Yet Another Panic Attack Thread

[JohnGreen23]

Hey guys,
I have been reading some of the posts and threads and decided it was time to post my story. Its a long one haha. Some background information: I have generalized anxiety disorder and haven't been treated for it really. This was 2 years ago. I used a bill piece that was found on the ground, but was thoroughly clean. This was my first high. I thought that when I was smoking before I was getting high but clearly I wasn't. This was maybe by 10th time smoking.

Okay, so I was at my friends house taking hits from a bong with him. I took a big hit and felt like I was going to throw up. Eventually, that feeling stopped and I was just chilling outside. Im just looking at my friends shadow not realizing what Im doing, when it hits me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, I feel like im spinning reallllly fast. I asked them if i was spinning and there like no wtf are you talking about. Now, I'm screaming "What is going on" like a hundred times. I hear these bird noises that keep repeating in my head. I look at the 3 people that were there and it looked like a picture. So they take me inside, and that this point I think im dying for sure. I was telling them to call the police and shit. Eventually they calm me down but im still scared as shit, while my friend is enjoying his high from the same weed (so it wasnt laced... right?) My heart felt like it was beating in my throat for a bit. I sit down where the 2 girls were calming me down and I was drinking some water. I go in the family room lie down on the couch and just chill. I thought my friend's, who was sitting next to me, skin was turning green and he was turning into a lizard. Maybe half an hour later he tells me that before I was balling my eyes out. I clearly did not feel that or notice. But at the time I was really freaking shit. The high wore off, and I went back to my house and feel asleep. I woke up and everything loooked very zoomed in.

For the next 2 weeks, I was having very bad panic attacks for anything that related to weed. I told my parents, and they took it fine. They took me to a therapist for my panic attacks and I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. I have been on citalopram (celexa) since. Since that high, I have recently smoked twice, but a veryyyyy tiny amount so that I wouldnt get high.

Now I have an urge to start smoking again. Will I still have those attacks? What can I expect? I have this guy who will sell my weak weed, is that a good idea? My biggest fear since than is hallucinating, and that everything is a hallucination.

Since than, it has been a hellish 2 years filled with anxiety and paranioa.

What do u recommend?

Thanks and Sorry for the long post :P

John

[phatsesh101]

i recomend when you make something up or embelish the facts do a better job at keeping ur story straught

[JohnGreen23]

What are you talking about man? This is exactly what I remember from that day. What makes you think I made this up?

[Dream of the iris]

well seeing as how none of us are doctors...at least I don't think so, you probably shouldn't take our advice. Sounds like you had a really trippy night and its certainly not normal to freak out like that on pot. I mean in my honest opinion a normal freak out on pot should be a panic attack involving unwanted thoughts, not literal hallucinations. You can try it again but do it at you're own risk.

[JohnGreen23]

No I don't think I hallucinated, it was just a thought that wouldn't leave my head. Sorry if I didn't make it clear. I just want some opinions, or somebody to relate to what happened to me.

[cygnustaxt]

yeah so basically, after reading this, i've come to the conclusion that if you ever smoke marijuana again, you'll probably die. Ok well maybe you wont die but if you smoke with your friends it will probably only lead to another really embarassing story of how you freaked out and cried infront of your friends and you don't want that do you?

[Dream of the iris]

Marijuana can cause racing thoughts and can cause unwanted thoughts to appear as well. Everyone will say that different people have different reactions and this is true. So for your reaction I would suggest taking a LONG break. I too had a major freak out on weed last summer and pretty much didn't smoke at all until May of this year. I smoked some during the year at random intervels, but it wasn't much. That break really helped me to get back into smoking. I would also suggest that you smoke manily Indica strains if you can. They produce more of a body high and I believe is used to treat PTSD.

Another suggestion I will make is that you try meditation and maybe yoga. It can really make a difference if you are experiencing anxiety.

[phatsesh101]

sounds like a bad trip dude, sometimes that shit happens, i get all noid from some strains like shishkaberry or purple bannana and stress weed that really freaks me up

[JohnGreen23]

Dream of the iris: Thanks man, really appreciate your adivce. I was thinking about learning to meditate and try yoga but I never had the balls to actually go through with it haha.

