Horrible PTSD since bad LSD trip..Please save me from this hell.

[JunkieBuster]

and stay OFF the anti-anxiety and anti-depressants. bad road to take

Cudi,

May I ask why?

If I may, I'd like to state that antidepressants/anxiety medications aren't all bad. Many people who have PTSD, major depression, and panic disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) function quite well without experiencing any serious side effects of an antidepressant of an SSRI/SNRI type. Many antidepressants can treat anxiety as well as depression without having to introduce another substance with the potential for abuse, such as a benzodiazepine, or other similar anxiolytic substances that have a more immediate effect.

There are also off-label uses for other various medications. Antidepressants such as an SSRI are commonly prescribed to treat depression, and/or anxiety itself along with and/or occasionally with anxiolytic substances such as a benzodiazepine to be used as needed, and is not meant to be taken every day, or multiple times a day in so many consecutive days, less you risk becoming dependent on them. They can be very effective in treatment, but are not for everyone.

I should add that Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor's (MAOI's) come with a strict diet, and medication restrictions. However MAOI's are not likely to be prescribed over an SSRI, or an SNRI. MAOI's can be scary, however it should also be added that SSRI's, as well as SNRI's when combined with certain drugs, or medications can also illicit an experience known as serotonin syndrome. Which can be fatal.

 

[Cudi]

JunkieBuster,

It's my own personal belief that the sober mind can heal things over a long period of time rather than using medications and chemicals to simply "treat" the symptoms. You can take benzos or SSRIs, and that can go on for months, but then what happens after you're off them? You want to continue taking them because your symptoms return. I think the first step is to wait. My PTSD symptoms are practically gone after a year of staying (mostly) sober. I had horrible symptoms for a few months after my bad trip. I then realized I needed to give my mind a break from substances and see what goodness comes from sobriety. I would personally wait a year before turning to benzos and SSRIs. A very long and possibly stressful year, but all worth it in the end when you're symptom free. That's just my opinion, it might not be worth anything to anyone else. Hope I may have helped!

 

[manboychef]

PTSD is definitely a problem in the aftermath of a traumatic tripping experience. I have had three that hospitalized me. Yes I was pretty much insane for a year after the third one. I was scared of my own shadow.

I have panic disorder. If you have this diagnosis I would strongly suggest you never trip! It is not a question of if you are going to have a bad trip, but when.

 

[dopamimetic]

I know this won't help anyone, but these things aren't brain damage at all. It's actually about new synapses, new connections probably - so, technically speaking, the opposite just the mental side can be very, very annoying to say the least (and while I have had true panic disorder, luckily the drugs never hit me so hard as I've seen others to go through that stuff.. when they didn't knew to have anxiety problems before ...). These things tend to stay or grow as long as one focuses on them, thinks or worries about and they'll eventually pass when you just live with them (and a good part of all these minor and major fears sometimes disappear together with them!) It has turned out to be the very best therapy for me in the end.

You just see now how your brain is processing sensory input! If you look close at a nice, sunny landscape for example, you might notice how detailed you see all the leafs on the trees and so on ... we actually have the term 'HD vision' for this phenomenon that people from time to time get too when they take cognitively enhancing nootropics.

Just noticed there's a truly beautiful orange-ish sunrise outside really, many times it is very helpful and soothing to know the factual science behind these things, everyone can learn to control the emotions with his/her mind ... it's a hard exercise but a good one. (pic upload finally worked)



Take care!

 

[Beokay]

