Problems stemming from RC's/ Psych's?

[Ace123]

It's been a long while since I made a post here. This post may not be popular, but this is the most well-informed community on the net and the best place to ask these questions.

Has anyone noticed any long term, negative effects from use of psychedelics-more so RC's?

I came across the board a while ago when I was in the "prime" of my experimentation stage. I would have tried anything, and did. I believed in the mind-expanding properties of psychedelics and was facinated at the possible mental/psychic doors they could unlock within our brains.

About two months ago, I decided to go sober from everything except alchohol. I smoked ALOt of pot throughout my highschool and early college years, but remember after being forced to quit in high school-my mind really became more "clear." Some people here have to know about that constant haze that somewhat muddles your mind during multiple a multiple-times-a-day blazing habit. The only thing is, this haze didn't seem to lift this time.

I still feel "off" even though I don't do anything but drink beer, and no other forms of alchohol. I'm severely prone to anxiety now, especially in social situations, and always seem to be "caught up in my mind." This just isn't right. I've only tried various RC's a dozen or so times. Some tryptamines(4-ho-dipt, 5-meo-dipt, 4-aco-dipt) and 2c-e and 2c-i. I don't have anywhere near the expirience as most psychonauts on this board do- but I feel that something isn't right since those expiriences.

Maybe my mind just wasn't built for psychedelics, and I forced them on anyways. I do like some aspects of the way my mind works now, because I can clearly tell it's not the same as most people's- but this anxiety and fluctuating emotions has really taken its toll on me as I;m now trying to live my dream and break into the film industry. In short, as my dad would say, I feel like a "flake."

Has anyone had any similar expiriences with psychedelics or long term psychotropic use of any kind?

 

[greenmeanies]

did you have a clearer head before quitting weed? some people are more stable when they are medicated...

what about diet, sleep, and exercise? these can have profound effects on your attention and alertness

 

[Delsyd]

i also think thtat perhaps you were prone to anxiety before you started tripping. Or its the weed setting it off.

Ive been tripping for over 10 years and smoking daily for about 5 and dont feel any anxiety.

Im not discounting what happened to you, but im saying it may not happen to all of us or it may not be the psychs at all.
its hard to tell.

Sorry you have to deal with this.

Much love

 

[Mjäll]

I'm sorry for your situation.

Our minds do have the power to heal themselves. Just encourage stable thinking patterns and give it time. Psychedelics provide an immensely condensed and powerful mode of interpretation of stimuli; it's not a bad idea to take a big break every now and then - even though personally I've been fine (considering I was a very introverted person all along, before drugs as well).

 

[LooSiD]

Might just be that your habits have changed without you noticing. Do you work out? Do you masturbate more than once a week? Do you eat a lot of refined flour/sugar? Do you have a lot of body fat? Do you get less than 7 hours of sleep a night?

All of these things influence your body's testosterone and estrogen levels in a way that causes cloudy thinking and anxiety (assuming you're male). If you've always had the above habits, it may just be the case that you've grown out of the youthful period when their influence didn't have any effect on your cognitive functioning. Your body has changed since childhood and the way you treat it needs to change as well.

I'm quick to suggest that the psychedelics aren't the problem because I have no idea what I'd tell you if they were. I guess the first thing I'd say would be that it's unlikely that these are permanent physical changes. A lot of people experience a not-always-positive shift towards social anxiety and isolation after tripping. There used to be a thread about it but I can't find it now. Basically people get caught up in thinking that you know and think "more/better" than people around you. You are real and they are fake, you are enlightened and they are blind sheep - that kind of thing.

The psychedelic experience itself shows you the artifice of your culturally-prescribed social procedures, and instead of going against the anxiety and rebuilding and getting back into them you just get locked comfortably in your own head.

Deep thinking isn't always a good thing. Anxiety isn't always a bad thing. Get out there and be social and run your life and eventually you'll settle back into the right track. Don't let the anxiety of trying something new or scary stop you from trying that thing.

Anxiety is uncomfortable. It's also natural. If people never did uncomfortable things, everyone would just lay in bed all day. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

 

[Ace123]

Might just be that your habits have changed without you noticing. Do you work out? Do you masturbate more than once a week? Do you eat a lot of refined flour/sugar? Do you have a lot of body fat? Do you get less than 7 hours of sleep a night?

All of these things influence your body's testosterone and estrogen levels in a way that causes cloudy thinking and anxiety (assuming you're male). If you've always had the above habits, it may just be the case that you've grown out of the youthful period when their influence didn't have any effect on your cognitive functioning. Your body has changed since childhood and the way you treat it needs to change as well.

I'm quick to suggest that the psychedelics aren't the problem because I have no idea what I'd tell you if they were. I guess the first thing I'd say would be that it's unlikely that these are permanent physical changes. A lot of people experience a not-always-positive shift towards social anxiety and isolation after tripping. There used to be a thread about it but I can't find it now. Basically people get caught up in thinking that you know and think "more/better" than people around you. You are real and they are fake, you are enlightened and they are blind sheep - that kind of thing.

