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cosmiccharlie

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Everything posted by cosmiccharlie

  1. I misread the post, sorry it was early morning for me.
  2. I agree with Jay. My only addition is that if you are in the US, there is a chance of getting small amounts of THC in these products even if they are not supposed to have it. I believe the standard is below .3% is considered zero. However, there is so little regulation on the industry I wouldn't be surprised if it drifts far above this. I personally have used a CBD balm that I believe gave me a THC like buzz. Just be careful.
  3. Hi Alain, I'm sorry to hear about your struggles (your English is fine by the way, very clear). I would try and remain calm and know that you're doing everything you can to get better. Try to minimize the time spent researching on the internet as I have found this to be primarily a creator of anxiety. If you do have HPPD the best solution in my opinion is to learn the most effective way of managing your anxiety because as you probably have experienced, anxiety and HPPD symptoms are very much connected. There are very practical ways to manage anxiety on your own and I tell everyone the same remedy that worked for me: Stop all drugs, even alcohol for a while. Take it one day at a time, try not to think about the past or future just be here now. Keep yourself busy with healthy, productive things; hobbies, work, etc... Exercise even if it makes your symptoms worse Do the best you can to not focus on HPPD; minimize time spent online looking into it and time thinking about it (this tends to generate anxiety which is not helpful for us) Try not to feel guilty, you didn't ask for this. Try learning to meditate, even if it's just for a minute or two. We all have the ability to go inward for strength and healing. For example, you can spend 30 seconds or a minute sitting and noticing your breath and thinking the following: when I breath in I notice I am breathing in when I breath out I notice that I am breathing out and I smile because I am alive. It's that simple! Try and get as much sleep as you can. If you're open to it, pray to God in whatever way you think is appropriate. You don't even have to believe in anything, just ask for help and see what happens. I personally believe that we all possess a spring of internal strength that we can call upon. Your life is not over and recovery is always possible we just have to let it happen. Over time, things will get better but try not to ask yourself daily "am I better or worse today?". You'll find that recovery happens over the span of months and is hard to notice day to day; think of physical growth when you were a child. Hang in there. If you'd like to chat on WhatsApp send me a DM. Take Care, Nick
  4. Hello and I'm sorry to hear how difficult things are for you now. Try and remain calm and not worry too much. First of all, you are very young which is a good thing when it comes to recovery from any mental condition including HPPD. Additionally, your drug history not being very extensive will also work in your favor for recovery. I recommend taking your reaction to the marijuana as a sign that your likely sensitive to psychedelics and I strongly encourage you to stay away from marijuana and any other psychedelic substances. WHatever your condition is, it is likely to change if you start and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I tell everyone the same remedy that worked for me: Stop all drugs, even alcohol for a while. Take it one day at a time, try not to think about the past or future just be here now. Keep yourself busy with healthy, productive things; hobbies, work, etc... Exercise even if it makes your symptoms worse Do the best you can to not focus on HPPD; minimize time spent online looking into it and time thinking about it (this tends to generate anxiety which is not helpful for us) Try learning to meditate, even if it's just for a minute or two. We all have the ability to go inward for strength and healing. For example, you can spend 30 seconds or a minute sitting and noticing your breath and thinking the following: when I breath in I notice I am breathing in when I breath out I notice that I am breathing out and I smile because I am alive. It's that simple! Try and get as much sleep as you can. If you're open to it, pray to God in whatever way you think is appropriate. You don't even have to believe in anything, just humbly ask for help on your knees everyday. Additionally, it sounds to me that you are under a great deal of stress. I can only imagine what you and your family/friends/fellow Ukrainian citizens are going through. Stress can have a very negative impact on our body and mind. That being said, it's another reason why meditation could be a good idea for you. Consistent meditation has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and improve brain function over time. And it's free with no side-effects! Hang in there and know that you're not alone. Take Care, Nick
  5. For me, consistent meditation has helped manage stress. I know this can seem impossible when your ass is on fire, but I have found even taking a few moments to pause, breath and come back to the moment can help. Check out Tara Brach's program RAIN (see the link below). Hang in there my friend. https://www.tarabrach.com/meditation-light-rain-difficult-times-2/ https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/
