Okay is this normal...

[Invictus ChiKen]

One of the things in my life that I'm trying to fix is that. Well in alot of ways I consider myself an idiot.

I have a low IQ 150 I believe. Althought the test I took for it was based almost totally on math, which I suck at. I'm dyslexic and I believe I have other Learning Disorders.

Inspite of this I'm determinded to improve myself.

One thing I noticed is when I try to use my sometimes. Such as recalling facts, studying. Or what have you my head will feel like it's pact with wool. I'll have trouble focusing and be distracted easily.

Is it my diet? Somthing medical? Or just a sign I need to try harder.

My diet, well living with my folks. I'm stuck with fast food and deep fried foods till I can move out. I'm betting money that might be alot of my problems.

Any advice would be welcomed.

[General Zod]

150 is not a low IQ.

[Anguirus]

^ No, it isn't. Not in the LEAST. I think 140 is considered "genius" level.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Since 100 is the average, your test is either fucked up, you're a genius or you really are dumb. Up to you what you want to use.

Incidentally, IQ tests are notorious for being a crock of shit. Only MENSA eggheads seem to care to recite such numbers which are otherwise irrelevant in the grand scheme if things.

[Invictus ChiKen]

I'm actually takeing another IQ test right now on IQtest.com. In case I recalled my IQ level wrong. I just rember being told I'm average.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I've got a good hint for you. Stop. Is your IQ test not-free? Is it timed? If the answer to one or both of those is "no", forget it. It's no better than an e-mail questionnaire.

[Invictus ChiKen]

You got a point, I actually almost did stop but then I said "Meh, I got time to kill and at least I'm giving my brain a good work out." Haven't really worked it like this since I left college.

Right now I'm hunting for one of those Math games, just for a chance to work on my multiplication. I know it sounds geeky but I figure if you don't use it you lose it.

[Invictus ChiKen]

One thing I noticed is when I try to use my sometimes. Such as recalling facts, studying. Or what have you my head will feel like it's pact with wool. I'll have trouble focusing and be distracted easily.

Wanting to bring this part back up. Will a change in diet fix this?

One I move out, I'm aiming at a diet of mostly green vegitables such as salads, fruit, cheese, bread, poultry and oily fish. Well I cant stand fish, but I'm planning to fix up fruit in a smoothy and add say cod liver oil.

My main drinks will be green tea with ginseng (one of my favorites), other teas, fruit juice and water with the ocasional soda.

It's an idea I got from Pat Robertson. The man is a total idiot. But the recipes seemed good. Any idea where I can find these kind of food tips MINUS the religious blathering?

[Metatwaddle]

You may have attention deficit disorder, which can be diagnosed by a psychologist and treated with medicines like Ritalin or Adderall. I get something like the "head is packed with wool" effect at about eleven at night, when my medicine wears off. (Actually, I usually compare it with wading through jello. But I'm guessing they're pretty much the same thing.)

[Invictus ChiKen]

Ritalin, I've heard some bad stories about that one from my folks. I'm guessing there is no truth to the it makes things worse line?

To keep it in context we believe my nephew was given it to control him has he is a handful. Read: Parents dont discipline him.

[Metatwaddle]

Well, I'm not a big fan of the original Ritalin. I get really awful mood swings when coming off it. But there's some new stuff out there that's like Ritalin that, in my experience, doesn't have the crappy side effects; it's called Focalin. I take it sometimes when I need to concentrate for 4 hours or so as opposed to 12 (which is how long Concerta lasts). Just don't ever take any ADD meds in conjunction with caffeine. It's awful. And don't take more than your usual dose - I took two Focalin pills once, when I thought I'd need an extra boost, and it was four hours of misery.

[Mr. Coffee]

Well, besides Ritalin, you've also got Adderol. I'm on a 20mg dosage of that for my Shiney Object Syndrom. Works wonders, but occasionally it makes me hyperconcentrate to the point where I focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else (which can be bad if your, say... Driving). It's a rather powerful amphetamine based ADD med, so at first it might make you a little twitchy and/or aggressive. After a while you level off and the speedy side effects don't affect you much, you just find it much easier to pay attention when you need to.

