16 replies to this topic

[themastadon]

I'm intrigued by the concept of drugs that alter the personality. Here are two examples I've come across tonight that are quite intriguing.

Paxil (an SSRI) lowers neuroticism and boosts extroversion: http://www.cnn.com/2...nality.changes/

Psilocybin boosts openness: http://yourlife.usat...term/50602264/1

I have no qualms about taking either substance, but for the sake of staying on-topic, let's stay away from cost/benefit analysis of taking a drug for personality changes.

Any other examples you've come across, either personally or through research? If you've taken either an SSRI or shrooms, I want to hear what your personal experience was like. Did you notice any of the personality changes mentioned above?

[Philosopher]

I've been on prozac (fluoxetine) for a little over a month now. My dose has been slowly increased to 30mg a day today. The biggest problem I have encountered with my treatment has to be the sexual dysfunction. I'm a horny teenager, so it scares me when I can't seem to get a boner.

I also discerned quite a bit of anhedonia in myself. I can't seem to truly experience the emotion I once did.

As for personality changes, I have indeed become less irritable and stressed out over trivialities. It has bred a potent complacency in me, causing an unconditional acceptance for the absurdities of existence. However, I'm sure the existential angst is still there; it lingers on and shows itself in the form of depression. I am severely depressed, and prozac only helps me slightly.



I'd also like to menton DXM. I remember when I robotripped not too long ago (recreationally drank robitussin cough syrup for the dextromethorphan) I laid in my bed for 8 straight hours thinking only of the all the people in my life. I saw people as completely naked, and an unconditional love for every human being seethed through me. I became much more open minded and extraverted for a while after the trip.

Edited by Philosopher, 06 March 2012 - 12:52 AM.

[themastadon]

Thanks for sharing, I'm alarmed by the potent complacency you're reporting -- has anyone else experienced this with an SSRI?

I've never tried DXM, but I've heard it's somewhat like a PCP trip. How long did the open-mindedness last after your trip? Possibly longer than a year?

[hippocampus]

Ethanol: boosts extroversion and stupidity

[themastadon]

Ethanol: boosts extroversion and stupidity

indeed it does, in the short-term anyway.

[niner]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ecstasy. It's well known for making people more empathetic. Stimulants make me more outgoing and extroverted. Opiates make me more patient and accepting. Really, what's a personality but the sum total of neurotransmitters/receptors and some programming? You won't change the programming with a drug, but you can sure mess with the chemistry. I'd expect any psychotropic compound to change your personality. If you think that your personality is cast in stone and "defines" you, then you probably won't like this idea.

[Spectre]

Psilocybin has definitely increased my openness as an individual, and gotten me to see everything in a completely different perspective. It's given me countless profound realizations and gotten me to appreciate life and nature like never before. Definitely a positive and life-enhancing experience to say the least.

[Raptor87]

Amphetamine, weed, alcohol... Talk fast as a machinegun to strangers and be funny as hell while you are trying to be serious but everybody laughs their brains out instead. And I have no sense of humour. Weird shit!

If I wasn´t afraid of the side- effects then Id be taking them every weekend and be approaching women while talking their ears of until they´d just follow me home.

Although, amphetamines do some weird shit to you dick. So skip that!

[mrd1]

What about

NRI like panax ginseng Rhodea rosea wellbeing enhancement higher end of dosing cymbalta and effexor
D2 agonism like aniracetam noopept for extraversion/antianxiety
SSRI for 5-ht2a/c agonism and therefore downregulation for wellbeing and antianxiety
DRIs adderall ritalin increased motivation specifically agonism of the d1 receptors that stick around even after tolerance causing a lasting improvement in focus etc
D1,2, and or3 upregulators like sulbutamine, inositol, phenylpiracetam
Dopamine transporter upregulators like NAC , alpha gpc, uridine, cdp choline
Inhibitory post synaptic signal strengthening in the hippocampus via noopept for antianxiety
GABA-A sub types 1,2,3 and Gaba-b via things like alcohol, benzos, barbs, sleeping pills, phenibut, valerian, skullcap, etc
More diverse things like something to do with alpha 1 agonism, gaba a sub type 5 agonism histamine agonism acting as a antidepressant and increasing levels of extraversion and wakefullness promotion via adrafinil, modrafinil
histamine antagonism for a albiet weak antianxiety and sedative effect
NDMA antagonism or maybe in certain cases histamine antagonism increasing mood sometimes but not really really being so functional
Increasing Alpha waves via l-theanine noopept calmer
ndma/ampa ratio Something to do with mood?
nicotinic receptor maybe upregulation via something like wellbutrion or activation via nicotine antidepressant?
muscarinic receptors? too tired idek man :'(
mu- opioid receptors beta endorphins extreme exercise pain idk haha oxycodone hydrocodone codeine morphine increase calmness euphoria
Delta opioid receptors overload it and generalize to the mu - opioid receptors maybe causing a weak mu-opioid like calmness euphoria ex kratomite
o or k opioid receptors- hard to really seperate because they normally are together but maybe upregulate mu-opioid receptor maybe long term increase in calmness and wellbeing who knows
Insula, anterior cingulate cortex, VTA- pleasure maybe happier via music sex food amphetamine meditation yadeeyayaya
loceus coreleus - maybe either inhibit noradreline via things like benzos causing a maybe indirect dopamine release making you calmer and maybe happier who knows my neuroscience textbook couldn't give me a citation for that. or increasing noradrenaline like with adrafinil making you more alert action orienternted orsomething.