If I was gonna try it again what you guys advise me to do so I dont flip shit? haha

[signman2007]

Just get you some heavy hittin Indica's like BB#1 and WW#1, and all anxiety will slip into the air and dissappear like a fart in the wind.



" You may think that dead but he'll wake up in 30 minutes and eat up all your food"
[quoted: Kat Williams]



Sounds like you got some Sativa and you were scared about something before you ever smoked and the change in mind function went haywire for you.....don't give up on Gods herb my friend!:smokin::thumbsup:

[JohnGreen23]

You really think that indica would take away my anxiety? That would honestly be the greatest thing ever. Thanks a lot man

[signman2007]

Dude I speak from expierience.....37yrs and been smoking for 27 of them and if I smoke Sativa to this day I get paranoid and just the uneasy feeling called " ANXIETY" and I hate it and the only thing in the NATURAL world that cures anxiety is a Medical Grade Indica bud. This is what I grow and I tell you indica "couch lock " is the way to go. I don't smoke if I need to get up and mow the grass because the shit I have you will only make it to the cupboard to grab a box of Cap-N-Crunch a bowll, spoon and the whole gallon of milk! Then after about 2 hours when you finally wake up and realize you ate half a box of cereal spilled a half a gallon of milk on your carpet you will say to yourself......."Damn there was NO ANXIETY there now was there!!!!":D

[signman2007]

Man I am a registered user and grower in this great state of Colorado and I can tell you I have tried a lot of strains but if you can get hold of some Blueberry, AK-47, White Widow, Super Skunk.....ect ect. you will be doing alright!:smokin:

[JohnGreen23]

Thanks man... I just want to make sure, I can enjoy this high, not worry about my anxiety (I have really bad anxiety all the time), and be able to smoke pot. You think I can nail those three with indica? Should I go for something weaker to start with?

[signman2007]

No need to see if the water is cold with your little toe! JUMP in head first and get you some Cannabis (and I Capatalize Cannabis out of respect for it please pass on this tradition) that will make you want to eat your pillow because it looks like s freakin marshmellow. Seriously go for the good stuff don't mess with the dirt!:smokin:

[JohnGreen23]

Man have u ever felt like u were actually 2 seconds from dying? It was really fucking awful haha

[epilepticme]

I have found that if people are very nervous about smoking in the first place the anxiety/panic attack type symptoms come to the surface much easier... and then again some people just can not handle cannabis.

[CaptainDank]

Weed is different for everyone.

If you were seriously seeing your friend turn into a lizard, i wanna get a hold of whatever shit you were smoking. that said, you're the only person who can truly judge whether or not weed is for you. I prefer using herb for my depression over prozac because i dont like being a fucking zombie, but thats just me.

Buy yourself a nice 20 sack and smoke just a little of it. wait 15 minutes and see how you feel, then decide if youre ready to smoke more.

I have a budddy who flipped his shit once and vowed never to smoke weed again. He gets a lot of shit for it, but its ultimately his desicion.

Its up to you, bro.

[pinkyslayer]

I have found that if people are very nervous about smoking in the first place the anxiety/panic attack type symptoms come to the surface much easier... and then again some people just can not handle cannabis.

I agree with this. You cant be all worrying and shit about whether or not you're gonna freak out. This actually just happened to my gf (panic attack) and I just had to keep telling her that there was nothing to worry about, you may feel weird and horrified for a while, but nobody has reported an overdose or death from grass yet, and you're probably not gonna be the first one. Another thing I've had to explain to alot of people is that the feeling of floating or drifting away, which in my case happens every time I smoke, is normal and part of the fun of being high, but it can also quickly turn into the spinning sensation you described, and may be uncomfortable. You should try and work on controlling your thoughts, just breathing deeply and relaxing and telling yourself that this will all pass in fifteen minutes. You'll be fine man.

[Dream of the iris]

Do NOT jump head first in the deep end like someone suggested. Indica may be great for anxiety, but it still is weed. Start small.

