# Sluggish Cognitive Tempo



## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

There's already a thread about SCT on here, but it appears to be overlooked and forgotten.

I'm pretty certain I have SCT and that it is linked pretty strongly to my SA. In fact, I'm beginning to think SCT might interfere with my ability to socialize more than anxiety does.

I think I tend to come across as dumb, clumsy, and boring to most people. I've always blamed anxiety for the fact that I could only act in a way that would cause people to feel this way about me. Thing is, I have been doing very well with the anxiety component of my social inhibition recently, but I'm still only able to act mostly normal and feel fairly confident in social situations on rare occasions. Most of the time I'm seriously so "dumb" that I simply can't think clearly enough to really participate in a conversation.

I'm also severely unmotivated, and even though I want and need to start being a responsible adult, I seriously can't even _force_ myself to do things a lot of times. My mind refuses to cooperate.

I had a mysterious break in my SA for about a week and a half (up until about two days ago). I also felt very motivated and was able to enjoy things, rather than just feeling like I'm trudging through life because that's all there is to do. It vanished just as unexpectedly as it appeared.

I also find that depressants, typically the "magic bullet" for SA, or at least as close to one as exists, help me very little if at all, and sometimes make my SA even worse by making me depressed. Even large amounts of alcohol help me only slightly. My SA seems to respond much better to drugs and supplements that increase dopamine levels (though simultaneous dopamine and gaba action helps even more). Though I didn't really understand it at the time, SSRIs mostly killed my anxiety, but made the SCT worse, which is why I thought they were working at first but gave them up when I realized I wasn't significantly improving.

Does anyone else deal with this? Have you found anything that helps?


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

Are people afraid to associate themselves with this disorder because of the name? I would have guessed that SCT was an attempt to create an official, politically correct medical diagnosis for stupidity if I only heard the name. That's not what it is, though! It's basically an underrecognized form of attention deficit disorder. Those who seek help for this or related problems are often diagnosed with primarily inattentive ADD (I was). 

...Or is there really almost nobody here who can relate?


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## alan78 (Feb 3, 2012)

Hey

I just found out about this last week. I also suffer from social anxiety but now i'm sure its secondry and SCT is the route of all my problems. I'm sure there will be loads of people with SA that have this disorder or undiagnosed ADHD-Inatentive.

I live in the uk and i'm currently trying to find out the best treatment for this, i watched a video with Russell Barkley ( 22mins in onwards 



 ) speaking about SCT, and he mentions Concerta as a treatment.

Can totally relate to everything your saying in your posts.


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## Mecnun (Jul 15, 2012)

alan78 said:


> Can totally relate to everything your saying in your posts.


Idem.

Over the years I have come to realize that the anxiety is actually only a secondary problem for me, what troubles me much more are the SCT symptoms. I have never brought these symtptoms up before to a psychologist, but today for the first time I did to a new one. He didn't seem to know what SCT is, but after hearing out my whole story he decided to direct me to a psychiatrist for an extensive examination. I hope the psychiatrist will make the right diagnosis and recommend something working.


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

He says in the video that stimulants haven't shown much promise for helping this issue. He also says that the study only used concerta (ritalin). I read an article that made the same claim about ritalin, but also said that adderal _in small doses_ has been found to help significantly. This fits with my own (very limited) experience with prescription stimulants.

I was prescribed guanfacine awhile back, and that was a mixed bag. If you're not familiar, it activates a specific type of norepinephrine receptor that is most highly concentrated in the prefrontal cortex. The activation of all these norepinephrine receptors causes the body to react by reducing the amount of norepinephrine in your system. As a result, guanfacine acts like a stimulant in your prefrontal cortex while having an, erm... anti-stimulant? effect everywhere else in your body. The result is essentially a drug that helps with some of the main issues inherent in ADD but with side effects that are almost completely the opposite (lethargy, low heart rate/blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, increased appetite, etc).

