Caffeine is my new best friend. I'm sure it’s not healthy but I enjoy my life a lot more when I have energy to live it. The science behind caffeine is really simple. Caffeine emulates a neurotransmitter in your brain that moves between synapses. While moving a long a neuron information is passed relatively quickly do to chemical electric transference. But when the signal has to transfer from one neuron to another the signal must be transferred indirectly by flooding the space between the neurons with chemicals telling the synapse on the other side that the signal is being passed on. The more chemicals the more easily stimulated the next neuron will be. Enter caffeine. Having a lack of chemicals or low amounts is results in other things like depression and anxiety - anti-depressants are typically ssri's selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Stopping the reuptake of serotonin (a neurotransmitter) leaving more in the gap between neurons making it easier to transfer signals - making things less slow... or depressed. Unfortunately the side effects are more or less bad for you - the main one (other then the sexual side effects - loss of libido) is no REM sleep. REM Rapid Eye Movement sleep is the phase of your sleep cycle where your brain processes things that have not been stored in long term memory. It’s like the defrag for your brain - usually accompanies by crazy dreams. Your brain needs to process unplaced information, Alcohol and SSRI's (antidepressants) do not allow for this to happen.
Are Anti-depressants addictive? Well... taken this example you hurt your foot - if you could drive around all day in a golf cart not really needing to walk anywhere because your foot is hurt... would you become more or less lethargic by the end of your foot being healed? Its not that they are necessarily addictive... but given the choice would you walk or ride in a golf cart. That’s your brain... it’s gotten used to having the golf cart. It still has to move a little bit - turn the wheel press on the gas but it certainly doesn't have to walk. Take away the brains golf cart - suddenly it has to walk again - it’s a little slower then it use to be. Maybe it’s put on some weight and just can't get going as well. Is it easier to just go back on Anti-depressants then try to build your brain to the level of performance it was before - hell yes its easier. So Anti-depressants aren't addictive just once you start it makes it easier to keep going.
What does all this mean? And why am I going off on a tangent? Well I've made the conscious decision that my life is better with caffeine in it. I'm more creative and less fricken tired. Caffeine is not as bad as antidepressants but they both function effectively as stimulants. I will probably never go back to not using caffeine - it’s a slippery slope but I like life better this way.
- Marie-Claire
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground. Try this trick and spin it, yeah.
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