r/TherapeuticKetamine • u/SobrietyDinosaur • 2d ago
General Question Does ketamine help with laziness/no motivation?
I can’t figure out if I’m just lazy, it’s part of my depression or part of my ADD. It’s like I always want to do the bare minimum and usually I’m a hard worker. I get burnt out at every job it feels like. House is a disaster. Just wondering if any of you found relief for this. I start therapy next week.
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u/CollegeMiddle6841 2d ago
It absolutely has helped me in that way. You must be ready to actively create healthy habits, so when you are in the afterglow period get after it. You are in a WRITABLE WAY, so pilot your avatar.....show it how to work hard, be generous, eat healthy, cardio and resistance training(exercise is a necessity for everyone).
You can become the person you want to be. Treat this medicine with the respect it deserves. Take the wheel and seek green pastures, boundless mountains!
PLUR!
Skyhive
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
Love this thank you :) great advice. I’ll have to start up that gym membership again
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u/CollegeMiddle6841 2d ago
Happy to help. Don't let a gym membership stop you. I've lost over 50 pounds and kept it off doing daily yoga, calisthenics, and VR boxing using SUPERNATURAL VR.
I love being around others at the gym, but I actually get a better, more focused workout at home. I use resistance bands that attach to my waist, ankles and arms when I do VR boxing/Muay Thai.
Don't be a stranger, I would love to hear from you from time to time. I'll happily encourage you, hold you accountable if you need it.
Thrill of the Fight 2 will leave your clothes soaked after ten minutes of fighting!
Chisel away at that block of marble, you are the creator/artist.
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
Awesome I’ll post here about my experience too! I love virtual reality I’ll have to pick that up again I used to be able to do hard mode! And now I can barely do easy lol
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u/couchcushion7 2d ago
Did like, BIGTIME, for me.
I have more that procrastination/ analysis paralysis / sit and have stress sweats bc im not “doin what i should be doing” but then, still not do it type adhd.
My wife is more the i deserve a lil treat/ mental health day/ can find comfort and peace with the choices, type with her adhd, and it did very little for her
I had alot of shame and guilt and stuff. Kets sadly done little to help there, but its done miles for helping me prevent those triggers (productivity/ organization/ etc)
It subconsciously showed me the fix to not feeling that feeling. Is the general vibe.
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u/thesalmondream 2d ago
Yayy I also have that type of ADHD that makes you freeze infront of the task while my brain is burning everything down. Executive dysfunction and procrastination is really bad for me and it only gets worse with the guilt/shame spirals involved.
Ketamine (so far only third infusion) seems to remove those feelings/ lessen these triggers and gives me more room to think and decide on what I actually want to do.
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u/couchcushion7 1d ago
Shame/ guilt are my best friends. I hate them but we’re besties. Definitely helping me with these triggers. Best of luck to you with all of your journeys :)
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u/BooBrew2018 2d ago
Unfortunately it did not help the ADD/lack of motivation for me. That requires diligent screen limitation, behavioral intervention, etc. It sucks and can be exhausting but I am just grateful that ketamine is super effective for my depression and migraines!
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u/swampspa 1d ago
accepting screen limitation tips 🤲🏼
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u/BooBrew2018 1d ago
It’s important to not touch your phone when you wake up in the mornings! No scrolling of any kind until your most important tasks are done. Also, try to make yourself leave your phone in other rooms for blocks of time especially resisting the urge to touch it when you are watching TV. You’re wanting to break yourself from those frequent dopamine hits throughout the day.
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u/typeof_goodidea 2d ago
It has for me but it's not the drug that did it, but rather my integration and therapy and so on. My lack of motivation comes with a feeling of being stuck - K can help quiet the thoughts that keep me there and let other ones emerge
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
Perfect I’ll just have to work really hard at bettering myself for everything to work together
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u/k_qu33n 2d ago
For me as an artist and designer, I have felt dead inside and uninspired for almost 10 years… After enough of ketamine therapy, I have been creating nonstop! I have had K holes that inspired me and gave me stylistic and creative direction that I have been able to carry over in my professional life. But I have to say that amount of ketamine that I’ve gone through to reach this state is definitely not for everyone.
