Safari Celeste

What is the truth and how does the ego play with it? Is this a space to share conspiracies or dissection of current events? Seems tragedy and conspiracy are plagues of human history. I gather this community is concerned with social evolution. How does the self-actualized interpret the truth of tragedy? What is relevant is that we're living in a society of tragedies. So, Leo, are you going to speak on societal/worldwide distress and transcending the individual spirit? I'd like to see a video on that.

^This is great. This video helped me do some major introspection. I also use alcohol as an escape from my problems. Drinking alleviates nearly all of my social anxiety, but my over-drinking has become a major issue. It's hard to quit drinking all together because for one, you make a habit of it, and two, it's a social activity most everywhere. I work in a bar on a major party street and it's challenging for me to escape the easy drink after work because it's so convenient. Most people in my social circle drink in excess. I had to become very aware of the times I was drinking which was usually when moping and how to avoid getting myself into a situation where I would lose control. This is not easy; I'm working on it. I'm also very petite, so it's extremely easy for me to get wasted. I'm one of those people who needs to have their keys and cellphone taken away when drunk. I honestly know I shouldn't drink, but I make exceptions for it all the time socially. I come from a long chain of alcoholics and I'm neurotic. If I were really smart, I'd cut out the drinking lifestyle and work a calm job somewhere far from the downtown partying, but I like the tempting lifestyle even though I'm smart enough to realize it's not good for me. Do you see this chain of neurotic behavior? Yeah, some bad shit has happened to me because of drinking. I've never gotten a DUI, but I did lose my car once and ruin a relationship.

@jse You're right about me making assumptions because your first post on this topic was very vague and insinuated your buddy wasn't receiving care, just that you took some mushrooms with him and it went poorly because of his neurochemical imbalance and that you thought to seek reaserch on 5-HTP--I understand. You're making a lot of assumptions on my sphere of knowledge. In my experience and research, magic mushroom use can sometimes worsen psychological disturbance especially when there's an neurochemical imbalance, so that's not necessarily a situation I gave you good credit for either and it seems obvious to me as an onlooker that you shouldn't seek to self-medicate your buddy outside of his extensive psychiatric care. STOP TRYING TO PLAY DOCTOR. Ultimately, you are not a professional and if this isn't your situation we're discussing, then you are not entitled to impose supplements on your buddy even if he was accepting of it mostly because he's already unstable and he should not be doctored by a friend. That's irrational. You may think you know everything and seek to help your friend out of compassion, but he needs to go to a different professional if his current regime isn't panning out. I'm not going to argue semantics with you and I'm not sure what throwing definitions at me is supposed to clarify since it doesn't address the main lifestyle change I suggested which is for him to go sober and live a calm, productive life, ride it out and let his brain heal itself. It's clear to me that you want to play, argue, and try to point fingers towards my lack of insight on your friend's specific situation and neurochemical imbalance by addressing his tolerance to SSRIs and suggesting he's been treated under an "umbrella" of basic psychiatry. Here's the thing: What is your role in this? Why do you seek to argue? Why do you seek information on a forum about drugs for your buddy? Look at this practically: You are not a doctor. This is not your condition. Perhaps you should look inwardly and address your own neurotic web of beliefs instead of trying to play psychiatrist. I will offer you this: I also had a major psychological and neurochemical imbalance because of amphetamine use. I went sober, didn't do hallucinogens, and started a supplement called Citicoline which is a much safer alternative to something like 5-HTP which can have serious side effects. It's a natural hormone that makes up 90% or something of the brain's gray matter. It helps your brain's density of dopamine receptors. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citicoline Note, this is my own research I implemented on my own body/brain. Everyone's situation is different and I don't think it's okay to unprofessionally diagnose or treat other people. There's never going to be a one-size-fits-all cocktail to treat these kind of conditions. I had major depressive episodes and paranoia because I zapped my dopamine and serotonin receptors and the supplement along with a strict regiment of good food, working out, and patience made it so I am nearly fully recovered after four months of living this way. I take no other medications. It's a lethal idea to mix in supplements with SSRIs and/or antipsychotics. I don't know if what worked for me would work for your friend and it's a bad idea to make suggestions to him. Don't point fingers at his doctors. You don't know what you're talking about. Hahaha.

