12 replies to this topic

[vendelin]

What is the best way to improve control over your thoughts? How do you prevent bad or traumatic memories from popping into your mind at any moment?

 

If you can bear with me though a corny metaphor, it's the best explanation I've got... My mind constantly feels like having to study while your roommate is having a 24/7 rager (or maybe more like living in a meth house). Basically, the "noise" is always there in the background, and the thoughts and memories keep banging at the back of my mind until I let them in. No matter how many times I kick them out and try to barricade the door, they always push their way back in, with absolutely nothing to trigger them. I try to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones, I try to keep myself occupied at every waking moment, but nothing is working.

 

I used to ruminate a lot over traumatic events, and it made me really depressed, so I guess I taught myself how to remove the depressive thoughts from my mind on pure reflex. The problem is they are never fully removed, I just push them into the background and it's causing a whole other set of problems. It's still so bad I would jump at the chance to take a pill that would make me wake up tomorrow and not remember a single detail of my life up to that point, because anything that otherwise would have been a 100% good experience is ruined by these pop-up memories.

 

I'm open to supplements, specific techniques, pretty much anything but therapy at this time (it is an option down the road, but not right now). Maybe I'm shooting in the dark here, but does it make sense that a PTSD or OCD type regimen might work? And am I right in thinking this means improving hippocampus function/size?

[Michael Rian]

NAC might be of interest for OCD type issues. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3044191/

 

It is fairly inexpensive, safe, and easy to obtain.  I have been using it for the past year with good results. 

 

Hope this helps!  Best of luck with your search!

[vendelin]

NAC might be of interest for OCD type issues. 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3044191/

 

It is fairly inexpensive, safe, and easy to obtain.  I have been using it for the past year with good results. 

 

Hope this helps!  Best of luck with your search!

 

Thanks for the link, looks very promising. I already have some NAC on the way, wanted to try to for other issues, hoping it helps with this as well.

[YoungSchizo]

I have intrusive thoughts and pop-up memories too. I've found CBD to be quite effective against it, for me it works like I'm digging (when under influence) into those thoughts and memories and "resolve" them so to speak (kinda difficult to explain what I experience). At that moment it can be a harsh treatment being confronted with what's happening but afterwards it helps me stabilize and significantly reduce those symptoms for a couple of days.

 

I'm schizo so don't know if it'll affect you the same way. Just my 2 cents.

[vendelin]

I have intrusive thoughts and pop-up memories too. I've found CBD to be quite effective against it, for me it works like I'm digging (when under influence) into those thoughts and memories and "resolve" them so to speak (kinda difficult to explain what I experience). At that moment it can be a harsh treatment being confronted with what's happening but afterwards it helps me stabilize and significantly reduce those symptoms for a couple of days.

 

I'm schizo so don't know if it'll affect you the same way. Just my 2 cents.

 

Too bad I don't have any way of getting CBD, or else I would be very interested in this treatment. Sounds eerily similar to my experience with low (sub-psychedelic) dose of salvia, but I could see it working to re-train the brain considering CBD is anxiolytic and probably less dysphoric (apparently both work on the kappa opioid receptors).

 

BTW, would you say the "pop-up memories" are a symptom of your schizophrenia? I didn't think of it that way, but I do struggle with what I believe basically boils down to some kind of schizo-related disorder (possible prodromal/schizotypal).

Edited by vendelin, 27 March 2015 - 08:57 AM.

[YoungSchizo]

 

I have intrusive thoughts and pop-up memories too. I've found CBD to be quite effective against it, for me it works like I'm digging (when under influence) into those thoughts and memories and "resolve" them so to speak (kinda difficult to explain what I experience). At that moment it can be a harsh treatment being confronted with what's happening but afterwards it helps me stabilize and significantly reduce those symptoms for a couple of days.

 

I'm schizo so don't know if it'll affect you the same way. Just my 2 cents.

 

Too bad I don't have any way of getting CBD, or else I would be very interested in this treatment. Sounds eerily similar to my experience with low (sub-psychedelic) dose of salvia, but I could see it working to re-train the brain considering CBD is anxiolytic and probably less dysphoric (apparently both work on the kappa opioid receptors).

 

BTW, would you say the "pop-up memories" are a symptom of your schizophrenia? I didn't think of it that way, but I do struggle with what I believe basically boils down to some kind of schizo-related disorder (possible prodromal/schizotypal).

 

 

Schizophrenia is a collection of all kinds of disorders, so yes and no, you can consider it as a symptom or a issue on it's own.

 

You live in Europe, I do too, you can legally order Trompetol (which is cheap and I smoke it) or order CBD-oil (which is expensive if you buy the ones that have quality CBD in it).

