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ta24090811

3 karma · joined September 8, 2024

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ta24090811··on Rethinking addiction as a chronic brain disease
ADHD is strongly correlated with both obesity [1] and addiction [2]

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3859965/

[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01651...

ta24090811··on Rethinking addiction as a chronic brain disease
That's what I thought, too.

It's not all rainbows, though. One thing I have to do is to set an alarm to drink water (otherwise I'll spend 6, 8 hours without water and have a headache).

Also, I might be the perfect Ozempic patient as I just entered the prediabetes spectrum with 5.7% glycated hemoglobin and have high muscle mass.

ta24090811··on Rethinking addiction as a chronic brain disease
Alcohol, socially. Before I'd have 3 or 4 drinks, now it's 1 or 2. Sometimes I don't feel like drinking at all.

My perception of some foods is different as well. For instance, as I mentioned, fat still tastes good but doesn't attract me as much any more. Fish otoh tastes much better.

ta24090811··on Rethinking addiction as a chronic brain disease
Personal anectode / not a doctor / YMMV.

I started Ozempic about 3 months ago, prescribed by a nutrologist, first with the minimal weekly dose of 0.25mg, then 0.5mg, now back to 0.25mg to control my glucose levels (prediabetes). During this period, I lost about 25 lbs, which is fine (but I lose weight easily, just by exercising, so I wouldn't call this phenomenal by itself).

The biggest difference I felt was indeed in gain of control, being more aware of my body and living in the moment. I've been practicing meditation for a long time, and what I can say is that the drug keeps you in a medidative state for longer (most of the week).

The result is that I still like fatty foods and sweets, but I don't crave them. Binge eating has stopped, and all addictive/obsessive behavior, including social network / news sites / porn consumption has stopped.

I am normaly hyperfocused, but my standard m.o. has been peaks of absurdly high performance interspaced with a hiatus of low productivity/creativity. Right now, the the ability to focus on what I want/need to instead of what serendipity brings my way has been awesome.