I agree with you entirely apart from this tidbit of conflicting information which is just that every and all impulse, emotion, thought, all of it comes back to brain chemistry which is maybe a dramatic way of saying to fix the root conditions of psychological and physical ailments and behaviour issues by fine-tuning the chemical composition of the brain chemistry which can be affected by diet, stress, etc.. It's a balancing act, as most of life is. We are all existential beings or God experiencing itself walking around in water-based meatpockets with chemical impulses. Most things can be explained by scientific reasoning. The brain is the most important and complex organ in the body. Oftentimes, people over look chemical imbalances. This person probably had root psychological causes that lead to taking drugs which chemically altered the structure of his/her brain.

Unless you are a medical professional, specifically a psychiatrist, you really have no place trying to tell someone how to alter their brain chemistry and by suggesting new substances, you could be doing more harm than good. Don't try to fix other people. Your job is to fix yourself. It's dangerous to diagnose other people with vague symptoms of something you yourself likely don't fully understand. If this person did over do it on the MDMA, which is an amphetamine, it's likely this person's brain chemistry is permanently or semi-permanently altered--amphetamines fry the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters--and it can take years to regenerate healthy, balanced neurotransmitters. It could never be the same as before--I'm unsure of this. There are a lot of factors to consider in this person's medical and psychological background. I also am not a professional and not qualified to make diagnosis or suggest treatment of such a serious medical condition. This friend of yours needs to want to get better and is best off doing so with a healthcare professional. If not, this person should consider going off all substances and being sober for an extended period of time while living a healthy lifestyle by eating whole, clean foods and working out regularly. This person should work a low-stress job and avoid drugs and partying all together. Healing takes conviction and patience. Magic mushrooms or medications aren't going to be a quick fix. It could take years and you're not going to fully understand what is going on in this person's mind and life. Let this person deal with their own brain. Let me emphasize: Do not suggest this person take any substances. Do not encourage this person to take 5-HTP. How do you have any possible idea that 5-HTP won't cause the opposite of the intended effect and send your buddy on a physical and psychological tailspin? Oh, yeah, you don't, because you're searching for information on a forum and aren't a psychiatrist! Do not do this! Be smarter! Transcend above your ignorance!

Hey, man, I understand and relate to what you've experienced. I smoked weed every day all day for three years. I didn't realize how badly it was affecting me until I started taking supplements for my cognitive function. As soon as I started taking the supplements, it made it so every time I smoked weed, I got ten-times higher and ten-times more anxious and paranoid. It became as if every time I smoked weed, I was tripping balls. It made me more aware of how marijuana had altered my life the entire time I'd been smoking it: My social anxiety was unbearable. I kept trying to convince myself that if I just smoked a little less, it would be okay. I made many excuses over smoking weed. I used it as a distraction from my problems and it interfered with every part of my life. I commemorate you for going sober because I know it isn't easy. Marijuana may not be psychically addictive, but you develop an emotional and psychological dependency on being high. The biggest struggle of going sober for me was the social connections I'd established because of smoking marijuana, so it's good you are in a new environment away from your old toxic connections. I would suggest you don't ever again associate with people who smoke weed and make excuses for it; it's too easy to fall back into the same habits. I know someone who smokes weed every day will read this thread and scoff. Some people will read this and think marijuana is awful--The Devil's Lettuce. Not everyone is affected by marijuana the same way, but more so, most people who smoke every day are deluded by making excuses for the way marijuana makes them feel. There is no way that pot heads are more productive than sober people, but it's true that some people need marijuana as a medicine. It's ironic; there is a balance to everything. Marijuana can help people, but you have to know when it stops helping and starts inhibiting. This line is what makes excessive weed use easy to ignore and make excuses for. I like the suggestion to get a job that drug tests because it will assure that you don't revive your old smoking habits. Go to the gym every day instead of getting high. Replace temptation with self-discipline. It's not easy, but it's worth it. I don't think by any means that you've fucked up your life. So you went down the wrong path for a while. So what? You graduated! You have direction! It's okay that everything isn't perfect right now; you have to be sympathetic with who you used to be or else you won't find peace in the future. You are just as capable as anyone else. Don't be ungrateful for what you have. You're alive and able--why make yourself miserable? You can do whatever you sent your mind out to do with the right research and conviction to act accordingly. You got this. Congratulations.