(Instructions may vary with version and manufacturer.)

There are many ways to do this:

Dim and Dark:

1. Go to Settings -> Display
2. Select ‘Dark’
3. Turn on ‘Adaptive Brightness’
4. Slide Brightness level to the center, or as low as is comfortable for you.
5. Turn on ‘Eye Comfort Shield’

Select Dark Wallpaper:

1. On home screen, touch and hold for 2 seconds an empty space.
2. Select ‘Wallpaper’
3. Choose a dark wallpaper (with little to no blue)
4. Choose a color palate with little blue.
5. Turn on ‘Apply Dark mode to wallpaper’

iPhone

1. Go to Settings, then tap Display & Brightness.
2. Select Dark to turn on Dark Mode. (do not make it automatic)
3. Turn on Night Shift
4. Turn on Scheduled, drag the bar to as warm as comfortable for you, select ‘Sunrise to Sunset’
5. Go to Settings > Accessibility ->Tap Display & Text Size, then turn on Auto-Brightness.
6. Set your background and wallpaper to dark if necessary.

Chrome

Install Morpheon Dark Theme

1. Click the three vertical dots in the upper right.
2. Click ‘Settings’
3. Click ‘Theme’ which takes you to the Chrome Theme Store
4. Search for ‘Morpheon Dark’ and click on it.
5. Click ‘Add to Chrome’
6. Paste in the following Link in Chrome browser – chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark

Install Dark Reader to make web pages dark.

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions
2. Search for ‘Dark Reader’ and click ‘Add to Chrome’
3. Enable it if it is not already enabled.
4. In your url, paste or type chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark 
5. In the section ‘Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents’ change the dropdown from ‘Default’ to ‘Enabled’
6. Close Chrome and relaunch it for the settings to take effect.

Gmail

1. In the upper right, click the Gear icon.
2. Under ‘Theme’ click ‘View all’
3. Scroll down until you see the completely black theme and select it.
4. Click ‘Save’

Windows 10

1. Click the Windows icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Click the Gear symbol to enter settings.
3. Click “Personalization”
4. Background: You could pick a darker image or change from ‘Picture’ to ‘Solid Color’ and make it black.
5. Colors: Change the ‘Choose your color’ dropdown to ‘Dark’
   Change the ‘Accent Color’ to a dark grey like Storm or dark red like Brick Red.
   Scroll down and check the two boxes to show accent colors.
6. Install f.lux (free) to make your screen yellow in the evenings. https://justgetflux.com/
7. Click the ‘sun’ icon in the tray to adjust f.lux settings.
8. Bring down day, evening, and night color temps to the lowest you are comfortable with.

Windows 11

1. Click the Windows icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Type ‘Settings’ and press ‘enter’
3. Click ‘Personalization’ on the left side
4. Background: You could pick a darker image or change from ‘Picture’ to ‘Solid Color’ and make it black.
5. Click ‘Personalization’ on the left side
6. Click ‘Colors’
7. Colors: Change the ‘Choose your mode’ dropdown to ‘Dark’
8. Change the ‘Accent Color’ to a dark grey like Storm or dark red like Brick Red.
   Scroll down and check the two boxes to show accent colors.
9. Install f.lux (free) to make your screen yellow in the evenings. https://justgetflux.com/
10. Click the ‘sun’ icon in the tray to adjust f.lux settings.
11. Bring down day, evening, and night color temps to the lowest you are comfortable with.

Dr. Bob DeMaria on how ADHD is made worse or even created by trans fats, french fries, and Skittles.

Some experts claim that sugar is as addictive as harder drugs.  It inflames the whole body, including the brain.  This can create brain fog and other mental issues.
Dr. Axe on how to overcome the sugar cravings.

Dr. Dan Engle recently wrote a guide for treating brain injury
“The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injuries.” You can find a summary of key points here.

