DeepTruth

Hello, so I guess for about 3 weeks now I've been completely sober after 7 years. I started smoking cigarettes at 14, as I grew up I starting smoking weed, drinking, doing MDMA, Shrooms, Acid, Painkillers, though the last three I didn't do very often.

I smoked cigarettes and weed everyday until the end of 2010 when a horrible experience with Bath Salts messed my entire life up. After that I've had horrible anxiety and panic.

I tried going back to smoking cigarettes and weed but it just wasn't the same after my night on Bath Salts. Everything made me panic and have anxiety and those things just made it worse. I kept trying with the weed until about March of this year, haven't touched it since, and gave up cigarettes finally about 3 weeks ago.

So basically the batch of Bath Salts I did was confirmed to have both Mephedrone and MDPV in it, and basically the combination of the two in your brain act like Meth and Cocaine at the same time! The Mephedrone acts first and there is some sort of time delay in effect that eventually triggers the MDPV, and from the research after the MDPV get's activated it doesn't let go of your dopamine receptors, which causes them to flood the brain with dopamine until they die off.

So one night on this stuff was the same as being a long term Meth addict except instead of slowly killing my dopamine receptors over time, the Bath Salts did it in one night instantly making me very emotionally unstable and sending my brain into major unbalance.

Considering the damage it did in one night, and even though I tried here and there to get back to smoking cigarette's, alcohol and weed, I couldn't come anywhere close to the amount I used to use of these drugs because they would just make my panic and anxiety worse cause they would add to the damage already done by the Bath Salts.

So it was like basically having to stop cold turkey all my old drug habits ON TOP of the major damage these Bath Salts did to me. All the sudden the very habits I depended on for happiness and emotional security were ripped right out from under me with no choice in the matter. I literally couldn't turn to drugs anymore, even though I tried it just made it worse.

Leading to today, which is almost 2 years later, it will be in December. Now, like I said before I'm officially sober from everything since about 3 weeks ago when I had my last cigarette. I haven't touched weed since March, and as for the harder stuff such as MDMA and the psychedelics I haven't touched that stuff since before my night on Bath Salts. So it's been years for those.

So I'm here because I need support because the only thing I can really do is wait it out and let my brain get back to normal and considering the almost Non-existent amount of research available on the Mephedrone and MDPV that was in the Bath Salts I took, I have no idea how long it will take for me to completely get back to normal.

It has been almost 2 years and though I am a lot better, I still have a lot of anxiety and panic and emotional instability, though having only been free from the effects of weed for just a few months and cigarettes for 3 weeks now I would assume that would have interfered with the process. I have been going to therapy which has helped some, and I've been taking things like vitamins and fish oil to help the healing process.

Hopefully now that I'm completely sober my brain finally has a real opportunity to put the pieces back together. Anyway sorry for the long post! It took a lot to fully explain my situation. I'm not quite sure what to do with my situation so any support or advice from any of you would be greatly appreciated as I sure need it! Thank you in advance.

CarolD

I'm realy glad you are seeing a professional about your situation.
Bath Salts are not part of my history

Congratulations on seeking a clean and sober future..
All my best as you continue to move forward .

Welcome to our recovery community..

Kalimata

Welcome aboard.

Are you able to see a neurologist and/or a psychologist? I ask because if there is any possibility of neurological damage, there may be medical options for assistance.

Keep strong, and keep up with the therapy. Anxiety is a real battle, but therapy can really help deal with it.

DeepTruth

I've only been to a therapist which has helped some, but there isn't a whole lot I can afford and a Neurologist sounds expensive, though I would like to see one to get things checked out. I honestly never thought about seeing one.

Kalimata

Because of the Bath Salts completely random and sythetic nature of the chems they use to keep them "legal", neurological damage is a possibility. A neurologist would be able to CT or MRI and be able to interperate the results, and treat any potential damage. A psychiatrist,(I had meant psychiatrist as opposed to psychologist in the last post) can prescribe and monitor psych medications.

A visit to the MD is always a good idea. I'm a Canadian so I have no experience with Medicaid or the US healthcare system at all. Is there no low cost options for a MD at all?

DeepTruth

Yeah medical care here isn't cheap no matter where you go really, especially if we are talking about seeing a Neurologist. And as for seeing a psychiatrist I'm just against taking any prescription brain altering drug. I think my brain needs to be left alone after what I did. As for seeing a Neurologist I'm all for that so I will have to look into the costs. It is really ridiculous not having universal health care here.