I think my procrastination started this way years ago, but over time it turned into a vicious cycle of anxiety-inducing/induced procrastination that basically had nothing to do with the model described in the post. I was fully aware that websurfing was an anaesthetic that did nothing to recharge my mental batteries but simply kept me from thinking anxiety-provoking thoughts. Eventually I resorted to anxiolytics, and now I can say no to myself with relative ease.
Thank you, I do exactly the same thing. I have anxiety about not having started the work but if I can’t start the work because to do that I have to stop doing the things distracting me from my anxiety. Sometimes it gets bad enough that I can’t even sit still long enough to do the distracting activities, much less anything productive.
Thanks. I might retry benzos since I had no particular reason to look for effects on my “motivation” (ability to resist the temptation to procrastinate) during past trials. During a particularly stressful few months a few years ago, I took lorazepam to stop my body from producing too much cortisol, and my girlfriend has observed that my motivation was particularly high at that time. Of course, that might be because the stakes were particularly high then, but it is easy enough for me to retry benzos.
When did you start the lorazepam? On a day picked at random since you started the L, what is the probability that you took a benzo?
I like that I am communicating with someone who will understand that last question. With most people in my life, I would feel a need to use a less precise question such as, How often do you take the C?
I am after an estimate of your total lifetime intake of benzos measured in units of “a dose high enough to control anxiety”—which I can calculate from your answers to my 2 questions.
The reason I am after such an estimate is that I am a little worried about the cumulative effect of benzos. If you’ve taken a lot of them over the years, then that does a lot to take away my worries because I’ve known your online persona since the “Overcoming Bias” days and you’ve always come across as a fine rational person with no mental handicaps as far I can see.
I think my procrastination started this way years ago, but over time it turned into a vicious cycle of anxiety-inducing/induced procrastination that basically had nothing to do with the model described in the post. I was fully aware that websurfing was an anaesthetic that did nothing to recharge my mental batteries but simply kept me from thinking anxiety-provoking thoughts. Eventually I resorted to anxiolytics, and now I can say no to myself with relative ease.
Thank you, I do exactly the same thing. I have anxiety about not having started the work but if I can’t start the work because to do that I have to stop doing the things distracting me from my anxiety. Sometimes it gets bad enough that I can’t even sit still long enough to do the distracting activities, much less anything productive.
Which anxiolytics? Benzodiazepines?
Yep. I was on lorazepam a while ago, and recently my doc switched me to clonazepam, which I find much less sedating without being ineffective.
Thanks. I might retry benzos since I had no particular reason to look for effects on my “motivation” (ability to resist the temptation to procrastinate) during past trials. During a particularly stressful few months a few years ago, I took lorazepam to stop my body from producing too much cortisol, and my girlfriend has observed that my motivation was particularly high at that time. Of course, that might be because the stakes were particularly high then, but it is easy enough for me to retry benzos.
When did you start the lorazepam? On a day picked at random since you started the L, what is the probability that you took a benzo?
I like that I am communicating with someone who will understand that last question. With most people in my life, I would feel a need to use a less precise question such as, How often do you take the C?
I am after an estimate of your total lifetime intake of benzos measured in units of “a dose high enough to control anxiety”—which I can calculate from your answers to my 2 questions.
The reason I am after such an estimate is that I am a little worried about the cumulative effect of benzos. If you’ve taken a lot of them over the years, then that does a lot to take away my worries because I’ve known your online persona since the “Overcoming Bias” days and you’ve always come across as a fine rational person with no mental handicaps as far I can see.
Thanks! (I’ve replied to your query by PM.)