How can I overcome the harm caused by stimulant abuse?

[oliver78]

I've used stimulants including cocaine, crack cocaine and amphetamines for a few years, in heavy sessions of 1-3 times a week.  I have stopped using for months now and was never physically addiced (rarely used daily), but the deep depression and sensory dampening has not gone away.  This has been the case for a while and got worse the more I used and suffered from extreme paranoia and psychosis.  It definately appears that there has been much neurological damage, although I have not had this medically proven.  Not only from the way I feel, which cognitive i.e. from negative thinking, but also after long absense, I recently tried cocaine and crack cocaine, neither of which gave me a 'buzz' as they once did, only paranoid and edgy feelings, consistent with a lack of dopamine.

I am wondering what the best thing is I can do.  Should I go to my doctor and ask for a brainscan and/or order supplements that may improve my condition.  Are there any supplemets that are proven to regrow neurons which I can buy?  Any help will be much appreciated.

[ggreg]

I meant to say tuna instead of scallops twice.  Tuna is easy because you can have a sandwich with 100 percent whole wheat bread and dark green lettuce in it, real good for the digestion, too.

[ggreg]

To get rid of that depression and restore better brain function, there are several things you can do.  Omega-3 sources come from fish like salmon, scallops, shrimp and scallops, by eating those a couple times a week, it will help your overall brain functioning picture, or if you're a vegetarian, flax seeds do the same thing.  Eating eggs is also a very good protein source, about three times a week.  Also, you need to be taking a B-complex and C vitamin three times a week.  Another few things is to (A) exercise every day to where you break a sweat, (B) then drink a lot of water, and (C) and then take a hot bath.  Those things will help get rid of the toxins stored in your body.  

The absolute best exercise is running for a long time at a specific rhythm, it releases the "feel-good" hormones in the body.  You can also go swimming, which is very good to balance the body and mind, really relaxing.  If you hate exercise, then go to a professional massage therapist twice a week, Swedish is the best for deep muscle tissue where toxins are, and then drink lots of water and do your hot bath.  Acupuncture helps some people, too, opens up blocked nerve pathways in the body.    

Lastly, do a lot of mental "exercise" by doing stuff like Soduku puzzles until you master them (get a beginner's book), and regular picture puzzles on a table just for those, or a Rubik's cube or playing Chess, just any kind of puzzle type things that you might like.  Also, do a whole lot of reading... if you don't like to read fiction, then read nonfiction, or read magazines, even the newspaper.  One thing I like to do is study maps.  You can also take up painting, really a great thing to do with the mind, because the creativity part releases all sorts of "good" hormones in the brain, too, like long-distance running does.  The more you use your mind with complex matters, the more neurons in your brain will wake up and get busy.

Hope this helps.  GG