The best Nervous System Diseases books: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Order The Birth Partner off amazon for your husband. Great book! I read through it and my husband is almost done with it. I plan on passing it down to the next friend who gets pregnant which is how it came into my possession.

https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-Complete-Childbirth-Companions/dp/155832819X

There are a range of possible causes for brain fog. In my experience, the most common are nutritional/digestion and anxiety related.

Check out Why my brain isnt working on Amazon

I strongly believe that my depression/generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis in my early twenties was just the manifestation of undiagnosed ADHD- I felt like a failure that needed to be perfect because "easy" tasks were so difficult for me and if I "just worked harder" I could be "normal".

Since my diagnosis and trying medication and reading You Mean I'm not Lazy, Crazy, or Stupid?, most of my depression/anxiety has melted away. This is obviously not a guarantee, and your milage will certainly vary, but I for me, having an explanation for what my brain was doing outside of "you useless fool idiot" helped erase that core belief.

If getting a referral is difficult or you'll be facing a long wait, I'd recommend picking that book up. It's a really approachable read that felt really good for me as an adult figuring out that sometimes my brain just does things differently.

thank you for the suggesstion. after looking at that book, amazon recommended this one and the title alone made me cry.

Someone recommended this book to me years ago and it changed my life: https://www.amazon.com/Heal-Your-Headache-David-Buchholz/dp/0761125663/ref=mp_s_a_1_5

It discusses a bunch of different known migraine triggers and why, when you might eat the same trigger food on different days, you only get a migraine on one of those days.

I agree that you should start with tuning in your electrolytes on keto first. Keto has been a godsend for my headaches, too. But there may be a trigger you’re overlooking, and you might not need to cut out everything to find it. Good luck!

Sure! I do a modified Wahl's protocol for autoimmune, so it's very nutrient dense.

I eat a salad for each meal, including breakfast. Yes, it's a lot of chewing lol.

• 100g arugula or kale
• 25-30g lentils (gluten free)
• 70-100g protein (chicken or seafood cooked sous vide)
• Mix ins:
  • Roasted carrots with thyme or other seasonings
  • Roasted bell pepper strips
  • Olives
  • Tomatoes
  • Radishes
  • Portobello mushrooms (I tested okay for mannitol)

Additional foods

• Roasted eggplant slices (I'm okay with sorbitol) with za'atar and activated tahini (max 12g, activated because I can't have too much phytic acid). Eggplant slices kinda sub in for bread once your palate is off high glycemic foods lol. I slice them about 1/2" thick, brush with avocado oil, roast for about 30-45 minutes at 400º. They'd be great with tomato sauce as a sort of moussaka, too. They can go in a Chinese, Indian, or Thai direction easily. Yum.
• Roasted cauliflower with various spice blends (tested okay for mannitol)
• Roasted kabocha squash – great as dessert, sometimes with peanut butter (activated again)
• Grapes - about 100g after a meal or else it's too much sugar for me
• Strawberries
• Ice cream once a week – after a full meal, taken with a lactase pill

My proteins are super super delicious if I do say so myself. I marinate the chicken with various spices + oil, and the texture from sous vide is juicy, tender, and just great all around. It really adds a lot to salad. I cook seafood plain because I love the flavor as-is.

I'd recommend reading their book. Drs. Eric Kossof and Mackenzie Cervenka from a Johns Hopkins wrote it. It's their entire program:

The Ketogenic and Modified Atkins Diets: Treatments for Epilepsy and Other Disorders https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936303949/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HTWW10NDSVBGD2V9A0VQ

Have you considered that you might have add/ADHD?

https://www.amazon.com/You-Mean-Lazy-Stupid-Crazy/dp/0743264487/ref=asc_df_0743264487

Might wanna check out that book. Just got a very add symptom vibe from your post.

Part of what you mentioned also reminded me. Check out https://www.amazon.com/You-Mean-Lazy-Stupid-Crazy/dp/0743264487

It was an interesting read for me, and kinda brought a lot of things into focus for me, even though I've had the diagnoses for most of my life.

