Re-entry into the 'blag'-osphere...I'm baaaaack!

Folks, it's been a long time since I last wrote...a VERY long time. Try maybe, oh...21 months?

A LOT has happened in that time, and my life has been so crazy my head is still spinning from it all.

I've been happy to see that even though I haven't written, updated, or even looked at my own blog in all that time, that it's STILL being used, and still getting hits (and comments!). Thank you all.

I plan on keeping this blog still education focused, but it will shift from the pure 'survival' stuff. Included will be related/relevant info and rants. In one of the last posts I wrote before quitting, I had mentioned how I'd "get to the bottom" of a lot of the BS in the public school system.

I'm working on a book...on how video games can improve public education. I thought I was alone on this - but I'm seeing more and more like-minded people. There have been a few books written on this already (some of which were written a few years before that thought occured to me), but I believe my personal experience (ADHD, gifted, BORED) can bring a unique, and important slant to the movement.

This is rather ironic, considering all the trouble I had in both high school and college writing papers. The big difference now is that there aren't any 'sink or swim' DO THIS OR ELSE deadlines - so I'm rather on my own. It has been rough to create my own schedules...I'm still working that part out. I'm trying to get back into the writing habit by restarting the blog, lol. I will be working on both simultaneously - and I will probably post a slew of links on the topic (among other things).

I'm looking forward to regular writing again! :)

*side note: I realize the word is actually spelled BLOGosphere, but I'm referencing http://xkcd.com, a HILARIOUS, geeky webcomic.

Stressed? Anxious? Depressed? Take Some B Vitamins First.

[Note: this post is still pretty rough - and I apologize - but the info is too important for me to hold off posting it. I'll edit it up and fix it later. Tell everyone you know who may be suffering from depression/anxiety issues about this...ESPECIALLY COLLEGE STUDENTS! For now, scroll down to the block quotes for the hard info on the vitamins, and links to other websites.]

I've been dealing with some debilitating anxiety and depression (as well as having zero energy and sleeping problems) for well over two weeks, struggling even to finish up and distribute applications for retail jobs. I had just about had it yesterday. I was really in the pits and also had a headache so awful that I was ready to throw up - which is extremely rare for me. I got desperate for headache cures, and while I was at the grocery store I grabbed pretty much everything I could think of to help ward it off: gatorade powder (dehydration and a lack of electrolytes have caused plenty of headaches in the past), chocolate (for the caffeine), and chewable multivitamins (I hadn't taken any in weeks, and my nutrition had been AWFUL).

In addition to those, I also had a bottle of B vitamin complex at my apartment. I figured that the B vitamins are water soluble (meaning that a trip to the bathroom resolves any potential 'overdose'), so I took one of those in addition to everything else. Suffice it to say, my headache was gone within an hour - and within 2 hours, my mood lifted considerably as well!

On a hunch, I did a search this morning on 'B vitamin depression' and was BLOWN AWAY by what I found.

From an article on about.com (go here for it):

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): The brain uses this vitamin to help convert glucose, or blood sugar, into fuel, and without it the brain rapidly runs out of energy. [A deficiency of B1] can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. Deficiencies can also cause memory problems, loss of appetite, insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders. The consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as simple sugars, drains the body's B1 supply.

This is what the article says on just vitamin B1. I couldn't believe it. I pretty much had a holy grail to my depression problems - in the form of a six to ten dollar bottle of vitamins that would last me two months. Finally, my Paxil AND Adderal have a shot at doing their jobs. As I type, I can feel explosive energy that I haven't felt in months.

College depression rates are absolutely alarming; in 2000, reports were that 10% of students were suffering from depression and as many as 15% show symptoms. More recently, other studies have shown that up to 30-35% of freshmen feel totally overwhelmed. This is from articles from the U of Michigan and the USA Today.

There's a LOT going on while students are in college, there's no doubt. There are many stressors placed on college students these days - and the pressure is just getting worse. I have no doubt that this is a major factor - but depression makes what could be normal ups and downs into staggering difficulties. It is impossible to describe what the struggle is like if you haven't been to those lows. The worst part about it is that it drags everyone around the sufferer into the vortex of misery.

What I noticed missing from the two articles I linked to above are mentions of nutrition...college students are INFAMOUS for malnutrition. It's highly unlikely that someone is going to get all the nutrients they need from a well-balanced diet consisting mainly of ramen noodles, spaghetti, fast food, and mac & cheese - even if that mac & cheese is fortified (as a matter of fact, I think most of them are).

