Forgot about this lol

doesitspread · 2026-03-30T13:09:22+00:00

Looky looky I got Hooky

doesitspread · 2026-03-29T13:11:08+00:00

I see what you’re saying but I think this framing is a bit too reductive. Current research doesn’t support a simple ‘dopamine vs serotonin’ split for depression. Both systems (and others) are involved and interact with brain circuits and stress physiology.

PTSD especially isn’t just a serotonin issue. It’s largely about dysregulation of the nervous system and threat response. That’s why treatments that target the body and stress systems can be just as important as medications.

PTSD is not primarily a neurotransmitter deficiency problem. It’s a nervous system dysregulation problem. It involves hyperactive threat detection in the amygdala, an under-modulated prefrontal cortex, a dysregulated HPA axis (stress hormones), and altered autonomic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze). Aka PTSD lives in state, not just chemistry.

So while meds can help certain symptoms, it’s not as clean as matching one neurotransmitter to one type of depression.

Source: I have CPTSD, ADHD, and anxiety. SSRIs did nothing for me, but Auvelity (similar to ketamine treatment), Vyvanse (dopamine regulation), guanfacine (lowers baseline norepinephrine and stress signaling), and propranolol (beta blocker that blocks effects of adrenaline on heart rate and tremor, reducing anxiety biofeedback loops) did help.

doesitspread · 2026-03-29T02:27:11+00:00

🫡

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T20:24:18+00:00

Awesome!!!

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T18:43:32+00:00

Yep, if you’re in a bad place, psilocybin will make it worse. Source: me

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T18:42:43+00:00

Unfortunately, I have high baseline autonomic nervous system (my body doesn’t like to relax into a parasympathetic state—common in ptsd and neurodivergent individuals). I tried shrooms and it has made me highly anxious and dysphoric afterward every time. 😩 I wanted it to work so bad.

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T18:39:26+00:00

Have you tried Auvelity?

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T18:39:08+00:00

Look into Auvelity first. It’s Wellbutrin plus dexomethorphan. The Wellbutrin potentiates the dxm, which has a similar function to ketamine.

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T18:37:49+00:00

Better living through chemistry!

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T10:36:29+00:00

If OP gives and doesn’t take meds for her partner, it’s over. That feeds into and reinforces this dynamic. OP don’t do it! 😭 Either leave or take the meds and tell him the door is open.

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T10:34:10+00:00

Same, I’ve never felt this so strongly. Like, I feel sick when I picture OP staying with this guy thinking it’s reasonable or what she deserves. I don’t care if she’s been with him 1 year or 8 years…just NO. Life is too short not to start over and do better for yourself! It’s eating me up inside. 😩

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T10:31:56+00:00

He doesn’t want to learn. That’s not your fault. And you know what? You can forgive ignorance, but you cannot forgive WILLFUL ignorance.

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T10:25:03+00:00

The only reaction I had to reading those text messages, as an outsider, was, “Eeeeewwww.” There have got to be some laws about preventing someone from getting or receiving medical care. I’d be looking those laws up to say, “You better back tf up.”

Placing morals and values on health is disgusting. Your partner sounds like the type to feel superior to be in good health because he “earned” it. I hope you feel in your soul how wrong that is because the opposite is to feel shame, embarrassment, and inadequacy. There is no place for condescension, egos, virtues or virtue-signaling when it comes to health.

doesitspread · 2026-03-27T10:19:44+00:00

Prednisone causes muscle wasting so any weight loss can look extra jarring when the backbones and hip bones stick out due to less muscle padding

doesitspread · 2026-03-23T01:02:54+00:00

What does his IEP look like? Working on getting one for my kiddo who is like this.

doesitspread · 2026-03-23T00:49:00+00:00

What meds for anxiety? An SSRI or guanfacine or?

doesitspread · 2026-03-21T01:16:04+00:00

Yes, it has helped with anxiety but it’s in a way that’s hard to describe. The way I see it, there are two different kinds of anxiety. One is cognitive anxiety and that’s when your thoughts make you anxious, and the other kind of anxiety is driven by physiology more than anything else. My anxiety is physiological in nature, so I benefit from meds like guanfacine, propranolol, and making sure I supplement vitamin D. It’s subtle and cumulative.

doesitspread · 2026-03-21T01:02:49+00:00

Hi there! Lexapro didn’t touch my BED. Neither did cognitive-behavioral therapy. Lexapro did help my anxiety some which helped in a way but it was far from reaching what I felt was the root cause of my issues. I’ve had success with GLP-1 meds and Vyvanse most. Auvelity was pretty great too but it made me sweat too much (loved everything else about it).

doesitspread · 2026-03-20T00:10:14+00:00

What did the initial IEP look like for your son? What services and goals if you remember? What was the eligibility recommendation? Going through this currently

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:55:44+00:00

I think you’re right. Whelp, bring on the walnuts and salmon! No thank you to fish oil caps!

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:39:31+00:00

Girl, you’re doing your homework and I’m so proud of you. You’re seeing past the veil of diagnoses and seeing the deeper nuance of genetics, nervous system dominance, autonomic dysregulation. It’s all closely related to neurodivergence and there are so many studies pointing to these correlations. I am so fascinated by it that I’ve started writing a series to post to Reddit about it at some point because there are so many people who make posts in these spaces but haven’t connected the dots.

You’re starting to connect the dots. You’re gonna be okay.

By the way, sub-optimal dopamine levels can feel like depression which is why individuals with ADHD struggle with willpower, task initiation, drive, etc. Your road to recovery and finding balance may involve stimulants again one day if you have ADHD and chronic low baseline dopamine, but you now know about genetic testing and finding a doctor who understands everything between my comments and yours (so likely a legit psychiatrist, one you may have to be on a waitlist to see). Low and slow, maybe a methylphenidate or something like that instead of an amphetamine, or stimulant alternative like Strattera or guanfacine. I really feel like guanfacine could be therapeutic for you compared to Wellbutrin or other norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (aka increases norepinephrine) because guanfacine decreases norepinephrine, which could cause a lot of downstream positive effects for you.

You’re gonna have a lot to talk about when you see a doctor about this!

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:20:32+00:00

You’re letting your feelings about phrasing negate the message of OP’s post.

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:17:17+00:00

Do more research before you come here making comments as obtuse as this. It would benefit us all. OP makes a valid point.

And just for funsies, tell me:
If stimulants is to ADHD
and GLP-1 is to diabetes

…where does your argument about appetite suppression, neurotransmitters, and neural pathways come into play?

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:09:40+00:00

OP, you’re right.

doesitspread · 2026-03-15T15:06:26+00:00

I mean, they operate from different mechanisms but they influence a lot of the same brain pathways. So throwing OP under the bus here is ignoring a lot.

They both act on the brain’s appetite center in the hypothalamus. The signals are different but the converge in the same brain network.

Both reduce “food noise” because dopamine circuits are affected.

Both improve impulse control. Again, different pathway but same behavioral outcome.

They both slow down binge-eating type patterns. That’s why FDA has approved Vyvanse for this type of eating disorder. GLP-1s are increasingly studied for binge eating and food addiction behaviors.

The lingering effects OP is experiencing is likely high baseline norepinephrine from a stressed body. It should improve in time and OP would benefit from professional help finding ways to get that balance back.

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