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The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

mosaicscience.com

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Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#151

Post by acct1771 »

stochastic_monk wrote: post #111
andai wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you seen him before and after smoking up? Anecdotally (my own eyes) cannabis does not improve schizophrenia. Interestingly, administering enough THC to a healthy adult will produce schizophrenia and psychosis type symptoms, while administering CBD to a psychotic person was found in one study to work as well as first-line antipsychotics (and with fewer side-effects). Unfortunately almost all modern cannabis hybri…

I haven't seen him in a very long time. It doesn't treat the psychosis, as I mentioned, but it seems to help the anxiety and distress that it causes. I don't know what balance of THC/CBD he chooses to consume. I think that if he smokes enough of anything besides THC-only strains, he should get some benefit from it. I should give him a call and inquire sometime. (I live on the opposite coast.) I know that one can buy…

Head shop near me sells CBD isolate, and hemp (CBD ONLY) strains. Good luck to your friend.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#152

Post by acct1771 »

uhhyeahdude wrote: post #44
somecallitblues wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever tried something like magic mushrooms to perhaps rewire your brain? To remove that everyday filter for several hours and flood your brain with totally new experiences and a new way of looking at things. I think it's worth a shot but you'd have to do it in a controlled environment with people you like and who understand you.

I have, yes. I've had several moderate-heavy psilocibin experiences, each during a major transitional period. I consider [mushrooms] excellent medicine for certain people, in certain doses, at certain stages of development (phenomenological and ontological, not developmental). That said, I cannot in good conscience encourage their use in the context of someone else's mental health, given the really quite serious poss…

Not "rewire", but open new neural pathways, and untangle others.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#153

Post by sky_rw »

uhhyeahdude wrote: post #91
dorfsmay wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fasting is scientifically studied. Google Jason Fung and Valter Lonngo.

I'm sorry, I think I was unclear; I totally agree with you that the benefits of fasting are well documented and extensively studied. In addition to conveying possible mental benefit, the fasting is an attempt on my part to feel hunger again. I recognize that probably does not come off well, but I'm never hungry. It's been years. I don't eat all the time, I just eat when I feel like it. I remember times when I was act…

100%. This was the mind blowing realization the first time I fasted for a good 24+ hours. Feeling ACTUAL hunger, and realizing that what I normally associated as hunger was either thirst or restlessness.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#154

Post by naasking »

stagbeetle wrote: post #55
uhhyeahdude wrote: post #17

How very odd for me to find this on HN this evening. I'm on "day 2" of my once a week sleep fast, which means things are a bit surreal to begin with. For each of the last seven weeks, I stay awake from Thursday morning until my "regular" bedtime hour Friday evening. I do this because it actually seems to be an effective way to avoid falling into a hole of anhedonia and "stuck-ness." I am hip to many of the cognitive…

May I suggest polyphasic sleeping? I've been doing the dymaxion schedule (30 minutes every 6 hours) and my anhedonia is pretty much gone. What's in place, however, is pure euphoria. It may be difficult for some, because the personality differences are huge, but if you cannot keep up exerting tremendous effort into living, it could be a possible change. My only worries starting, was that I was too relaxed and calm. It…

Sounds interesting, but it seems only those with a particular gene can properly adapt to it?

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#155

Post by obmelvin »

grzm wrote: post #131
obmelvin wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ugh. Carbs are fuel. Cutting out the specifics you mentioned are good, but generally cutting out carbs is not good for most people.

Carbs are one source of fuel/calories. Fats are another, and protein as well (albeit to a much lesser extent).

Yes, but if you look at studies for the vast majority of people the common denominator across diets like the GP mentioned is improved diet quality and eating less. Most people don't need to remove carbs themselves. Sure, pasta is refined grain etc, but if you are well and not overeating then there's nothing wrong with it. A (if not the) primary problem is that people tend to overeat things that contain lots of carbs and/or fats that fail to satiete.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#156

Post by grzm »

obmelvin wrote: post #155
grzm wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Carbs are one source of fuel/calories. Fats are another, and protein as well (albeit to a much lesser extent).

