Do You Think You Have Brain or Organ Damage?

[Edvard Munch]

... Or have suffered any type of mental impairment, whether it be cognitive, emotional, perceptual, and/or any other type of organ or tissue damage that may have been caused by drugs?


As far as I'm concerned, if I have had any impairment it is pretty much gone now. LSD gave me wicked panic attacks which did not subside after I stopped and merely continued weeks after. I've used a shit load of dextromethorphan and noticed my short term memory, and perhaps concentration have been affected even months after I've stopped, however I would not say that it can't be helped with proper nutrition and exercise and now I'm pretty much back to normal. Otherwise, ... I think it's incredible how normal I am functioning despite my incredible drug use!

I only ask because I think it would be interesting for people to share their experiences and perhaps relate if they have had the same thing happen and perhaps this is a good educational tool.

Mod, if this is a wrong forum, please change.

Thanks!

 

[-Guido-]

I think my past is starting to catch up with me... Latley I havent been feeling right or thinking right. Granted I suffer from a small opiate habit, this sicknees I got is different. And normally I should be feenin like mothafucka for dope right now but for some reason Im not. Something aint right. Because Im worrying and I never worry unless I know I got somehting serious going on to worry about.

 

[nickels]

Lots of E made me get anxiety too.

 

[burn out]

yes

 

[shypht]

Any negative effects I seem to have, I can get rid of just by taking a break for a few weeks. The primary one is having short term memory/concentration be affected by smoking too much weed. But, if I take a 2 week break - everything is pretty much back to normal.

This past year, I've started to take 'weed breaks' 1-2 weeks before midterms/exams (even longer for finals), and found it has really helped clear my head for the tests

 

[theWorldWithin]

I have used alot of drugs to combat lonliness and am now realizing I do not fit in anywhere, not drug using circles and certainly not mainstream society. I think I am suffering social and emotional impairment. This is somethign I struggled with my entire life before drugs, and has since gotten much worse in respect to non drug issues so maybe I am just finnally falling apart because the drugs cant mask it anymore.

 

[Edvard Munch]

I have used alot of drugs to combat lonliness and am now realizing I do not fit in anywhere, not drug using circles and certainly not mainstream society. I think I am suffering social and emotional impairment. This is somethign I struggled with my entire life before drugs, and has since gotten much worse in respect to non drug issues so maybe I am just finnally falling apart because the drugs cant mask it anymore.

Woah. That sounds pretty serious. There was a study done called "Rat Park" in which a massive elaborate park was designed for rats which included all neccessities plus recreational activities for them. A morphine solution was then introduced. What was observed was that rats who were previously isolated to a small confined area outside of rat park became habitual users of the morphine solution while the rats in Rat Park actually had little, and even no use at all. I can definately see parallels between this experiment and social attachments of human beings.

I hope you sort your problems out, man.

 

[Ximot]

I have used alot of drugs to combat lonliness and am now realizing I do not fit in anywhere, not drug using circles and certainly not mainstream society. I think I am suffering social and emotional impairment. This is somethign I struggled with my entire life before drugs, and has since gotten much worse in respect to non drug issues so maybe I am just finnally falling apart because the drugs cant mask it anymore.

I have been there. Reaffirming life (including those around me) has been a long-winded, difficult process, but it's so well worth trying - patiently persevering. Don't give up. Admitting it to yourself is a good starting point. I walked away from the "drug using circles" after a while because it somehow seemed shallow and self-limiting and and and. But to this day I couldn't imagine being with someone (partner...) who doesn't know the drug world pretty well. For a long time I pretty much rejected most "straight" people... hell, I still do, but I am nowhere nearly as fascist any more. Over time, I have learnt to get on well with and even develop friendship with all kinds of people - some just your regular drinkers, some psychedelically-minded, some pretty straight folks. Though only few truly "mainstream" people, though even some of them have a heart, you know?