I have to wonder just how much of the depression rates in the US (which are higher than most first world countries) could be contributed to B vitamin deficiencies. Yes, there are still other, serious causes of clinical depression and anxiety - causes that MUST be addressed for someone to get healthy - but to a broke, desperate student (note: 40% of college graduates are without health insurance), this is by far the simplest, most readily available possible solution (in addition to being the most likely cause). In my opinion, it's totally worth it to experiment to find out if this is the root cause. It's a cheap fix.

Ten bucks (if that) at a 24 hour drugstore will get you B Vitamins at ANY time, and if you're wrong, you'll quickly know - and you'll only be out that $10. By comparison, anti-depressants are expensive, require a doctor visit and a prescription, and can take weeks to start kicking in - and even then, side effects could potentially make the problems even worse. I personally found that the vitamins started working within 3 hours. If you feel NO relief after 2-3 days, then this is probably not the cause - you need to seek professional help.

Some other articles:
MotherNature.com:
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/10/51.cfm
Psychology Today:
http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20040726-000014.html
"B Happy":
http://www.archure.net/salus/bhappy.html

The B Happy site lists some toxicity info for a couple of the B Vitamins - which is important to know:

Optimum Daily Intake
Andrew Weil's "Eating Well for Optimum Health" says (pg 126) "The recommended daily allowances (RDAs) set by government agencies were determined only with a view to preventing deficiency states, not to promoting optimum health or treating specific medical conditions". levels.

Dr Shari Libermans "The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book" suggests that the Optimum Daily Intake should be.....
B1 25-300 mg (milli grams)
B2 25-300 mg
B3 25-300 mg
B6 25-300 mg
B12 25-500 mcg (micro grams)

So get the 100 mg size and take up to 3 per day

TOXICITY LEVEL for B-6 Pyridoxine and B-3 Niacin
Warning: do not take 2,000 mg of B6 Pyridoxine daily (nor greater), else you could get Temporary nerve damage (Shari Lieberman specifies it as "Temporary"). You would have to take 20 tablets per day of the strongest B Supplement to do that (keep it to 10 or less per day to be safe).
However, I am of the opinion that B-6 may be Cumulative, and 500 mg or higher on a permanent basis, might be what caused my foot cramping (however, I already had a foot problem, this just might have triggered the already existing problem. I could find no documentation on this, but I did cut back on B-6 by taking B-1, B-2, B-3, B-12, and Folic Acid in separate pills for a week or so, and the problem went away, then I found I could take a 100 mg size of multi B, but if I went over it would start again, and after a couple of months I was able to take at least 200 mg per day

FLUSHING & TURNING RED IS NORMAL & HEALTHY: 250 mg of Niacin (B3) makes you Flush, Itch, and Turn Red (around 30 minutes after you ingest it, or sooner or later), this is normal, OK, and is excellent for cleaning out fat deposits in your arteries and blood veins, however, Niacinamide (also B3) does not Flush and Itch (however, it does not clean your arteries and blood veins), so opt for Niacin, not Niacinamide

NO TOXICITY LEVEL for B-1 B-2, and B-12, The Sky is The Limit
There is no toxicity level known for B1, B2, and B12, and a few manufacturers make a separate B12 with 500 mcg, 1,000 mcg, 3,000 mcg, and even 5,000 mcg (take 1 to 3 times daily, stick under your tongue and let it dissolve underneath your tongue for more efficient absorption). I get at least a total of 5,000 mcg of B12 over a 24 hour period (used to take 20,000 per day for a while), and have notices that my musical abilities and coordination have greatly improved since I have been taking the larger dosages, as B-12 helps ones "Mental/Physical Coordination" (good for musicians and athletes). Many people take a separate B12, in addition to a "multi B" (As the amount of B12 in a B-100 is so small, typically only 100 mcg or 0.1 mg).

"Internet ADD" and How to Fight It

A friend referred me to the Zen Habits webpage a while back, and they have a fantastic post about clearing your computing environment of distractions, reachable here:

http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/8-practical-tips-to-cure-your-internet-add-attention-deficit-disorder/

They have a wonderful step by step process to go from clutter to concentration, so I'll leave them to do that. I'm not above this, at all, and I really...REALLY need to take the advice in this blog post to heart. To give you an idea, I have AIM up and running in the background, a new Wordpad document...

...and twelve tabs open in Firefox.

Par for the course, I guess, having 'true' (biological/brain-based) ADD.

What the post refers to as "Internet ADD" is exactly what Drs. Hallowell and Ratey describe as 'pseudo-ADD' in Answers to Distraction; environmentally encouraged ADD-like behavior.

