What’s up, guys? I’m sure many people have been interested in Brain Optimizer (abbreviated BROP from here on out), especially its effects on ADHD. I’ve been itching for something to help me with focus, productivity, and memory since MLS, which (when executing) worked great. Those familiar with me know my writing style regarding some of my most recent journals, and this will be no different. Let’s go.
BACKGROUND: I currently work in healthcare as a medical professional and deal directly with patients; I’ll leave it at that for privacy purposes. As for my ADD/ADHD, I’ve been to the doctor to get a referral for a specialist to aid in diagnosis but never went and never got formally diagnosed because having a formal diagnosis can/will f*ck your chances up for getting into some careers I learned. S
Also, I have received a bit of training through a couple of tutors/learning coaches on strategies to aid with memory and learning, so my struggles with ADD/ADHD may not be a complete copy past with others. That said, difficulty focusing, getting lost in thought, and a general disdain for “busy work” are some things I feel I share with other ADHD'ers in addition to the myriad of negative experiences regarding the condition in childhood.
DISCLAIMER: Shannon’s subs can have highs and lows. There’s a chance I’ll have good days and bad days. Take them ALL into account before purchasing this sub—my 2 cents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Possible Conflicting Substances
Initial Effects on Day 1
Focus
How BROP is Affecting My ADHD
Effects of BROP on Work Performance
MLS vs BROP
Summary
Possible Conflicting Substances
I’m a green tea drinker and take a ginseng supplement. I’ve been doing both regularly for approximately the last month, so I know how they usually affect me. That said, I’ll also be sure to take days off from those substances so that you guys (and Shannon) can get a good idea for how BROP works.
Initial Effects on Day 1
So I did my loop at around 2am and woke up later. Didn’t feel too much out of the ordinary. Also, it didn’t help I got only about 4 hours worth of sleep, but, eh. I started to feel the initial effects around the 4pm mark as I was doing documentation for a patient and it was the subtle feeling of focus. At this time of day I’m usually struggling, even if I take some green tea and ginseng and doing treatment notes, even if they’re “simple,” becomes a chore. By the end of the day, I had five notes that I needed to do before going to the gym and I locked in and did them all with time to spare.
Over time I just started noticing thing my thinking was somewhat clearer however, I still had the usual ADHD brain chatter going. At the gym, I noticed some improvement in mind and body coordination, but I, again, wanted to be cautious about attributing it to anything. By Day 2, (today), I began feeling the same effects, just greater, however, I’ll address them in the sections below.
FOCUS
Ok, as of today (Day 2), the effects of BROP on focus have been more noticeable. I’ve used Laserlike Focus (3g and 5G), and BROP’s focus effect is less intense but more… holistic. In other words, it doesn’t feel drug-fueled but natural-born focus. I can snap in and out of focus but again, it feels natural to do so. It makes doing tasks such as washing dishes, doing laundry, and collecting my things before leaving out for the gym/work a bit faster.
How BROP is Affecting My ADHD
Point blank I’m able to get things done easier because it’s easier for me to focus. On Day 1, I was hyperfocused (prior to BROP effects kicking in) on a song and it still persisted throughout the day but I was able to still get things done despite it. What I’m most happy with is my ability to stay engaged in conversations with my GF (and people in general) a bit better which allows conversations to flow more smoothly because I’m not getting lost in thought as much. Do I still trail off? Yes. Do I still get distracted? Yes. However, getting back on track is a bit easier as of now. I don’t feel that brain fog or ADHD Brain Lag, to the same degree.
EXAMPLE 1: A perfect example of this is at the gym. The format is similar for most exercise classes: come in, get workout instructions, and start exercising. With BROP I found that it was easier to process the instructions for the movement from my coach and remember some of the fundamentals learned from previous classes when it came to performing the exercise (today was barbell forward lunges) and executing. Things just flowed better in general in terms of my body-to-brain connection which made the workout a bit more enjoyable.