--
Brain/organ damage... for awhile I was convinced I had fried my brain from excessive use of amphetamines/mdma/LSD/cannabis. I was depressed and anxious and all. Well, I know I have very, er, sensitive serotonin system - and I am sure that was considerable impairment at some point. Also with my adrenal glands (near the kidneys) due to feeling stressed out and in flight-or-flight for oo long. can't separate brain and body... my way out, eventually, was to see that a lot of my symptoms were fuelled by fear... mind and body are inseparable... feeding one will feed the other... positive loop, negative loop... so while it may all be in the mind on some level, I have now been taking steps for a number of years to work on my thinking and to work on my body, too. The effort comes and goes... I get out what I put in... but it's so worth it. I am sure I have damaged my body ... but, you know, bodies can heal if you let them.

 

[lurkerguy]

Yes, I know I do from alcohol abuse.

 

[mariacallas]

When I was in the middle of a heavy meth addiction (in addition to a smorgasbord of other drugs) several years ago, yes......there were times I felt I had damaged the wiring in my brain (even during those few times when I would try to abstain for days or weeks....) It was just so exhausting and straining trying to focus, and not be scattered even with the most mundane tasks that a normal person could do with his eyes closed. I truly felt warped out of my head and the simplest things required stupendous effort even under the influence of drugs (former meth addicts will know what I'm saying....)

I basically felt like I was stuck in a pattern of helplesness and fucked up cognitive responses due to cumulative years of drug intake. (I read that my habit affected the prefontral cortex the most, which is the structure closest to the front of the lobe ; although this structure is not a primary target of any single sensory system it is quite important in the storage of WORKING MEMORIES (i.e.memories about how to do things) and also helps to control shifting of attention, monitoring events, and calculating orders of actions.

Anyway I've been sober for 2 years (except for very ocassional partying....like twice a year?) and it's the best thing I've ever done for myself...it was a long process and not easy at all but I can truly say that waking up feeling normal and being able to go about my day,work and be productive (like the good ol' days before drugs) makes me feel like a have a second lease on life.

So yeah.....I feel my brain has healed Miracles happen everyday. Sleep is fuckin wonderful.

Otherwise, ... I think it's incredible how normal I am functioning despite my incredible (past) drug use!

totally.

 

[lurkerguy]

Shit people have massive strokes and go on to win the noble prize.

It is all will power.

 

[Alfajagdflieger]

I definitely have some kind of brain damage... way to much coke and dxm have (I believe) permanently fucked up my memory. I can tell that it is nowhere near as good as it used to be say a year ago. I hope the damage isn't permanent but I won't know that till I get off the coke at least, and I have no idea when thats going to happen. And I have no idea if coke has screwed my heart... I sometimes get weird chest pains, but they seem to be completely random.

 

[DarkCode]

I suffer from an intense form of ADHD resultant from understimulated central nervous system causing horrible insomnia. I've abused amphetamines, and other stimulants for a while, mainly dexedrine, ritalin, and adderal, however I've been known to take interest in cocaine.

Long term use has given me better functionality in my brain. It has actually been shown in people suffering like I am, with ADHD that stimulant medication helps improve neurological connections inside the frontal lobe, etc. However, at the same time, I abuse the stimulants and go on binges. Its a fucked up cycle, but you only live once, might as well go through it treating the symptoms even when it shortens life, because overall your improving the quality of life, which is what its all about.

 

[Meena]

The brain has an amazing ability to regenerate. Now.. brain cells once they are dead, they are dead, you can help the remain brain cells to make synopsis by doing some kind of mental games or just reading. Memory will come back.. sometimes it takes about a year to your brain and body to get back in shape.

Hope everything works ok.

 

[*Venus*]

Interesting to read what has been said.

I've been an introvert to the definition since puberty. Moderate to high AMPHETAMINE use in early college helped me cope with this but ultimately brought me to chronic panic attacts. After this and a few good ACID binges, I really started to suspect that my naturally fizzing nerves had finally fried. Completely anxious is social situations, rarely finding peace in my head when alone. Depression was looming but didn't come to a head until I started semi-regularly using COCAINE and alcohol. Copious amounts of ALCOHOL made my anxiety absolutely crippling, particularly the day after.