My memory and focus problems dissolved, and I felt significantly calmer around people. It also made me more tired and lethargic, however, and while it did enable me to force myself to get things done most of the time, it actually reduced my ability to really feel motivated. I eventually chose not to stick with it because it lessened my ability to feel pleasure and enjoy things similarly to, but not as dramatically as, SSRIs.


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## alan78 (Feb 3, 2012)

Hey, i would say SCT is definatly the cause of all my problems. Was just watching that youtube clip again and the medication he seems to mention is Strattera, i think i will speak to my GP and see if this is available in UK. Fingers crossed and if so i will keep you guys posted.

Will have to check out what the side affects are, thats the only thing about meds, i was on seroxat for years and it helped me greatly, but the sexual side effects are horrible. If that doesnt bother you though its a med that worked wonders for me. I stopped taking it though and when i tried to go back on it afew years later it never had the same affect on me sadly.

I also have my final appointment with a psychologist on monday, she knows about my add but i'm going to tell her about SCT. I am also going to ask her about Strattera, its a nightmare trying to get recognition here in the uk, the health service are years behind when it comes to ADD. Will let you know how i get on.


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

Sorry for resurrecting a dead thread, but I wanted to bring something up for the few other people on here struggling with this.

First of all... I'm not sure if I have SCT or not. I was smoking weed pretty heavily when I started this thread, which kinda makes me an idiot since marijuana is obviously going to induce some SCT-like symptoms.

Even so - and this is the main thing I want to bring up - I started taking DMAE while I was still smoking to combat the supposed SCT. It has its unpleasant side effects, but the benefits far outweigh them, to the point that I'm still taking it and don't plan to stop any time soon. I had significant benefits even while I was still smoking weed.

I stopped smoking about a month ago when I moved back to Indiana, and felt in some ways like my SCT/ADHDI converted into something closer to the traditional form of ADHD.

I forgot to take my DMAE one day, and couldn't figure out why my short-term and working memory seemed to die on me. I drove to Barnes and Noble that day just to chill and bum their free wifi, but I ended up taking a lot of detours since I kept forgetting where I was going. When I got there, I got out of the car and was actually looking at the building and couldn't remember why I'd come there, or if that was where I even intended to be.

I eventually realized I forgot to take my daily DMAE. I took an extra large dose the next morning and felt incredibly sharp all day. It really seems to help a lot with all of the symptoms I've associated with SCT. The only reason I don't see it as some kind of amazing cure is that I still have some trouble feeling motivated, though not as much as before I started taking it.

I highly recommend trying DMAE if you're still struggling with SCT. If you're curious, it works by converting to acetylcholine in your body. The side effects can include some sore, stiff muscles, especially in the neck and shoulders. It also raises blood pressure and makes your heart beat harder, but unlike traditional norepinephrine and dopamine-based medications typically used for ADD, it should, in theory at least, slow your heart rate down. The most annoying side effect for me has been cramps in my fingers. Sometimes they get locked and I have to stretch and massage them a bit to regain control over them. Honestly, I see it as a small price to pay in light of the benefits.


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## ihatemoving (Aug 28, 2012)

Same exact situation, didn't know it could be diagnosable as some sort of condition, interesting.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Sluggish cognitive skills can be a direct result of low testosterone levels. I have struggled with my cognition in the last few years, as a result my ADD doc just mindlessly tried to treat the symptoms by giving me amphetamines. Of course if you never treat the cause, it only gets worse and worse. I eventually figured out on my own(no help from dumbass ADD doc of course), that my testosterone levels were at an all time low at the age of (now 26). Replacing these takes time, but I am confident that once my T levels are back to nominal levels, my cognition problems will be resolved, in addition to an ENTIRE SLEW of other symptoms. 

When dumbass doctors were in charge, they would mindlessly try and treat my symptoms instead of trying to isolate the cause, ie. giving me up to 11 different trials of anti-depressants, none of which would curb my depressive spiral. I figured out that testosterone is required for the production of serotonin, so what is the point of trying to re-uptake serotonin if there is nothing there??