EXAMPLE 2: During breakfast me and GF were talking about general stuff with work, trips we were considering, and general life stuff. Again, there were times when I trailed off, but I could snap back to the conversation a bit easier and the number of times where I did trail off were fewer. Furthermore, the conversation flowed better with fewer gaps/pauses on my end.
Effects of BROP on Work Performance
My job is a mix of dealing with patients who come in with multiple issues, dealing with coworkers and management, and to top it off I need to document this crap. Even with some of the training I’ve received on managing my ADHD, documentation is still something I loathe however, it’s been more manageable so far. This is most pronounced when it comes to typing things out where, again, there are fewer mental pauses on my end because words just flow better from my mind to my hands, which culminates in less time needing to think, “ok, so what did so-and-so say?”
EXAMPLES: I’m currently participating in clinical rounds with other professionals, where we go over case studies and discuss interventions and suggestions for patients. One of the clinicians had a rather peculiar case and I was able to call upon some of the basics from my anatomy and worked through how I would treat this person and gave my suggestion to the other clinician. I mention this because learning all this stuff was a struggle in school so being able to apply some of these fundamental concepts quickly and efficiently is extremely helpful. I’m also extremely new to this field and mentally working through complex cases normally stumps me so this is a welcome improvement. We’ll see how this gets affected with more exposure to BROP.
MLS 5.5G vs BROP (so far)
Someone’s gonna ask so here’s my early impression. MLS (when I executed) made me feel like a f*cking genius. Period. BROP just makes me feel…ON. Not a genius, not like I’ve taken NZT or Adderall (at least not yet), just ON. Things just click. I don't feel drugged out, I just feel like my brain is working "better". As time goes on maybe I'll be able to explain it better.
SUMMARY
It’s early on, I don’t want to get too excited because, as I said before, these subliminals have ups and downs in terms of effects sometimes. I am pleased early on with how BROP affects focus, mind-body connection, and my ability to communicate. I’ll update this when possible, but feel free to remind me in the (likely) event I forget.
Looking forward to seeing how it affects your performance, memory and thinking over the course of about 2-3 months, when the physical adjustments have had a chance to be made and solidified. Not bad from just 2 days, either. I remember back before I started making subliminals when it took at least 30 days to have a chance of noticing the effects of a subliminal, and even then there was only a 50% chance.
How much time from the end of your first exposure to when you believe you started experiencing the first effects of the program?
(05-14-2024, 07:14 PM)Shannon Wrote: [ -> ]Looking forward to seeing how it affects your performance, memory and thinking over the course of about 2-3 months, when the physical adjustments have had a chance to be made and solidified. Not bad from just 2 days, either. I remember back before I started making subliminals when it took at least 30 days to have a chance of noticing the effects of a subliminal, and even then there was only a 50% chance.
How much time from the end of your first exposure to when you believe you started experiencing the first effects of the program?
Hmm, I would say it took approx 12-14 hours for the effects to become noticeable. And I most definitely agree that getting results in the first couple of days is great. My issue in the past with 3G-5G was getting strong effects at the start and then it trailed off; most likely a fear response. That's why I'm so hesitant to leap for joy now because of past experiences. But I know I've been vocal about getting an ADHD centered subliminal so it seemed silly to not give BROP a try and get some feedback to you.
(05-14-2024, 08:25 PM)K-Train Wrote: [ -> ] (05-14-2024, 07:14 PM)Shannon Wrote: [ -> ]Looking forward to seeing how it affects your performance, memory and thinking over the course of about 2-3 months, when the physical adjustments have had a chance to be made and solidified. Not bad from just 2 days, either. I remember back before I started making subliminals when it took at least 30 days to have a chance of noticing the effects of a subliminal, and even then there was only a 50% chance.
How much time from the end of your first exposure to when you believe you started experiencing the first effects of the program?
Hmm, I would say it took approx 12-14 hours for the effects to become noticeable. And I most definitely agree that getting results in the first couple of days is great. My issue in the past with 3G-5G was getting strong effects at the start and then it trailed off; most likely a fear response. That's why I'm so hesitant to leap for joy now because of past experiences. But I know I've been vocal about getting an ADHD centered subliminal so it seemed silly to not give BROP a try and get some feedback to you.
