DHEA is great. But it's 'below' pregnenolone on the hormone conversion ladder. Dr. Dzugan actually prescribes both in most cases. This is the pregnenolone I'm taking: http://www.vitacost.com/life-extension-pregnenolone-100-mg-100-capsules. You can find some in the health food stores but they sell it in very low concentrations only- the retailers have a fear of hormones. Now, not everyone has a deficiency, or as big a deficiency. My husband obviously doesn't have one. He has neither ADD or bi-polar but was inspired to take it when he saw how much it helped his son (who is bi-polar), so he thought he'd improve his memory a bit and took the same dose (100 mg) for a couple weeks. However, it made him sleepy and this thinking 'fuzzy.' The rest of us, the 'crazy ones', on the other hand, thrive on 100 mg, we are more focused and our memory improved. (He now wants to try 50 mg pills instead- he doesn't want to give up just yet.) Pregnenolone needs to be taken first thing in the morning, like most hormones (you add them at the max blood concentration to avoid creating a negative feedback in your own production), preferably on an empty stomach. Dr. Dzugan makes a pretty convincing case for the bioidentical hormone replacement (always starting with pregnenolone, it seems) in his book- not just for psychiatric disorders but for other problems as well. Here's one of his articles (ADHD case study) I came across on the web: http://www.drrozakis.com/Articles/adhd.pdf.

Yes, I'm in Los Alamos, NM. My oldest step-son graduated from UNM and my middle step-son is half-way through. I made living as an engineer and scientist till recently. I think if you come up with a story that you really feel enthused about, you'll see the project through. Unless, you have a bit of ADHD. Then you could try to take pregnenalone- people with ADHD, anxiety, addictions, etc., are all deficient in this master hormone, no matter their age (read 'your blood doesn't lie' by Dr. Dzugan.) My son, my step-son and I take it- and it works wonders. Okay, I better shut up and stop dispensing medical advise on a writing site, sorry...

Thank you, JoAnne. Yes, the 'femi obstacle' is a real thing. But then, it can be an advantage too- women constitute a large proportion of the readers. Look how lucrative romance novels are- and I can't imagine how one can enjoy them. Writers, male or female, can't blackmail/talk people into reading their books. (PS I plan to use 'Giorgii' as my name in print. No photo on the cover either. Let's them judge my writing on its own merit.)