LSD for a GABA addict

[Cyanoide]

No guys and girls, this is not a "what should I take" thread. You should know better by looking at my history.

But the thing is I have a serious benzo addiction and in the evenings after work I almost always drink alcohol and very much so. Right now I'm drunk and high on 1000+ mg of Lyrica.

I'm destroying my life. I need to find a different perspective on life. It's not worth throwing away with GABAergics like I'm doing now.

I'm an experienced psychonaut but what I now need is some input and feedback from you fellow psychonauts.

I have decided I will take a psychedelic in the coming months to reach my subconscious. 4-AcO-DMT is by far my favourite and generally I prefer tryptamines, but 4-AcO-DMT is too sedating for this purpuse. Iin this case I have already decide LSD will be my choice.

What I need from you is input and advice regarding the trip. It's not going to be fun because I am going to face all the negative feelings that lead me to drinking. I'm not afraid of any "bad trip", that may be part of the experience (but nowhere near the absolutely freaky trips I've had on DPT, which I consider a tryptamine straight from hell, it's inherently evil for me)

Anyway. LSD for an alcoholic. I need some input from you. A psychedelic trip based on mostly my own problems and fears. I feel anxious about taking LSD, but I see this as something I have to do. I have to face have my subconscious and my own fears.

I've also used alot of ketamine the last months. While I love ketamine and the K-hole, it's just escapism for me. I don't remember anything from the experience and if I do, the "revelations" in the K-hole are so absurd I cannot integrate them into my life in any way.

 

[PotatoMan]

LSD is a tool. Use tools to fix problems. You know what you're doing. You know what your problems are. Fix them.

The only time LSD/other psychs will help your addiction is when you learn something from the experience and then implement it into your life.

What I'm saying you already know I'm sure.

Ask yourself, why do you drink? Maybe it's an outlet to relieve stress. Not a healthy one imo. So what to do? Dropping it will always be the hardest.

Maybe look for another outlet? Substitution is easier than kicking though you don't wanna substitute with drugs.

Look for all of this in your trip. The answers are what YOU create. Acid will just set your mind up for the bend that you're gonna ride.

Good luck & fly safe!

 

[sekio]

LSD for alcoholism has a pretty big pile of anecdotal evidence suggesting it's a modicum better than "cold turkey" or 12-stepping.

You've got a pretty good plan there, but my only advice is: try not to "pre-load" with anxiety too much. If you expect a bad trip, that factors into set and setting.

 

[SteamboatBillJr]

I support your recommendation sekio. Cyanoide, the fact you made this thread shows you desire resolution. This set is positive. Make certain you prepare the proper setting.

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

LSD is a tool. Use tools to fix problems. You know what you're doing. You know what your problems are. Fix them.

The only time LSD/other psychs will help your addiction is when you learn something from the experience and then implement it into your life.

What I'm saying you already know I'm sure.

Ask yourself, why do you drink? Maybe it's an outlet to relieve stress. Not a healthy one imo. So what to do? Dropping it will always be the hardest.

Maybe look for another outlet? Substitution is easier than kicking though you don't wanna substitute with drugs.

Look for all of this in your trip. The answers are what YOU create. Acid will just set your mind up for the bend that you're gonna ride.

Good luck & fly safe!

Exactly. I don't think that taking LSD or any sort of psychedelic will actually help you.

You already know you have an addiction to GABA drugs, and alcohol.

Instead of taking LSD check into a detox/rehab centre with medical professionals so you can get sober from both the GABA and alcohol safely as you don't want to stop using either drug on your own as people have died this way.

 

[ecstacylover]

Last year I was being an idiot and got caught up doing lots of etizolam daily for more than a month. I took LSD during this period, but not with the intention of getting off benzodiazapines. I didn't have a bad trip - until I hit a baloon of nitrous. So LSD alone, you should be able to work through you're problems hopefully, with your experience I would doubt a bad trip.

3-MeO-PCP for me has been the drug that helped me make the most positive changes in my life.

 

[Cyanoide]

The thing is, I've already been to both alcohol and benzo detox in 2012...Yes I got rid of the stuff but I suffered so much after detox that benzos were the only thing to "normalize" myself. I suffered from severe PAWS, and have decided I will not quit the benzos if I don't have to. Alcohol, well, I'm not physically addicted to alcohol in any way (I've been physically addicted to alcohol before so I can tell the difference from experience...). It's more of a bad habit.

In detox they mostly (almost solely) want to manage physical withdrawal, but the mental part is left like it is. It is the mental part I have to work with. For me, psychedelics are tools. They are no magic "solution" to anything. What I need is an introspective trip, I would say almost earth-shattering trip, to challenge my ego and my subconscious. I'm not seeking for any "funny" trip ('a la 4-HO-MET and so on...). What I'm seeking and prepared to do is an introspective trip because i need to get into the feeling that lead me to drinking. Stress? Yes, almost certainly, I have a demanding job and I feel very stressed. But I need new input, new views of managing my life, new ideas how to go forward. I'm an experienced tripper, I know what psychedelics can do and not do.

I will use LSD as a tool. LSD itself solves nothing, but it's the barriers that it brakes down, the new perspectives it may bring, that I feel may be beneficial to me. I have to use these possibilities LSD can induce. Otherwise it will just be an "awesome" trip, but that's not what I'm seeking. As sekio mentioned, LSD has been used successfully in the treatment of alcoholism. There was recently an article in the biggest newspaper in my country about how people have quit various addictions after using psychedelics - everything from nicotine to methamphetamine to alcohol. I want to explore this tool. This is not only about addiction to a certain compound but about seeking new perspectives to life. As one said in the article mentioned: "On LSD I discovered the world is too precious and wonderful to dull it (with alcohol)".

