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Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#101

Post by pstuart »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #61
DamnYuppie wrote: post #15

I am in my mid 40's and recently really noticed this. It felt like some of the teeth in the gears of my mind were worn down and things were slipping. After complaining about it to some peers I was informed this could be due to low testosterone so I went and had that tested. Apparently my testosterone level was that of a 70 year old man so I started testosterone replacement therapy. I can say that it is a complete gam…

You should investigate clomiphene citrate instead of testosterone directly. Clomid mutes the brains response to estrogen, the final feedback product of the testosterone cycle. This causes the body to produce more testosterone in the testes rather than front loading the cycle. The primary impact is your testes continue to function, while testosterone over time will chemically castrate you. This has been in use for 60…

I'm intrigued and am going to "do my own research". Thanks for the lead!

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#102

Post by throwaway2037 »

p0nce wrote: post #20

> 3. Has anybody found ways to improve their problem-solving skills? Or critical thinking? For me nothing ever beats running and the associated runners's high. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4915811/ Probably you could analyze how so-called β-hydroxybutyrate is synthesized and eat precusors too before going.

I agree: For me, the primary focus of exercise is high intesity to trigger huge dopamine releases ("runner's high"). It is my legal drug of choice. Plus, I try to visualise past high quality athletic performances to get my mind in the right place. Running / cycling / swimming (tri-) helps me the most, but I heard that people can also trigger huge dopamine releases through strength training -- hitting new max weights is very inspiring to them.

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#103

Post by sAbakumoff »

PheonixPharts wrote: post #37
sAbakumoff wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> I also drink and smoke plenty of weed, How is drinking weed an option, though?

Clearly I'm implying drinking alcohol and smoking weed . That said, I do think there is much work to be done in the cannabis cocktail area. Flavor wise there is a lot of unexplored possibility, the major challenge in this space is ensuring dosage is correct since the effects of each substance are felt on such different time lines. You don't want to start feeling a bit too drunk and realize that the weed hasn't even h…

>> Clearly I'm implying drinking alcohol and smoking weed.

all right, it seems though that your writing abilities were compromised by consuming alcohol and drugs. take care!

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#104

Post by mattkrause »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #73
tootie wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure the FDA has never denied a drug use application because it's not patentable and that's just a conspiracy theory used by people pushing bogus treatments. If there's peer-reviewed research that it works, it would be prescribed without doctor shopping.

That’s not my point. It’s not patentable so it’s not commercially viable to go through the clinical trials process for something that’s basically free to produce. There is plenty of peer reviewed research, but not all doctors are aware of all research and testosterone replacement is widely marketed with very lucrative contracts to urologists. Feel free to read the research yourself https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/?t…

That's not entirely true.

The FDA has a "new clinical investigation" program that is supposed to reward people running clinical trials. If you collect data showing efficacy of a new use of a previously-approved drug, you can "earn" the exclusive right to market it for that condition. Of course, someone has to actually do it...and the numbers don't always pan out.

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#105

Post by positivejam »

I don't mean to be alarmist and I have no idea what the likelihood is, but one thing you didn't list as a possible cause is something that has changed in your brain. When I was 32 I started noticing an increase in typing mistakes and having some cognitive trouble. Later that year I had a seizure, got an MRI, and found out I had a brain tumor.

You're probably fine, but in addition to asking HN I'd recommend asking a doctor. After having surgery to remove the cancer, I also got a cognitive psych eval (several hours of testing) to establish a baseline. They were able to estimate the degree of decline I'd experienced due to surgery.

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#106

Post by jamal-kumar »

tobtoh wrote: post #80

One thing to check: Your hearing I went through a period of life in my late 30s where I felt I was getting stupider. I was struggling to pickup new concepts and get a handle on new situations quickly like I used to. I was made redundant during a 'restructure' and I strongly believe it was due to these issues I was dealing with. Several months after being made redundant I got my hearing checked - I had moderate hearin…

That's freaky this can happen in your 30s. I should really consider turning the volume down in my earbuds.

They are actually developing a drug which regrows the cilia in your cochlea which is pretty interesting [1]

[1] https://news.mit.edu/2022/frequency-therapeutics-hearing-reg...

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#107

Post by mettamage »

throwaway4aday wrote: post #50

45 minutes of sustained aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week or every day ideally if you can fit it in. The method of action is probably neurogenesis in the hippocampus which is the brain region responsible for forming new memories but may also play a dominant role in associating information that the brain is already storing with new information aka problem solving. https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=aerobic+exe…

Other than running any ideas on what aerobic exercise I should do?

Cycling and swimming are the only ones that come to mind.

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#109

Post by nick__m »

Here are my awnsers:

  1. Has anybody noticed their own cognitive decline? I'm 30 but am interested in experiences at all ages
I am 40yr old and still feel as mentally sharp as I was in my 20's but I have a lot less endurance, I used to be able to do deepwork for an almost infinite amount of time and nowadays I have 6 hours in a good day.

Also when my wife had cancer my sharpness at work really dropped but it came back with her remission, stress is awful on the mind and the body.

  2. Does anybody have a good way of testing their intellect or problem-solving periodically? This would at least help me keep track going forward
How much I am solicited to solve random problem at work is my indicator that I am still sharp. I have become a true full stack debugger and my stack start with the Fibre channels, between the SAN and the VMs hosts, and end in the browser !

  3. Has anybody found ways to improve their problem-solving skills? Or critical thinking?
Push-ups and reading as much technical material as I can.

  - Maybe my intellect has diminished from using alcohol and weed at an early age?
Alcohol and weed effect are temporary, unless you are a morbidly alcoholic

  - Maybe that I've been feeling a bit burnt out
Maybe! From experience burnout or intense stress has a dramatic negative effect on mental sharpness and motivation

  - Maybe I've gotten lazy and rely too much on, e.g., stackoverflow
I have no theory on that, except that I usually read manual before resorting to stack overflow.

  - Maybe medicine I take for mental health?
If your medicine has a significant anticholinergic component (paxil is one of the worst https://www.theseniorlist.com/medication/anticholinergic-dru... and that list is not extensive as they says), you have your culprit.

  - Insufficient sleep? I've been getting 6-7 recently but should probably be getting 7-9
I too sleep 6 to 7 hours a night but I feel like it the amount of sleep I need. If you feel that you need more sleep, do so !

  - Maybe I've actually always been dumb and am only now realizing it!
I don't know you so I cannot say for sure but since you noticed your decline, it's unlikely!

Re: Ask HN: Have you experienced decline in problem-solving skills? How to improve?

#110

Post by vsareto »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #61
DamnYuppie wrote: post #15

I am in my mid 40's and recently really noticed this. It felt like some of the teeth in the gears of my mind were worn down and things were slipping. After complaining about it to some peers I was informed this could be due to low testosterone so I went and had that tested. Apparently my testosterone level was that of a 70 year old man so I started testosterone replacement therapy. I can say that it is a complete gam…

You should investigate clomiphene citrate instead of testosterone directly. Clomid mutes the brains response to estrogen, the final feedback product of the testosterone cycle. This causes the body to produce more testosterone in the testes rather than front loading the cycle. The primary impact is your testes continue to function, while testosterone over time will chemically castrate you. This has been in use for 60…

>The primary impact is your testes continue to function, while testosterone over time will chemically castrate you.

Anastrozole or HCG (I forget which) should have prevented that

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