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PTSD, Exercise and Weed
- Thread starter Creeperpark
- Start date
After all sorts of tests - I was told that I have a leaky Mitral valve in my heart - which causes 'Mitral Regurgitation' - blood being pumped from one chamber of the heart to another - is leaking back into the first chamber - due to the leaky valve - this leads to less oxygenated blood getting to my brain - so I get dizzy spells - particularly when I bend over and change the angle of the heart -
- The cardiologist told me to quit the gym - but instead I have just cut back on training and how I train - what I do now are just maintainence workouts - consisting of alot of stretching and calisthenics - and very little weight training at all - slowed my walking pace down too - so as not to get the heart beating above 130bpm - still waiting for an MRI thorax scan appointment - before they will schedule me for surgery - sometime in the future - what with the NHS taking strike action lately- and record high waiting lists for operations - I seem to be a low priority walking wounded future hospital patient - hoping that it will be fixed before it kills me -
- The cardiologist told me to quit the gym - but instead I have just cut back on training and how I train - what I do now are just maintainence workouts - consisting of alot of stretching and calisthenics - and very little weight training at all - slowed my walking pace down too - so as not to get the heart beating above 130bpm - still waiting for an MRI thorax scan appointment - before they will schedule me for surgery - sometime in the future - what with the NHS taking strike action lately- and record high waiting lists for operations - I seem to be a low priority walking wounded future hospital patient - hoping that it will be fixed before it kills me -
It's good to hear from you Gypsy I thought you were taken out of the picture. A Leaky Mitral valve is a very serious and dangerous condition. It can be fixed so take it easy and don't kill yourself before you get it fixed. Thank you for checking in with us friend and keep us posted.
Naaa - the heart 
is still beating - but it has to pump harder than it normally would have to creeper- hence the cardio megeley (enlarged heart) - so I still walk around 3 miles per day - but only do a gym workout every other day - just to maintain the musculature - and remain supple and stretched out - and yes it is a dangerous condition - until it gets fixed - either with open heart surgery - or the much more preferable 'keyhole surgery' - I'm not sure at this time what will be offered - until I get this last scan - and the surgeon can tell me what's best -
Every day could be my last - so I'm trying to enjoy what might be left of my life - one day at a time - since I'm not in any constant pain - and am still very mobile -
is still beating - but it has to pump harder than it normally would have to creeper- hence the cardio megeley (enlarged heart) - so I still walk around 3 miles per day - but only do a gym workout every other day - just to maintain the musculature - and remain supple and stretched out - and yes it is a dangerous condition - until it gets fixed - either with open heart surgery - or the much more preferable 'keyhole surgery' - I'm not sure at this time what will be offered - until I get this last scan - and the surgeon can tell me what's best -Every day could be my last - so I'm trying to enjoy what might be left of my life - one day at a time - since I'm not in any constant pain - and am still very mobile -
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Good luck @Gypsy Nirvana
exoticrobotic
Well-known member
Hope you get it sorted soon @Gypsy Nirvana
Exercise is one way to prevent depression, but it can also treat depression since physical activity stimulates the brain to form new neural connections, which improves brain health overall.
TyWong
New member
It's great to hear that exercise and spending time outdoors have been so helpful in managing your PTSD and depression. It's incredible how much of a difference physical activity can make in our mental health and well-being. I've also found an article about Oppenheimer mental health, and I think it could be helpful for you. Thanks for sharing your experience and the photos of your rides - it's inspiring to see you staying active and taking care of yourself!
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Well fellow stoners and growers, with inspiration drawn from this very thread where I learned that anyone considering a break from getting high should transition to vigorous exercise that will keep those bloodstream dopamine levels elevated, I just yesterday decided to put away my vapes and quit getting high for a few months, which is a resolution that came about when I vaped the last dregs of my harvest from last year. I also decided to take a break from the security stress of growing in my swamp spot that provided me fine smoke for over a decade now, which pretty much obliges me to abstain for the foreseeable future, since commercially sold weed is absolute garbage here, in addition to being spiked with any number of nasty and deadly chemicals.
Insomnia has always been the first consequence of quitting weed cold turkey, but yesterday, my first day in YEARS spent without getting high, I worked out in my home gym like a frigging maniac until I induced fatigue that enabled me to sleep like a baby all night without interruption. With the immediate benefit of using vigorous exercise as a transition to abstaining from weed, I am now inspired to keep up my iron pumping regime every day out of necessity but also due to the myriad other benefits of staying active.