I'm not seeking any miracle solution. What I'm seeking is what detox in a hospital does not. New ideas and challenging myself to face the reasons I'm drinking. I have enough experience with psychedelics to know they can challenge me and my perception of reality and how I'm living. This is what I'm seeking. Not some miracle cure to alcoholism. But I must mention I haven't used psychedelics for over 3 years, my last trip was on 4-AcO-DMT and DMT. That's why I'm a bit intimidated by psychedelics.

I've used A LOT of ketamine the past 2 years but I've found it is very addictive and the "revelations" I get on it (sometimes in the K-Hole I get the continuous "message" from some otherworldly entity to stop drinking, start excercising again etc...But I rarely remember anything from the K-Hole) are just temporary, and they feel so distant and often totally absurd. They are impossible to integrate into my life. This is why I want to try a "classic" 5-HT psychedelic. Because what you experience on them, you remember, and the insights are possible to integrate to your daily life.

As I said, I'm not seeking for any miracle cure but I'm ready and committed to give LSD a chance to challenge my ego and habits. Granted, when it comes to pure preference I rather choose mushrooms, 4-AcO-DMT or 4-HO-MiPT. However they are too short acting for the introspective trip I need. I've use LSD several times in the past (granted, about 10-12 years ago), but the memories I have and the lasting impression I have from LSD is that it's useful tool for introspection.

The "bad trip" aspect is really not something I'm scared of. I'm aware of my acute problem and fully aware a psychedelic experience will bring these feeling and problems up. In fact, that's what I'm seeking for. I don't want to sound like an all-knower because obviously I'm not. But the 4-5 extremely weird and totally freaky experiences I've had on DPT would have totally freaked out any novice tripper. I can handle bad trips and difficult emotions on trips. Of course my set & setting will be as good as possible and I won't take any LSD if I don't feel confident. But I do feel confident. I'm ready and who knows, the trip may be absolutely wonderful. I'm not going to forcefully direct the trip into any direction (althoguh LSD trips can IMO be directed quite much compared to many other compounds where you are just a tourist and have no control over what's happening).

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

You don't have to be physically addicted to alcohol in order to be an alcoholic.

Talk to a person that specializes in addiction or the reasons for addiction/drug abuse like a counselor or therapist instead of taking drugs.

 

[Cyanoide]

You don't have to be physically addicted to alcohol in order to be an alcoholic.

Talk to a person that specializes in addiction or the reasons for addiction/drug abuse like a counselor or therapist instead of taking drugs.

I appreciate your input. But I have already made my decision. I see no reason how a psychedelic could make this any worse. If I do not find any benefit from psychedelics, I will see a psychiatrist. But I'm going to give psychedelics a try.

Also I must mention psychedelics have been a passion for me for many many years. I'm interested in exploring the depths of the mind. Psychedelics will always be a part of me. They open doors to the subconscious and are tools to explore the mind. I can't see myself being totally sober for the rest of my life. The experiences I've had on psychedelics and dissociatives is something I won't give up. Tripping is something I love and cherish (but not in an addictive way), and I honestly say those experiences have made me a better person. No GABAergic can erase the earth-shattering experiences I've had on several psychedelics.

GABaergics are a problem, yes, and I have to sort out this problem before continuing exploring the depths of the mind like I did 4-5 years ago.

Just out of interest (and please don't take this personally, I'm not the kind of person who wants to be mean to anyone), do you question the scientific studies that show LSD has helped with alcoholism? Why do you think it won't apply in my case?

 

[Grinders Kiefers]

It sounds like your mind is already made up, what advice are you looking for? I've personally found psychedelics enlightening and revelatory when I was going through periods of addiction and self-destruction, so if you're adequately prepared (which it sounds like you are), I see no reason why you couldn't give it a try. Most recently I have used DMT for this purpose mainly because the duration of LSD isn't quite conducive to my current lifestyle, but either way, if you go into the experience with clear, genuine intentions, I think it can be a great help in overcoming the problems you're currently facing.

I actually relate a lot to what you're specifically going through. I detoxed and went through treatment for alcohol in early 2012 and thankfully curbed that habit, but have had an on/off relationship with other GABAergics (benzos and Phenibut mainly) since then, and have abused MXE and other dissociatives for the past couple years as well. As much as these drugs may have helped, especially in desperate times, they've definitely left me worse off in the long run. I've recognized time and time again that I was ruining my life, but I just wasn't prepared to stop using altogether.

It wasn't until I legitimately considered suicide that I realized I was in over my head and was long overdue for a monumental change. This was very recently so I'm still in the process of putting those changes into action, but I'd be lying if I said psychedelics (DMT in particular) didn't help point me in the right direction. I'm fortunate to have a lot of support from friends and family, and I don't give all the credit to psychedelics, but I certainly don't think I'd feel as good about no longer using as I do today if I had never chosen to use them for this reason.

I, too, have a keen interest in psychedelics and drugs in general, so it's difficult to stop thinking and reading about them, even if I'm not actively using, but the awareness that I have made a conscious decision not to use anymore seems to stop anything from "triggering" me too much. I also think it's difficult to explain to others how "taking drugs to get off drugs" works until you've experienced first-hand a dramatic shift in your thinking/consciousness/existence catalyzed by a psychedelic trip.

It's worth mentioning that I am also seeing a therapist and going to support meetings on a weekly basis which I find complementary to my so-called "recovery" (not a fan of this term) but that's not to say either are completely necessary to turn your life around. You know yourself better than anyone, so find what works, and stick with it. Best wishes my friend, feel free to PM me if you want to chat about this further