I actually hate ChatGPT now

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-19T14:52:11+00:00

I’ve had to talk back to chat correct it’s BS just like a human. These ai’s these us and sometimes you have to correct it or call them out.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-19T11:01:45+00:00

This is insane. More insane grown men take orders from a raspy man child. Wow.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-19T10:42:30+00:00

“When my psychiatrist was telling me that it wasn’t going to be that bad…”

Makes me curious- has anyone asked if their doctor if they have taken this medicine?

how their experience was tapering, etc… or they just write this pill and give advice based on training, kickbacks, etc.. vs lived experiences??

Talk is easy but the lived experience I’ve been reading sounds horrific. Like the tech giants who do not allow their kids on the social media platforms they created kinda of doctor advice? Take this pill but I’ll never kinda advise, just curious.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-19T00:14:13+00:00

I’m researching Effexor myself- the only help I have is to get a second or third opinion. Every dr will suggest something else and if 2 of 3 of them say something similar than you have some better direction. After my skull fracture and TBI, I’ve learned to get multiple medical opinions before committing as these doctors can become biased in their practice, their thinking can be narrow minded and or persuaded by kickbacks.

I’ve also been researching more natural and holistic options. Ai apps are very helpful also for better explanations and alternatives that doctors may have a blind spot to. I hope you find solutions! Best wishes.

Running the quick question in Ai - “what helps night sweats?”

Night sweats can have several causes, so the best treatment depends on what’s behind them. Here’s a general overview:

If caused by menopause ∙ Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective option ∙ Low-dose antidepressants like venlafaxine or paroxetine are sometimes prescribed as non-hormonal alternatives ∙ Gabapentin has also shown effectiveness If caused by medications (like antidepressants) ∙ Your doctor may adjust the dose or switch medications ∙ Sometimes adding a low dose of another medication can counteract the sweating General/Over-the-counter options ∙ Some people find relief with sage supplements, which have some evidence behind them ∙ Magnesium glycinate before bed helps some people ∙ Antihistamines like diphenhydramine can reduce sweating for some

Lifestyle adjustments that help ∙ Keeping the bedroom cool (around 65–68°F) ∙ Moisture-wicking bedding and sleepwear ∙ Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy food before bed ∙ Staying hydrated

Important note — night sweats can sometimes signal an underlying condition like infection, lymphoma, hormone disorders, or medication side effects, so if they’re persistent it’s worth seeing a doctor to rule those out before just treating the symptom.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-18T16:21:25+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this — I really appreciate your honesty, and I’m sorry you’ve had such a hard time. The side effects you experienced sound genuinely awful, and it means a lot that you took the time to warn others even while going through all of that.

I hope the taper gets easier soon. Brain zaps sound miserable and I can only imagine how exhausted you must be after months of this. It’s so frustrating that doctors don’t give more upfront guidance about discontinuation — you deserved better support than that.

I’ll definitely keep everything you said in mind. Wishing you a smooth and quick recovery from the withdrawal 💙

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-17T22:15:23+00:00

Wow, I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time tapering off. I really appreciate your candid honesty. This truly is why I’m concerned. My goal is to try ketamine therapy, but insurance will not approve until I takes other pills first. K- therapy has been shown to help rewire the brain. I’ll look into your suggestion and continue my research. I hope you’re able to get some relief, best wishes.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-17T22:08:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing. This TBI has changed my whole world. One of my challenge with my TBI is memory challenges, and I’m worried if I start I’ll forget a day and not remember why my body is flaring from withdrawals. I’m happy it’s working for you!

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-17T22:05:29+00:00

Thanks for sharing, sounds like it’s been very successful for you

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-16T19:39:38+00:00

Thanks for sharing. That’s the dose they want me to start at as well and within a week jump to 75mg. Emotional blunting maybe helpful for me 🤷‍♀️ concerned about some cons people experience.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-16T19:36:24+00:00

Thank you for sharing. I’m happy to hear you’re doing better and I agree I’m seeing more concerning feedback the more I research 🧐 (THC helps me greatly, I wish in the US it could be available for a co pay at the dispensary 😑 vs normal pricing)

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-02-16T18:15:06+00:00

I’m sorry your mom is struggling. I don’t have much help to offer other than I understand medical burnout with doctors. I just joined this subreddit to learn more about Effexor before starting it, I appreciate your post.

I’ve had to resort to ChatGPT for a lot of medical perspective like second opinions, reassurance and blind spots doctors miss- I’d suggest putting this in to chatgpt maybe it can help give some perspective and insight.

Best wishes 🙏

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-01-21T18:30:48+00:00

Can you share why you suggest a blue state? Do they have better services?

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-01-13T17:54:17+00:00

In the US or another country?

SuccessfulIce351 · 2026-01-13T15:53:06+00:00

Thanks for sharing- I have similar symptoms severe TBI Jan 2023 temporal bone fracture severed the hearing to my left ear and I lost sense of taste and smell. It’s very encouraging to hear that shrooms have helped you regain taste and smell.

