Defining Your Deficiencies

Instructions: Answer the question by choosing either T for true or F for false. At the end of each group, record only the total number of true statements. The second assessment will determine if you are deficient in any of the four biochemicals, including the one that governs your nature. Many of the questions relate to symptoms you might be experiencing. Answer the questions in terms of how you feel right now; it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been experiencing these symptoms, or even if they occurred today for the first time. 

1B – Dopamine

Memory and Attention 

1. I have trouble paying consistent attention and concentrating. 
2. I need caffeine to wake up. 
3. I cannot think quickly enough.  
4. I do not have a good attention span.  
5. I have trouble getting through a task even when it is interesting to me.  
6. I am slow in learning new ideas.  

Physical 

1. I crave sugar.  
2. I have decreased libido.  
3. I sleep too much.  
4. I have a history of alcohol or addiction.  
5. I have recently felt worn out for no apparent reason.  
6. I sometimes experience total exhaustion without even exerting myself.  
7. I have always battled weight problems.  
8. I have little motivation for sexual experiences.  
9. I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning.  
10. I have had a craving for cocaine, amphetamines, or Ecstasy.  

Personality 

1. I feel fine just following others. 
2. People seem to take advantage of me.  
3. I am feeling very down or depressed. 
4. People have told me I am too mellow.  
5. I have little urgency.  
6. I let people criticize me. 
7. I always look to others to lead me.  

Character 

1. I have lost my reasoning skills. 
2. I can’t make good decisions.  

Total number of True responses: _____ 

2B – Acetylcholine

Memory and Attention 

1. I lack imagination.  
2. I have difficulty remembering names when I first meet people.  
3. I have noticed that my memory ability is decreasing. 
4. My significant other tells me I don’t have romantic thoughts.  
5. I can’t remember my friends’ birthdays.  
6. I have lost some of my creativity. 

Physical 

1. I have insomnia.  
2. I have lost muscle tone. 
3. I don’t exercise anymore. 
4. I crave fatty foods.  
5. I have experimented with hallucinogens or other illicit drugs.  
6. I feel like my body is falling apart.  
7. I can’t breathe easily.  

Personality 

1. I don’t feel joy very often.  
2. I feel despair.  
3. I protect myself from being hurt by others by never telling much about myself. 
4. I find it more comfortable to do things alone rather than in a large group. 
5. Other people get angrier about bothersome things than I do. 
6. I give in easily and tend to be submissive.  
7. I rarely feel passionate about anything.  
8. I like routine. 

Character 

1. I don’t care about anyone’s stories but mine. 
2. I don’t pay attention to people’s feelings.  
3. I don’t feel buoyant.  
4. I’m obsessed with my deficiencies.  

Total number of True responses: _____ 

3B – GABA

Memory and Attention 

1. I find it difficult to concentrate because I’m nervous and jumpy.  
2. I can’t remember phone numbers.  
3. I have trouble finding the right word. 
4. I have trouble remembering things when I am put on the spot.  
5. I know I am intelligent, but it is hard to show others.  
6. My ability to focus comes and goes.  
7. When I read, I find I have to go back over the same paragraph a few times to absorb the information. 
8. I am a quick thinker but can’t always say what I mean.

Physical 

1. I feel shaky.  
2. I sometimes tremble.  
3. I have frequent backaches and/or headaches.  
4. I tend to have shortness of breath.  
5. I tend to have heart palpitations. 
6. I tend to have cold hands.  
7. I sometimes sweat too much.  
8. I am sometimes dizzy.  
9. I often have muscle tension.  
10. I tend to get butterflies in my stomach.  
11. I crave bitter foods. 
12. I am often nervous. 
13. I like yoga because it helps me to relax.  
14. I often feel fatigued even when I have had a good night’s sleep.  
15. I overeat.  