Thats enough for this post maybe tommorow ill add some more.

[Tom_]

Unless you are on them for extended periods - years plus any consistent long term changes in your personality won't be seen - even then its dubious.

Given an access to a pharmacy I could make you score high or low on any sub-test of the big 5.

What do you expect ADs increases serotonergic firing, decreased Serotonergic firing is practically the working definition of neurosis.

[addx]

Ibogaine is a personality changing drug. In the sense that you take it once and it changes your personality forever

Ayahusca probably as well although I trust more in Ibogaine.

[renfr]

I took too much anticholinergics and my personality was deeply altered, you don't hallucinate but you don't see the same way (the perspective and the angle seem different) and it comes with a whole load of symptoms such as :
- extreme memory impairment (impossible to think logically),
- startled easily, sounds sound turn mono instead of stereo and it sounds really crappy,
- you feel like you're on some kind of speed (you talk very fastly and move very fastly),
- coordination is screwed up
- you don't feel high or drugged up (except in front of people when you speak very fast ) however in some people dark areas can turn into a bunch of crawling spiders and that's very very scary
- feelings of depression and total despair (you almost feel like this state of mind is permanent and will never change something like that)

Of course this ended in a bad "trip" since I didn't mean to trip in the first time.
The same kind of thing occurs when some people use dramamine or datura for recreational purposes but no one abuses that since it always end up with a bad trip and it's a very unpleasant experience.

[socialpiranha]

Ibogaine is a personality changing drug. In the sense that you take it once and it changes your personality forever

Ayahusca probably as well although I trust more in Ibogaine.

addx i found this too, i got the sense that it functions like a personaity generator, it showed me the various personality types from dumb redneck to nerd and everything in between...it seemed to give me a choice which one to pick...it also showed me which one i had been in a way i had never seen before...i still grapple with how it is so specific it felt more like i ingested an interactive computer program that is compatible with my brain rather than a plant.

[Adamzski]

When I was taking Wellbutrin I was a different person. 3 people that I know well talked to me on the phone and mentioned that I sounded different, more full of life and stronger. I stood up straight and did not slouch anymore, I was much more attractive to girls and was way more outgoing, I developed many friendships where I had no friends basically at all previously. I actually moved to Korea, thats fairly outgoing for someone who used to be scared of getting on a bus just a year earlier.. Now a lot of this has stayed with me to some point.
I want to get back on it but I had a few incidents where I got drunk and run amok.. Life endangering incidents really. I can not take the chance that a few beers will turn into a life changing night.

[nupi]

Interesting - Wellbutrin was fairly anxiogenic (and made me more pure O) to me. I have some left, maybe I'll try stacking it on top of my Fluoxetine some time

[Adamzski]

It might have been just the thing I was missing to make me a bit more happy and outgoing. I had different feeling orgasms and chased girlies all the time while on it. If I took it for a week now I would be on the phones/interwebs finding girls within that week.

[mrd1]

I finding that a NDRI with a SSRI is a excellent combo for myself. Especially because one could use a NDRI with a SNRI if they still are not experiencing full relief with a NDRI and SSRI but not have to add another pill.

I think while anything that has a strong effect on the CNS can change you as a person because, you are a function of your biology, it is important not to overemphasis the role of these very potent possibly dangerous chemicals because they are vividly encoded on your amydalas vs something more subtle and gradual that won't have that burn in effect

Thing of this, What is more likely to kill you a terrorist or a american? A gun or NSAIDS? A Murder or a driver?

Whats more likely to change your happiness lottery or gratitude?? a hot steamy night with a porn star or exercise? a job promotion or feeling valued and cared about ?

While this may seem off topic, my point is that there is a overwhelming theme in human nature to overemphasis the effects of vivid events and underestimate the much more gentle things.