If the amphetamine or other stimulant based ADD meds aren't your cup of tea (Tell your doctor if it's not working and let them decide. Fuck the Pharmacutical companies "Tell your doctor about.." shit), they make a non-stimulant based med called concerta. My doctor tried me on that but it didn't work so well.


And Discombobulated is very right in saying to watch your caffiene intake with any stimulant based ADD med. Unless you like feeling like your heart is going to leap out of your chest and bitch slap you, it's a Bad Idea.

Same goes for double dosing. When I first started the Adderol regimine I got distracted by shiney objects (It's amazing the amount of light that can be reflected off of a nice pair of breasts in a low cut haltertop), and I took a second pill about an hour after I'd taken the first. I was worse than Twitch from Southpark for about eight hours, then I power napped the rest of the day away.

Also... If you're on the stimulant based stuff, drink plenty of water or juice. That stuff'll make you pee alot.

[The Jazz Intern]

Tribesmen in africa, learning how to shoot a bow, may become medicine men, and will ahve an IQ of 150. Yet the scientist working on the cure for Bird flu may only have an IQ of 130.
In My expeirence, IQ is how fast you pick things up. A teacher I know is Dixlexic, but BRILLIANT! it is considered rare to be gifted and have a learning dissability at the same time, like what you apparently have. As for helping yourself, just learn. think of it as a challenge, not an obstical. Thats how I'm passing mathl, making it a non-obstical class.

[Zero]

If you want to try out odd kinds of math to improve that section of your brain, you could always get bored enough to start doing basic math problems in alien numerical systems. Like... make 7 the new 10, so that what we call 9 would be labled 12, and 49 would be the new 100. It's pretty tricky, but I love to do that shit when I'm bored. Long division can be a bitch, with that shit. This is just something basic, though.

[Surlethe]

If you want to try out odd kinds of math to improve that section of your brain, you could always get bored enough to start doing basic math problems in alien numerical systems. Like... make 7 the new 10, so that what we call 9 would be labled 12, and 49 would be the new 100. It's pretty tricky, but I love to do that shit when I'm bored. Long division can be a bitch, with that shit. This is just something basic, though.

That's changing the base of your number system. Since in our current number system, the number a_1a_2a_3a_4 is represented as a_1*10^0 + a_2*10^1 + a_3*10^2 + a_4*10^3. In base b, the same collection of digits refers instead to a_1*b^0 + a_2*b^1 + a_3*b^2 + a_4*b^3. It's a fun little exercise which we covered last week in my discrete class.

[Metatwaddle]

If the amphetamine or other stimulant based ADD meds aren't your cup of tea (Tell your doctor if it's not working and let them decide. Fuck the Pharmacutical companies "Tell your doctor about.." shit), they make a non-stimulant based med called concerta. My doctor tried me on that but it didn't work so well.

I think you may be thinking of Strattera. Strattera isn't stimulant-based, and it doesn't work so well for me either. Concerta and Adderall are basically the same thing.

And I forgot to mention double dosing. That's as miserable as having caffeine with ADD meds - just awful. Don't do it. Having too little medicine is not as bad as having too much.

[Superman]

I don't want to make a long post here, but I will briefly say that I was recently diagnosed with ADD. Those of you know who know me here are probably thinking "gee, that's shocking."

Let me just point out that I've been put on a small dose of Dexedrine, and it's honestly changed my life. My mind is out of the fog I've known since I was a child. I now get things done, I can remember things and I can focus and concentrate. I am even going back to school.

I will just say that, for some people, ADD medication can take you out of Hell.

[Superman]

Also... If you're on the stimulant based stuff, drink plenty of water or juice. That stuff'll make you pee alot.

I find that it's not really the medication that makes me go to the bathroom, it's the amount of water I drink because of it making my mouth feel dry. At any rate, I'm pretty used to that due to my water consumption from when I was lifting weights and dieting.

Also, I can still drink coffee and feel fine. I no longer have the intense coffee cravings I once had (caffiene being a stimulant is actually a way for ADD people to treat their own problem and not even realize it), but I can still drink a little. I mostly drink green or black tea now.

The biggest side effect for me was appetite suppression. It make me have a reduced appetite, but I really use this toward my advantage. Instead of getting intense hunger and, say make a run for a drive through, I can patiently go to the kitchen and cook some healthier food. I have lost a little weight, but I think this is mostly due to almost eliminating fast food.