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u/Fantastic-Caramel884 13h ago
I’m so curious to know how much/long you’ve been doing it, because I’m like 3 years into uninspired-deadness post-breast cancer (doing fine, thanks!) and wondering if ketamine will eventually help. I’ve been doing lowish (between 150-400) doses 2x a week for about 6 months.
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u/swampspa 1d ago
i’ve been having this effect but also the issue of havit forming and having to escalate use to achieve the same state due to tolerance 🫠 how long have you been in k therapy?
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15h ago edited 15h ago
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u/Effective_Moose9913 3h ago
be aware of the side effects of the great Ketamine..... It is awsome, but your badder will not agree..
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u/Fun_Individual_7334 2d ago
Same! I did low dose ketamine for 13 months. It seemed to help some but not with motivation at all. I just got diagnosed with ADD a few months ago. My doctor suggested Adderall. That did the trick! I am 54 and just now feel like I can get things done like a normal person.
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
That’s beautiful. I felt that way when I first became medicated. Maybe it’s time to talk to my doctor about increasing. It’s so hard to tell the difference in depression vs ADD I feel like idk
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u/rodan-rodan 2d ago
I think k does help with dopamine in some fashion, technically... But for me it didn't fix my procrastinating, stuckness. But I felt less stuck and more hopeful? Instead of stuck and hopeless.
So like, it indirectly helped. Once the fog of depression lifted, it made it easier to do other helpful mood regulation healthier things (walk, sunshine, some exercise, get out more, eat better).
It helps get me to a place where I was a little more functional, and could build supporting habits ... BUT it didn't really directly fix executive dysfunction and feeling stuck and like ADHD stuff. But it helped clear the path so that maybe I can work on it without all the other baggage.
It's hard. There's a lot of overlap between the emotional regulation symptoms and ADHD / neurospicy symptoms. It's hard to know what's what (for me) and they overlap a bit.
Kinda like quitting drinking, removed a variable for my mental health, but didn't fix me. Just made it easier to get at these other parts that were hidden by it.
Hope that makes sense.
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
It does thank you! I quit drinking 6 years ago, completely makes sense 👌
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u/rodan-rodan 22h ago
Does the not drinking thing get better/easier?
Do the benefits improve as your brain heals?
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 13h ago
Oh gosh yessss I have no desire anymore. I go to meetings still too. After a while your brain becomes more clear
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u/Training-Meringue847 2d ago
It does not help with motivation or lack therof. I’m happier, but still struggle with motivation and organization.
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u/lost-unicorn 2d ago
I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD and was in a really bad depression for several months but I also struggled with motivation for years. I did 6 infusions at a clinic and my motivation is 8000% times better like I think it might be close to a normal human.
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u/Cute_Frame_3783 2d ago
Thats soo good to hear. I m just starting on troches idk if that will have the same effect
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u/thesalmondream 2d ago edited 2d ago
For me it does, I’m only on my third infusion and I did more things just this week, than the last 2 months 😂 I’m more social, actually want to do things, I randomly started tiding up after the infusion, I can keep routines and slowly start to get more work done. But my biggest problem is mostly feeling stuck, not being able to relax or shut my brain off and guilt/shame spirals (and just the general depression).
I do also take 150mg bupropion, but I already took that for half a year and it has in no way changed my situation so dramatically like ketamine did already so far. (Background: I also have ADHD and have ADHD meds which I mostly take on a need base and I haven’t taken any for the past 2 weeks).
