Post Drug, Mental Recovery?

Question by John M: Post Drug, Mental Recovery?
I have recently been grabbed by chess, so since I’m new I spend many hours trying to memorize openings/defenses etc..

If I study for a few hours and get up to use the bathroom when I sit back down everything’s forgotten. It’s not just my memory needs to be jogged its like I am seeing everything for the first time.

Unfortunately I was upset after the first few times this happened. But weeks into spending a gross amount of hours studying the same things to not learning anything is depressing. I feel as though my mind is asleep.

So as you might have guessed from the title I am a recovered heavy drug user. There wasn’t a drug I didn’t try, let alone use heavily. It’s almost been a year since, but bluntly I feel my brains fried, as if everything I try really hard to mentally do is pointless. Which of course brings an unbearable pain which cant always be shoved into a corner.

So any thoughts on recovery; length of time, will I ever recover fully, suggestions, vitamins, whatever… Of course any answer is better than no answer, and I could use any help at this point.

Best answer:

Answer by cypheron
Considerable PCP abuse or long meth binges might create such cognitive impairment, but if this is the first and only sign, you probably just forgot how to learn. This is natural and nothing to do with drugs, though I can imagine if you were partying for a year straight that would do it.

Cognitive impairment from drugs is sometimes permanent, but often not. The prognosis would depend on your specifics.

Add your own answer in the comments!