You have to work your way UP the stream of your symptoms till you can isolate the cause, rather then trying to treat all the resulting deltas of symptoms down river!


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

Noca said:


> Sluggish cognitive skills can be a direct result of low testosterone levels. I have struggled with my cognition in the last few years, as a result my ADD doc just mindlessly tried to treat the symptoms by giving me amphetamines. Of course if you never treat the cause, it only gets worse and worse. I eventually figured out on my own(no help from dumbass ADD doc of course), that my testosterone levels were at an all time low at the age of (now 26). Replacing these takes time, but I am confident that once my T levels are back to nominal levels, my cognition problems will be resolved, in addition to an ENTIRE SLEW of other symptoms.
> 
> When dumbass doctors were in charge, they would mindlessly try and treat my symptoms instead of trying to isolate the cause, ie. giving me up to 11 different trials of anti-depressants, none of which would curb my depressive spiral. I figured out that testosterone is required for the production of serotonin, so what is the point of trying to re-uptake serotonin if there is nothing there??
> 
> You have to work your way UP the stream of your symptoms till you can isolate the cause, rather then trying to treat all the resulting deltas of symptoms down river!


How did you figure out that you have low testosterone without a doctor? Don't you need a blood test for that, and therefore a doctor?

I've been curious if this might be a problem for me as well, but I don't have health insurance or a job or money, and I'm not about to drop money I don't have on some OTC testosterone boosters when I don't even know for sure that that's the problem.


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Noca: what type of trt protocol are you on right now (amount and frequency of use)?

Beamer: you wouldn't use a testosterone booster, you'd wanna use bio-identical hormone replacement.. ie testosterone cypionate or something of the like


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Also Noca, how long have you been on the treatment, and are you noticing any positive changes with anything yet? please either keep us updated on your progress or start your own thread to document this, as this is very interesting- I too have long suspected my anxiety problems along with a whole host of other things to be related to low testosterone and am currently trying to get treated for it


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Beamer said:


> How did you figure out that you have low testosterone without a doctor? Don't you need a blood test for that, and therefore a doctor?
> 
> I've been curious if this might be a problem for me as well, but I don't have health insurance or a job or money, and I'm not about to drop money I don't have on some OTC testosterone boosters when I don't even know for sure that that's the problem.


I didn't need the doctor's idea, simply his pen to the blood test requisition form.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

NateDEEzy said:


> Also Noca, how long have you been on the treatment, and are you noticing any positive changes with anything yet? please either keep us updated on your progress or start your own thread to document this, as this is very interesting- I too have long suspected my anxiety problems along with a whole host of other things to be related to low testosterone and am currently trying to get treated for it


I am on androgel 1% @ 5.0g qd. I have been on it for 1.5 months, prior to that I was on Injections of Delatestryl 300mg q ~ 2 weeks since January. I still experience hot flashes, but not quite as much fatigue. My depression has improved DRASTICALLY, and my generalized anxiety is mostly gone, but SA is still there related to how I perceive my physical appearance. My appetite is also up, but body mass is down. My T levels have improved but are still very low.


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Noca said:


> I am on androgel 1% @ 5.0g qd. I have been on it for 1.5 months, prior to that I was on Injections of Delatestryl 300mg q ~ 2 weeks since January. I still experience hot flashes, but not quite as much fatigue. My depression has improved DRASTICALLY, and my generalized anxiety is mostly gone, but SA is still there related to how I perceive my physical appearance. My appetite is also up, but body mass is down. My T levels have improved but are still very low.


