Take Me On || Need Diagnoses | Bipolar? Ethical Hacker + Rocket Scientist + USAF Veteran + Skater
Relatively new listener; your podcasts on Trauma - Brain Reward Circuits - and Bipolar Disorder - really helped my engineer brain understand my disease(s)/potential disease(s). My Background - Blasting my PHI - idc I have only been clinically diagnosed w Generalized Anxiety & Depression; though I have experienced significant physical and psychological trauma in my 33 years; to include being a sexual assault victim. I fractured my L1/L2 transverse processes in an ATV accident in 2011, and then spent the ensuing 9 years and 3 days addicted to alcohol. On 1/1/21 I quit my 12-18 beer a night addition cold turkey. Only recently have I consumed any alcohol. Acknowledging that alcohol is a dance with the devil, it is a dance that I felt I needed to take to destroy alcoholism completely. Understanding and managing the "pull" is a skillset I needed in my quiver; standing behind abstinence just simply isn't who I am. During my offroad accident, I may have suffered an undiagnosed TBI (to be taken up with the VA in due time), I also fractured my ulna, radius, and severed my scapholunate ligament. I required two surgeries to repair my wrist and had excellent occupational therapy; I am forever in Dr. Anand Shah's and Palmdale Regional Medical centers debt. I went into your podcast on bipolar disorder trying to understand a family members illness, and hearing you enumerate the disease -- has me questioning my own health and harm mitigation. I've had suicidal thoughts in the past centered around an exit strategy, though now (through Gods glory) know that I am fighting for a battle for a happiness/even keel -- and that the battle can be won. I lost a nearly a decade of my life to my alcoholism and depression. In retrospect, I was only one bad day away from a 9MM. PSALM 62:2 11-12 God hath spoken once; twice I have heard this; that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, o Lord, belongeth mercy; for thou renderest to every man according to his work. I think I am Type 2 bipolar. Being in cybersecurity, and with this potential illness -- finding people that understand is difficult. patrick@vitalsecurity.io - please reach out if you are interested in my case. Your podcast, Lexapro, and psilocybin mushrooms have all played a role in my mental health journey. I'm glad I am here today typing this, however manic it may be. At least I am here. God Bless
Distinguishing between analytical and creative problems/work
Hello Can you please talk more about distinguishing which work would count as creative vs. analytical? I know existing talks cover it, but I have the following question: While some tasks can be bucketed clearly (accounting vs. music composition), how about a task like coming up with the best features for a new product as an entrepreneur? Or engineering? These tasks seem to require both brainstorming solutions (creative), but at the same time, a single correct answer likely exists (analytical), and many factors need to be analyzed (analytical). They require a series of steps to be followed (analytical) but also require expansive thinking and new ideas (creative). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Firefighter Sleep (or lack of)
I am a full time Firefighter and work 24 hour shifts. 8am to 8am. I work for a busy Advanced Life Support department that also runs medical calls, and some shifts I’m up all night. When I get home in the morning after work I like to get some sleep because I’m so tired, but I often sleep too long, then cannot fall asleep when I lay down for bed later that night. Which then causes me to be tired for my shift the following day. Or I will stay up when I get home and have no energy or motivation to do anything. It’s a vicious cycle. I’m wondering what are some protocols I can use for my day off to help optimize my sleep for overall better health while working this schedule? I love my job I just wish I could get this sleep/rest issue dialed in. Even down to falling back asleep, after a call, at night, while at work and my heart is still racing from a call we took. I know sleep is a big topic of this show and if there is any advice for my specific situation, I would greatly appreciate it, and pass it along to my department. Our schedule is 24hr on, 24hr off, 24hr on, 24hr off, 24hr on, 96hr off, then repeat. If that helps give an idea of our schedule. Thank you for what you do!
How would you rank order the biggest long-term determinants of good health?
Supplements taken Your genetics The food you eat How often you drink Quality of your sleep Stress and general happiness/well-being The friends and family you have Weight / strength training exercise Cardio exercise Essentially, what is the highest leverage activity for health?
How effective or ineffective is the Apollo Neuro?
The Apollo Neuro markets itself as a science-backed way to alleviate stress and improve sleep by delivering low-frequency sound waves, or "soothing vibrations" that restore balance to the nervous system. Claiming that the wearable "transforms how you feel through your sense of touch," The co-found & co-Inventor Dr. David Rabin MD, PhD is quoted on the website saying "Sleep is the single most important factor for physical and mental health. Apollo is the only scientifically validated wearable that actually gives you more sleep back each night. Imagine what your life could look like with 3 more hours of sleep each week and, for the first time, that can be a reality for you." I'm curious as to whether there are any potential, currently undetected, negative implications of this technology. And if it actually works, how it works. while Apollo heavily markets that their product is research-backed, on the website it seems to really just repeat the same summaries/studies over and over and doesn't easily allow the user to find the actual study (aside from their own summarizations). While it is a drug-free means to help regulate the nervous system, wouldn't the introduction of an outside "vibration/pulse" etc to "rebalance" your nervous system, in the long run, create a potential reliance on the technology so, that say, even though you experience "less stress," "less anxiety," and a "rebalance of your nervous system," allowing for better sleep, etc, while wearing the wearable, would the introduction of a "external means" to regulate your nervous system, create an unhealthy dependency to the technology to get the user back to those natural states of relaxation? Would this prevent your body from entering those states of relaxation naturally when you choose to stop wearing the wearable? Could you become "addicted," and as your body gets used to the external trigger to rebalance your nervous systems, stop doing it naturally? Would it then become harder for you to regulate your nervous system through natural or behavioral means? Would love to hear your thoughts on the Apollo Neuro, the science or technology behind it, or other similar products. Also, what are your thoughts on Fitbits or other wearable technology marketed to mass consumers and their effectiveness at tracking sleep, fitness, etc. Thank you for your time!