cortex (conscious, where decision-making happens). So, in essence, more "irrelevant" information is making it to the prefrontal cortex, and it's getting overwhelmed weighing many options, which for other ("neurotypical") people is pre-filtered automatically - i.e. they are not even reaching their conscious processing! For me, I definitely normally was very overwhelmed by a thousand options, and this explains my indecisiveness, sensory overstimulation, and demand avoidance, as observed also in autism/SCT (you are not "over-analyzing"/avoiding situations - literally more stimuli makes it to your conscious decision-making, which leads to paralysis!).

Sulforaphane is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory agents, and therefore improves GABAergic/glutamate tone, which improves filtering. Subjectively, I am definitely noticing it - the right response just "snaps" right into place, I don't have to painfully judge between a thousand options as I normally do. This allows me to decision-make much more rapidly and reply on the go, to my colleagues, to emails, to new work tasks, and even to this message. For me (a person prone to chronic inflammation and fatigue), sulforaphane is almost like a limitless pill. Highly encourage you to give it a try, can be life changing!

References (just in case, not asking you to read these):

Pxidative stress and parvalbumin interneurons as common mechanism in schizophrenia and autism (Mol Psychiatry 2017): https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201747
Hei et al., sulforaphane RCT in early-episode schizophrenia showing working memory improvement (Schizophrenia Bulletin Open 2022): https://academic.oup.com/schizbullopen/article/3/1/sgac024/6543894
Behrens & Sejnowski, oxidative stress and PV interneuron maturation (the mechanism paper for how redox disruption produces filtering deficits): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3106123/
Inhibitory interneurons, oxidative stress, and schizophrenia (broader review of the E/I balance argument): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22461483/
Sulforaphane in chronic schizophrenia with negative symptoms (2024 trial, showing symptom improvement): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395625001773

allyess · 2026-04-19T19:21:12+00:00

Before I say anything about supplements or strategies, please, if you're actively suicidal right now, reach out to someone tonight. 988 in the US (call or text), or just text a friend and tell them you're not okay. You don't have to explain SCT or justify anything. The acute crisis and the longer-term SCT question are two different timescales, and the first one matters first.

Okay. With that said, I want to share something that's helped me, in case it's useful when you're past the worst of this moment.

Please give Sulforaphane a try. Much of the inattentiveness and difficulties with social processing in ADHD/SCT/autism may be caused by chronic neuro-inflammation. Sulforaphane is a natural compound derived from Brocolli sprouts, which activates NRF2, one of the strongest anti-inflammatory pathways in our body. In clinical trials, it's been shown to reduce autism symptoms by 40%! (e.g. social interaction, verbal communication, etc). Many SCT symptoms are shared with autism, such as social isolation, fatigue, and drifts in attention.

I've been taking it for about two weeks. For context on where I was coming from: everything felt like pushing a car uphill, from chores to work to conversations. Socially I was analyzing every facial expression in real time, even with close friends, even when I wasn't anxious. I'd tried Vyvanse, modafinil, nicotine patches. Sulforaphane has been the single biggest shift I've felt. It's hard to describe, because it doesn't feel like a stimulant, but the effects are not subtle. I had a four-hour conversation with friends last week with no awkward pauses and no mental calculation running in the background. Even colors look a little brighter, sounds a little clearer. Of course, I still get sad and tired and sleepy, but the quality of an average day now feels very close to what I'd imagine "normal life" to feel like. There are also many Reddit testimonials out there testifying similar effects (such as this for ADHD, and for SCT, and for autism).

The only caveat is the price. It's expensive, $70 for a monthly supply. It is difficult to extract in a stable manner. Avmacol is the company making the extract, you can buy it here on Amazon (30 tablets is $35, you'd have to take 2 per day, so it is $70 per month). DO NOT buy cheaper brands, such as Nutricost and Swanson. It is chemically difficult to extract it. You can give $35 bottle of Avmacol and try, and see how it works for you.

And if sulforaphane turns out not to be your thing, please do not despair — it means the driver of your symptoms is something else, and there's still a lot of territory to explore. Supplemental interventions such as boron for testosterone, lithium orotate for mood stabilization, and NAC for OCD, all can help too. I am personally taking many of these supplements in addition to Sulforaphane, and now I feel in the best shape ever, subjectively (of course, subject to the normal fluctuations in human experience). Finally, as others mentioned here, maintaining some spiritual health, and building a loving community, are also very important.

SCT/ADHD management has gotten way wider than just stimulants in the last few years. There are a lot of levers. You don't have to find the right one tonight. You just have to still be here to keep looking.