Very much appreciated! Especially given that you can get me more technical information. I'd like to extend to you an opportunity to be interviewed for a tester position, if you're interested. Just let Ben know I offered and I'll have him ask you some questions. If it looks like it will work, then we'll go from there. Obviously, you're currently using BROP, but I need feedback on that one as well, so it works out.
Thanks Shannon! I'm definitely interested! I'll send Ben a message. I'm glad to be contributing positively and I'm hoping BROP continues its momentum. I will say so far that even with alcohol consumption I still feel the positive effects of BROP and this was noticed yesterday when I went to a trivia night at one of the local clubs. Key takeaway was that knowledge I had could easily be accessed. Things I absolutely didn't know about...well obviously it won't help that. Solid night though for sure.
(05-15-2024, 08:45 PM)K-Train Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks Shannon! I'm definitely interested! I'll send Ben a message. I'm glad to be contributing positively and I'm hoping BROP continues its momentum. I will say so far that even with alcohol consumption I still feel the positive effects of BROP and this was noticed yesterday when I went to a trivia night at one of the local clubs. Key takeaway was that knowledge I had could easily be accessed. Things I absolutely didn't know about...well obviously it won't help that. Solid night though for sure.
If you don't mind me asking for some technicals, how much alcohol did you consume, over what period of time, at what concentration, and what's your BMI? Or, you could just tell me what your average BAC during the time was. lol
(05-16-2024, 08:54 AM)Shannon Wrote: [ -> ]If you don't mind me asking for some technicals, how much alcohol did you consume, over what period of time, at what concentration, and what's your BMI? Or, you could just tell me what your average BAC during the time was. lol
Since it's a bar I'm unsure of the concentration exactly however I had x2 Long Islands over the course of 60-90 minutes and my BMI is probably around approx 28. The second Long Islands was DEFINITELY strong and by the end of trivia I definitely had a nice buzz going. That said, I feel the main thing that was affected was probably my verbal filter lol.
One thing to note, especially today, is that lack of sleep will still negatively impact the effectiveness of BROP; however, I do notice that I'm more productive now on BROP (even with less sleep) than I am off it. So far this week my mood has been improved, where I don't feel the usual ups and downs I normally get from the job. I'm even a bit more clear headed however I can still get a bit lazy especially today due to the lack of sleep/rest. There's some other ways that BROP is affecting my ADHD but I'd like to get towards the end of the week and make sure these effects are legit/stable before commenting on it.
MEMORY
Ok this so far is continuing to improve. There are two main things that I HATE about ADHD. One of them I'll mention probably later this week or next week when I'm a bit more confident in the changes, but one of them I'll mention now is memory. As mentioned, I know several tricks of the trade to improve my memory, and I will say, without a doubt, those techniques taught to me were invaluable in allowing me to be able to complete graduate school. That said, incorporating ANY technique is sometimes difficult because my brain sucks at remembering certain things due to issues focusing. With BROP, remembering and focusing come more naturally, and I find I can remember things more easily. This is invaluable when being told about certain patients and issues going on with them because I can now supplement my memory techniques with my improved mental processing and storage capabilities.
As promised this will be a week in review for Brain Optimizer 5.11.5G. (BROP)
Work Efficiency/Focus
Completing work-related tasks has become more doable with BROP. Many times prior to BROP, it was difficult to maintain focus on specific tasks unless they were very interesting to me or if there was a looming time crunch, which essentially allowed me to hyperfocus on them. As of now, I'm able to have a bit more control and even tasks that seem "boring," I'm able to lock in and knock them out. That said, there will still be times when I'll go, "Ugh, I really don't want to do this sh*t," and end up procrastinating, but I would still say overall, things have improved a lot here.
Example 1: I woke up early on Saturday morning and had to do some work tasks. It took about 90 minutes to do because I was listening to music/youtube, but the key thing is I actually got off my butt and did it. There was also a nice mental flow to my work which made it easier to complete.
