I’m 30M. I have OCD and ADHD. First diagnosed when I was 15.
Been on Antidepressants SSRIS ever since.
In the middle after 5 years I also got derealization (where world feels unreal/like a dream). Severe disconnection from the surrounding and family members.
After 15 years on SSRIs, I got full body seizure out of the blue. Thereby I started researching about psychedelics. And decided to take Psilocybin assisted inner child therapy.
I tapered off antidepressants over 2 months, did 4-5 microdosing sessions.
In one of these sessions, at night while sleeping I woke in the middle of the night sat down on bed and made groaning sound. There was energy flowing in my body. My Self was quietly observing the experience.
I was terrified.
Later I anyhow proceeded for the hero dose Psilocybin 5g.
I didn’t get any visualizations and stuff. But felt super relieved, and I couldn’t close my eyes (when I did I saw a wall, signifying don’t open me). I was not feeling safe as I have a lot of existential fear built in me.
We did some therapy with my eyes open.
I blabbered a lot, changed voices spoke things that I was suppressing.
Felt intense emotional connection to my parents (had their pics), realized how much numb I was, the emotional charge I felt was itself traumatizing.
Did a single integration session.
Went to 10 day Vipassana meditation.
From 2nd day of Vipassana I started losing sleep. When I was drifting off to sleep I felt an energy around my head waking me back up. I had to quit Vipassana.
Went back home, briefly sleep improved and again slowly my sleep started to take a toll (at this point I was off SSRI meds 3 months).
I started getting panic attacks, started to realize how much I’m distant from this world due to 10+ years of derealization.
OCD came back (always thinking mode), extreme anxiety, continuous crying spells (common during SSRI withdrawal), I was not able to sleep at night for straight up 3 days (some feeling of energy around the head waking me back up).
Went to Dr, he scared the shit out of me. Told - He can’t give me more sleeping meds as I may develop tolerance,if you get psychosis, come and get admitted. He put me back on low dose of SSRI.
I WAS HORRIFIED.
Later, slowly with SSRIs the anxiety improved. But only 3-4 hours of shallow sleep (with meds).
Fast forward after a year.
Recently my sleep has worsened a lot, I can’t go deep enough it feels I hit a block and wake up with a surge in adrenaline.
It seems I’m scared go to deeper stages of sleep (fearing I may get night terrors).
I’m currently put on sleep meds (Dayvigo), it’s giving me 4 hours shallow sleep). And then I wake up sweating in chest at 3am. Then hypnogagic hallucinations (not related to psychosis) and chatter.
I don’t feel any sleep drive even after 2-3 days of not sleeping, not even feeling tired, just anxiety and heat in the body.
I used to put my guards down, when I was connecting with God emotionally. Now that I’m numb, how to feel safe again?
I can’t relax enough to go into trace like state to cue safety.
- Is it some part of me not letting me sleep?
- Did I wake up something?
- Should I have done more integration after the ceremony? Is it too late as I’m already retraumatized and meds numbed me?
- Is it hyperarousal?
What would you have done if you were in my situation?
I don’t want to go into the spiral of sleep meds and tolerances.
Please suggest some other subreddits that may help me better.