  6. Hang in there friend. This too shall pass.
  7. Hello and welcome to our forum. I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through. As mentioned by @firehawk this is likely a form of HPPD but it's impossible to know for sure at this point. My advice is to try sobriety for a while. You don't have to swear off all substances forever. Although, if you have what Jay likes to call pre-HPPD then abstaining from hallucinogens is probably the best option for you. I would stay sober from weed for at least a few months and see if your symptoms clear up. This is a strange, complicated disorder that the medical community is barely aware of. The good news is that many people can recover from severe forms of HPPD to lead happy lives. I myself currently have a happy marriage with two children and will graduate with a PhD in mathematics next spring. I have had this disorder for about 14 years from extensive LSD use in my youth; two ~1000 micro gram doses and many lower doses over the course of 2 years. The things that helped me are: Stop all drugs, even alcohol for a while. Take it one day at a time, try not to think about the past or future just be here now. Keep yourself busy with healthy, productive things; hobbies, work, etc... Exercise even if it makes your symptoms worse Do the best you can to not focus on HPPD; minimize time spent online looking into it and time thinking about it (this tends to generate anxiety which is not helpful for us) Try not to feel guilty, you didn't ask for this. Try learning to meditate, even if it's just for a minute or two. We all have the ability to go inward for strength and healing. For example, you can spend 30 seconds or a minute sitting and noticing your breath and thinking the following: when I breath in I notice I am breathing in when I breath out I notice that I am breathing out and I smile because I am alive. It's that simple! Try and get as much sleep as you can. If you're open to it, pray to God in whatever way you think is appropriate. You don't even have to believe in anything, just ask for help and see what happens Hang in there, you'll be fine. Take Care, Nick
  8. Everyone is different but given the conditions you have described yes I do think recovery is likely! It looks different for everyone. The best advice I can give is to find a healthy way to manage your anxiety. Meditation and exercise are two powerful tools that are still very important in my life.
  9. It's hard to say but with a panic disorder perhaps it's best to stay clear of psychedelics. My advice would be to live the most healthy life you can and find a sustainable way to function well with your condition. I think this is a good idea whether you have HPPD or not. Try not to worry and take a break from screens!
  10. Hi Joseph, I am sorry to hear about how difficult your situation has been. The good news is that your are very young and the mind is an amazing machine that can adapt to extraordinary circumstances. Try to remain calm and give your mind time to heal. This will take some time, usually a few months before you start to notice significant improvement. This is assuming you are not continuing to take drugs. Will you be able to smoke weed and use mushrooms in a non-harmful way in the future? Maybe but try not to focus on that. Today, if you want to get better you should try and stay sober. Weed and hallucinogens will affect your ability to recover. I spent at least a year continuing to smoke weed everyday and trip consistently after contracting the disorder and 13 years later I am still affected by it. This is not to scare you but the reality of the situation. You can recover but it will take some work on your part. Today, I am leading a wonderfully happy life beyond my wildest dreams. I have a healthy marriage, two children and will graduate with a PhD in mathematics next year. It has been a tough road but coming out on the other side is beautiful. Here are some suggestions that helped me: Stop all drugs, even alcohol for a while. Take it one day at a time, try not to think about the past or future just be here now. Keep yourself busy with healthy, productive things; hobbies, work, etc... Exercise even if it makes your symptoms worse Do the best you can to not focus on HPPD; minimize time spent online looking into it and time thinking about it (this tends to generate anxiety which is not helpful for us) Try learning to meditate, even if it's just for a minute or two. We all have the ability to go inward for strength and healing. For example, you can spend 30 seconds or a minute sitting and noticing your breath and thinking the following: when I breath in I notice I am breathing in when I breath out I notice that I am breathing out and I smile because I am alive. It's that simple! Try and get as much sleep as you can. If you're open to it, pray to God in whatever way you think is appropriate. You don't even have to believe in anything, just ask for help. Some days will be better than others but if given time, you will adapt and have a chance to live the life you want to live. When you recover, you will be filled with an immense sense of gratitude and this period of your life will provide a fertile ground for much growth in the future. This is what I have experienced, eventually the affliction becomes an asset and you'll get to help somebody else down the road. Send me a DM if you'd like to chat on WhatsApp. Take Care, Nick
  11. I am not sure of the actual risk. I was on Doxy twice for Lyme disease and it may have affected my symptoms in the short term but I would not say there was any lasting effect.