Yes, but if you look at studies for the vast majority of people the common denominator across diets like the GP mentioned is improved diet quality and eating less. Most people don't need to remove carbs themselves. Sure, pasta is refined grain etc, but if you are well and not overeating then there's nothing wrong with it. A (if not the) primary problem is that people tend to overeat things that contain lots of carbs…

To your point, restricting carbs in those diets is one of the keys to eating less. You mention (and rightly so) that "people tend to overeat things that contain lots of carbs and/or fats that fail to satiate": if there aren't carbs in the mix, fats (and protein) satiate more quickly (and for longer) than when accompanied by a hefty portion of carbs.

'djsumdog pointed out diets that many have found successful and meet the requirements that 'georka mentioned, moving the conversation forward constructively. If you have diets suggestions that also meet those requirements, or constructive criticism that 'georka's or 'djsumdog's points are off base and have alternatives, great!

As for "Most people don't need to remove carbs", at least in the US, while complete removal isn't necessary, I believe many could benefit from restricting their carb intake, keeping everything else constant (as long as they're getting adequate protein and vitamins/minerals). Whether that's due to shifting the macronutrient balance or just from the reduced caloric input, they should see a benefit, and likely will not feel hungry. It sounds like you agree that low carb diets can benefit people. In that case, if you have other diets you prefer, offer them up constructively (though likely elsewhere, as this is now well-off the beaten path of this thread).

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#157

Post by alexozer »

Saw this article and decided to try to roll over my half-phase-out-of-sync horrific sleep schedule by staying awake through the next day. My mind was nowhere near fully functional from the period of 6pm the first day through 11:30pm the next, but I somehow managed to experience a sense of urgency and elatedness I may have forgotten how to feel over the last few years, and got some work done to boot.

Unfortunately I'm back as hopeless as ever today, but I would be willing to bet with a little more discipline it'd be a pretty great way to at the very least quickly restore a sleep-early wake-early sleep schedule.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#158

Post by LeighoBeigho »

entwife wrote: post #128
caseymarquis wrote: post #67

This article confuses depression and bipolar disorder quite a bit. They're inducing mania through sleep deprivation in patients with bipolar disorder going through a period of depression. This is somewhat dangerous, as mania can have severe consequences. The article even states that there's a 95% relapse into depression for those not taking lithium. Only people with BPD take lithium. It's not about the lithium, it's…

What Shikadi said. Also, if you tend toward bipolar (manic/depressive episodes), maintaining a constant sleep schedule can keep you out of the extreme highs and lows.

Good point. Losing too much sleep as a bipolar can interfere with patience and decision- making once you get into those highs.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#159

Post by LeighoBeigho »

On the herbals: Fishoil gel tablets work very well for depression, if you don't mind some occasional fish smell. They keep me very clear when I take them. Caveat: If you have MAOI inhibitor issues you gotta make sure you can take certain supplements safely. This is a great discussion and the 2nd time I have heard of the positive impacts of sleep deprivation on depression (SD/D). 1st time I didn't buy it because lack of sleep, unless I am working on a project, makes me amped up and close to rowdy. I use the rowdiness to workout, walk, skateboard or bike; all of the above manages depression and absorbs high energy. Hearing so many intellectual viewpoints on YC makes the SD/D argument more believable.I thought I was the only one with this issue.

Re: The antidepressant effect of sleep deprivation

#160

Post by KurtMueller »

hihungryimdad wrote: post #60

Roughly 2 years ago I fell into a depression because of debilitating anxiety. The anxiety would keep me awake through the night. Low and behold the whole next day the depression and anxiety would be gone. I wouldn't be overly tired either, so the trade off was fine. This would happen roughly once or twice a week. Always, the next day following a sleepless night I pretty much felt 'normal'. Eventually I swallowed my p…

The symptoms you described in your first paragraph describe what I'm currently going through to a tee. Theses symptoms only started about a week ago for me.

Day 1: Debilitating anxiety, can't concentrate.

Night 1: Can't sleep, overwhelmed by anxious rumination.

Day 2: Anxiety eventually subsides because I'm so exhausted. By the evening, I'm feeling like my old self again - I might have anxious thoughts but they don't become obsessive ruminations.

Night 2: Sleep well. Repeat cycle.

---

I'm glad you got better. Hopefully the same will happen for me as well.

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