Addiction and Psychedelics

[Bernard]

I read and heard people say psychedelics can help you get over addictions.

LSD helping you decide to quit drinking to be more specific.

How so and in what way? Has anyone here quit anything as a result from psychedelics?

I've indulged myself but it never made me want to quit smoking or drinking which is misfortune. I hope it would lol

[Leo Gura]

The reason you're addicted is because you've lost touch with Being, or you are trying to escape something.

Psychedelics can put you back in touch with Being.

That can be very helpful, although not a guaranteed cure-all. If you are dead-set on being an addict, you will be an addict.

[JustinS]

I wouldn't say it's a one timer psychedelic experience that'll cure someone's addictions cold turkey although there are cases. It's that your ability to go about your day without any high external stimulation increases little by little. 

 

[Bernard]

47 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

The reason you're addicted is because you've lost touch with Being.

Psychedelics can put you back in touch with Being, or you are trying to escape something.

Psychedelics can be very helpful, although not a guaranteed cure-all. If you are dead-set on being an addict, you will be an addict.

Oh, I sure did loose touch with being as you put it. If I'm still(mediate) for to long I can get really anxious. Even to the point I want to jump out of my skin. It got worse lately due to the amount of stress.

I'm starting to think that the reason it hasn't worked for me because even if psychedelics show me a pleasant state of being, its not long till my "demons" creep back up and bubble to the surface.

[Bernard]

40 minutes ago, JustinS said:

I wouldn't say it's a one timer psychedelic experience that'll cure someone's addictions cold turkey although there are cases. It's that your ability to go about your day without any high external stimulation increases little by little. 

 

I've done LSD a few times. I've had some enlightening experiences even to which I've left my body and physical existence altogether. Just never in a sense of giving me the strength to put down the cigarettes or alcohol.

Hmm.. I may try micro dosing. Heard good things about it.

[Leo Gura]

@Bernard Start doing Kriya yoga. That will help you a lot.

[Bernard]

10 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

@Bernard Start doing Kriya yoga. That will help you a lot.

Oooo... I always wanted to try doing yoga. I'll give it a shot!

[Cliffardo]

Have a look at the stopdrinking reddit if you haven't as this is what helped me, also a bit of Leo. 

I stopped drinking, drugs and smoking on the same day. Back in august so not far off a year! Can't explain magnitude of the freedom you get when cutting an addiction

I wouldn't recommend taking LSD if your involved in a party scene as it can just become a recreational endeavour, I stopped psychedelics for this reason. It might be okay it the correct surroundings however I would not recommend treating a substance addiction with another , I know LSD is essentially not addictive or unhealthy but I do believe it will keep you with a psychological need for some form of mind altering substance. The physiological battle of needing something will always be the issue, I think the only true phsycogiical escape is cutting it directly. 

Going to sound cliche, but the only thing that worked for me was to want to quit, truly want with every fibre of your body and in the depths of your mind. 

Stay strong. 

[JustinS]

@Bernard I can second Leo's suggestion above. Just a strong Determination 30 min kriya yoga in the morning will give the strength. It at least does for me. Best to you.

[pluto]

Psychedelics show you aspects of the ego-self you do not wish to face on a day to day basis. Once you get the cosmic joke and drop all care of the external reality and simply be yourself, you will transcend past old habits and see them from a new, greater perspective thus leading people stuck in addictions/loops to see past these endless forms of suffering. Once you evolve, they no longer serve you. Psychedelics help you get a glimpse of the evolved-self (so to speak).

[Samra]

Have you tried Ayahusaca? You need to be clean for a month (absolutely no less than two weeks) to do a ceremony. The ritual of preparation and integration alone might give you a head start. Maybe it will give you the insight you need.

[PsiloPutty]

@pluto  That was well said. I could only screw it up by trying to add to it.

@Samra  Yep, Ayahuasca was my very first psychedelic experience, and I quit drinking for the most part after that weekend. I would drink 7 or 8 drinks every evening of my life up until then. But like Leo said above, you have to at least be partially open to making changes before doing psychedelics, because it probably won't work if you're expecting a miracle to be put in your lap. I knew something had to change, so I gave it a whirl. It gave me the insight I needed to allow me to just walk away from it. Like Pluto talked about above, I just saw past the loop of cyclical thinking/behavior I was caught up in, and I considered that my life....as ME. This showed me that it wasn't "me" at all. The loop I was in was just a construct of habit.

OP, you said you've used psychedelics before, so you know that it's hard to control a trip, and focus it on what you want to concentrate on. That's the problem here, you can't use psychedelics as a flashlight in the basement of your soul, trying to shine it on specific things. You can go in with an intention, and you should, but that's like dropping a note in a suggestion box somewhere. It might not even get read.

 

[Samra]

I think anyone who is on this forum is open to change, at least partially

Edited July 1, 2018 by Samra

[Bernard]

@Cliffardo Every time O took LSD it was for insight and spiritual purposes. I did have my share of "aha"moments but never in relation to quiting my addictions. Congrats on quiting and I'll take a look at reddit. Thanks.

@JustinS I looked into it but still not exactly sure how to do it. Once I find a basic/beginner exercise that I can do for 30 mins I'll give it a shot.

@pluto I had those moments while on these substances but the ego always creeps back after a while. Even now I have a glimpse of this but I can tell it's just the tip of the iceberg.

@Samra I always wanted to visit a shaman and take ayahuasca. Just not likely to happen at this stage in my life unfortunately.

@PsiloPutty Yea, I did notice that it will show me what it wants to show me and I don't have control over that. Still helped me in other ways and issues I wasn't even aware I was dealing with so good came out of them none the less.

Thanks you for all the advice! I'll try Kriya Yoga and do some more reading and see how it goes.

[Nahm]

@Bernard Godspeed my friend. Keep looking, keep inquiring. You will find the strength & the Love in you. You will find the inspiration. 

[Bernard]

@Nahm Thank you! All this is making me realize how much I've been running away from myself. I need to redirect my focus onto me rather than anything external.

Why I can only do this now and then is because If I do it to much I'll spiral into depression.

But it is what it is. I'm ready to just surrender to it.

[PsiloPutty]

Be gentle with yourself, man.