Example 2: I went shopping, and normally, my head is thinking about random sh*t. Those random ADHD-fueled moments still happened, but I was able to snap back into focus quickly. I was so focused on shopping that I finished probably 10-15 minutes sooner, mainly because I was able to think, remember, and go where I needed to and grab what I needed vs getting lost in thought over random BS.
Memory
As a side effect of the improved focus, remembering things is a bit easier right now. It's not as strong as an effect that I saw while executing MLS, but it's still noticeable. This has been helpful in cases where a patient or colleague tells me something, and I don't have a pen/paper to write it down. I've said it before but ADHD's negative effects on working memory are (IMHO) one of the more debilitating effects of the condition because poor working memory can really f*ck with your ability to carry out tasks. Even with training that I've received to improve it, memory can still be a challenge so improvements in this area are always welcome
Sleep's Effects on BROP
BROP has a natural mental energizing effect so I can get more energy even with fewer hours of sleep. That said, alcohol (which f*cks with your sleep quality) and lack of sleep caught up with me today a bit and I found my mental processing a bit on the sluggish side. In general, this week was pretty good in that I didn’t feel as exhausted as I normally do so two claps for BROP.
Mental Processing
This is an interesting one because, technically, it's a byproduct of focus and memory, but that said, I have seen an improvement in this area. The main place where I see this improvement is when I'm having a conversation, and I'm able to keep the conversation flowing because a) I'm actually focused on the conversation and b) my brain feels a bit more "on," so responding is a bit quicker. Now at baseline, thanks to my ADHD, my mental processing can be either sluggish or at Mach 10 speed which means I'm either processing things so quickly that I get annoyed with who I'm talking with because they seem "slow"
to or my brain is basically in lala land and it doesn't give a flying f*ck about what's going on. This week, there have been maybe a handful of moments (due mainly to lack of sleep) where my processing speed was on the slower end, which is a welcome touch.
Summary
Not a bad start for Brain Optimizer. I'm hoping this first week isn't the peak and things go to sh*t afterward or become sporadic, which has happened in the past with MLS and Laser-Like Focus. I will say I'm optimistic because I've used X4A-1511 for the past 4-5 months, and (for the most part) its effects remained consistent, so hopefully, BROP will keep the momentum going.
Have you noted any difference in your sleeping patterns, ease of falling asleep, dreams, etc?
(05-19-2024, 10:55 PM)Shannon Wrote: [ -> ]Have you noted any difference in your sleeping patterns, ease of falling asleep, dreams, etc?
Falling asleep before BROP wasn't really an issue; my biggest issue before was getting myself to actually go to bed at a decent time. I will say that my "sleep efficiency" (the amount of sleep needed to be productive mentally) is much better. Getting 6 hours of sleep now vs. a month ago is much different. Regarding dreams, I haven't seen an increase since starting BROP.
I really do love the hemispheric balancing in BROP and I'm wondering if it's something that may need to become standard in some subliminals such as AM7 and MLS 6G because it does help so many things.
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Quick Update: Preservation (hyperfocus) seems to be reduced. Greatest example was today when I was playing my video game and thought to myself "you know what? I need to wash up and get ready to go out later". Normally, I'm terrible with prepping, but BROP seems to be helping. My theory is that the right side of my brain (or basically everything outside of my frontal cortex) is over-utilized which is par for the course for ADHD and BROP's hemispheric brain balancer is actually helping neuter these more negative symptoms. Interesting development, I'll keep an eye on this.
What are you noticing that hemispheric brain balancer is doing that makes you really love it, and think that it might should be standard in some other programs?
(05-21-2024, 04:09 PM)Shannon Wrote: [ -> ]What are you noticing that hemispheric brain balancer is doing that makes you really love it, and think that it might should be standard in some other programs?
I find that it keeps me mentally balanced and allows me to take a more logical and thoughtful approach to issues that arise versus getting as wrapped up in emotion. I'll have to find the exact research, but I believe that in regard to trauma, a lack of hemispheric balance can prevent "getting over" trauma. I'll go into more detail below in my weekly summary.
