Posted by Lao Tzu on July 14, 2010, at 11:18:52
In reply to Re: Holy Basil Rocks!))) Morgan, posted by morgan miller on July 13, 2010, at 10:36:17
Hey, Morgan. How's it going today? You asked what brand of Holy Basil I am trying. New Chapter. It seems like a good quality product. I am going to try staying on just 400mg per day because 800mg made me just a little bit too calm, which I don't like. I like to be at least a little more alert. I think it is great that you are still working even two days a week and that you might go back to grad school. My last girlfriend was a social worker and worked with children and their parents, mostly very young children with problems at home. She's a saint!
I lost my job five years ago because I was taking off too much time due to the bipolar, so I know what you're going through. The illness seems to take over your life and then you become too sick to attend to your responsibilities. Don't worry about it though. There are always other opportunities out there. Now for me, it's going to be difficult to find work because I haven't had a steady job in five years. However, my doctor has cleared me to go back to work, so I'd better do it sooner than later, or else prospective employers are going to look at me and wonder why I haven't worked in so long. I'm going to have to find a good excuse without telling them I have schizophrenia. If I tell them that, there's no way I'll get a job. There is still a degree of discrimination against the mentally ill. Still, I'm technically not schizophrenic anymore because of my treatment. I am much better, so I don't try to label myself as mentally ill. I was very sick about five years ago, but those days have come and gone. I might be ready to go on with my life soon. We'll see. Just taking baby steps. I must say, you are trying, though difficult it is for you, but at least you realize you aren't too afraid to try something. That's a really big step that I myself haven't taken yet. Keep doing what you're doing. It's a good thing. I, myself had a serious breakdown about five years ago, and when I lost my job, I was a basket case. I have recovered quite a bit since then, but I'm still having to deal with some lingering negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Today, I tried taking my taurine again, and I think it is really helpful to me. It seems to help with the depression, and it is one of the few amino acids that I actually respond to. I'm thinking about trying L-carnitine in addition, you know, because the combination of L-taurine and L-carnitine may be good for the brain. L-taurine is one of the amino acids that is recommended for bipolar. The combination of the two may be good for increased physical endurance. I got that from drinking Monster Energy last winter, and I could actually shovel all of the snow at my house without getting too tired. The L-carnitine is supposedly good for muscle endurance, not so much for mental fatigue. You would need Acetyl-l-carnitine for brain power, but I had tried ALCAR in the past and felt it didn't give me as much brain power as I would have liked so I stopped taking it. It might be different now since I'm taking other vitamins that enhance energy. Maybe it would work better now than it did before. ALCAR is more expensive than simple L-carnitine, but if you need muscle endurance, L-carnitine may be the way to go and ALCAR for brain improvement. It's said that as we age, we need more carnitine in our diets. Well, that's all for today. Have a good day!!Lao
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:951856
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100703/msgs/954454.html