If I were to cite one aspect of getting high that I wish were not a concern, that negative effect would be that weed tends to make me reserved and introverted which in turn left me reluctant to approach women that I see daily and find attractive. As a matter of fact, my existence was becoming way too solitary for comfort, so, as my weed supply dwindled, I began to binge-watch dating advice videos teaching how to overcome that nagging fear of rejection and walk up to women to strike up a conversation, which is a skill at which I've inept for more years than I care to cite.
So there you have it, fellow stoners. I am taking a long overdue clean break from smoking fine bud, and I am set to confront the harsh light of reality head-on while staying on an even keel with a regime of brutal weightlifting that will either make me or injure me haha. I'll write back to this forum topic now and then with updates on how this new chapter of my life unfolds. For the avoidance of doubt, I most certainly will break out those vapes in the fullness of time when I again resume my gardening in the swamp, but for now, I will seek refuge from the storm via regular exercise and a balanced diet, while deploying my Youtube lessons on dating to try and get laid with the women that scared me so in the past, and left me paralyzed with indecision as they walked past and into my living record of fleeting regrets over choices not taken.
Good luck … it’s only the first few days , it gets easy pretty quickly I bet you will see your energy level skyrocket
St. Phatty
Active member
I had a lesser condition of the same thing, around 1991.
Entirely related to a stressful job. It ended within 24 hours after I quit the job.
I was hired by a leveraged buy-out tech company that was run by 5 assholes. They did wierd stuff like bid jobs WAAAY under cost so that they would look like they had a big backlog, for the sale to British company Dobson Park.
THEN they turned around and told us, "you have 3 months to do a 9 month task. Go !"
One of my co-workers, who worked in manufacturing & was more in the crosshairs, responded to the stress by giving San Diego a workplace shooting. He came into work and shot & killed one of the 5 VP's that were making everybody's life difficult.
Laid-Off Employee Kills 2 at Workplace (Published 1991)
What happens to the condition when you're on vacation or some other low stress situation ?
I hope you can treat it without the surgery.
@Swamp Thang ...When and if you’re ever ready you can hit me up for the cleanest extractions be happy to help you out
Well - it's all fairly new to me - since I was only diagnosed in January - and I don't think that it's stress related - late last year - I had a hypertension attack - and another one just today - makes you feel like you got robbed of most of the oxygen in your system - you get a tight chest - and difficulty breathing - for a while - took me about one hour or so to get back to normal breathing - and it happened in a swimming pool - after not so intense exercise - just treading water for about 15 minutes - then some core aqua exercise for about 20 mins - felt like I was drowning - in the air - above the water - so stopped what I was doing - and hung onto the side of the pool - taking deep breaths - not moving for 10-15 mins - till I felt confident to get out - and retired to a sun lounger - where I started to breath easier again - after a while - it was quite a hot day here in Bangkok today - so I reckon that the heat had something to do with it - at the time it happened - in the late afternoon - was neither stoned nor under the influence of anything else - but had done an hours gym work - before breakfast - around 7 am - my heartI had a lesser condition of the same thing, around 1991.
Entirely related to a stressful job. It ended within 24 hours after I quit the job.
I was hired by a leveraged buy-out tech company that was run by 5 assholes. They did wierd stuff like bid jobs WAAAY under cost so that they would look like they had a big backlog, for the sale to British company Dobson Park.
THEN they turned around and told us, "you have 3 months to do a 9 month task. Go !"
One of my co-workers, who worked in manufacturing & was more in the crosshairs, responded to the stress by giving San Diego a workplace shooting. He came into work and shot & killed one of the 5 VP's that were making everybody's life difficult.
Laid-Off Employee Kills 2 at Workplace (Published 1991)
www.nytimes.com
What happens to the condition when you're on vacation or some other low stress situation ?
I hope you can treat it without the surgery.
