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Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

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Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#161

Post by freedomben »

arkades wrote: post #152
Palomides wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HN comments are absolute garbage on anything medical, endless uneducated "theories" and emotional anecdotes you don't need to share your personal backstory, everyone knows someone with mental health or cancer or alzheimer's, your idea that DNA is like compiled code makes me think you should go read a book, and your self-medication is probably not scientifically founded

Physician here, and I cannot emphasize this enough. To the point where I actively avoid most medical/healthcare threads - it’s oppressive to contribute.

I feel the same way when threads come up where I know the area very well. The ignorance and strong opinions from people that don't know what they're talking about can be maddening.

But, the small signal to noise (maybe 1/10 or 1/20) that I often find on HN makes it worth it. I for one appreciate attempts!

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#162

Post by James87211 »

peet2521 wrote: post #141

I came to the comment section to mention other seratonergic drugs that do something similar to what the study mentions. Psilocin is a serotonin 2A agonist, LSD is a 1A agonist (according to a quick google search), and this new drug works on "4" receptors. All of which seem to have similar beneficial therapeutic effects when used properly. In general, I'm very excited to see drugs like these being researched, includin…

"If you're looking for some good content to learn more about this" I can also recommend the book How To Change Your mind by Michael Pollan.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#163

Post by svnt »

simiones wrote: post #50
noduerme wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, because I don't have a great grasp of drugs or biological pathways. The following is my extremely lay understanding: * The reason people started taking MDMA was that it caused their brains to release large bursts of seratonin, which felt good. * Receptors to seratonin tended to be overwhelmed, which caused people in the short term to be unable to achieve the same levels of ecstasy, and in the…

Serotonin doesn't cause you to be happy. Its effects are more basic in some ways, but also more complex in others. It is a chemical which serves a purpose in at least all forms of multi-cellular life, from plants to animals - so you can imagine how old and fundamental its role is. Also, depression is not caused by low serotonin levels: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0 > The main areas of serotonin r…

>> provide no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations

I did not read your paper, but believe parent is making a different claim: it is not lowered serotonin levels or reduced activity, but an increase in receptors (perhaps a proxy for expected serotonin levels) that is causing the problem.

If this paper is specifically addressing serotonin levels or movement I can’t see how it could address receptor density.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#164

Post by freedomben »

Palomides wrote: post #97
pr0zac wrote: post #73

I’ll probably be downvoted for pointing this out but I feel like it’s important. 90% of the comments at the time of my posting this are great examples of the logical fallacy a lot of intelligent people fall into where they think their intelligence in one area means they’re qualified to make assessments or reach conclusions in fields outside of their own. This would be the same error in judgment that’s turned the noot…

HN comments are absolute garbage on anything medical, endless uneducated "theories" and emotional anecdotes you don't need to share your personal backstory, everyone knows someone with mental health or cancer or alzheimer's, your idea that DNA is like compiled code makes me think you should go read a book, and your self-medication is probably not scientifically founded

> your idea that DNA is like compiled code makes me think you should go read a book, and your self-medication is probably not scientifically founded

You're not wrong, but I think this goes against the hacker spirit on which HN is based. People who are curious, like to think, and like to make having a discussion. The theories may be unscientific, but the journey is worth something too. People should definitely maintain a huge dose of humility and socratic ignorance, but I think we'd lose something if we weren't able to throw out potentially dumb ideas and have other smart people shoot them down and tell us why we're wrong. The process in itself can be deeply intellectually satisfying.

I think of it much the way I do when I read philosophy. Go on this thought journey with somebody. Try to understand their position/arguments, try to refute them, then read the refutations of others and repeat.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#165

Post by DrThunder »

pr0zac wrote: post #73

I’ll probably be downvoted for pointing this out but I feel like it’s important. 90% of the comments at the time of my posting this are great examples of the logical fallacy a lot of intelligent people fall into where they think their intelligence in one area means they’re qualified to make assessments or reach conclusions in fields outside of their own. This would be the same error in judgment that’s turned the noot…

Appeal to authority is also a logical fallacy and this essentially what you're presenting.