***For those that want just highlights, skip down to the "AI Summarized Portion" that highlights the main points from my journal entry.***
WEEK TWO SUMMARY
Work Efficiency
So far, my work efficiency continues to be good; however, the one thing I do notice is that if I'm distracted, it still suffers; go figure. That said, the distraction has to come from someone else, a coworker directly engaging me in conversation, for example. I think part of this is on me because now that I know I have the capability to work quicker, I'm more prone to engaging in these conversations, so I'll have to do my part to combat this.
Memory Improvements
I'm noticing that BROP is continuing to improve my long- and short-term memory, allowing me to recall more vividly. A prime example is when I was looking at a map of Ohio and Michigan and trying to figure out how a person could sail from Lake Eerie to New York and Florida. After a quick Google map look, I figured out the path; what’s most impressive is that when I explained this to my girlfriend, I could vividly depict the route, including some landmarks.
This was also useful when mentally reviewing a new medical classification system and integrating it with some pre-existing knowledge. Once again, I could call up a vivid image of what I looked at previously and then mentally started connecting the dots. This is something that I recall being able to do with MLS, so I'm anxious to see how this improves over time.
Daydreaming and Inattention
One of the hallmarks of my ADHD is that I'm prone to daydreaming. I had a vivid imagination as a kid. Still, the unfortunate side-effect was an inability to stay on task and getting lost in my thoughts at the expense of daily interactions. This led to missing instructions, zoning out in class, and, quite frankly, poor focus. Looking back over the past week, I realized these daydreams...were almost non-existent. I was more present and in the moment. That said, BROP doesn't completely eradicate my daydreams. I found that negative memories and thoughts can still pop up, especially if I wasn't actively engaged or my emotional state was altered. But the difference was that these daydreams were more sporadic, and I could still slip into a state of focus much quicker. TLDR: I can switch focus states more quickly, and daydreaming is extremely reduced.
Mood and Emotional Regulation (skip to paragraph #2 to skip my backstory)
Last week, I mentioned that I would delay a certain topic. No more BS; we’re getting into it now: EMOTIONAL F*CKING REGULATION. This, in my opinion, is probably the most detrimental part of ADHD, primarily because it can take a great day into a sh*tty day and make it difficult to function. Yes, prior to BROP (and thanks to Indigo Mind Labs) my emotional control is better. That said, I still have difficulty, especially when it comes to controlling feelings of irritability and dealing with occasional rejection and conflicts.
TLDR: emotional regulation is something I’m trying to work on, and sometimes it can make it "feel" as if the DRS or Grounding shield doesn't work because of INTERNAL conflicts within myself.
Anyway, I had a couple of episodes of conflict with coworkers this week. Normally, such interactions would stay at the forefront of my mind due to RSD. However, as I mentioned in my direct reply to Shannon earlier regarding the hemispheric brain balancer, my ability to respond was somewhat improved. During one conflict, I was able to think through and offer an apology to one coworker regarding a very minor mistake on my end; even after offering it my irritation went to anger but I was able to hold it together mentally and get through the day. By the next day, I remembered and successfully deployed some
DBT techniques (a form of cognitive behavior therapy) to help get me back to equilibrium and was able to resolve the conflict for the most part. When situation #2 occurred with some different coworkers the next day, I thought, "Well, I guess this is it; we disagree on one small thing, so our friendship is basically f*cked." I engaged my logical side and for the most part, found myself able to put the incident behind me and move on.
All of this is positive progress, but I'm not going to wave the victory flag just yet because the last subliminal that gave me hope in regards to eradicating all this was off 5G, which...fizzled out, unfortunately.
AI Summarized Highlights
- Work Efficiency:
- Overall work efficiency remains good.
- Distractions from coworkers can still impact productivity.
- Awareness of improved speed may lead to more engagement in conversations.
- Memory Improvements:
- BROP enhances long- and short-term memory.
- Successfully recalled a sailing route from Lake Erie to New York and Florida.
- Integration of new medical knowledge with pre-existing information is more vivid.
