Comment · Tue, October 8, 2013 · Ceretropic
Let's talk about willpower/motivation - anything and everything relating to it.
Original post in this thread
[deleted] · 62 points
Willpower has to be one of the most often overlooked aspects of cognitive enhancement / productivity. As great as motivation in a pill sounds, sometimes you just have to do things (that's the scientific wording I swear).
So, brain-wise, this would be an "executive function", being dictated mainly by the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Do we know of ways to improve its function? I've heard meditation, but know nothing on the details.
I suppose forcing yourself to do things you absolutely don't want to (that you should do, of course, I don't mean like acting on your darkest thoughts!) would, over time, strengthen connections in the PFC. Would that lead to - chronically - improved ability to "self-start", decreased procrastination? Or is there a staunch limit to willpower?
The most popular routes for addressing lack of motivation / willpower are things like caffeine, Modafinil, methylphenidate, and the ever-popular amphetamines. Buut, those really aren't viable long-term solutions. What kinds of things could one do that would be viable in the long run?
I would guess that exercise couldn't hurt, but it's just as much a mental stress as it is physical - with heavy courseloads (high st…
What they were answering
[deleted] · 2 points
[deleted]
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic
Kratom is not just an opioid agonist. It has many alkaloids in it. Think of the difference between marijuana and pure THC. The CBD in marijuana balances out the THC, and gives its own helpful effects. The same can be said of many of the alkaloids in kratom. It has different strains with differing levels of each alkaloid in it. That way you can choose a strain that is more stimulating, or more analgesic.
The most potent opioid agonist in kratom is 7-hydroxymitragynine. It's actually stronger than morphine, but is found in low amounts in kratom. The most abundant is mitragynine, which your body can convert into 7-hydroxymitragynine. The different form of mitragynine cause less side effects than morphine, like constipation and miosis. That is most likely due to the lower κ-opioid and δ-opioid affinities. Also, the other alkaloids in kratom help balance out the effects.
Here is a list of some of the known kratom alkaloids:
* Ajmalicine (Raubasine): Cerebrocirculant, antiaggregant, anti-adrenergic (at alpha-1), sedative, anticonvulsant, smooth muscle relaxer. Also found in Rauwolfia serpentina.
* Akuammigine
* Ciliaphylline: antitussive, analgesic. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Corynantheidine: μ -opioid antagonist, also found in Yohimbe. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Corynoxeine: Calcium channel blocker. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Corynoxine A and B: Dopamine mediating anti-locomotives. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Epicatechin: Antioxidant, antiaggregant, antibacterial, antidiabetic,
antihepatitic, anti-inflammatory, anti-leukemic, antimutagenic, antiperoxidant,
antiviral, potential cancer preventative, alpha-amylase inhibitor. Also found in dark chocolate.
* 9-Hydroxycorynantheidine: Partial opioid agonist
* 7-hydroxymitragynine: Analgesic, antitussive, antidiarrheal; primary
psychoactive in Kratom, Roughly 2% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Isomitraphylline: Immunostimulant, anti-leukemic. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Isomitrafoline: < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Isopteropodine: Immunostimulant
* Isorhynchophylline: Immunostimulant. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Isospeciofoline: < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Mitraciliatine: < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Mitragynine: Indole alkaloid. Analgesic, antitussive, antidiarrheal, adrenergic, antimalarial,
possible psychedelic (5-HT2A) antagonist. Roughly 66% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Mitragynine oxindole B. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Mitrafoline: < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Mitraphylline: Oxindole alkaloid. Vasodilator, antihypertensive, muscle relaxer, diuretic, antiamnesic, anti-leukemic, possible immunostimulant. <1% of total alkaloid contents in Kratom leaf.
* Mitraversine
* Paynantheine: Indole alkaloid. Smooth muscle relaxer. 8.6% to 9% of total alkaloid contents in Kratom leaf.
* Rhynchophylline: Vasodilator, antihypertensive, calcium channel blocker,
antiaggregant, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-arrhythmic, antithelmintic. < 1% of total alkaloid content found in Kratom leaf.
* Speciociliatine: Weak opioid agonist. 0.8% to 1% of total alkaloid content of Kratom leaf, unique to Kratom.
* Speciofoline
* Speciogynine: Smooth muscle relaxer. 6.6% to 7% of total alkaloid contents of Kratom leaf.
* Speciophylline: Indole alkaloid. Anti-leukemic. <1% of total alkaloid contents of Kratom leaf.
* Stipulatine
* Tetrahydroalstonine: Hypoglycemic, anti-adrenergic (at alpha-2)