A Devin-sized Guinea Pig

I've been using myself as a guinea pig for years.

Whether it's testing out biohacking protocols, supplementation, exercise routines, or techniques for breaking addictions... for some reason, I've always enjoyed testing the limits.

And I want to share the results of a test I did recently.

... and how that test interacted with my relationship with self-control and compulsivity.

I learned about a couple supplements:

L-Tyrosine Cordyceps mushrooms (no, not the magical kind)

L Tyrosine is an amino acid precursor to dopamine that naturally increases dopamine production in the brain and provides a mild boost to cognition, focus, etc. Which can be helpful for someone with an ADHD-type brain, as I've been told by doctors I have. And Cordyceps do something similar, in addition to having some endurance benefits in the gym.

But before you run off to Amazon and add them to your cart...

Let me tell you what happened.

I started taking 1-2g of Cordyceps and about 1g of Tyrosine daily.

And at first, it felt pretty awesome.

I was dialed in.

Even more motivated, focused, locking in to flow states for hours on end.

And this carried on for a number of weeks, until some time in the second month of testing this protocol.

At which point, things started slipping a bit.

Subtly.

I didn't really notice at first.

But... slowly but surely, I was becoming more distracted.

Starting to spend more time on my cell aimlessly flipping around apps, craving more novelty like YouTube, feeling super freakin' horny (which, to be fair, ain't the worst thing in the world with a beautiful Argentinian around...), and more recently I even noticed myself thinking about alcohol even though I haven't drank in nearly 3 years.

And, frankly, I think this combination would have sent an older version of me into a full on relapse into some rather destructive habits.

As it stands, thanks to the internal work I've done... nothing bad truly came of it.

Just a bit of wasted time.

But I became curious about what was going on because feeling so distracted and having to overcome urges to engage with various old, self-destructive time-wasting habits is something that hadn't really come up much in a long time.

So I reflected.

And made an important connection.

Unfortunately, what I experienced is a rather natural progression for dopaminergic substances and activities. Whether that be Cordyceps, Tyrosine, cocaine, pornography, nicotine, adderall, or whatever else...

At first, it feels awesome.

But then your brain adapts, and you aren't getting the same buzz as you once were. Then your brain needs more dopamine to feel the same thing it was before, which leads to a novelty-seeking pattern where you naturally find yourself seeking for more dopamine. Which is how one dopaminergic habit very easily leads into other dopamine-seeking habits that can turn into a vicious spiral.

I cut the supplement protocol and felt better literally the next day.

Way more grounded, way less distracted, way less interested in spending 2.5 hours talking to ChatGPT and otherwise wasting precious time. And a lot more grounded sexually, too.

Which highlights a big point:

Bad habits don't happen in isolation.

They're connected to one another.

For example, if you're using porn on a regular basis then it's pretty much a sure thing that you'll end up struggling with other dopamine-seeking behaviors too and at best, wasting a ton of time. And if you're taking part in other dopamine seeking behaviors, those have a cascading effect that lead to... you guessed it, more novelty & dopamine seeking behavior and wasted time.

Which ain't a small thing if you're as serious about your personal growth and success as I am.

... and even if you're just using simple cognitive-enhancing dopaminergic supplements to enhance your focus, that can have a negative affect on compulsivity too.

Which is part of where my approach to quitting porn is different from what you find elsewhere.

Everyone else focuses on porn itself.

But after nearly 5 years since I quit using strategies that have fortified my mind so much that even when I was caught off guard by what this supplement stack did to me, I still stayed clean, despite less than ideal circumstances...

I've learned what few ever do:

That porn is just a symptom of other problems, and it's critical to address the whole organism, the whole person, and every possible factor that could be contributing to their compulsive sexuality.

Which is what I do with each of my clients.

We'll customize the plan to your needs and your situation so that quitting porn isn't just a fantasy... it's guaranteed.