Several of the treatment modalities suggested are offered here at Peak Clarity, including:

• Neurofeedback
• Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS)
• Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF)
• Low-light laser therapy (LLLT) (Photobiomodulation)

There are a few doctors out there who believe that most of Western society is chronically low on iodine and that this deficiency is part of the reason for epidemic rise of autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis). The long-held prevailing medical view is that too much iodine can cause Hashimoto’s. The doctors mentioned below dispute this, claiming to have high cure rates for Hashimoto’s with iodine and cofactor supplementation. They report doing testing for iodine, bromide, and fluoride to see how deficient someone is, then supplementing in a way that they claim often heals the thyroid.

They relate the increasing rates of thyroid disease with the increase of toxins in our environment and decrease of iodine fortification in foods. Part of their argument is that if iodine really causes thyroiditis, then why are rates going up as iodine consumption falls.

It is very important to note that the vast majority of medical professionals do not agree with what is presented below.

Dr. Brownstein 10-minute talk
Dr. Brownstein 1-hour talk
Dr. Flechas 1-hour talk

Guide to Supplementing
Even more details and links from curezone.

Pre-supplementation test kit

#1 Important Guideline
Your eyes contain specialized receptors for light that can trigger from a single photon and inhibit the release of melatonin, which regulates falling and saying asleep. These receptors are very sensitive to blue light. White lights contain blue light. It is very important to cut out white and blue light. Use amber glasses from amazon or blue-blockers on all your devices at least 2 hours before bedtime. If you don’t do this, your brain will inhibit your natural feeling of sleepiness. That means that when you do fall asleep it will take longer, and it won’t be as deep.

#2 Induce Sleepy Brain Waves (must be used with headphones)
Android Users: Waveen app uses isochronic tones and binaural beats to induce relaxation.
Apple Users: Here’s something similar https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/binaural-beats-isochronic-tones-creator-its-just-mindstate/id578089517?mt=8

#3 The Military Technique
This article explains how pilots were taught to fall asleep under any conditions.
https://medium.com/s/story/combat-tested-training-unwind-and-sleep-anywhere-in-120-seconds-27d5307b7606

#4 The Cognitive Shuffle Technique
And there’s an app for it https://www.bustle.com/p/what-is-cognitive-shuffling-this-trick-might-help-you-get-to-sleep-easier-56458
Interestingly, I used to do something similar to this back in college before the technology.
What I would do is relax and close my eyes and just notice what happened “on the back of my eyelids.” I just watched the slideshow without getting attached or involved in any image. Initially, it is just static, but it becomes more and more complicated until it is images. If you can really not attach to the images, it takes just a few moments to fall asleep.

This approach is in alignment with Functional Medicine, which seeks to find the core issue underneath the symptoms and support the body in handling it naturally.

This is even more powerful considering that research methods with NF demand that all clients get the same treatment.  In practice, we do a brain map to evaluate which parts of the brain are underperforming and target those areas specifically for treatment.  So to have a powerful effect when all received the same treatment really says something.  We can also assume that NF doesn’t result in the height reduction found in kids who are on stimulants long term.

We continue to see more and more data about the robustness of neurofeedback in treating ADHD.  In 2011, 11% of U.S. kids were diagnosed with ADHD.  No doubt that number has continued to rise with the proliferation of technology.  Information consumes attention.  Technology and media are designed to weaken attention and willpower to keep you watching.  It is the anti-meditation.  If we meditated as much as we tune out with tech, we would be extremely clear, focused, and a whole lot happier.

Reference:

Van Doren, J., Arns, M., Heinrich, H., Vollebregt, M. A., Strehl, U., & Loo, S. K. (2018). Sustained effects of neurofeedback in ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-018-1121-4

Direct URL to Study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-018-1121-4

Excerpt from Hammond article: Research has shown, however, that the costs associated with medication treatment are actually quite sizable. For instance, a study (Marchetti et al., 2001) of six different medications for ADD/ADHD treatment found that the average cost per school-aged patient was$1,678 each year. Another study (Swensenet al., 2003) examined the health care costs in more than 100,000 families where ADHD was either present or not present. They found that in families where a member had ADHD,the direct costs of health care expenditures plus indirect costs (such as work loss) averaged$1,288 per year higher for the other family members (who had not been diagnosed as having ADD/ADHD) in comparison with members of families where ADHD was not present. This would mean that the cost of medication just cited, combined with indirect costs each year for a family with two children, one of whom had ADHD, would be $5,542.