My therapist recommended this book which addresses the concern we all have about whether we're making this up or not.

"You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Crazy, or Stupid?”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0743264487/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DEjaGbSG0TCF3

• kratom — in a nutshell: a brief vacation from feeling tired and miserable. Anecdote: I had to give a presentation the other day. I it started earlier than I realized and I missed my nap & lunch. I had taken 500mg kratom that morning though. I was surprised that I made it through the presentation with no crash or even a fumble. I'm not taking it now, though; it doesn't play well with the methyl-B12 that I started. I end up wired all night.
• Selank — stress blocker. The pro is that I can work more/harder/longer. The con is that I can overdo it and be too exhausted the next day to get much done. I think of it as a stress blocker, not reducer.

BTW, I just started reading the Terry Wahls book on using targeted nutrition ensure your body gets what it needs to function optimally. In the preface she describes how she became wheelchair bound from progressive multiple sclerosis, researched nutritional support for mitochondrial function then regained most of her health. She's an MD and it looks to be realistic so far. You can read the preface on Amazon and see if it interests you.

I am here to second (or I guess now third) this suggestion! I am still at the beginning, but it was finally like "wow, someone actually gets me!" Not sure about you, but the title alone speaks volumes since those tend to be my own thoughts about myself. I hope you check it out and that it helps. It's currently on sale on Amazon so it's only like $11!

Uh I'm so sorry!

I had a migraine that lasted 3 to 4 months straight. I was desperate and near hopeless. I looked up the best migraine neurologists voted best by professional colleages (in Baltimore, medical mecca of the universe) and came up with 4 specialists in migraine. These are docs that "failed" migraine patients visit when other neurologists can't help. My insurance sucked at the time so I bought the best voted doc's book Heal Your Headache by David Buccolz.. went on his program, and slowly got better although it took time. https://www.amazon.com/Heal-Your-Headache-David-Buchholz/dp/0761125663

I know chronic migraine isn't a quick fix abd sometimes nothing can be done but just wanted to share my experience in the slight chance it could be helpful.

Be well!

You mean I’m not Lazy, stupid, or crazy?

[SPOILER BELOW]
This book helped open my eyes to how many people think like me.

(Spoiler alert: no, you aren’t any of those things)

I seem to be in the minority, but since your friend has expressed interest in raising awareness about communication disorders, and perhaps feels a sense of solidarity with those who have similar struggles, I think a book on that topic is a very thoughtful gift. She would likely enjoy reading about that topic and would appreciate that you aren’t shying away from it. She opened the lines of communication here. A related gift shows that you support her and don’t view her communication difference as a taboo topic that must not be mentioned.

One recommendation is “My Stroke of Insight.” It’s written by a “brain scientist” who had a stroke. She spoke at our ASHA convention several years ago and was incredible. (ASHA is our national professional board.)

https://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Insight-Scientists-Personal/dp/0452295548

Another book that I really enjoyed is “My Stroke of Luck,” written by actor Kirk Douglas after a stroke.

https://www.amazon.com/My-Stroke-Luck-Kirk-Douglas/dp/0060014040

Ugh so I bought this book which was recommended by many: https://www.amazon.com/You-Mean-Lazy-Stupid-Crazy/dp/0743264487?language=en_US&currency=USD

but I never read it. People said it’s good, but consider buying only when you know you will read it💀

If you're going the supplement route, I have a few more suggestions. First, this book and this blog post from a doctor really helped me understand how vitamin deficiencies were contributing to my issues.

Now, for me personally, adding a vitamin B6 and B12 supplements did noticeably improve my menstrual/hormonal issues. Try to get the most bio-available versions of supplements you can afford. Bio-available means your body absorbs more vitamin compared to other versions. For B6, look for P5P in the ingredients. If that's out of your budget, just get what you can afford because any extra vitamins still help more than none.