Thanks for responding!! Did you ever consider doing more frequent injections at a lower dose, say approx 100-150mg testosterone cypionate E5d's? I've done over 2 years research on this but I recently found out that you can inject testosterone SubQ instead of intramuscularly. If you go on Dr. Crisler's website (a well known TRT doctor) he said there's always been speculation as to whether or not this was possible, and actually sat back while other doctors tested it for a while, and eventually they found that it works, which is great bc you can pin more frequently without having to poke so many holes into your muscle. In fact, the Dr. Crisler uses this method himself as he demonstrates in the video he posted. Additionally, did you ever take hcg or an aromatase inhibitor (AI)? It appears the cutting edge treatment involves injection T (once a week being the longest between injections), hcg (which prevents your body from shutting down its natural production, resulting in higher levels using smaller doses of T) and an AI (which keeps estrogen in check, bc too high estrogen or too low estrogen result in feeling sh**ty). I'm glad the androgel is helping, but if it is not doing what you hoped it would, I would highly recommend looking in to a protocol similar to what I mentioned.

Either way, best of luck, I hope you continue to feel better and better!!


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Opps I forgot to mention, the hot flashes might be due to elevated estrogen levels, have you had E2 measured during any of your recent blood tests?


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

I'm a little weary of this idea of hormone augmentation... Isn't it conceivable that replacing testosterone unnaturally would cause your body to stop producing what little it makes over time? 

Surely there is some cause for abnormally low testosterone levels? I doubt it just happens for no reason whatsoever. Wouldn't it make more sense to address the cause of the problem rather than trying to indirectly compensate for it?


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Beamer said:


> I'm a little weary of this idea of hormone augmentation... Isn't it conceivable that replacing testosterone unnaturally would cause your body to stop producing what little it makes over time?
> 
> Surely there is some cause for abnormally low testosterone levels? I doubt it just happens for no reason whatsoever. Wouldn't it make more sense to address the cause of the problem rather than trying to indirectly compensate for it?


The thing is, ur already augmenting your hormones whether u know it or not via all the environmental estrogens we all consume in our food and in our water every day. The same environmental estrogens that scientists found are turning male fish into females, and causes the male populations sperm count to continually drop and be approx half or less than that of a man in the 1950's, watch the documentary 'the disappearing male' and you'll see what all I'm talking about. So its kinda like ur already on hormone replacement in the form of additional estrogen which is not good for men.

Additionally, yes introducing exogenous testosterone will lower natural production, but 2 things, this is what hcg is used for (it acts to prevent this) and also as you get older, your levels naturally drop, so that coupled with a lifetime of excess estrogens introduced to your body, it really wouldn't even do much good to worry about natural shutdown cuz ur natural levels are already shot anyway. And living with low t posts many more health risks than supplementing and raising t to healthy levels. Anyway, even if replacement t were dangerous, which if u do it right, its not and would actually likely extend life rather than shorten it, but even if it did shorten life, id trade living 5 or 10 less years and feel great and be excited for life than live the extra 10, all along the way feeling shi**y and not enjoying my life.


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## Robert Paulson (Apr 11, 2012)

Beamer said:


> I'm a little weary of this idea of hormone augmentation... Isn't it conceivable that replacing testosterone unnaturally would cause your body to stop producing what little it makes over time?
> 
> Surely there is some cause for abnormally low testosterone levels? I doubt it just happens for no reason whatsoever. Wouldn't it make more sense to address the cause of the problem rather than trying to indirectly compensate for it?


It could be a medical condition. Like with type I diabetes, they can't make insulin, so they have to inject it daily. Or thyroid conditions. But yeah I get what you're saying though. The only question is, what is the cause? Its not always easy to figure out. I'm sure there's cases where hitting the gym and eating right is all you need, for others more drastic measures somteims iror rya


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Taking hCG(human chorionic gonadotropin) in addition to hormone replacement will keep the body producing its own testosterone in addition to the HRT. Also, the increased risk of prostate cancer is only due to having TOO much testosterone added, which can be avoided if you just have your levels monitored.

The disease where the body has a chronic endocrine deficiency is called Addison's disease.