The idea that everyone's arguments are wrong or should be scrutinized because they're not an authority on the subject is avoiding the actual argument.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#166

Post by bedobi »

pr0zac wrote: post #73

I’ll probably be downvoted for pointing this out but I feel like it’s important. 90% of the comments at the time of my posting this are great examples of the logical fallacy a lot of intelligent people fall into where they think their intelligence in one area means they’re qualified to make assessments or reach conclusions in fields outside of their own. This would be the same error in judgment that’s turned the noot…

> intelligent people fall into where they think their intelligence in one area means they’re qualified to make assessments or reach conclusions in fields outside of their own

you're describing 99.99% of hackernews, lol (and I'm not even sure people here are that intelligent in the first place) (in case anyone is reading this thinking I'm saying I'm intelligent, rest assured I'm not)

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#167

Post by oblak »

Roark66 wrote: post #156
pr0zac wrote: post #73

I’ll probably be downvoted for pointing this out but I feel like it’s important. 90% of the comments at the time of my posting this are great examples of the logical fallacy a lot of intelligent people fall into where they think their intelligence in one area means they’re qualified to make assessments or reach conclusions in fields outside of their own. This would be the same error in judgment that’s turned the noot…

I wish I could upvote your comment twice. Based on my observation how a childhood friend of mine was treated for a psychiatric condition I think all of the "science" of using drugs to treat mental issues is at the level of advancement comparable to medieval blacksmiths doing dentistry. It essentially comes down to "hey, try this, are you better or worse, worse? Try something else. Better, have more of it". All the th…

Sadly, what we have is bro science vs super cozy doctors and pharma industry. One group is largely ignorant, while the other wants to make money. You shouldn't trust either one blindly.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#168

Post by dmbche »

noduerme wrote: post #41
freehorse wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This warning can never be overstated for 5-HTP. Higher doses/longer term use can have a lot of negative effects in the heart, as well as in the serotonin and dopamine system (even up to serotonin syndrome in the most extreme cases). A major problem is that the body does not have mechanisms to regulate conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin (5-HT), which is not a really good property of a supplement. One should do their sea…

Correct me if I'm wrong, because I don't have a great grasp of drugs or biological pathways. The following is my extremely lay understanding: * The reason people started taking MDMA was that it caused their brains to release large bursts of seratonin, which felt good. * Receptors to seratonin tended to be overwhelmed, which caused people in the short term to be unable to achieve the same levels of ecstasy, and in the…

If anything it's probably the other way around - I'd posit that the portion of the population the does mdma, speed and the like is on aberage more depressed than someone "sober". Chicken and egg

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#169

Post by CyrsBel »

coldtea wrote: post #57
DiscourseFan wrote: post #19

Something in our industrial processes must be screwing with people's serotonin levels because Psychedelics and other serotenergic drugs are becoming the defacto treatment method for a whole host of ailments. I personally suffer from IBS, migraines, sleeping problems, and mood swings, if I haven't taken a dose of psychedelics in the last 6 months. Now, getting regular exercise, eating well, staying hydrated, sleeping…

> Now, getting regular exercise, eating well, staying hydrated, sleeping 8 hours a night, spending time with friends, sexual and emotional fulfillment, and performing fulfilling labor, that will get you 80% or even 100% towards fixing most, if not all your problems. Each of those is quite harder to achieve these days (due to work pressure, everpresent and ever-promoted processed foods, screen time, a borked dating sc…

They are easier to achieve than before. All of them. Just do it.

Work pressure? Work less and push back if you need to, there's an abundance of easy jobs. Processed foods? Eat whole foods. Screen time? Use less screen. Borked dating scene? Not at all, work on yourself. Abundance of crap jobs? That means easy to get 1 or 2 of them and just coast a bit while working on self.

People complain too much.

Re: Serotonin booster leads to increased functional brain connectivity

#170

Post by freedomben »

simiones wrote: post #115
dumpsterdiver wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Intelligence doesn't beget humility. I completely disagree. Imo, a truly intelligent person understands well that they cannot carry the world upon their shoulders, and from that realization they are humbled.

By that criterion though, people like Edsger Dijkstra or Stephen Hawking would not be considered truly intelligent people. I think many would consider such a definition bizarre.

Citation may be needed for both of our statements, because my recollection from reading Hawking's book and other things is that he had a sense of humility about things he didn't understand, just like any good scientist must lest they lead to incorrect conclusions.
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