Other supplements that have helped my mental health: zinc (look for zinc chelate) and pharmaceutical grade fish oil (look for IFOS certification if you want the super high-grade stuff).

Some other basic advice for getting your health in order. Keep a food journal. See if symptoms improve or get worse after eating certain foods. If you want to be hardcore about it, go on an elimination diet. Also, reevaluate all personal care products to see if they may be contributing. It took me years to discover that I had sensitivity to aloe, and that stuff is in everything now.

Good luck.

This happens to a lot of us. I got spared the brunt of this since I was diagnosed as an adult. I was just a "scatterbrained high-energy late bloomer who said silly shit." I didn't know I had ADHD so I just got to accept those parts of myself as me.

I guess that's my advice to you. Accept yourself. Whether you have ADHD or not. Accept who you are. Then you can get help with the things you want to change and you can appreciate the parts of you that you like about yourself.

I definitely recommend seeing a professional. Negative self-perception was one of the first things my psychiatrist went over with me.

I haven't read it but he recommended a book to me about it,

"You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?"

(https://www.amazon.com/You-Mean-Lazy-Stupid-Crazy/dp/0743264487?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=60445ac3-9b9c-48b6-b4ea-bcbde2b3f596)

Hope that helps!

Helps with recall:

-word search puzzles -video puzzle games that don’t involve weapons like Ecco the Dolfin or Disc World or Myst

Change your diet-

-no more gluten (mostly bread & sourdough is better than others once in a while) -cut refined sugars -sweeten with maple syrup instead -take Lion’s Mane

This book is also very good for anyone having memory issues

https://www.amazon.com/Isnt-Brain-Working-Revolutionary-Understanding/dp/0985690437

Read this book: Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Headaches https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0761125663/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0BX1JHT9V9BM2R042HFQ

My neurologist recommended it - changed my life.

I woke up with this type of headache almost daily for several years. Saw an ENT because I thought it was sinus and I do have crazy allergies. CT scan and sinus scope showed nothing but some inflammation. Got all that under control with allergy meds but headaches got worse.

Started seeing a neuro again. MRI showed nothing. He recommended the headache book and I discovered that my daily whey protein was a big trigger. Also garlic or onion. I cut those out - mostly - and daily headaches disappeared. Now, I have a lot of garlic or onion at dinner (coz I love it), I always wake up with that dumb headache again.

https://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Power-Heal-Biochemistry-Brain/dp/1626361282

Book by Ph.D clinical nutritionist working 30+ years with brain based behavioral disorders including schizophrenia using naturally occurring substances.

EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique, to deal with your thoughts and feelings about your condition.

I am married to a guy who has ADHD. My kid (18) also has ADHD and ASD. What we do when these things happen is talk about what is difficult about the situation later when everyone isn't upset.

My kid also has trouble putting away the videos and getting to sleep. I am the one who wakes them up in the morning. But, we use the way they feel as reminders for why they need to get to bed. Not as an "I told you so" but as a "Let's avoid feeling this way tomorrow."

I remind them to get to sleep at a decent hour if I know that has been a struggle, and I remind them of all the free time they do have to watch videos later. Sometimes it helps to remind them that they don't have to consume all the media right now.

Lately, it has been a small struggle to leave on time so I asked them to put a reminder on their phone. If they had to wake up on their own, I think they could with an alarm.

So you need reminders about sleeping and it helps to have rituals like setting up your backpack for tomorrow, brushing teeth, getting water, then putting the phone away, or setting a timer to put it away if necessary.

It sounds like your dad is focusing on what he knows you need to do, and you are focusing on how difficult it is, which puts you on different teams. If you could sit down together and really listen to each other, hopefully he will get how hard this is for you and support you by helping you come up with strategies to be able to get to sleep and wake up on time.

You might also help yourself by reading the book "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?" https://www.amazon.com/You-Mean-Lazy-Stupid-Crazy/dp/0743264487

My Neurologist didn't give me any meds.