Hey,
It's really good to read about people who are going through a similar thing.
I took acid when I was 17 and after having an extremely bad trip, I realised, when I woke up. I could no longer see things the same. I suffered in silence for 6 months thinking I was going crazy. I had hppd pretty badly. I couldn't sleep because I had so many patterns and floaters and colours in my vision. During the day I would see distortions in my peripheral vision, letter would move around, shift up and down. Surfaces would undulate and distort when I looked at them. I had that static film over eveything and I felt like I was in a movie. In 2dimensional space. It was awful. I managed to get though it without medication and I was okay. It's always kind of been there but I forgot about it. I had an episode four years later when this came up for me again and I freaked out again and this is when I realised my symptoms where that of the hppd. I managed to get past that too, with help from friends and my phsycologist. Almost 5 years later (I'm now 26)
I finished studying; I had a nap and it seems like I alms or woke up in this state again.
Each time time the symptoms get less and less.
I lead a healthy lifestyle, have a solid relationship and no longer party or behave the way I used to. I haven't touched drugs in a long time. Only did pills and Coke a few times a couple of years after the initial hppd hit.
I was wondering if anyone else has had this happen. It's almost like an episode. Each time it gets easier and easier. But it's still extremely hard feeling so disconnected and tripped out and anxious stricken when someone says something and it sounds weird, even though you know it's not.
I'm just reaching out to people who have had similar experiences and hope and pray that I'll be okay.

 

[Bloodrootfc]

You didn't have a "bad" trip. Feelings of terror are normal on LSD and thats why people like it. Because it's so incredibly intense and hard to handle. You aren't broken either. As for the panic attacks and general unhappiness: stop seeking intervention from Rx drugs and talk to a licensed psycotherapist.

 

[Bloodrootfc]

Another point is: everything you experienced up to the point you went to the medical tent another person would call a "good" trip. Your mistake was thinking you were in serious trouble that required emergency medical intervention (you were fine). Your ongoing anxiety is a result of the erroneous BELIEF that you are sick. The only way to get over this is to talk about it with someone. Therapy is awesome. Find a good therapist. Everybody needs a good therapist.

 

[Bloodrootfc]

You need to realize that everybody sees floaters and tricks of light and color. Its actually what causes hallucinations while taking LSD. Hypersensitivity to these things will pass in time. No reason to be distressed by them either. You never noticed these subtle stimuli before but they are perfectly real. What else do you notice now that you didnt before experiencing LSD? Your eyes are opened and your are better off for it.

 

[Boku_]

I know what you're going through. I had a similar experience to you, totally freaked me out. Turned from being confident and a reasonably happy person to a nervous wreck, pretty much over night. Have lost friends because of my disassociation since.

My advice is to lay off the weed. Sounds like you're obviously not going to touch lsd again, but cut out the weed too. Excercise, eat well, detox, but keep.up social interaction with your friends (just don't get high!) - obvious stuff but can help. Try not to obsess too much about it (I know that's difficult).

+1 Your panic attacks sound just like how i felt when i experienced a drug induced psychosis that turned into a full blown nervous break down. I'm not saying your have had a nervous breakdown now but you are heading towards that if you don't stop using stim's like adderall and smoking weed with your un-stable mental health. Seek medical advice as it sounds like you are developing a schizo condition. IMO Acid stim's and weed are a killer combo as far as triggering schizophrenia or an anxiety disorder and even just chronic marijuana smoking at this point could be the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

How long is the aprazolam prescription for? Are you aware of the dangers of addiction with aprazolam? If it is a short term thing then use as you feel necessary but do not fall in to simply filling that script over and over if it is a repeat because ending up with a benzodiazepine (the family of drugs aprazolam is a part of) addiction is really not a good outcome. Do a Google search and use this site to get some info on the drug, just be aware of what you are getting in to with it!

 

[herbavore]

I think you are overthinking--it sounds like you got scared and now you are stuck in an anxiety loop that holds you to that initial fear. Sometimes the fear is simply the very primal fear we all experience when we lose control. So explore that a bit. What is your relationship with control? I know that when I get anxious I try to take tighter control of my life. This can backfire! Sometimes, ceding control can be a very profound shift in your thinking and actually free you from fear.

My advice to you is to give your mind a break from alteration of any kind for a while. Keep hitting the gym, eat a very good diet and get good sleep. When anxious thoughts arise remind yourself that they are only thoughts. Step outside as if you are an observer of you--pay attention to what you are afraid of. Usually there are thoughts associated with panic attacks but we can get so caught up in the panic that we overlook them. Breathe and take the time to let those thoughts be seen--then rationally question them.