How to deal with paranoid thoughts?

[Parannoyed]

Title pretty much says it all.

Some background info.
I abused amphetamines and the like for a good few years. most weeks i'd be awake for 3 nights (in a row) and take an unknown amount of amphetamine / mdma / mephdrone / etc. I had a couple of bad episodes from the binges which left me a bit of a mess. my mind would constantly try and convince me that my friends hate me, that im a nasty person, that there is some conspiracy to do extreme harm to me (normally by my friends).

I stopped taking such chemicals quite a while ago now. months have passed and it seems as though my recovery has stopped. i am anxious ALOT. depressed quite alot of the time. have no self confidence. get paranoid (sometimes pretty badly) alot. although it's not all the time. it is most of the time. its really messin up my life.

How should i deal with it? Could it be a symptom of a worse problem?

Thanks.

 

[canucka]

i dunno man.. I've been using phet heavily for about 6 years; and everytime i stopped, so did the paranoia and psychosis.. ive never been off amps for more than 3 weeks ata time and during those breaks i just return to a seemingly normal, healthy state of mind and body for what its worth..
Though i do hear and see all the time people who develop psychosis only after stopping meth/amp use, sometimes for months afterwards..
So I cant tell you for sure if its just psychosis from your cessation of amphetamines.. or if its something else.. the fact that its only starting to get worse after so many months of being clean, might mean its somethin underlyin.. but im not a doctor so dont take it from me..

 

[Bojangles69]

Yeh thats totally normal brother when I stopped speed the side effects lasted for 8 years. Paranoia, anxiety, loss of self esteem, depression, panic attacks, social anxiety, social phobia (public speaking would cause panic attacks).

It was a neverending mess, but the long I was off speed the slowly and slowly all these symptoms got better.
A few problems here however.
Your background info is not specific enough. You never mentioned how long you were using or how much.
My habit was only 2 years, but I was manufacturing it, so I would take amounts most people don't take everyday. Usually just around 4-5 grams a day it was.

MOST of the side effects dissappeared after 3 years.
Thats why I was usually bouncing in between meds for those 3 years. Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, inderal, klonopin, zyprexa, etc etc.

For me that meds that worked best were lexapro and inderal for speed side effects.
If its really that bad, get ON some meds soon.

The one good thing I can tell you about all of this is due to how horrific my experience was, and how I had managed to contract the full blown meth psychosis, I have developed possibly the strongest aversion a person could to all stimulants. A lot of my own family doesn't know this about me but anytime I would walk down the cold/flu aisle of any supermarket, where the ephedrine was kept, I'd actually feel panic stricken and like I was going to have a panic attack.
They never happened in that environment, but I would feel notably ill for whatever reason. Ephedrine is what I used by the bucket loads to make meth, and even now anytime I see ANYTHING with ephedrine in it I just get ill/panicky/sick feeling. I think its somehow part of the aversion I have developed. Really interesting though.


So in the long run it turned out to be a good thing. I won't touch speed anymore, meth, MDMA, coke, even fucking ephedrine makes me feel like I'm having a seizure. Something about my CNS was destroyed from meth, cause all stimulants make me shake uncontrollably now.

The majority of my problems were from meth alone, but now theres an entire category of drugs I refuse to take because of it.
And I'm not going to lie but opiates also helped a great deal dealing with all that shit, which is precisely why I'm hooked on them now. But it still gets better as long as you keep trying.

G/luck

 

[Jabberwocky]

Is lack of sleep or stress or anything like that something of a trigger as far as you can tell? If you are able to identify things that set off bad periods you might be able to avoid some episodes. Knowing some of the triggers might point you to some remedies as well.

Could it be a symptom of a worse problem?

Yes but its very likely not indicative of a worse problem. If you are seeing a health practitioner for any reason I'd mention it to them and see what they think. My problems like this that aren't due to my current overuse of some other substances could likely improve if I'd vow to get more exercise, eat a better diet, and moderate caffeine. I also think sometimes its a carry over from emotional stuff that I'm putting off processing or taking action on.

If your problem persists or gets worse you might consider seeing somebody about it. You'll likely get it under control or figure out some ways to get things better. Hope its all a lot better soon.

 

[MeddieFrac]

I feel for ya my man, just hang in there and as others have said it will just take some time.

 

[Asclepius]

^ This.
Paranoia, my Nemises! Ugh!
Some tips that helped me:

Aim to get 8hrs sleep p/night

Keep to a consistent routine as much as possible, this will make the events of the day seem more familiar and these things you can control and focus on. Write a daily plan down if it helps.

Ensure you eat 3 healthy meals at specific times, with 2 snacks in between(no major intake of processed shit(Incl Caffeine bevy's, High Sugar Soda's). In your diet include Fishh(oily for Omega 3's), fibre rich Foods, Plenty of fresh/Frozen,pref Green,Veg
fruits(Figs), Brown Wholegrains, take Vit B supplements

Set aside time on your own to relax and focus/do something pleasant and that you enjoy(eg being with a pet, walking in Nature, or listening to up-beat but simple gentle tunes etc)

Breathing Excercises and Meditation: pay particular Attention to your body and how its responding, focus on this primarily and let thoughts just pass even the judging ones, accept them but dont give them huge attention.

If your paranoia hasnt killed your ability to read/absorb info, read self Help books, Eat them up! The simpler and more affirming the better!

If a situation or person seems threatening to you, Breathe, slowly,( focus on breathing in thru your nose and out-slowly-thru the mouth. This can be done subtly so you dont look like a complete doghnut!) and try to ground yourself by focusing on your bodily sensations and breath. If your head keeps spiraling with harsh thoughts, make an excuse and leave the situation, if you want try 'going into bathroom' and Grounding yourself in there before you rejoin the group.

Try to keep a journal: at end of the day, write down what you were feeling at diff times throughout the day and write a brief summary of what events triggered those feelings.
As you build these up, look back on entries and compare and contrast varying situations to see if it brings any objective clarity to ya.

Do see a GP if it persists, or gets worse.

Remember to be extra gentle wit yourself while this is goin on!