There is a testing clinic near me that deal with treating depression using psychedelic substances. I’m wondering if any of you have tried something similar, referring to psychedelic substances, and if so, how did it go? In the past, I occasionally experimented with cannabis, but over time, it didn’t sit well with me anymore. Does anyone have such experiences?
You’ve said you already experimented with cannabis and it wasn’t your thing, but for everyone else reading, this is my experience with it.
THC (exclusively in edibles) has been a mixed-but-overall-positive bag for me. I believe it, in conjunction with therapy, helped me understand my own cognition better, especially on a gut-level, and especially after having been on an emotional plateau for years. It allowed me to viscerally experience emotions and sensations I hadn’t felt in a long time, experience trains of thought different from my default, reexperience the childlike sense of wonder in many things, and overall spurred me on towards self-improvement - all helpful to me in pursuit of coming to terms with ASD and lacking interoception.
That all said, it’s not without side effects. If your environment and/or headspace aren’t right, your high can go sour and lead you towards unpleasant trains of thought (it’s a psychoactive, after all). Withdrawal symptoms for me feel like a blunted inverse of everything positive about THC, and if you use too frequently, it can potentially last for days. And of course, inebriation is not everyone’s cup of tea, munchies can potentially be a dietary concern, and cottonmouth is unpleasant whether you’re high or not (although I found this got much, much easier to manage later on).
My advice: Don’t do too much at once - knowing exactly how much is too much comes with experience and keeping a mental tab on your tolerance, but if you’re completely new, start with 5mg and wait. Take regular breaks for the sake of your tolerance and mental health - even one day has an impact. Do it in a location where you’re comfortable and not likely to be paranoid about other people knowing you’re high. Try to enjoy it, but if you aren’t and can’t shake a bad trip for whatever reason, it can be a valuable learning experience all the same. Talk about your experiences with someone to get those thoughts and emotions out of your head (which is worth doing in general, weed or no weed). Overall, be a responsible adult about it.