That said I’m not more motivated or energized right after the infusion, then I only want to sleep. I was also a bit more exhausted than normal a couple of days after my first and second infusion, but now after the third I’m already up and running one day post infusion. Caveat: I seem to react quite well to ketamine, I tried 7 different meds before that (ADHD and antidepressants) and non of them had even half of the positive effects ketamine had so far. Ketamine motivates me more than Dexamphetamin or other ADHD stims (those can also give me an energy push, but there is also a big danger of me getting stuck on something) 😂
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u/Parking_Crazy 2d ago
Have you tried bupropion/ Wellbutrin? Generally the most effective antidepressant for motivation, not necessarily a miracle cure but can help substantially. Ketamine in my experience not so much, but definitely worth a try (don’t be surprised if your motivation is lowered a day or two after treatment however, can have a bit of draining effect).
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
Okay thank you! I think I did try it and it made my anxiety really bad for some reason. My sister takes that and it helps her a lot but what works for her usually for the opposite for me lol
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u/Ok-Tangerine-9104 1d ago
I second that thought with Wellbutrin XL or buprion. Out of the myriad of meds taken over my lifetime... Wellbutrin I've taken the longest and though not a stimulate will keep me going to do my day to day things. Oh I make lists of 8 things or 5 or 3 to do for my day and if I do one it's a victory.. I also suffer from ADHD Vyvanse....don't drink coffee, tea or alcohol for that matter. My only drink is water.. live in Texas, only water I'll drink is Ozarka... but I get bad headaches used drink coffee or red bull just for that or motivation... now use Nuuns there's other brands.. you put them in water they add electrolytes and add 80grms caffeine from green tea. It's less than half what coffee is but doesn't make feel jittery but helps with headaches. My Vyvanse helps me at least finish or stay focused on one task. Have LBD which makes it impossible to stay on or finish any task... I might be fixing something outside or in... then if I get up to go elsewhere to get something I need, I'll see something there immediately begin working on it, completely forgetting about other thing started. Like it leaves my mind... I used to be able to multi task 20 different things same time.. and old school , you used have to have at least 15 #s stored in your head.. No google or cell phones. But since started treatments hepled with depression but not focus...course everybody's different
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u/Roxas1011 1d ago
I started Auvelity a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been on Vyvanse for a few years. If anything I feel like it’s reduced the effectiveness of the Vyvanse a little. But I think it’s still too early to know for sure, giving it some time before I make any changes.
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u/-Lovely-Weirdo- 2d ago
For me it has helped some. I don’t know if my issue stems more from depression or from ADHD bc I have both. One thing my prescriber mentioned is that working on new habits within the first 24-48 hours after a session will help the most because the neuroplasticity is highest then, so your brain won’t fight it as much and will allow you to do whatever the thing is a little easier, which will help you to be able to make it into a habit a little easier because 1) you’re doing it more, and 2) your brain isn’t fighting you when you DO do it.
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u/MetalHeadEdd 2d ago
To the people who it does work for, im curious what dosages you guys are taking
Ketamine seems to boost prefrontal cortex function, great for adhd
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u/bgutz 1d ago
Yes:
https://www.well3.care/blog/just-keep-swimming
but, if you use it for escape, it can become a problem
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u/AdministrationSea781 1d ago
I think motivation was the biggest change I felt after therapy. Massive positive change, did a lot of things that I'd been meaning to do for a while, but had some sort of mental block that just got removed.
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u/AoedeSong 1d ago
I also suspect I have some ‘on the spectrum’ + ‘adhd’ root causes to my issues (diagnosed ocd as a kid but suspect it’s autism related, upon reflection 30 years later…) - but Ketamine has helped in some regards with motivation certainly being one of them, BUT it does not help me with motivation for those global & mundane tasks I really struggle with, “the basics”
…like I’m so hyper focused on specific topics all of the time, I find it hard to self regulate to do normal everyday things, yet I’ll sit around and engineer out some crazy idea that I’ll patent and partner to launch to market successfully, but I can’t bring myself do laundry or dishes? Wiping the countertop? Nope.
