Iāll try to make everything clear here, I am diagnosed AuDHD w/C-PTSD. I have serious issues with nervous system regulation. I experience episodes where I am triggered and it feels like Iām in the backseat while someone else is driving crazy because I am no longer me. I canāt predict what Iāll say, I canāt predict what Iāll do, or how Iāll act, I feel overridden and completely in āfight-or-flightā but my default is always āfightā. Itās like Iām given no choice of my own the moment Iām triggered. Perhaps at times thereās a buildup of overstimulation I didnāt notice before and then one thing becomes the straw that broke the camels back.
Iāve done CBT, Iāve done somatic therapy, Iāve done psychodynamic, and psychoanalysis, and none have been that helpful.
Iāve been prescribed various things throughout the years, effexor, abilify, wellbutrin, propranolol, trileptal, strattera, adderall, vyvanse, modafinil, and outside of prescriptions Iāve also self prescribed concerta, methylphenidate and recreationally tried microdosing psilocybin, or low-dose thc with minor cannibinoids (which was helpful at times but can also cause me to have less prefrontal cortex rationalization, an overactive amygdala and emotional sensitivity, along with being susceptible to overstimulation from my sensory) this rarely ever happened at all, most the time I was just nicer, calmer, happier and oddly poetic.
I donāt drink, I donāt do cocaine I quit both of these many years ago so this is not a contributor. I actually quit smoking for the most part also, Iāll smoke maybe one cigar a month now. Iāve tried kratom (donāt recall which kind, I think red) but didnāt notice much. Iām looking into ketamine assisted psychotherapy and EMDR (alongside DBT) but Iām not sure what to expect with either. Every now and then Iāll do about 3-5 grams of psilocybin for some psychological insight and this has proven most of the time largely helpful but because of its nature it can only be done so often, and this doesnāt prevent me from exploding, only helps me learn more about myself and my behaviors.
I try to pinpoint whatās happening before I explode, during and after but itās hard to do. Especially before. During is mostly a loss of total control and the physical NEED to destroy, sometimes I overcome it nowadays but other times I just donāt. This scares people. I try cold water and vagus nerve stimulation, breathing exercises, exercising, hitting the punching bag, chopping wood, and doing anything to get it out physically but this itself isnāt useful or sustainable long term.
I try to learn to sit with it, accept my emotions and control it but this is only if Iāve managed to stop the explosion itself. I try my best to recognize when thereās a build up and communicate it so I may intervene and remove myself from the area but this doesnāt always happen. I try to not identify with my anger and even question is it anger or merely anger masking some form of emotional vulnerability, again it doesnāt always work. I practice every tool and method taught by my therapists. But to no avail, nothing seems to truly work. I know Rome wasnāt built overnight. It takes time, practice and patience. However, there isnāt a great deal of patience or time if I just keep scaring my loved ones, they donāt deserve that.
My current medication regimen is bupropion, propranolol, and strattera. Trileptal used to be part of it to give me that one second pause before the explosion but it didnāt work and only made me feel foggy, so I quit Trileptal. I occasionally take low dose methylphenidate and Iām typically calm at its peak, but sometimes I experience the explosions when it wears off and Iām exhausted. Like today. I am supplementing 2,000mg of high EPA fish oil in hopes it benefits me in anyway. I have looked into ashwaganda (KSM-66), and N-Acetyl Cysteine as potential options but I donāt want to start too many new supplements simultaneously because then itāll be too hard to determine what is working and what is not. Iām still in psychodynamic, psychosomatic, emotional regulation therapy.
Nonetheless, Iām at a loss for words. Iām open to any recommendations, and tells of experiences from any body that knows anything or has ever been in a similar position. Even if that means temporarily being prescribed antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, or other medications to stabilize myself in the meantime while I learn how to manage this better. I genuinely cannot continue scaring people, especially those I love. I feel mentally ill, I am mentally ill, and Iām frankly just so tired of it. These explosions are more than exhausting for everyone involved.
Thank you if you read until the end.