Personality 

1. I have mood swings.  
2. I enjoy doing many things at one time, but I find it difficult to decide what to do first.  
3. I tend to do things just because I think they’d be fun.  
4. When things are dull, I always try to introduce some excitement.  
5. I tend to be fickle, changing my mood and thoughts frequently. 
6. I tend to get overly excited about things.  
7. My impulses tend to get me into a lot of trouble.  
8. I tend to be theatrical and draw attention to myself.  
9. I speak my mind no matter what the reaction of others may be.  
10. I sometimes have fits of rage and then feel terribly guilty.  
11. I often tell lies to get out of trouble.  
12. I have always had less interest than the average person in sex.  

Character 

1. I don’t play by the rules anymore.  
2. I have lost many friends.  
3. I can’t sustain romantic relationships.  
4. I consider the law arbitrary and without reason.  
5. I now consider rules that I used to follow ridiculous 

Total number of True responses: _____ 

4B – Serotonin 

Memory and Attention 

1. I am not very perceptive. 
2. I can’t remember things that I have seen in the past.  
3. I have a slow reaction time.  
4. I have a poor sense of direction.  

Physical 

1. I have night sweats. 
2. I have insomnia. 
3. I tend to sleep in many different positions in order to feel comfortable. 
4. I always awake early in the morning.  
5. I can’t relax.  
6. I wake up at least two times per night.
7. It is difficult for me to fall back asleep when I am awakened.  
8. I crave salt. 
9. I have less energy to exercise.  
10. I am sad. 

Personality 

1. I have chronic anxiety.  
2. I am easily irritated. 
3. I have thoughts of self-destruction.  
4. I have had suicidal thoughts in my life.  
5. I tend to dwell on ideas too much.  
6. I am sometimes so structured that I become inflexible.  
7. My imagination takes over. 
8. Fear grips me. 

Character 

1. I can’t stop thinking about the meaning of life.  
2. I no longer want to take risks. 
3. The lack of meaning in my life is painful to me. 

Total number of True responses: _____ 

Results 

1B. Total number of True responses: Dopamine deficiency ___ 

2B. Total number of True responses: Acetylcholine deficiency ___ 

3B. Total number of True responses: GABA deficiency ___ 

4B. Total number of True responses: Serotonin deficiency ___ 

Circle the highest number. This is your most deficient nature, the one that is most likely to lead to illness. Your deficient nature can be the same as or different from your dominant nature. In fact, you’ll most likely recognize deficits in your dominant nature sooner than you would in other aspects of your biochemistry, simply because you are used to behaving and feeling a specific way. You burn out your edge just by being yourself. For example, dopamine natures can push themselves too hard at work. Serotonin natures are known to overindulge, especially with alcohol, which would also lead to a biochemical imbalance. When GABA natures don’t get enough sleep, they create problems for themselves. Overworking all of the other biochemicals will burn out your acetylcholine. The next four chapters outline treatment modalities for rebalancing any nature deficiency you might have. Balance your most deficient nature first. Then balance the other three to reach the Ultimate Edge Effect. 

Any category with up to 5 true statements is considered a minor deficiency. Any category with between 6 and 15 true statements is considered a moderate deficiency. If you have more than 15 true statements in any one category, this indicates a major deficiency; I recommend that you get your doctor involved as soon as possible. 

The assessment test will bring out two kinds of deficiencies. The first part of the test points up deficiencies that are the natural result of having one neurotransmitter as dominant. These deficiencies show up over time. The second part of the test uncovers deficiencies that may require more immediate attention. 

Minor deficits are the early warning signs of health problems. If ignored, they will eventually lead to more serious deficiencies, ultimately affecting your dominant nature, even if they occurred in another nature. If you fall into the moderate deficit range, you probably have already sought medical treatment for any number of ailments related to that deficiency. Minor and moderate deficits can be treated without medications and usually respond to a combination of natural/nutritional, hormonal, and lifestyle changes. 

Major deficits warrant medical treatment and should be addressed immediately. Deficits are treated as diseases—for example, Parkinson’s disease, severe mood disorders, high blood pressure, memory loss, seizure disorders, depression, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, migraines, sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, manic depression, and anxiety, among others. These conditions most likely require medications; nutritional, hormonal, and lifestyle changes are usually not enough to address them. If you experience any of these symptoms or illnesses, it is important to consult your doctor and get immediate treatment.