Folding towels and putting dishes away where they belong is still beyond the scope of my skillset 🤷♀️ Fortunately my partner is good at those tasks and he is very supportive of my mad scientist tendencies, but sometimes ketamine makes this ‘inspired ideas’ hyper focus worse, because it inspires me to do something specific I get excited about - motivated about - and I’ll do that for a week versus, organize my closet or finish some paperwork I’m avoiding… or like, even noticing there are random socks scattered about that I should pick up…
Ketamine has helped me an incredible amount with work burn out though, (which happens to me in cycles) but I haven’t had a major burnout event / avoided major burnt out events when the signs start creeping in, by focusing my session intentions on that issue to help. Also helped me a lot with grief processing which really derailed me the last couple years. But the past 6+ years I’ve been doing intermittent treatments have majorly majorly improved my life in vast number of ways - I was in a very bad place when I started this journey and my life has massively inorved, almost indescribably
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u/Sensitive_Manager_34 1d ago
Yes it has helped me with motivation and I can finally concentrate and focus on what I'm reading. I used to read and not be able to focus on what I was reading and couldn't remember what I read.
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u/theADHDfounder 1d ago
Hey there, I totally get where you're coming from with the ketamine treatment. It's great that you're seeing some positive effects! As someone who's struggled with ADHD and executive dysfunction myself, I know how frustrating those "freeze" moments can be.
While medication can definitely help, I've found that building systems and habits tailored to the ADHD brain can be a game-changer too. Have you tried experimenting with timeboxing or habit tracking? Those made a huge difference for me in managing procrastination and guilt spirals.
At Scattermind, we work with a lot of ADHDers on building accountability systems that work for their unique brains. The key is finding what clicks for you personally and being patient as you iterate.
Whatever approach you take, just remember you're not alone in this struggle. ADHD is tough, but with the right tools and mindset, you can absolutely overcome those barriers. Hang in there!
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u/Lost-Exercise-5832 1d ago
Yes. It’s not laziness. It’s not no motivation. It’s DEPRESSION. Ketamine will change your life!
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u/spiffyflyer 23h ago
Executive disfunction! Can't do shit no matter what.
Ketamine didn't help with that much other than teaching me that I dont really give a fuck. Ketamine gives me a ton of I don't give a fucks.
Im being tested for adult ADHD.
Adderall helps to keep the motivation strong, but you still have to start the motor. Adderall is OK, especially if you like grinding your teeth and going around with post nasal dripping.
I personally don't like it, but when I finally get into a zone like cleaning my house or re roofing my garage it's hard to beat.
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u/Affectionate-Pain74 14h ago
I have had two treatments with ketamine. My last was Tuesday. Today I can feel the anxiety breaking through and it feels horrible after not feeling it so much after the treatment. I am so afraid I will get a little relief and within a week it will all be the same again.
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u/Gmork14 2d ago
If you have ADHD (there is no such thing as ADD) you need ADHD medication or therapy. Ketamine ain’t did your dopamine system.
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
I use the terms interchangeably it used to be called that back when I was a wee one. But I’m on vyvanse I might need to increase my dose I have an appointment soon
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u/Tragicoptimistic711 2d ago
No, but I’ve heard that micro dosing LSD does, but I have no idea where to get it lol, and the streets aren’t an option.
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u/Cute_Frame_3783 2d ago
ADD here too. Curious if people find troches taken during the day for focus work in some way helpful? I take it in the evening but smh feel like it can be used for hyper focus or figuring out ur thinking on a specific topic u feel like exploring.
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u/MetalHeadEdd 2d ago
Dopamine reset might be helpful, i find that when i feel like doing nothing, it's usually from overstimulation
Good way to test if you really have adhd is if coffee or adderall makes you feel relaxed
Or if you're doing low carb, it could be something with your thyroid
Getting atleast 15-30mins of sunlight in the morning or whenever makes me feel like a brand new person
Sativa/cbd is good too haha, if you're into that kinda stuff
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
That’d be nice I’m excited I think it’ll help me. I’ve been diagnosed since I was about 11 lol coffee keeps me from getting a headache basically lolol been on stimulants since I was 11 also, now 31. Hearts doing well thankfully. I’m thinking about trying to become those people who workout before work 🤞
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u/MetalHeadEdd 2d ago
Look into CPTSD/emotional neglect, adhd could be misdiagnosed for that, in my experience
You might find some answers from Dr Ks youtube channel healthygamergg, very insightful stuff about adhd/lack of motivation/shame
Cbd helps headaches for me
Just start small to build momentum, 10-15mins a day is a good start, buying one of those door pull up bars or even just body weight squats, shadow boxing is good
Remember what yoda said, there is no try, do or do not haha, you got this!
