Comments by "Panama Fred" (@panamafred1) on "Dopamine Expert: Doing This Once A Day Fixes Your Dopamine! What Alcohol Is Doing To Your Brain!" video.

  1. This certainly was helpful for me. Three years ago I began eating the carnivore diet way. In doing so, I went through weeks of sugar and carbohydrate withdrawal. For nearly three years, I did great. No cravings, no longings for foods I no longer eat. Then four months ago, my best friend and wonderful wife of 20 years died unexpectedly from complications from a fall causing a traumatic head injury. Both retired, we had been together 24/7 for this entire time. I realize that the vast majority of my dopamine response came from our very close physical, emotional and loving relationship. The grief is palpable and massive. To my surprise, my sugar addiction came roaring back full tilt. I don't smoke, drink, use food as anesthesia, won't use mood altering prescription or recreational drugs, don't go to bars, don't use social media except for YouTube, and refuse to watch porn because of the damage it does to everyone involved, and therefore I don't have any fallback to try to mediate/self medicate my grief. I am now engulfing myself in the seemingly impossible task of feeling my grief without giving in to the crutch of sugar. I know that I will get there, that the grief will lessen over time. I think this first year will be hellish. But in the meantime for this 76-year-old man, this is rough. Thank you for this episode.
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  2. @ninjacat508  Tracy, I understand and resonate with everything that you said. As a two tour Vietnam vet and survivor of two divorces and other difficult life events, this, this is times ten the most emotionally wrenching thing I have experienced. I am committed to fully feeling the pain while simultaneously moving on with my life. Several widowers have told me that life is for the living, that the pain diminishes but the memories stay alive with us. Cynthia would want me to find new happiness in time. While it seems impossible at this time, I know it will happen. The challenge is to honor their memory, be grateful for everything we had together, and to increasingly create the next phase of my life. When I am ready, I hope I find a partner like you who has the knowledge and ability to love fully. It gives me strength to know that I am neither the first nor the last to experience the richness and complexity of the tragic passing of a loved one. Tracey, I wish you strength on this journey.
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  3.  @ninjacat508  Hi Tracey. I responded to your comment early this morning, but it looks like something happened, it didn't post. I'll try again...
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  4.  @ninjacat508  Tracey, yes, I agree with everything you said. For me, two tours of Vietnam, two divorces, and with a slew of life events behind me, this, this is the most emotionally impactful event of my life. It is wickedly difficult. I too was her caregiver for several weeks before it became necessary to hospitalize her. This is an expression of love that I had never experienced. Now four months in I have some good days only lightly sprinkled with profound moments of grief. I am doing my best to simultaneously grieve and to move forward with my life. My Cynthia, and I suspect your partner, would want us to continue on, to thrive, to be happy. Before she lost consciousness, she told me so. She said that she hoped that I find a new love with as much appreciation for me as she had. So it is a push and pull to celebrate my memories of her and to get up every morning, make my bed, feed myself, be productive, and not allow myself to wallow in self pity for more than a few moments. I hope that you find balance and healing. It does get easier if we do the work that is before us. With love and compassion to a fellow traveler.
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