ISNR article: This front-loading of sessions tends to make NFB treatment appear more expensive than psychotherapy; however, the cost for NFB is a concentrated cost over several months whereas the cost of psychotherapy is typically similar but spread out over many months or years. Therefore, NFB is usually a one-time intervention of 40 or fewer sessions over the course of four months or less, whereas psychotherapy and/or stimulant medications often will go on for several years. Very few if any individuals with ADHD will respond in five sessions or less to any form of treatment, including medications which are often prescribed for years. However, when NFB treatment is complete, there is a high probability of long-term maintenance of treatment gains, unlike what research has found with medication usage. The cost of NFB for a 10 year-old child typically ranges from $3000 to $4500 over a relatively short period of time compared to parent training and psychotherapy, plus continued medication usage for years, possibly into adulthood. Although medication costs vary, the long-term medication and medication-management costs alone for ADHD often exceed $6,000. There is also the issue of quality of life, which is difficult to put a price on, but also includes the negative side effects that are common with stimulant medications.

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only.  I give neither tax advice nor medical advice.  I do not promote any religion or religious orientation.

The introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, Obamacare) in 2014 was controversial to say the least.  Some of the most contested components were the individual mandate and the resulting penalty for noncompliance.  In 2017, that penalty is 2.5% of income and it may go up in 2018.  Even though I personally see the ACA as a step forward, it still supports a healthcare system that is utterly broken and backwards and results in the U.S. spending the astronomically for our services and getting little in return compared to what other countries spend.  Consequently, our insurance premiums are also astronomical and not affordable for many.

The IRS offers a few exemptions from the individual mandate.  A notable one is a religious exemption.  Specifically, the IRS allows for an exemption for “members of a health care sharing ministry” using Form 8965 (instructions here).

So, if you are willing to say that you abide by certain religious values, you can sign up for a religious healthshare at a discount from the big insurance companies.  Know that these healthshares generally don’t offer all the benefits as plans under the ACA.  For example, they typically don’t cover mental health and often don’t cover pre-existing conditions.  Furthermore, you are often required to pay for the medical expenses yourself and then get reimbursed.  (Be sure to ask for a discount when you self-pay because usually there is one.)  Also, these plans don’t always cover prescriptions (more on that later).

There is an important qualification that the IRS makes:  “the health care sharing ministry (or a predecessor) must have been in existence and sharing medical expenses continuously and without interruption since December 31, 1999.”  I have reason to believe that the health shares listed here meet that criterion, but you should confirm that with them.  The prices and benefits vary widely, but are often substantially cheaper that what is available at the marketplace.  Furthermore, you can enroll with these plans at any time vs. the limited enrollment period for the ACA.

• Altrua HealthShare
• Christian Healthcare Ministries
• Christian Care Ministry
• Christ Medicus Foundation CURO (Catholic)
• Liberty HealthShare
• Samaritan Ministries
• Solidarity HealthShare

Prescriptions

Some of the plans above do not offer prescription drug coverage.  Even without coverage, there is still a way to get the same low prices that the insurance providers have negotiated.  There are several companies that offer prescription cards at no charge that get you the discounted prices.  I’m not sure of the mechanics behind it, but it seems to work.  I have used GoodRx many times with no problems, and it gives the added benefit of checking the prices at all the nearby stores.  Expect to pay around half of the retail price.  Search your app store or visit their web site where you can print coupons.  It would be good to have it handy before it was needed.

A new study took a number of people with treatment-resistant depression and gave them Neurofeedback for 12 weeks.  Sixty-six percent of them experienced improvement and forty-five percent improved well enough to be classified as being in remission.  To repeat, almost half of the people with treatment-resistant depression were “cured.”  That either says something about our standard treatments for depression, or something about the power of Neurofeedback.

The study was small, but did use a control group and was clinically significant.  Studies of the efficacy of Neurofeedback continue to surface despite suspected opposition from pharmaceutical companies who are expected to sell $16.8 billion dollars annually in 2020.

Sources

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. “Pilot study shows that neurofeedback may help treatment-resistant depression.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 September 2017. 

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/news/global-depression-drug-market-215