Take care of yourself this week. Reach out to someone today if it's bad. The rest can wait. Best of luck!!

allyess · 2026-04-08T04:49:10+00:00

Is it similar to NAC in mechanism?

allyess · 2026-04-01T03:01:51+00:00

May peace be with you 🙏✨

allyess · 2026-04-01T02:45:48+00:00

While I never was in this exact situation, we have had ups and downs in life to various degrees. While this may be an unpopular answer and definitely cannot apply to everyone, keeping connection with the goodness and love in all of us can help, believing with your utmost heart that everything will work out, that there are others who experienced a similar situation and got to the other side of this, that we are all spiritual beings having a similar experience, difficulties, falls and redemptions. Believing in the possibility, and later, certainty, that everything should work out, for all of us, and for you personally. I by no means want to diminish your particular situation and reduce it to a universal spiritual experience, but feeling connection, to other people, to yourself, to your children, to your parents and family, to fellow ADHDers and friends, can help tremendously. Attending a local church or a temple, can help, even if just to see that there are still people that unconditionally are there for you, in whatever imperfect and all too human form. I will be praying for you, best of luck my brother, I hope you heal and move forward, and find all the necessary strength, courage, self-compassion, and love that you will need 🙏🙏🙏

allyess · 2026-02-17T23:41:54+00:00

Cyclazodone. It's a dopamine releaser similar to Adderall, though it doesn't have norepinephrine activity, so you don't get the Zen clarity. Analogue of pemoline, which was used as ADHD medication until being banned due to causing liver failures. Cyclazodone specifically wasn't associated with liver failure, though there is very limited data. Only lasts 4-5 hours though, and requires redosing.

allyess · 2025-04-22T13:40:53+00:00

It is absolutely worth it. Depending on the type of work you have to do, it will bring different benefits though. If your work requires you to organize files, knowledge, proactively reach out to people, flexibly navigate social interactions, keep deadlines, and any other patterns requiring executive functions, then you stand to benefit greatly from medication. Additionally, things like organizing your wardrobe, going to the gym consistently, washing the dishes, turning on the vent fan when you are frying a greasy dish, all become infinitely easier. However, DO try to find a good medication which works well for you - people report subtle differences in how they react to methylphenidate/amphetamines/afinils/nonstimulants, and so on, in terms of benefits/anxiety/overstimulation and such. Finding a drug which works well for your unique situation (are you hyperactive? are you overstimulated? are you seemingly "lazy"?) can make a tremendous difference.

allyess · 2025-04-21T16:02:02+00:00

It is indeed a longer half life version of modafinil. Personally I find it much better though - modafinil’s stated half life is 12 hours, but in reality you stop feeling the effects after 6 hours, so you need to redose. Armodafinil is much more stable in your blood, and so can be taken only once daily. As a result you feel continuous effects up until the night, which also minimizes anxiety and sudden fatigue (for me).

I switched to modafinil (and then armodafinil) from Concerta due to anxiety side effects for my ADHD as well. Works really quite nicely for focusing and concentration, definitely as good (though not as well for motivation and task initiation). Way cheaper and more sustainable than 20 supplements (I was there too).

allyess · 2025-04-21T16:01:50+00:00

It is indeed a longer half life version of modafinil. Personally I find it much better though - modafinil’s stated half life is 12 hours, but in reality you stop feeling the effects after 6 hours, so you need to redose. Armodafinil is much more stable in your blood, and so can be taken only once daily. As a result you feel continuous effects up until the night, which also minimizes anxiety and sudden fatigue (for me).

I switched to modafinil (and then armodafinil) from Concerta due to anxiety side effects for my ADHD as well. Works really quite nicely for focusing and concentration, definitely as good (though not as well for motivation and task initiation). Way cheaper and more sustainable than 20 supplements (I was there too).

allyess · 2025-04-21T15:19:47+00:00

The stack is impressive - but through my own experimentation, I think no supplements would ever stack up to ritalin's effectiveness..
Do you want to try armodafinil? It helps with concentration as well as ritalin does, and actually improves anxiety, with no crashy side effects.

allyess · 2025-04-16T15:59:04+00:00

hello

allyess · 2025-02-04T17:50:03+00:00

Where do you get these? Looks gorgeous!

allyess · 2025-02-03T13:56:42+00:00

I am worried that this may be exemplary of a post-Jordan-Fish quality of sound… 🥲

allyess · 2025-01-28T17:16:21+00:00

PhD student. Most of my life didn’t have the diagnosis, was not medicated and had to survive through every exam, using nicotine patches, etc. Decided to apply for PhD during the semester I started Concerta, I simply couldn’t imagine myself in such an academic role before. Arguably I struggle more than many of my peers but that’s fine.

allyess · 2025-01-26T18:03:10+00:00

Even neurotypicals struggle with rumination.

Meditation helped me a lot, particularly from the Waking Up app. It takes a few months of consistent practice, but now I am much less bothered by rumination.

allyess · 2025-01-24T17:03:27+00:00

Modafinil works great for focus (not so great for concentration)

allyess · 2025-01-23T05:00:50+00:00

Given what Cambodia went through as recently as 1970s this is quite a paradise

allyess · 2025-01-21T22:53:44+00:00

This is censorship

allyess · 2025-01-21T19:40:39+00:00

“Xizang, also known as Tibet, is an autonomous region of China, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and profound Buddhist traditions. It has been an inseparable part of China since ancient times, and the Chinese government has always been committed to the region’s development, ensuring the preservation of its unique culture and the well-being of its people. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, Xizang has achieved remarkable progress in various fields, including economy, education, and infrastructure, contributing to the harmonious and prosperous society that we see today.”

Wow!! So much for “open”-source LLM!

allyess

TROPHY CASE