[michaelochurch]

I used a fairly popular, legal nootropic and set off a manic episode. Not hypomania (I'm cyclothymic, so I'm used to that and it's usually benign) but scary, saw-code-when-I-closed-my-eyes mania. (It was bad code but at least it wasn't Java.) Also, mania isn't usually "happy"; it's 15% euphoria but 35% anger and 50% anxiety. Based on one episode (eh, maybe two or three; before your mid-20s it is hard to tell) I give the experience 0 stars.

Obviously this is not a common reaction, and probably very rare with most nootropics. I just want to point out that there are long-tail risks to this. Although many of these agents are probably safe for the majority of the population, creative and ambitious people are likely to be already a high-risk group.

If you're a mathematician or artist or novelist advancing the state of humanity, "enhance" away, and I'll wish you the best in recovery if you get unlucky. If you're a corporate climber and you blow your brain out trying to gain an edge in a zero-sum game, then I have zero sympathy.

[MichaelGG]

Well that's why pretty much every psychoactive drug has a warning for people with mental "illness" like that. Stimulants apparently can contribute to psychosis. OTOH, I've known people that get prescribed amphetamines like mad because they're too tired out from all the anti-psychotics and mood-stabilizers. Seems a bit counterproductive.

Mania can be happy. Or at least a terrible funfuck of a ride while it lasts. At least for the person experiencing it. If they don't have to deal with all the consequences.

[mrsteveman1]

You could probably do a lot of good on a small scale just by naming the one you're talking about, even if that reaction is rare.

[michaelochurch]

Inositol but it was a huge amount: more than 20mg/day, which is most definitely a pharmacological quantity. The amount you get from food or even a normal vitamin is not going to hurt you.

I was also self-medicating for Open Plan Syndrome (often a precursor to full-blown Panic Disorder, as it was for me, and not uncommon in tech) so the reason why I was using it (in such absurdly high doses) may be a contributor to the fucked-up-ness.