Anyway, side effects are different for different people.

If you have a history of addiction, your doctor is not going to prescribe any stimulant, for obvious reasons.

The interesting thing about ADD is that stimulants actually calm us down. It actually has the opposite effect of someone whose brain biology is not ADD.

[Mr. Coffee]

I think you may be thinking of Strattera. Strattera isn't stimulant-based, and it doesn't work so well for me either. Concerta and Adderall are basically the same thing.

Yeah, probably got the names mixed up.

I find that it's not really the medication that makes me go to the bathroom, it's the amount of water I drink because of it making my mouth feel dry.

Yeah, same for me, kinda. I get the cottonmouth, which makes me drink lots of Moutain Dew... Sure, it's caffiene, but not enough to actually go anything except give me a massive sugar high.

[Zornhau]

Suggest you tinker with your diet before going down the medication route! You can make a start now, for example buy your own fruit. Perhaps you could take over some of the cooking for your folks and try some healthy recipes? Get yourself a good, simple cookbook, but not one written by a health nut.

[Kuroneko]

That's changing the [url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Base.htmlbase[/url] of your number system. Since in our current number system, the number a_1a_2a_3a_4 is represented as a_1*10^0 + a_2*10^1 + a_3*10^2 + a_4*10^3. In base b, the same collection of digits refers instead to a_1*b^0 + a_2*b^1 + a_3*b^2 + a_4*b^3. It's a fun little exercise which we covered last week in my discrete class.

You write numbers backwards? On a related note, the proposed mental exercise is harder if the base is a negative or imaginary and nigh-impossible for a general complex number. That would be something to do if it starts becoming too easy.

[Surlethe]

That's changing the [url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Base.htmlbase[/url] of your number system. Since in our current number system, the number a_1a_2a_3a_4 is represented as a_1*10^0 + a_2*10^1 + a_3*10^2 + a_4*10^3. In base b, the same collection of digits refers instead to a_1*b^0 + a_2*b^1 + a_3*b^2 + a_4*b^3. It's a fun little exercise which we covered last week in my discrete class.

You write numbers backwards?

. . . seY

On a related note, the proposed mental exercise is harder if the base is a negative or imaginary and nigh-impossible for a general complex number. That would be something to do if it starts becoming too easy.

*adds to burgeoning list of math challenges*

[Mr. Coffee]

Suggest you tinker with your diet before going down the medication route! You can make a start now, for example buy your own fruit. Perhaps you could take over some of the cooking for your folks and try some healthy recipes? Get yourself a good, simple cookbook, but not one written by a health nut.

It's not for diet or weight lose, Zorn. It's to control the symptoms of ADD or ADHD. While execise and activity help, with real bad cases of it, drugs are about the only thing that really work.

[Trytostaydead]

One of the things in my life that I'm trying to fix is that. Well in alot of ways I consider myself an idiot.

I have a low IQ 150 I believe. Althought the test I took for it was based almost totally on math, which I suck at. I'm dyslexic and I believe I have other Learning Disorders.

Inspite of this I'm determinded to improve myself.

One thing I noticed is when I try to use my sometimes. Such as recalling facts, studying. Or what have you my head will feel like it's pact with wool. I'll have trouble focusing and be distracted easily.

Is it my diet? Somthing medical? Or just a sign I need to try harder.

My diet, well living with my folks. I'm stuck with fast food and deep fried foods till I can move out. I'm betting money that might be alot of my problems.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Well, if you think 150 is low.. there's a problem right there, though reading through I see you were taking an online test.

Sounds like ADD, but best go to a doctor and get yourself tested out if you're that worried.

[Zornhau]

It's not for diet or weight lose, Zorn. It's to control the symptoms of ADD or ADHD. While execise and activity help, with real bad cases of it, drugs are about the only thing that really work.

I won't claim expertise in this area, but I thought there was evidence that diet - esp. one containing lots of suger and additives - can be a cause of these symptoms. However, I'm sure you've googled this to death.

Putting my amateur historian hat on: isn't ADD etc a rather modern phenomenon? Doesn't ths suggest a modern cause? Perhaps environmental or nutritional, e.g. pollution and/or sugar & additives? Or what about cultural e.g. the medicalisation of what is normal behaviour for a boy of a certain age, or one with problems at home.