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A Revelation
I started smoking weed and drinking when I was 14. It wasn't long before I started doing it heavily. For the next 5 years of my life, I smoked and drank on a nearly daily basis, and experimented with cocaine, mushrooms, LSD, ecstasy, LSA, heroin, Oxycontin, benzos, DXM, nitrous, DMT, Salvia, ketamine, and many other substances. Somehow I remained generally healthy until I was 18, right as I started my freshmen year of college. I started getting acne, at first small breakouts that would heal quickly. They quickly became more frequent, and they started to leave "scars". I continued to party all the way through my freshman year, regardless of the fact that I knew I was damaging my body.
During the summer after freshman year, I had a revelation. A solid one. I had done mushrooms many times before, but never by myself. While tripping on psilocybin mushrooms alone for the first time, I had an epiphany. I needed to stop doing drugs. I need to regain my health, and clear my ugly skin. While I don't condone of drug use, I will openly say that psilocybin mushrooms gave me valuable insight that may have saved my life. I had tried to quit drugs so many times before, but never lasted longer than a few weeks. After that trip, I quit everything cold turkey. No more weed, alcohol, or ecstasy. Pure sobriety (I've now been sober for over 6 months, longest time I've gone in 5 years. I have no intention of ever going back to my old ways.). This is where my journey to end acne and regain my health began.
How I Got Clear
Let me start off by saying that if you want to get rid of your acne, you must be extremely determined, diligent, and patient. Oddly enough, I've been interested in natural health and eating lots of organic foods since I was 17, and I am lucky enough to hold a job at a local health food store. But eating organic foods couldn't counteract rabid drug abuse. By the way, I must note that I am completely opposed to the usage of ANY pharmaceutical drugs, prescription or non. The pharmaceutical industry is a business. If they keep you sick, they make more money. Sounds cynical, but I've seen this information supported from hundreds of different angles. Now that I was completely sober, it was time to get rid of my acne. So my first step was to start eating 100% organic and drinking only pure distilled/spring water. Not everyone can afford to do this, but regardless, you can still go on the Candida diet I will mention later. I also began taking 3 supplements that played a vital role in clearing my skin: a whole food multivitamin (Garden of Life Vitamin Code Men's), omega 3's (Carlson Fish Oil), and probiotics(Garden of Life Primal Defense). At the same I started exercising regularly (3 times weekly), and using the sauna at my school to induce sweating (Great for cleansing the body. There are many other ways to induce sweating, Google it). My health was improving, but I still had acne. I knew this would take time. I decided to cleanse my body with a thorough juice fast. I actually made it 22 days on juice and water alone! I lost 20 lbs in 3 weeks (But I'm naturally slim, so I put it all back on. If you're overweight, juice fasting is the easiest and most efficient way to quickly lose weight. If you're underweight, it can help slow your metabolism like it did for me.). But I still had acne. Don't get me wrong, by this point, I was feeling infinitely better than before I started. A thorough detox and healthy diet may be all you need to rid you of your acne. But my case was different. FINALLY some other symptoms (Dry skin, bumpy scalp, gas, bloating, bad breath, white coating on tongue, rectal itchiness) clued me into the true cause of my acne; Candida albicans. Being as determined as I was to get clear, I quickly began a STRICT anti Candida diet. This included pure spring/distilled water, non starchy vegetables, pumpkin/sunflower seeds, almonds/cashews, eggs, and meats. That's about it. If you want a full list of foods to eat/avoid just let me know. DO NOT GIVE IN TO THE CANDIDA!!! You may crave sugar/carbs/alcohol as most do on this diet, but if you give in you won't make progress!! To really stay on the diet you need to do lots of cooking for yourself. My favorite dish became sauteed zucchini with oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Another tip; utilize lots of natural herbs and spices to help you along (Sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, black pepper, etc.) I also simultaneously began a Candida cleanse called CandiGone by Renew Life at the same time. The cleanse and diet made my acne and other symptoms worsen at first, but this is what is known as the die off reaction. This is a sign that your efforts are working. Depending on how long you've had the Candida overgrowth, the detox may last quite a while. The die off reactions for me were terrible; my legs and arms broke out in a huge rash I had when I was a kid (Which I now know was caused by Candida). I must also note that the die off reactions come and go like a rollercoaster ride, and they did so for the entire time I was on this diet/cleanse. There were many times when I thought, "Yes, this one if going to be my last zit ever! I'm almost clear!" only to be struck by another wave of symptoms. Patience is a must. Once the Candida is fully cleansed, you will look and feel amazing. Also, if your taking other supplements while doing this cleanse, you need to make sure they don't contain anything that would feed the Candida (yeast, wheat, sugar, etc.). Once I finished the Candida cleanse by RenewLife, I continued to take an anti-candida supplement for the remaining months (NOW Candida Clear, New Chapter Candida Take Care, NOW Olive Leaf Extract). I's best to rotate the anti-Candida products you use every month or two so that the Candida doesn't become accustomed to them. I should also note that I always shoot for 8 hours of sleep a night. I don't wash my face anymore because even with an organic face wash it was too drying. The topicals I use are Bragg's organic apple cider vinegar (Diluted with pure water), Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil, and Aloe Life aloe vera gel.
Reflections
I need to say honestly, getting acne changed me as person in a few very positive ways. Yes, it did make me depressed and I isolated myself for quite a long time, but it forced me to end a 5 year drug addiction which potentially saved me from going to jail, overdosing, and/or dying at a very early age.
Straight up, I used to be a self-righteous, cocky asshole before I had acne. I'm obviously still not perfect, but I think I've definitely put forth a greater effort to be kind to everyone, because I now realize how much of an impact every little action has on other's. When I was in my worst stages of depression, a random smile from someone was all I needed to brighten my day.
Lastly, acne (And also fasting) has taught me take nothing for granted. Before I had acne, I didn't realize just how lucky I was to be healthy and happy, with a beautiful girlfriend to boot. Only when I had lost it all did I look back and begin to appreciate the little things in life that I did have.
What I cured: Acne on face, chest, and shoulders, recurring fungal infections, dry/bumpy scalp, dry skin, gas, bloating, bad breath, white coated tongue, and rectal itchiness.
All that's left are some blackheads and red marks, which I'm confident will dissipate in time.
With enough determination and patience, anything is possible.
If you have any questions for me, feel free.
P.S. I am still on the diet. 1-14-10 marks exactly 3 months. I'm going to do a full 4 months to fully cleanse my system. I'll post an updated pic around then too.
Edit: Dropped out the extra Zinc. 15 mg in the multivitamin should be enough. Also switched to spring water as I feel I may not be getting enough trace minerals.
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Edited by anonymou5, 14 January 2010 - 08:38 PM.