  12. Mine eventually went away but over the course of months. HPPD is a strange condition in which symptoms can emerge after periods of time brought on by stress or other things. My advice to you is to find a routine of living that works for you and do it. Over time, the symptoms will get better. Try not to focus on them or assess whether they have gotten better or worse. They will do what they will do and I have found it's best to just go along for the ride. I know that is easier said than done but I currently live a rich, dynamic life with this condition and so can you. Hang in there friend, DM me if you'd like to talk more.
  13. Hang in there, you're going to be fine. Five days without weed is still the beginning of your recovery journey. Try and ride this period out as best you can with a healthy routine; this one worked for me: Stop all drugs, even alcohol for a while. Take it one day at a time, try not to think about the past or future just be here now. Keep yourself busy with healthy, productive things; hobbies, work, etc... Exercise even if it makes your symptoms worse Do the best you can to not focus on HPPD; minimize time spent online looking into it and time thinking about it (this tends to generate anxiety which is not helpful for us) Try not to feel guilty, you didn't ask for this. Try learning to meditate, even if it's just for a minute or two. We all have the ability to go inward for strength and healing. For example, you can spend 30 seconds or a minute sitting and noticing your breath and thinking the following: when I breath in I notice I am breathing in when I breath out I notice that I am breathing out and I smile because I am alive. It's that simple! Try and get as much sleep as you can. If you're open to it, pray to God in whatever way you think is appropriate. You don't even have to believe in anything, just ask for help and see what happens Over time, the condition will get better. We're here for you but try not to spend too much time worrying about HPPD. Your symptoms are what they are and all you can do is the best you can; and that's enough. Take Care, Nick
  14. Stress can do all sorts of crazy things to the body and mind. If you'd like, we can chat on WhatsApp.
  15. I agree with @Blossy. This took a few months to go away for me and is now almost entirely gone. Hang in there, time will heal.
  16. Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your issues. It seems like you tolerate SSRIs reasonably well. I also have OCD and have been on an SSRI for almost 5 years. I am not a doctor but if something works why stop it? That's how I approach the meds in my life. For a long time I was worried that they were changing me in some undesirable way but as I honestly reflect on these past 5 years they have provided significant stability in my thinking and greatly reduced my OCD symptoms. Do you have HPPD? Maybe... it's impossible to know at this stage in the medical communities understanding of the condition. However, I have found that either way, acceptance, meditation and self love have helped me get my life back. I now lead a challenging, fulfilling and joyful life with various mental conditions. A book that has helped me greatly is called Radical Acceptance, I highly recommend it. It was brought to my attention by my OCD therapist actually in addition to the author's technique called RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture/Nourish). https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-radical-acceptance-5120614 https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Acceptance-Embracing-Heart-Buddha/dp/0553380990 https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/ Take Care, Nick
  17. Try to remain calm and remember that your relapse of symptoms is likely directly linked with your cocaine and weed use. Try not to feel guilty, we all make mistakes. I have gone back to regular drug use after years of abstinence in the past and had a resurgence of symptoms. The point I want to make is that you're still early in your recovery from the most recent episode. Try to let things be what they are, you will get better over time and there is really nothing more to do than what you are doing; stop all drugs and live a healthy lifestyle. Your brain will find a way just try not to worry because this usually makes things worse. For me, meditation, prayer and acceptence are very helpful in times of distress. Hang in there my friend. If you'd like to chat on WhatsApp send me a DM.
  18. I have been playing with Chat GPT as well. I would take things you hear from it with a grain of salt. I have been asking it fairly basic (non computational) math questions and it keeps returning incorrect responses.
  19. Try and remain calm and let your mind and body adjust to the new conditions. I agree with Jay that the vast majority of people in your situation recover. In my opinion, trying to let things play out without worrying or constantly thinking about how you feel is the easiest way through these times. Hang in there and keep reaching out. Take Care, Nick
  20. I don't have any experience with Lamictal just Zoloft. For me, the reduction in anxiety from Zoloft has been very helpful. I also have OCD which is another reason I take it. Find a good doctor if you can and work with them to find a med that's right for you. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the correct fit. Give yourself time and you'll find your own way. Hang in there!
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