Mitral valve needs fixing/surgery - it's for sure causing these currently quite rare boughts of hypertension -St. Phatty
Active member
Well - it's all fairly new to me - since I was only diagnosed in January - and I don't think that it's stress related - late last year - I had a hypertension attack - and another one just today - makes you feel like you got robbed of most of the oxygen in your system - you get a tight chest - and difficulty breathing - for a while - took me about one hour or so to get back to normal breathing - and it happened in a swimming pool - after not so intense exercise - just treading water for about 15 minutes - then some core aqua exercise for about 20 mins - felt like I was drowning - in the air - above the water - so stopped what I was doing - and hung onto the side of the pool - taking deep breaths - not moving for 10-15 mins - till I felt confident to get out - and retired to a sun lounger - where I started to breath easier again - after a while - it was quite a hot day here in Bangkok today - so I reckon that the heat had something to do with it - at the time it happened - in the late afternoon - was neither stoned nor under the influence of anything else - but had done an hours gym work - before breakfast - around 7 am - my heart
Is there any history of people undergoing that kind of surgery with local anaesthesia ?
I have the impression that there is more risk with general anaesthetic than with local.
Though I'm sure being awake for open-heart surgery would be very strange.
I really don't know Phatty - I'd rather be unconscious personally -
experienced
Active member
Well, when you meet up soon with Mr D from eastern Australia ... don't drink too much! (He's getting excited. The Missus and I are looking after his place ... )
If he's about in Bkk the week before I fly out - then it's on for just a coupla bevvies - no need to overdo it -
Love this thread!
I got diagnosed with PTSD about a year ago after unexpectedly getting medical power of attorney over a very sick loved one. I thought for the longest time, I thought there was medically something physiologically wrong with me. After getting to the point where all I wanted to do was close my eyes and nap, I finally went and got help from a shrink. Best thing I have done in a long time. If you are suffering, don’t be an idiot like me and think “only crazy people need mental health specialists”, get help!
Walks and nature are by far the best things for treatment. Even when I’m in a bad mood or mini episode, getting up and moving around helps tremendously. Instead of ruminating on all the bad things that could happened, I get to see all the beauty in the world.
I got diagnosed with PTSD about a year ago after unexpectedly getting medical power of attorney over a very sick loved one. I thought for the longest time, I thought there was medically something physiologically wrong with me. After getting to the point where all I wanted to do was close my eyes and nap, I finally went and got help from a shrink. Best thing I have done in a long time. If you are suffering, don’t be an idiot like me and think “only crazy people need mental health specialists”, get help!
Walks and nature are by far the best things for treatment. Even when I’m in a bad mood or mini episode, getting up and moving around helps tremendously. Instead of ruminating on all the bad things that could happened, I get to see all the beauty in the world.
Walks in nature does it for me. When you are feeling depressed or otherwise down the last thing you might feel like doing is walking but my advice is to just make yourself. I got a pedometer app on my phone to force me to be accountable and now I don't feel right if I haven't done my 15,000 steps. It's made a huge difference, along with some other exercises, meditation, and eating natural unprocessed foods.
Veterans have to get a new ID every 10 years at the Veterans Center to get Medical treatment. I got another one last week and Holy Cow 10 years sure can make a difference. I looked at it under the CCTV and wow I look so old and torn up these days and I didn't even know it. I was shocked for a couple of days. I am glad I don't care what people think about my looks, anymore, because if I cared I would be in big trouble.
Acceptance is the Key to all my problems and allowing everything to be the way it is in the present moment is the path to peace. Everything changes without exception rather I like it or not. If I rebel against the way it is, I suffer! The more I rebel the more I suffer. Mother Nature doesn't care if I like old age, illness, or death. I'm getting them anyway.
If I accept everything just the way it is in the moment then the path to peace will shine for me. If I fight the way it is, old age, illness, or death then I suffer much more. Anything I fight only weakens me in the long run. I can't change the Universe so why fight the way it is? When I let go of everything, I find peace.
Acceptance is the Key to all my problems and allowing everything to be the way it is in the present moment is the path to peace. Everything changes without exception rather I like it or not. If I rebel against the way it is, I suffer! The more I rebel the more I suffer. Mother Nature doesn't care if I like old age, illness, or death. I'm getting them anyway.
If I accept everything just the way it is in the moment then the path to peace will shine for me. If I fight the way it is, old age, illness, or death then I suffer much more. Anything I fight only weakens me in the long run. I can't change the Universe so why fight the way it is? When I let go of everything, I find peace.