- Daydreaming and Inattention:
- BROP significantly reduces daydreaming.
- Negative memories and thoughts can still arise but are sporadic.
- Ability to switch focus states quickly.
- Mood and Emotional Regulation:
- Emotional control has improved due to BROP.
- Challenges with irritability, rejection, and conflicts persist.
- Internal conflicts may affect the perception of BROP’s effectiveness.
- Conflict Resolution:
- Improved ability to respond during conflicts.
- Deployed DBT techniques to maintain equilibrium.
- Successfully resolved conflicts with coworkers.
Hello everyone! I didn't forget this journal; however, I was torn between dropping another weekly update or just waiting until around the 4-week/1 month mark to give a review...and well, here we are!
I'll do this review in a primarily linear checklist-type way to help organize my thoughts. Ok, so enough BS, let's get this review going.
1. Does Brain Optimizer improve your memory and learning ability? - YES. It does. At four weeks, my memory is much improved; I'll say it's improved by at least 50%. How can I quantify that? Well, normally (with my ADHD) I'll need to listen to something several times or I’ll have to use a memory strategy that I learned to help me remember things, something I learned when going for my graduate degree. Nowadays, I almost have to remind myself to practice the technique because even when half-focusing on something/someone, I can still remember a good bit of what they're saying. Thanks to BROP I've been able to aid my trivia night team in getting 2nd and 3rd place finishes. Boo-yah!
2. Does Brain Optimizer improve focus and working ability? - YES! Throughout my journal, you'll see me talk about how much my work efficiency has improved via BROP. When the program is working at its peak, it can cause an intense focus, which I enjoy; however, I have noticed that over the weeks, this effect isn't as strong as that initial period. To be fair, I attribute this to poor sleep consistency on my behalf because when I do get enough sleep, I find the effects of BROP to be more pronounced. Additionally, my inattentive ADHD will sometimes creep in and cause me to perseverate on things not directly related to the task at hand. That said, my daydreaming/inattention has been markedly reduced to "functional levels" meaning I can basically redirect myself and get back to work quicker.
3. How much has Brain Optimizer improved your ADHD symptoms? - Due to the effects mentioned above I’ll say moderately to high for work-related tasks. From a day-to-day aspect, lack of focus and working ability have a sizeable negative effect on my ability to work and perform, so improvements to this area have a positive domino effect. For example, because I can mentally process things more quickly and focus better, following directions is easier, participating in conversations is easier, and working is more straightforward, which reduces arguments over lack of listening and direction following. What Brain Optimizer does NOT do well (nor is it designed to do, to be fair) is address past traumas. Brain Optimizer does help with learning ways to combat past traumas, such as cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, but this will require work.
Suppose you’re a person looking for a program to help weed out any traumas or issues related to your ADHD that are more psychologically or trauma-based. In that case, Brain Optimizer isn't going to help directly. If you’re a person who has ADD/ADHD and you want something that can help you improve focus, working memory, and mental processing, then yes, I believe this program can help you quite a bit. If you DO NOT have ADD/ADHD, then the results, as mentioned earlier, I obtained may be more significant (or less) for you, depending on what your current baseline is. In short, the negative experiences that you've dealt with from your ADD/ADHD in childhood and adulthood aren't going to be cured by just Brain Optimizer alone.
SUMMARY: Brain Optimizer has been a solid subliminal, and its improvements are visible. I don't have to wonder, "How is this helping me?" because the results speak for themselves when I'm able to complete my work tasks quicker or when I'm able to learn something quicker. I grade it a solid 8.5/10.
*Side Note* I understand that the recommend cycle time for BROP is 4 months and I also know that some of the changes that it is attempting to make will take time. Due to this, I may change m of BROP depending on the significance of these changes and the results. That said, the fact that it has been able to make such significant changes within a month for someone like me is still remarkable. As always, if you have questions about my experience, feel free to comment here; otherwise, thanks for reading.
Now what is your assessment of what BROP would need to have added to turn it into a program to maximally help ADD/ADHD? I'm guessing some sort of trauma processing and release by what you said? Anything else?