So you’re in Monk Mode, but you find yourself regularly lacking the energy and focus you need to complete all the tasks you assign yourself. You find it hard to concentrate when reading books, and your workouts suck because you get tired quickly. What do you do about it? Other than getting your testosterone, estrogen and thyroid checked, you start taking modafinil.

Some of the most influential people throughout mankind’s history have done drugs. Freud developed his psychoanalytic theory under the influence of pharmaceutical grade cocaine, Winston Churchill took nitrous oxide and Francis Crick, was supposedly (it’s disputed) high on LSD when he discovered DNA. Like it or not and irrespective of stigma, sourced well and dosed correctly chemical compounds can help an individual think in new ways and perform at an elite level.

Now whilst I shan’t ever be advocating the consumption of outlawed narcotics here at Illimitable Men, there are a class of substances known as nootropics that can greatly enhance a whole range of things. Effects vary from the enhancement of creativity and memory, to the alleviation of depression and fatigue.

In fact, you probably unknowingly take at least one nootropic everyday: caffeine. Caffeine is the world’s most famous nootropic, relied upon and consumed by millions day in, day out. Many people will shamelessly admit to a caffeine addiction because it’s socially acceptable and carries no stigma, but at its essence caffeine addiction is a biological addiction.

The main problem with caffeine is that tolerance is developed quickly. It’s a diuretic (you keep needing to go to the toilet, which interrupts your productive phases) and positive effects only last for a few hours (at most) before another dose is needed, and so when caffeine wears off, the individual experiences a horrible crash. Take it for too long and you become dependent, caffeine is habit-forming.

Modafinil is one of the strongest nootropics on the market, in truth I’d say its potency puts it somewhere between a drug and a nootropic, as it’s too weak to be a drug but too strong to be a nootropic. Luckily for you, the powers that be disagree with my assessment and classify modafinil as a nootropic off-label and a prescription medicine on-label. As such getting hold of the stuff is simple, and to my knowledge there is no penalty for possessing it (but this may vary by jurisdiction, so do research on the laws in your country before ordering anything.)

In the US under the controlled substances act, modafinil is categorised as a schedule IV drug, meaning to legally purchase the compound you need a prescription for narcolepsy or shift work sleep disorder, however in some instances it is given for sleep apnea. Most people cannot get a prescription from their doctor for modafinil, or even if they can, find it is cheaper to buy it online than with medical insurance. I’ll tell you exactly where you can source it from a reputable supplier further in.

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