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## jc22 (Jul 5, 2012)

If this is a real thing then I definitelely have it. And I associate myself with bring (reasonably) clever so it really makes me insecure


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## Beamer (May 28, 2012)

Noca said:


> Taking hCG(human chorionic gonadotropin) in addition to hormone replacement will keep the body producing its own testosterone in addition to the HRT. Also, the increased risk of prostate cancer is only due to having TOO much testosterone added, which can be avoided if you just have your levels monitored.
> 
> The disease where the body has a chronic endocrine deficiency is called Addison's disease.


Ah, but how do you know how much is too much? Especially if you haven't had any testing done to find out exactly how deficient you are?

I didn't even think of the prostate cancer thing until you mentioned it. That makes me more hesitant than anything else does, considering prostate cancer is already imminent thanks to my genes. It killed my grandfather, and my dad got his prostate removed before they actually had "proof" that he had cancer - they just noticed a slight rise in something in his blood tests that, while still in the normal range, was considered reason enough to take action just to be safe. And then the cancer _still_ "came back" somehow. He's getting treatment and is fine for now, but I imagine it will return someday.

It seems PC is imprinted pretty powerfully on the genes from my father's side of the family. I'd really rather not trigger it any earlier than necessary... :cry


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Beamer said:


> Ah, but how do you know how much is too much? Especially if you haven't had any testing done to find out exactly how deficient you are?
> 
> I didn't even think of the prostate cancer thing until you mentioned it. That makes me more hesitant than anything else does, considering prostate cancer is already imminent thanks to my genes. It killed my grandfather, and my dad got his prostate removed before they actually had "proof" that he had cancer - they just noticed a slight rise in something in his blood tests that, while still in the normal range, was considered reason enough to take action just to be safe. And then the cancer _still_ "came back" somehow. He's getting treatment and is fine for now, but I imagine it will return someday.
> 
> It seems PC is imprinted pretty powerfully on the genes from my father's side of the family. I'd really rather not trigger it any earlier than necessary... :cry


Actually it's kinda speculated that estrogen is the true culprit, which is why old men and not young men (with high testosterone) are the ones who get prostrate cancer. As men age, their testosterone begins to drop and estrogen rises, so it doesn't make much sense to tie testosterone as the cause, as it would then make more sense that younger men would be the ones more susceptible to prostate cancer, as their testosterone is higher than than of an older man. Additionally, African American men have higher rates of prostate cancer. why this happens is, their testosterone is generally higher than whites, however, as they get older their testosterone begins to drop at a faster rate than a white man, and by their 40's or so, their testosterone levels are actually lower than white men. Therefore, we can see how it doesn't make much sense to tie testosterone to prostate cancer, and instead, it would likely be more plausible to link it to low testosterone or high estrogen. Therefore, you'd probably be taking a larger risk by living with low testosterone.


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Additionally, as I mentioned before, id much rather die a few years early and actually enjoy my life than live a few extra years and be unhappy along the way.


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## Zarthusis (Jan 16, 2013)

Noca said:


> Sluggish cognitive skills can be a direct result of low testosterone levels. I have struggled with my cognition in the last few years, as a result my ADD doc just mindlessly tried to treat the symptoms by giving me amphetamines. Of course if you never treat the cause, it only gets worse and worse. I eventually figured out on my own(no help from dumbass ADD doc of course), that my testosterone levels were at an all time low at the age of (now 26). Replacing these takes time, but I am confident that once my T levels are back to nominal levels, my cognition problems will be resolved, in addition to an ENTIRE SLEW of other symptoms.
> 
> When dumbass doctors were in charge, they would mindlessly try and treat my symptoms instead of trying to isolate the cause, ie. giving me up to 11 different trials of anti-depressants, none of which would curb my depressive spiral. I figured out that testosterone is required for the production of serotonin, so what is the point of trying to re-uptake serotonin if there is nothing there??
> 
> You have to work your way UP the stream of your symptoms till you can isolate the cause, rather then trying to treat all the resulting deltas of symptoms down river!