The psychedelic experience itself shows you the artifice of your culturally-prescribed social procedures, and instead of going against the anxiety and rebuilding and getting back into them you just get locked comfortably in your own head.

Deep thinking isn't always a good thing. Anxiety isn't always a bad thing. Get out there and be social and run your life and eventually you'll settle back into the right track. Don't let the anxiety of trying something new or scary stop you from trying that thing.

Anxiety is uncomfortable. It's also natural. If people never did uncomfortable things, everyone would just lay in bed all day. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Good Post. All of these replys have been helpful. Now that I think about it, I was WAY more active in HS and now adays I don't exercise at all. My diet is pretty shitty, though not as bad as it was, and I have a messed up sleeping schedule.

Now I'm thinking that it wasn't the psychedelics, it's just my shitty life style. I'm lazy as hell and since getting back home from a terrible experience in college, I'm getting way more introverted too- sometimes I even feel weird when talking to life-long friends!

For the longest time I thought this was due to psychedelics and even more so my horribly excessive weed habit. I guess I just need to start taking better care of myself.

 

[any major dude]

the effects of diet & exercise can't be overstated. I struggled with a similar problem for several years before shifting my diet from fast-food, mostly meat and starches to a largely vegetable based diet and as much organic stuff as possible. Only eat meat once or twice a week now. Doing that and being more physically active did more for my anxiety and general malaise than antidepressants ever did.

Also, you mention moving back home after a terrible experience at college, moving home, especially since I didn't graduate my first attempt at college, was a depression & anxiety filled event for me. I definitely didn't feel right for a while. I thought it had something to do with my drug abuse habits, and it may well have, but I think it was more an issue of not knowing exactly what direction my life was going in and a complete lack of any goal-oriented behavior. Hope that helps some.

 

[cegli]

Yes, I know what you're talking about, and it did stem from psychedelic use. Most of the muddled thoughts and anxiety went away after about a one year break. Give it that much time and you'll probably be right as rain. You're not likely to get too many people agreeing with this here though. This is a psychedelic enthusiasts's discussion forum. It's like going to a Mac forum and asking "who thinks that Apple sucks?", haha. People who feel they've been damaged by psychedelics don't usually hang out here. They hang out here: www.hppdonline.com.

Point is, psychedelics are beautiful and lifechanging, and at one point, brought me the best times of my life. There's unfortunately a few who don't luck out.

 

[psychicpsycho]

well

Thats not entirely true cegli.
I have been using psychs for many years. Ive done nearly every substance available. I suffer from hppd and ive definitely fractured my reality and reshaped it many times over. It just depends how you look at things I think. Ive had amazingly beautiful and deeply terrifying experiences on them but I dont really regret the negative.
When I was younger I was taking them 1-2 times a week in ever increasing doses sometimes far exceeding what most people considered the upper echelon of dosages for any given substance. Ive completely reshaped who I am as a person (because I lost all that I was and reconstructed myself) on two separate occaissions.
I stopped for almost 2 years after the last mind shatter. the first couple months I was pretty hazy but after that I definitely became more aware and appreciative of just living an unaltered life. Its that feeling of balance that really makes it so that doing psychs now is a rare event. maybe once every 3-6 months or so at most once every month or other month but thats a lot. I feel very different about RCs as opposed to naturals (mushrooms/peyote). RCs at this point feel like a dead end to me. I have gotten what I can off of them and now they only offer me a reminiscence at best and a cold reality check at worst. It just doesnt feel right. Mushies feel great on the other hand I can do them quite often and be fine.

ABout your weed problem too I had a similar effect. I used to smoke regularly before I became a heavy tripper then stopped when I i started this. Every time I try to smoke now it just makes me paranoid and antisocial. I have no desire to smoke. My best reckoning is that my brain chemistry was altered and it just has a very different effect now than what it used to and its unpleasant. Many of my friends smoke but I always turn it down. I know if I get high I wont even want to be around people. Its just an annoying feeling now. No sense in stressing over it though it was never that great to begin with as I recall. its no big loss for me. Just money saved.

I dont really think my experiences were bad. Ive gotten unlucky on some occaissions but ive turned them into learning experiences and benefitted from them. Even your worst tragedies can turn into great triumphs if you have the right outlook. Most people claim to do this for enlightenment anyways. Mastering the balancing act of positive and negative is one giant leap towards that direction and tripping has certainly helped me towards that objective.

 

[cegli]

Thats not entirely true cegli.
I have been using psychs for many years. Ive done nearly every substance available. I suffer from hppd and ive definitely fractured my reality and reshaped it many times over. It just depends how you look at things I think. Ive had amazingly beautiful and deeply terrifying experiences on them but I dont really regret the negative.

I'm not sure that we actually disagree on anything. My last sentence is basically exactly what you just said.

 

[psychicpsycho]

maybe I just misread you then hehe. no big deal

 

[naginnudej]

I find myself getting sick more often when taking psychs/rcs regularly. It's important to take good care of your body and sometimes that slips your mind when you get caught up in an experience.