Interestingly enough, I ran across other authors who believe the same thing. In a fascinating book on neurofeedback called A Symphony in the Brain, by Jim Robbins, the final chapter is FULL of people he interviewed who believe there's more root causes for A.D.D. diagnoses than simple biology. Among them are the authors of The A.D.D. Book (mentioned on pages 230-232), who believe that traditional ADD diagnoses stem from three sources: environmental problems (most likely at the school), people who learn differently from typical methods (essentially a hassle for the system to cope with), and people with neurobiological problems (i.e. true A.D.D.).

There are more solutions than medication. Finding them, sadly, is the tricky part. My hope is that the schools have, or soon will, become more helpful in pointing people to n0n-chemical interventions and not leave people dead in the water.

Alarming Insight on High School Graduation Statistics

While doing some research on the public school system, I ran across some statistics on high school graduation rates (overall and by race). Now, I've run into some pretty wild discrepancies in the graduation rates - from the oft-cited 66% overall graduation rate (50% for some minorities), up to 88-90% overall (cited by the Dept. of Education). This is a serious problem - public education is a VERY serious concern for everyone, affecting the job market, crime rates, and extending into prices on real estate (a book I recently finished, The Trap, has details on a lot of this).

So much in American life hinges on the true success rate of public schooling - the American Dream itself is at stake. One of the most valuable tools I picked up from my Economics degree was the ability to discern what is really being told by the statistics people are citing, and I had a hard time knowing who/what to believe...

...until I bumped into this study explaining those numbers. After this study commented that the 88-90% grad rate quote was more accurate - I looked more carefully as to why, and who they were including:

It turns out that this 90% grad rate includes people with any form of GED.

In my opinion, a person with a GED does NOT constitute a success of the public school system - only people with true high school diplomas should be considered successes. Luckily, this study had that information as well. Quoting directly from the research:

The overall high school graduation rate with a regular diploma is between 80% and 83%, with the best data (NELS) showing an 82% rate.

Estimates of the black rate of graduation from high school with a regular diploma range between 69% and 75%, with the NELS showing a 74% graduation rate.

Estimates of Hispanic high school graduation rates with a regular diploma range between 61% and 74%, with the NELS showing a 74% rate.

For both the black and Hispanic grad rate quotes, the paper had this to add, almost as an afterthought: "This is substantially higher than the frequently alleged 50% rate..."

I don't consider an 82% completion rate of regular high school overall, with a 74% high school diploma rate (at most) for minorities success. Personally, in light of the flaws in the 66%/50% rates often quoted, I find this even more alarming - partially because the people so passionate about fixing the education system are using flawed numbers and NOT these...more respected numbers. Through discounting their statistics, people seeking change are losing their credibility (and voice) to change the system. These statistics, on the other hand, are the ones that need to be shouted around the country.

The school system is failing/failing to serve 1 in every 5 children overall, and 1 in 4 blacks or Hispanics - forcing them to seek a G.E.D on their own time. This should just NOT be happening. On a website quoting the 66%/50% statistics, dropouts were asked why they dropped out; among those who answered, the top two responses (almost evenly split) were that either the students were bored, or overwhelmed.

The worst part about all of this is that it can be corrected - and I am getting to the bottom of this. It makes me furious, and I am working on a book to offer some insight/suggestions for the school system. For those of you who have been reading my blog (and I thank you!)- this is one of the main reasons I haven't been updating (and I apologize).

If you have any useful information/statistics, or know of any super-successful systems I should take a look at, leave a comment about it or send me an e-mail. This cannot be allowed to go on - and parents and teachers have little control over the antiquated teaching methods used and taught.

If you have concerns or ideas you want to take to your State Ed department, do so here:
http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html?src=ln

To contact the national office, information is available here:
http://www.ed.gov/about/contacts/gen/index.html?src=ln

Good luck, and may you all (parents, teachers, administrators, and especially students) have a fulfilling school year.

New layout and changes

Although I haven't been posting much recently, there have been a lot of changes behind the scenes. I've been fortunate enough to have a reader approach me to offer help with editing and layout issues. Her input has been VERY useful (thanks, Joanna!). I'll be tinkering past posts to improve their flow, and have already changed the blog's template to cause less eye strain and make the information more readable.

Thanks for your patience!

All-Nighters update!

I discovered an e-book that had been published - no more than a month ago, and ironically with the exact same title as my blog post - about pulling all-nighters. I was VERY pleased to see that most of the suggestions in my original post were either confirmed or reinforced by what I read in the press release. I'll break down what I read:

Confirmed: Save your stimulants until after 2 AM.
According to the info in the press release, your concentration/alertness bottoms out between 3-6 AM because of the circadian rhythm.