I know this is an old thread, but Thank You. I think you're right about this. I've been on adderall for 4 years, and all though it does work. I'ts making things worse. My cognitive tempo is at a trickling drip. I've tried to quit and I'm very forgetfull and unmotivated. I'm done with the MD all he cares about is pushing more pills. I've diagnosed myself, It's odd, I'm not new age or super spirtual, but it feels like life has been throwing things my way to show me that my problem is low T levels. I had a friend call me and just ramble on about testosterone for about an hour. He said his brother was lazy, tired, unmotivated, forgetful, and the doctor said his T levels were extremely low. They got his T levels up and he feels like he has a brand new life. So I shelved that conversation in the back of my mind. I'm then at the book store and come across a tiny book called Indium. It's about a trace mineral that no body has in their diet, yet it works miracles in the body. It restores all hormone levels back to normal, restores youthful energy, weight loss and mental clarity. I haven't been fortunate to find the answer I'm looking for from the medical field, but Life is trying to tell me my T levels are low.

In the days of my grandfathers, both ww2 vets the average T level was 800-1500 and that was normal. Now they tell you if your in the 200-800 range your fine. Something is not right, GMO, processed foods, MSG, etc is killing us and making men a bunch of sissies. Anyways, Thanks for the info


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## Zarthusis (Jan 16, 2013)

Noca said:


> Sluggish cognitive skills can be a direct result of low testosterone levels. I have struggled with my cognition in the last few years, as a result my ADD doc just mindlessly tried to treat the symptoms by giving me amphetamines. Of course if you never treat the cause, it only gets worse and worse. I eventually figured out on my own(no help from dumbass ADD doc of course), that my testosterone levels were at an all time low at the age of (now 26). Replacing these takes time, but I am confident that once my T levels are back to nominal levels, my cognition problems will be resolved, in addition to an ENTIRE SLEW of other symptoms.
> 
> When dumbass doctors were in charge, they would mindlessly try and treat my symptoms instead of trying to isolate the cause, ie. giving me up to 11 different trials of anti-depressants, none of which would curb my depressive spiral. I figured out that testosterone is required for the production of serotonin, so what is the point of trying to re-uptake serotonin if there is nothing there??
> 
> You have to work your way UP the stream of your symptoms till you can isolate the cause, rather then trying to treat all the resulting deltas of symptoms down river!


I know this is an old thread, but Thank You. I think you're right about this. I've been on adderall for 4 years, and all though it does work. I'ts making things worse. My cognitive tempo is at a trickling drip. I've tried to quit and I'm very forgetfull and unmotivated. I'm done with the MD all he cares about is pushing more pills. I've diagnosed myself, It's odd, I'm not new age or super spirtual, but it feels like life has been throwing things my way to show me that my problem is low T levels. I had a friend call me and just ramble on about testosterone for about an hour. He said his brother was lazy, tired, unmotivated, forgetful, and the doctor said his T levels were extremely low. They got his T levels up and he feels like he has a brand new life. So I shelved that conversation in the back of my mind. I'm then at the book store and come across a tiny book called Indium. It's about a trace mineral that nobody has in their diet, yet it works miracles in the human body. It restores all hormone levels back to normal, restores youthful energy, weight loss and mental clarity. I haven't been unfortunate to find the answer I'm looking for from the medical field, but Life is trying to tell me my T levels are low.

In the days of my grandfathers, both ww2 vets the average T level was 800-1500 and that was normal. Now they tell you if your in the 200-800 range your fine. Something is not right, GMO, processed foods, MSG, etc is killing us and making men a bunch of sissies. Anyways, Thanks for the info


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## The Sleeping Dragon (Sep 29, 2011)

> Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is an attention disorder characterized by the individual being daydreamy, mentally foggy, easily confused, and staring frequently. Individuals also have symptoms of hypoactivity, lethargy, slow movement, and even sleepiness.