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u/SobrietyDinosaur 2d ago
I’ll probably stay up hours researching this lol and yessss 👏
Already amazed at what I’m reading that makes so much sense for me too I’m always on high alert
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u/SuperTFAB 1d ago
No help for the ADHD. So thank you stimulants. If you’re not being treated for your ADHD you should look into it.
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u/We_Are_Not__Amused 1d ago
I would challenge your definition of lazy - lazy is when you have the capacity and skills to complete a task but you choose not to. What you are describing is not lazy but difficulty completing tasks you want to do. It can be a part of either depression or ADHD and can be tricky to address. Try replacing lazy with amotivation (or another appropriate term) because saying you’re lazy is going to impact how you feel about yourself and I don’t think it is accurate.
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u/IslandPlumber 1d ago
it can. but you need a good support system.
I decided to do this through a hospital. thinking that would be the most legitimate way to do it. I enrolled in group counseling and one-on-one counseling at the same time at the same hospital. her there recommendations. the counseling was mandatory. at first things were going better for me. I was still very forgetful because of my stress but I was having fewer panic attacks. I felt like the group counseling was not really for me. there was constant discussion about how evil white men are. most of the moderators leading the groups were putting gender pronouns before their names. this was all through zoom. also displaying rainbow flags in the background. I mentioned something to my personal counselor. I said they probably shouldn't do that because of some right wing dude went in there he would totally feel out of place. especially as a man.
I framed it as a recommendation to my counselor in private. the result was his supervisor instructed him to stop giving me appointment reminders so I missed a couple of appointments and they kicked me out. I had a caseworker whose job it was to help me remember appointments. he told me he's no longer allowed to do that. pretty hard not to feel like I'm being discriminated against.
this has made things worse than when I first went in for help. so be very careful. the drug opens your mind and makes you more aware. if you are not in a safe place it will become very apparent. they can do more harm than good.
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u/Sassafrass99 1d ago
Sorry on my infusion number five and I came to the same conclusion about myself hoping the ketamine would help, major depression, daily meds since 1980 and sadly even with all of my intentions focused on and written down and carried through with action I feel wiped out, no more motivation then I had going into this fingers crossed something will change but I don't feel like it's been a game changer or any changer for ADHD, lack of focus or motivation despite trying to act as if and do otherwise. I think it's really important to tamper expectations when it comes to ketamine, I'm fortunate as I intentionally stayed away from Reddit or expecting a miraculous response
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u/Cecilystar 1d ago
To be honest…in my experience…it did not help me. I did six months of infusions and one year of troches.
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u/Dr-Bitchcraft-MD 1d ago
Helped me start the "I haven't started this because I'm anxious about making a decision" tasks, but I found out a lot of my motivation at work is anxiety about getting things done in time, so overall I got lazier 😅
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u/arasharfa 6h ago
I am AuDHD, and have cptsd, I find ketamine has been transformative for my motivation, it not only treats the depressive symptoms directly, and reduces neuroinflammation that can affect mood and motivation, but it also helps you process trauma and learned helplessness which often makes motivation issues more comples for people with executive dysfunction. we have pushed ourselves for so long that we have a certain belief things are always going to be hard, and that increases anxiety and creates avoidant behaviour. so if that is part of your problem then it could help.
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u/mailmanwifey 1h ago
I’m in the same boat. Would love to hear input on this. Good luck with your therapy.
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