Edited by YoungSchizo, 27 March 2015 - 02:32 PM.

[vendelin]

I think the laws probably vary a bit then. So far every active substance from the cannabis plant is illegal where I live, it would probably get me busted for narcotics smuggling.. There's some talk about possibly taking it off the list so doctors can more readily prescribe it, I will keep checking.

 

I could see if I can find a shop that sells it when I go to Amsterdam. How many doses are needed for it to be effective?

[YoungSchizo]

Which country you live in? If it were the case that you live in a country that's in the European Union it's legal, (Cannabis products that has no larger amount than 0.3% THC in it is legal to distribute, buy and sell).

 

I live in the Netherlands, though, you can't buy Trompetol in coffeeshops (you can try growshops but I can't promise you will find it), online it's available in numerous EU countries.

 

As for the dosage, it's difficult to give you an exact amount because first Trompetol's cannabis quality isn't that great either (there are lots lots of seeds in it which isn't for smoking), second they don't mention how many % CBD is in their product (it's probably low, between 2-5%) and therefore it's hard to tell/dose which amount is most effective. With that being said, I usually have success with 2 joints a day, sometimes it's (way) more effective than other times. It's effectiveness also depends on the severity of my symptoms, mood etc., when I'm in a bad mood that happens which I already told, when I'm in a good mood CBD only relaxes me, which is also nice. 

 

For a price:amount indication, I bought one bag of 40g for 23EUR, next week Tuesday it's been 3 weeks and I still have 1/2 weeks left in it (I don't smoke everyday, it varies on my day planning/symptoms).

[vendelin]

Which country you live in? If it were the case that you live in a country that's in the European Union it's legal, (Cannabis products that has no larger amount than 0.3% THC in it is legal to distribute, buy and sell).

 

I live in the Netherlands, though, you can't buy Trompetol in coffeeshops (you can try growshops but I can't promise you will find it), online it's available in numerous EU countries.

 

As for the dosage, it's difficult to give you an exact amount because first Trompetol's cannabis quality isn't that great either (there are lots lots of seeds in it which isn't for smoking), second they don't mention how many % CBD is in their product (it's probably low, between 2-5%) and therefore it's hard to tell/dose which amount is most effective. With that being said, I usually have success with 2 joints a day, sometimes it's (way) more effective than other times. It's effectiveness also depends on the severity of my symptoms, mood etc., when I'm in a bad mood that happens which I already told, when I'm in a good mood CBD only relaxes me, which is also nice. 

 

For a price:amount indication, I bought one bag of 40g for 23EUR, next week Tuesday it's been 3 weeks and I still have 1/2 weeks left in it (I don't smoke everyday, it varies on my day planning/symptoms).

I'd rather not say where I live (keeps the paranoia in check), but it's not in the EU. I did a search now and apparently there's a newly opened medical marijuana dispensary in Amsterdam that sells CBD products. I think I'll give it a try for the duration I'm there, not sure how much progress I'd be able to make in a week but it's worth a shot I guess.

[vendelin]

Small update: I've been taking 1g NAC with 2g glycine twice a day, and it seems to help a lot with the "background noise" as well as the frequency and intensity of the intrusive thoughts. However the effect only lasts a few hours, so I'm going to try 4 smaller doses spread throughout the day instead.

[mealz13]

NAC is good, and so is inositol.

[Sciencyst]

I struggle with OCD and have constant intrusive thoughts. I have found that analyzing the thoughts never does anything good, but instead makes me obsess over them even more. The only thing that works is noticing the thought and letting it go... When thoughts come up, I do not react to them. I simply recognize them, and remind myself that it's "just my OCD acting up again" and laugh it off. Unwanted thoughts only have power if you give them power. 

 

The supplement that helps the most is bacopa, but it's important not to rely on it "to make the thoughts go away." 

Edited by katuskoti, 05 April 2015 - 12:13 PM.

[vendelin]

I struggle with OCD and have constant intrusive thoughts. I have found that analyzing the thoughts never does anything good, but instead makes me obsess over them even more. The only thing that works is noticing the thought and letting it go... When thoughts come up, I do not react to them. I simply recognize them, and remind myself that it's "just my OCD acting up again" and laugh it off. Unwanted thoughts only have power if you give them power. 

 

The supplement that helps the most is bacopa, but it's important not to rely on it "to make the thoughts go away." 

Thanks for your advice. I've seen this repeated a lot and I'm sure it's true, it's just a lot more difficult than it sounds, I guess. I'm able to avoid obsessing over the thoughts, but avoiding the stress-reaction that makes the brain think they have some kind of vital importance is harder for me.

 

I also take bacopa, but for me it seem to mainly help with physical stress.