> Unlike ADHD, the general causes of SCT symptoms are unknown.





> Treatment of SCT has not been well investigated.





> The prognosis of SCT is unknown.





> Currently the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is working on creating the DSM-5. In the published preliminary draft revisions,[24] APA writes that more research is needed to assess the "sluggish cognitive tempo" construct


The characteristics fit me completely. But I would like to say that you should be careful about what you think you have or have not. My first instinct was to think yes I do have this. But how do I know? I'm not a docter or have any degrees that qualify myself to know such things. Yes it's tempting because you suddenly have an answer why you are as you are. But I have been in this boat a few times to many and I'll end up with some form of hypogondria if I keep this up. So I've become very critical of all those disorder that _seem_ to fit me.

But to quote myself.



> The characteristics fit me completely.


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## NateDEEzy (Feb 2, 2012)

Zarthusis said:


> I know this is an old thread, but Thank You. I think you're right about this. I've been on adderall for 4 years, and all though it does work. I'ts making things worse. My cognitive tempo is at a trickling drip. I've tried to quit and I'm very forgetfull and unmotivated. I'm done with the MD all he cares about is pushing more pills. I've diagnosed myself, It's odd, I'm not new age or super spirtual, but it feels like life has been throwing things my way to show me that my problem is low T levels. I had a friend call me and just ramble on about testosterone for about an hour. He said his brother was lazy, tired, unmotivated, forgetful, and the doctor said his T levels were extremely low. They got his T levels up and he feels like he has a brand new life. So I shelved that conversation in the back of my mind. I'm then at the book store and come across a tiny book called Indium. It's about a trace mineral that nobody has in their diet, yet it works miracles in the human body. It restores all hormone levels back to normal, restores youthful energy, weight loss and mental clarity. I haven't been unfortunate to find the answer I'm looking for from the medical field, but Life is trying to tell me my T levels are low.
> 
> In the days of my grandfathers, both ww2 vets the average T level was 800-1500 and that was normal. Now they tell you if your in the 200-800 range your fine. Something is not right, GMO, processed foods, MSG, etc is killing us and making men a bunch of sissies. Anyways, Thanks for the info


The indium thing is very interesting, is the book just called indium? Also, what are your plans to remedy your situation?


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## The Sleeping Dragon (Sep 29, 2011)

I wonder what my testosterone level is.


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## RecoJohnson (Apr 8, 2013)

Hi, i am new here. My name is Ben and I am 20 and I am pretty sure I have SCT.
I have read a lot of you guys have said, but not all of it because i really struggle with reading large blocks of text.
I find myself going in and out of hyper focus a lot, meaning some days I am completely normal and can focus fine and some days I am so out of it and clumsy and unable to concentrate that I can't get anything done no matter how hard I try to focus my mind. I feel like I have no control over the physical aspect of my mind, if that makes sense. I can control my emotions and thoughts, but I can't force myself to comprehend or work towards something unless I am in the right mood / the right day.

If anyone is interested in connecting, I think we should start a Skype group or something to talk about our issues. There seems to be a growing number of cases of people with SCT and I think its really important to discuss.

Hope all is well

-RecoJohnson


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## Ioio (Jan 19, 2014)

Hi all, I am in the same situation. 

I have been diagnosed with SA five years ago. 

People usually find me 'space'. Many people think, when they first meet me, that I take drugs. I am in my own world and kind of lost. I am also slow. I feel numb and confused all the time. 

I also have a hard time reading and I do not express myself clearly.


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## Reclus (Jan 11, 2012)

OP - how's your sleep? The symptoms you mentioned in your first post (sluggish cognitive functions, forgetfulness, inability to focus and think straight, lack of drive etc.) are typical of someone suffering from a sleep disorder or insomnia. This would also explain why your medication is not working -anti-depressants won't fix a sleep issue. Something to think about.