I had days that I wouldn't get out of bed for anything in the world. I'd show up for exams and that was it. I completely lost the ability to derive pleasure from life. I've since been eating low amounts of opiates and muscle relaxers but exercising. Overall since calming down with everything and eating better I've felt closer to normal like it was before drug use.

 

[therealrhombus]

I'm pretty sure my brain's a little tweaked from a heavy coke habit, along with the various drugs I've done since I was 16. I've since stopped the coke and I can tell my brain is getting better. I have slight anxiety issues because of the coke (staying up all night, getting high as a kite and then having a psychotic episode will do that to ya). My speech used to be fragmented, and my cognitive skills weren't up to par like they used to be. My bladder is now fucked up (I pee way more than I used to) and I'm pretty sure my liver's a little fucked up as well.

I also think I have an irregular heartbeat, it now skips a beat every now and then (but its also possible it could've done that before the coke, but I Just never noticed). My resting heart rate used to be at 60, after a year and a half of coke, it was 80, but now its somwehwer between 60 and 70

 

[Wonderlandless]

I used I think roughly 11 or 12 E pills, and one hit of Tina in a ten month time span. Though I did OD off GHB (though I was told I couldn't breath on my own for some time and my heart rate dropped to 30, I was told it wasn't too long).

However, I quit rolling and I noticed I felt...different. I definitely have a harder time focusing on a single subject (or when I do get on a subject I get intensely focused), its hard for my vision to really pick up anything if I move my eyes around too fast (example: if I look from right to left, I won't be able to see anything in between) and I see tracers no matter what, and the most noticeable is this constant 'trapped in my head' feeling. Its almost like my awareness is confined inside a box its too small for.

I also have notice I make more spelling errors and my friends tell me I sometimes seem very out of it, plus prone to bouts of panic attacks and depression that will hit me for no reason.

...I just really wish I could get better. I stopped doing drugs to feel better, but every day I feel worse, and I haven't even touched so much as alcohol in the last nine months.

 

[Doooofus]

... mind and body are inseparable... feeding one will feed the other... positive loop, negative loop... so while it may all be in the mind on some level, I have now been taking steps for a number of years to work on my thinking and to work on my body, too. The effort comes and goes... I get out what I put in... but it's so worth it. I am sure I have damaged my body ... but, you know, bodies can heal if you let them.

Interesting... what exactly do you mean by working on your thinking? Do you mean philosophy, meditation, puzzles?

 

[nickels]

I used I think roughly 11 or 12 E pills, and one hit of Tina in a ten month time span. Though I did OD off GHB (though I was told I couldn't breath on my own for some time and my heart rate dropped to 30, I was told it wasn't too long).

However, I quit rolling and I noticed I felt...different. I definitely have a harder time focusing on a single subject (or when I do get on a subject I get intensely focused), its hard for my vision to really pick up anything if I move my eyes around too fast (example: if I look from right to left, I won't be able to see anything in between) and I see tracers no matter what, and the most noticeable is this constant 'trapped in my head' feeling. Its almost like my awareness is confined inside a box its too small for.

I also have notice I make more spelling errors and my friends tell me I sometimes seem very out of it, plus prone to bouts of panic attacks and depression that will hit me for no reason.

...I just really wish I could get better. I stopped doing drugs to feel better, but every day I feel worse, and I haven't even touched so much as alcohol in the last nine months.

I kind of know what you mean; it's like your brain and body adapted to functioning fairly well while high, so that it can't do as well as it used to when normal now.

I've stopped everything, except for the occasional drink, for a couple years now,andalthough it's not back to normal, it's better than it was. It took me about a year or so for the tracers to go away....

 

[Doooofus]

How much (and what) had you been using?