He put me on coq10, magnesium oxide, and b2 riboflavin.

He told me to follow the dietary guidelines in this book.

Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for Taking Charge of Your Headaches

I didn't follow the diet very well, so I can't speak to if it works or not. I'm taking a shot at the diet again, but its not easy.

The book also explains why your doctor is giving you those meds. According to that book its all tied together. The book will explain how the migraine meds might help with the dizziness. Although the book doesnt generally recommend that as a first treatment.

I didn't even get headaches at all, just constant dizziness and vertigo attacks. But migraines was my doctors explanation to me.

I was having full vertigo attacks every other day for 30+ days when I started taking the supplements. The attacks died down after a few weeks, which is why I kind of didn't go all in on the diet.

I'm trying the diet again with the hope it may stamp out the constant dizziness. I found a cookbook based on the diet so I'm hoping I'll do better this time.

Thank you for the reply! Also a book recommendation that may help!

https://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Power-Heal-Biochemistry-Brain/dp/1626361282/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=RVAN0YDAF9NH&keywords=william+walsh+nutrient+power&qid=1646741408&sprefix=wlillaim+walsh+%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1

Good luck with everything!

Check out the Wahls Protocol for chronic health issues. Dr. Wahls matches your diet closely and has options to be nightshade and egg free. Her methods focus on strengthening the mitochondrial health which helps many chronic and autoimmune issues fade away.

The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583335544/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_YX1B8KNSX197SM34XW68

Of course! It’s this one by David Buchholz.

I just read your other comment about the sugar and you seem to be on point about the inflammation. Histamine apparently plays a huge part in certain types of depression and I've learned about this through William Walsh's research. That's great to hear how you stumbled upon this through mask wearing and eliminating certain foods in your diet.

It takes people 20 years before they find their cause, if they even find it at all.

I'm not endorsed by William Walsh or receiving any money for posting links on here. But his book called nutrient power has taught me quite a bit.

If you're not sure who he is, I recommend checking out this book https://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Power-Heal-Biochemistry-Brain/dp/1626361282 or searching for the e-book version.

Again that's really awesome that you're feeling better after implementing the air filter and diet changes. I hope it continues to make you feel better. and thanks again for sharing.

This is one of the best books on keto for epilepsy…

https://www.amazon.com/Ketogenic-Modified-Atkins-Diets-Treatments/dp/1936303949/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=EOPB1X2JWOXU&keywords=epilepsy+keto&qid=1643148608&sprefix=epilepsy+keto%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-13

I highly recommend Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program for those of you wondering about this elimination diet. It’s a book written by a neuroscientist and is really working for me. The most important thing is understanding that food is a trigger but that people have different thresholds for triggers resulting in a migraine. So soy one day might not cause one but another day stacked with other triggers might. Also food triggers aren’t always instantaneous so it’s hard to uncover them. This book helps you do that. I’m in month 3 and decided citrus is the first thing I want to try adding back in. It’s hard and I agree it’s all my favorite foods you can’t have but worth it. My migraines have been cut in half.

Years ago I read a great book about ADD called "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy!?". The title of that book has become my mantra ever since. I constantly have to tell myself this. So I will tell it to you now. You are not lazy, stupid, or crazy. Literally everyone makes mistakes often. It's how we learn. So don't be so hard on yourself.

I don't know what your definition of "mercilessly ridiculed" is. If they are just laughing and poking fun at you, then just own it and laugh with them. "Haha, I fucked up my rice again. It literally just exploded. Holy shit. Look at how it's stuck to every side of the microwave. What a fucking mess. Oh well. Shit happens." If they are truly being assholes, then you have to tell them it bothers you and ask them to stop. If they don't stop, you have to cut them out of your life somehow, even if they are family. You will be better off because you need people in your life that make you feel good about yourself, not bring you down. There are so many people in the world, with a little bit of effort (because you're not lazy) you can find a new group of people.