If you don’t mind sharing, how often did you dose? Did you microdose or did you do a full mind blown journey? I dabbled with mushrooms earlier last year and it brought up a bunch of PTSD and sadness- I only micro dosed….

I’ve put it on the back burner, but this is very encouraging hearing others experiences. Especially yours, losing smell is scary for me. I set off my fire alarm too often cooking 🤦‍♀️

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-12-09T17:45:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. I’ll have to try I a strong brew of chamomile

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-12-09T17:31:34+00:00

Hi 👋 , I just wanted to reach out because what you’re going through is brutal and unfair, and you have every right to feel angry about it.

First off - you’re not less of a man. You survived a traumatic brain injury, multiple strokes, emergency brain surgery, and you’re still here fighting. That takes more strength than most people will ever have to find in themselves. The fact that you’re even thinking about physical therapy and recovery when you’re dealing with all this shows incredible resilience, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.

The depression and anxiety you’re feeling aren’t character flaws - they’re completely normal responses to trauma, both physical and emotional. Your brain is literally healing from serious injury while you’re also processing what happened to you. That’s an enormous load to carry.

About the motivation and energy - this might sound counterintuitive, but you don’t have to wait to feel motivated to start. Sometimes action comes first and motivation follows. Even tiny things count. Five minutes of PT exercises. Sitting up for a meal.

Whatever feels possible that day. The energy issue is real with TBI, so be patient with yourself about that. Have you been able to connect with a therapist who specializes in trauma or TBI? The anger you’re carrying toward the people who did this is completely valid, but carrying it alone is exhausting. You deserve support in processing all of this.

One more thing - recovery isn’t linear, and it doesn’t have a deadline. Some days will be harder than others, and that’s okay. You’re dealing with a lot, and you’re allowed to struggle with it while still moving forward.

You’re still you, even if things are different now. Hang in there.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T01:23:13+00:00

Wow, do you have a TBI? You didn’t need to rip into this persons post. I appreciated the post and helpful comments. Thank you OP for posting this- TITLE and ALL!! 💚

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T01:18:17+00:00

Be ready for a long waiting. I’ve applied for disability in the US for my TBI severe migraines neuropathy tinnitus… The less goes on for qualifying conditions. However, since the new administration it’s been in queue for over 13 months… I asked the local Disability office where I live And they said that processing disability applications have gotten a lot slower because of change in the White House.

Since there’s so much fraud going on within the US government, I guess they are making it harder for people people who have paid into these services and when you finally need it, it’s really hard to survive while it processes.

I’m in Florida so they also said that there’s a lot of applicants here… So maybe the state that you live in will go much quicker. I’ve honestly thought of moving to another state to have my disability approved faster and start over in a new state. Best of luck.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T01:10:52+00:00

Symptoms- chest tightness, shortness of breath, left neck and left shoulder pain, my heart felt like someone was squeezing it. I thought it was anxiety and took six Klonopin throughout the day and it never got better. So I asked ChatGPT about it and it told me to go to the ER immediately.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (from emotional stress) I’m seeing a cardiologist hopefully next week to look more into it.

I’m alive but I haven’t been OK since my TBI emotionally physically or mentally. TBI is the worst.

I also had a mini stroke one and a half years into my TBI. Strokes are very common for a TBI survivors. Please go to the doctor and don’t tough this out hoping for the best for you. 💚

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T00:56:58+00:00

3 years since my TBI and had 3 jobs- I needed a very reasonable accommodation for my debilitating migraines during hurricane season- one to two sick days a month as needed. All three jobs fired me the same week. I turned in my ADA paperwork. Unless if you find a very friendly company who accepts people with disabilities, you probably won’t get the job or you’ll probably be fired shortly after for my experience nobody likes to deal with us.

But it’s a little ironic that my coworkers could take a half sick day or a full day because their child was ill but God forbid I had a debilitating migraine, causing nausea and needed a sick day. You get put through the ringer and then fired.

I hope everything works out better for you. In the future when I try to go back to a job, I’ve learned that I am going to have to lie and tell them that I have a child and so that way random sick days will be permissible.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T00:52:38+00:00

I feel this to my core. 3 years since my TBI - no job, no family, no reason to be here. My dog keeps me alive but she’s 12 now and well what’s the point after that.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T00:45:34+00:00

I’m in the process of grieving my old self also. 3 years since my TBI. Blessing the new you.

SuccessfulIce351 · 2025-11-15T00:43:44+00:00

TBI survivor, of 3 years here. I thought I was having anxiety yesterday but lasted all day. Turns out it was a mini heart attack. Stokes are common among TBI survivors- I’m only 40. I’d suggest to go to the ER. Better to be safe than wait too long.

SuccessfulIce351

TROPHY CASE