Best wishes


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

Sounds like something to do with temporal and spatial lobe processing, no? Maybe emotional?

So OP, you are finding alcohol typically classified as a depressant is helping you out with your sluggishness, and adding fluidity to your life? Alcohol is also a blood thinner.

Maybe something simple like adding fish oil to your daily supplements and reconsidering what you eat? Maybe there is a food that is gunking up your brain? Sounds rudimentary, but yeah it sounds as if that might make a difference.

There is another thread around here somewhere that mentions people taking flaxseed oil. If you have a long history with high cholesterol or something else that might clog your arteries and such, that might help thin it out a little. Maybe one bottle is all you need?

Right? at a basic level, it's all about getting oxygen to the brain. More or less.


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## lolmazz96 (Jun 16, 2014)

what i've come to find is that coffee reduced my social anxiety. its weird but caffeine its a stimulant, it gives you motivation and makes you think faster which kinda helps a lot with sct. but it gived you a lot of anxiety in general though.

anyway i wanted to say i tried wellbutrin wich was really useful but apparently i developed some kind of tolerance that made me don't even feel 300mg. so i switched to passiva (atomoxetine) which helped a lot with generalized anxiety and those compulsive thoughts that come with social anxiety such as being aware of how you walk or drink water. later i tried alternative medicine ( acupuncture) and then this doctor called kim from costa rica told me that everything, social anxiety, attention deficit, low motivation, lethargy, low energy and bad organization was due to a very low absortion of nutrients like glucose and minerals. of course i didn't believed at first, bou then while he put me some points he made me grab some kind of test tuve qith minerals inside. i just kept the test tube in my hand and waited like 15 minutes. my stomach was crazy like moving and making weird sounds. he said, your metabolism is changing, now you'll absorb those minerals.

i came the nwxt day and i did the same with vitamin c, etc . after 3 days i felt really good, i couldn't believe i had no social anxiety, i had a lot of motivation and a general feeling of well being. it was amazing , all because low absortion of nutrients. better than any medication, and it was not a placebo effect. you have to keep a specific diet too, for example you can't consume lactose for some reason.

try alternative medicine, its not bull**** really. medication should be the last option


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## lolmazz96 (Jun 16, 2014)

social anxiety is horrible but don't you find low motivation even worse?


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## Paper Crane (Jun 6, 2014)

I think this sort of fits me too, but I agree with what Sleeping Dragon said--it's bad to self diagnose one's self with random disorders you learned about on the internet. Like, I've noticed that my family members tend to say things twice to me because they think I'm not listening or my response was incorrect. I have a schema of preprogramed responses I tend to blurt out when I'm not listening. But then again, my family is made mostly of women who are excessive talkers. I space out mostly because I'm not really interested in what they're saying I think.


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## Herskers (Dec 17, 2014)

Man! I have SCT too, and I have found my cure!!!

I just started going 'Grain free diet'! Try it man!

And see this site for all the benefits, and tjeck out the food-site too!

'Grain-free diet' benefits website: _www.rodalenews.com/grains-brain_
'Grain-free diet' food reciepes website: www.grainfreeliving.com


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## FoggyBrain (Oct 14, 2014)

Hey.. this is on?

So, SCT... I have no idea what's going on with my brain but whatever it is, it's taking away years of my life.

Just recently got on the Adderall / Welbutrin train and it's not the perfect answer but it's better than being unmedicated.

Tired all the damn time and I hate it.

So this testosterone thing. Is it working for everyone? Methinks I'll get a blood test done to test mine as well.

One more thing, the one thing... the one damn thing that gets rid of the tiredness and makes me feel the closest to normal is a strain of Cannabis called Green Crack. But, I HAVE to burn it and smoke it. Ingesting it and vaping it doesn't work. Unfortunately, the clarity is short lived and Cannabis has inebriation qualities. Does anyone have a similar experience?


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