Reinforced info:

I suggested with sugar intake in my Vending Machine Nutrition post that a great, measurable way to get enough consistent energy to your brain is to eat 2-3 Skittles every 5-10 minutes. I use Skittles because they're bite sized, easily measured 'doses' of sugar. Gummi bears work too, as do any other candies in set sizes.

The brain is different from muscles in the fact that the brain has no ability to store energy; it takes all nourishment in directly from the blood. What I didn't know is that your brain burns a full 20% of all the blood sugars in your body. I knew the burn rate had to be high, but I had no idea it was that high.

In addition, the brain burns even more energy when trying to focus...especially between those low hours of 3-6 AM. What the guide suggested, that I didn't, was to actually use more sugar than protein for those hours. I still think getting some protein (heck, a non-fatty meal if you can swing it) is a very good idea.

One pack of Skittles should last anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours...long enough to get you to 6 AM. I've tried it when I'm feeling absolutely gone (downing a can of pop), and I've been very impressed with the results. Just make sure your blood sugar levels don't collapse, or you're going to feel even more sluggish.

Update: Downsides of Alcohol consumption

The article/press release about the book mentioned that alcohol should not be consumed AT ALL before/during an all-nighter. I've read various other articles on what it does, and they basically repeated them - "reducing mental efficiency while studying" and messing with REM sleep, which is when the brain stores new memories. This is probably why blackouts occur; so much alcohol has been ingested that new memories CAN'T be stored.

While I agree with what they say about memory and sleep (I will not sleep well even after one drink), I'm not so sure about small (pre-buzz) doses of alcohol reducing mental efficiency. As I wrote in my post on alcohol, one of the other effects alcohol has is as a very fast-acting sugar. Ignoring the drug effects of alcohol, I think it's possible to use it like street cars use nitro for a fast power boost. One or two drinks typically make me feel hyper-alert. Beyond that I'm sluggish.

What it boils down to, basically, is that alcohol use depends on what you're doing during the all-nighter. If you're studying for a test, it's probably a mistake because of the effects on memory (and they're very clear, from an article I read in an old Psychology Today: "Is College Bad For You?"). You probably won't remember anything you learned while intoxicated very well after three weeks (let alone three hours), and the same goes while sleep deprived. Will that matter? That's your call.

If you're writing a paper that you feel is no big deal, alcohol might be irrelevant. I wouldn't recommend using it if you weren't planning on it already; but most of the research out there has focused on the long term (the memory effects, etc). I'm still not convinced about the immediate short run, though - which is pretty much the only thing that counts when you're in a crisis. The choice is yours, here's some info to help you make an informed decision. Alcohol can still come back to bite you, so be careful.

The book is available through LuLu for $15. You can be sure that I'm going to get it at some point!

A Case Study on Draining Schoolwork

Because I was always good at math (mental math in particular), I decided to be a physics major in college. Nearly flunking out of UMTYMP (A gifted math class; I took college level honors calc in 9th grade) in high school twice should have been a clue that this may have been a bad idea, but I was pretty set on it anyway.

The basics were GREAT - I love the conceptual side of physics. However, things went downhill quickly the more advanced the material got. Analytical mechanics and quantum physics? Ugly. I was hitting my threshold for frustration tolerance on a very consistent level...my ADD got in the way.

Whenever I hit my 30 minute concentration limit but made no perceptible progress toward finishing a problem, my brain just shut down - even with meds. I actually got physically tired, sluggish and was unable to think. If I couldn't do 30 minute problems, how was I supposed to do single problems that took SIX HOURS (quantum mechanics)?

I could not figure out how to make it work. Even though I had gotten my suggestions at the counseling center at the beginning of the semester (for my accommodations), and knew all of what was offered within the physics department, I didn't bother to go back and tell them I was having trouble with this stuff. How were they going to help me? In hindsight, I should have gone in to the professors the second I started to feel drowsy after working on a problem. However, that was typically very intimidating - and I was generally unhappy and felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall.

After failing one class and dropping two more, I finally dropped the major. Happily, though, I still had another major I was working towards, and a killer extracurricular that I loved - theater. Ironically, the decision to drop quantum (and thus the major) happened because a test was going to fall the day after opening night of one of the plays. Had I not dropped it then, I would have later had another test fall like that after a different play. I learned quite well the difference between quitting and cutting your losses.