I need to improve my concentration span.
For the past few years I've realised I can't really commit to almost anything. Even things I am interested in like films and games. I used to read a lot. Nowdays, no chance. This is seriously impacting me, I feel completely unsatisfied and aimless. All I do is browse the Internet on my phone. I've deleted all social media on my phone/life but it was never really that. Its just mindless browsing. I do take Sertraline for depression and I'm thinking it could be that, but not too sure.
I've been scrolling through 9gag in excess of 8 hours today.
I have some experience of where you're coming from and think the cause isn't necessarily concentration. What it is, though, i couldn't say. Lack of motivation is too easy, as is depression. It's as though at times i'm so severly bored that even the thought of alieviating that boredom is exhausting. Energy levels drop by conviction until all I want to do is sleep - exciting dreams become a worthwhile entertainment for a while, but it's not long before they take on an energy of their own and start to trouble my rest. Ofcourse that cycles back into itself making me feel overrested and rundown, like the excess energy is breaking down and begining to corrode my mind.
>concentration is a "muscle". Practise using it and you'll get better at it.
Trite perhaps, but have you considered meditation? There're certain types by which you concentrate on an imaginary red dot (or what ever) for as long as possible - the catch is you relax into it rather than make an effort with clenched fists. The effect has actually been studied too, with brain imagery showing actual development of the relatied areas.
I haven't bothered to try this (no shit, eh?), but the meditation i have engaged with in the past has produced some suprising effects. I'd recommend giving it a sincere try if the thought doesn't repulse you.
>>5543 I'm going to try and practice. Via concentration and putting myself through a programming course I am interested in. Thanks for suggestions all.
>>5545 Very possible. When given stuff to do in work that has urgency I tend to concentrate very well.
OP here, was considering making a new thread but doesn't really warrant.
I've been on a low dose of Sertraline for a year now and have just been given 10mg Citalopram to take. I'm a little bit nervous about it to be honest. The first few weeks on Sert were Hell for me, and I'm always a bit of a fanny taking drugs, fun or otherwise.
>>5547 Just come off sertraline myself, it got me through the stress of the past few months but they gave me the shits.
Withdrawal is a fucking nightmare though, I tapered the dose over several weeks, now after 2-3 weeks of not taking it I'm still suffering some vertigo and dizziness.
(Es)citalopram was similar, I had to fuck like a jackhammer for a good 45 minutes to actually get there. Some of the lasses I was with at the time were absolute troopers (or more likely they just loved getting shagged fucking rotten).
On the other hand venlafaxine had the same delaying effect but when I finally got there there was no actual pleasure at all, just a sort of wet dick fart. I got off the pills pretty quick-sharp after that. If life was fucking miserable already then taking sexual pleasure off the table wasn't going to make it any better.
Mirtazapine isn't any good for concentration either. It sent me to sleep quite well and promoted some crazy dreams, but also made me really hungry during the day. Don't think I've ever eaten so many Tunnock's caramel wafers.
As for shagging and wanking, it was the same for me as before, during and after taking it.