What really helps me out with my anxiety when smoking is to watch myself. Just observe yourself reacting the way you do. If I get too high, I just tell myself that I'll come down and try to laugh it off. Easier said then done, but with practice you'll learn. Something that meditation helps with. Just be more aware of yourself. You said you knew what was happening wasn't real, so use that as a jumping point. Next time something freaky happens, a strange thought or something pops up, just look it straight in it's ugly face and watch it. Laugh at it, even if you don't feel like laughing. That watching of the thought will create for you a space, a sort of bubble around the thought, so that even though it's there it doesn't affect you. And eventually it, along with the anxiety that it created for you, will go away. Kinda New Agey, but give it a try.

[signman2007]

You guys are putting WAY too much thought into this!!!! Man this is an herb that grows from mother earth and yes it will effect everyone differently but weed is weed you just have better weed then other and the good meds is what I am talking about. Load you a bowl and literally you take one maybe 2 hits and wait 5 mins and thats all you need...NO MORE ANXIETY...this is not phamaceuticals we are talking about! Not really brain science!:smokin:

I am a caregiver myself and grow my own and you can not go wrong with good headies!

[SnSstealth]

sounds like a bad trip dude, sometimes that shit happens, i get all noid from some strains like shishkaberry or purple bannana and stress weed that really freaks me up

lol...I got anxiety disorder and smoked some shishkaberry and WACKED out man,..sweaty palms, racing heart..mind going a million miles an hour... not funny then, kinda is now.. but i am always slow startin on any new sativa heavy strain now....bong rip at a time...like the other guys said...meditation and being able to let yourself know whats happening is all really...again a repeat, you aint gonna die from weed....
:joint1:
whiskeytango

[Dream of the iris]

You guys are putting WAY too much thought into this!!!! Man this is an herb that grows from mother earth and yes it will effect everyone differently but weed is weed you just have better weed then other and the good meds is what I am talking about. Load you a bowl and literally you take one maybe 2 hits and wait 5 mins and thats all you need...NO MORE ANXIETY...this is not phamaceuticals we are talking about! Not really brain science!:smokin:

I am a caregiver myself and grow my own and you can not go wrong with good headies!

Weed is not as simple as you think it is. It is a complex substance and the reactions are equally as complicated.

[JohnGreen23]

Dream of the iris: Man, I really appreciate your comments... I think im gonna try what you suggested... I just need to find a dealer in toronto to sell me indica hahaha... Ill report back to u guys if i smoke... and ill tell u what happened

[Dream of the iris]

Toronto? Damn, don't you guys have that mail order weed service? And medical weed is legal there, right?

[signman2007]

Everyone is different but

Sativa= head high (anxiety)
Indica= body high (NO Anxiety)

Sure there are those few cases where the drug has the oposite effect but I would definetly stay away from any Sativa for anxiety purposes!:smokin:

I stopped cold turkey the other day from 120 mg of Morphine 2x daily and I can't even begin to explain the pain and suffering I'm going thru and without the good Cannabis I could not do it. I don't sleep because of the ANXIETY and the hard hitten Indicas work well!


Sure ease yourself in there AGAIN trying a little pot and see what happens and you already have the fear of this anxiety in your head so no matter what you will be anxious with what ever you smoke. Hell eat a brownie and you will feel no anxiety!

[JohnGreen23]

hahah thanks signman... and dream of the iris, we dont have medical marijuana, and I dont know if we have a mail order service lol

[ilovemymaryj]

I relate, man.

The first time I smoked I was already a little nervous. Little did I know that I was about to smoke some good shit ontop of that. I was taking huge rips off a blunt. I walk inside, still doin' good, I feel a little floaty, but nothing bad. I start walking into the kitchen without realizing it, then like you said, reality sank it all at once and I started freaking out. I spent about an hour in the corner of the bathroom thinking I was going to throw up. Every time I blinked, it felt like I was waking up from a dream.

How'd I get over it? First, I figured out my problems. I remembered time was moving by really slow for me. This told me that I was thinking at about a million miles an hour. Another thing was that I was worrying about little things. My heart was racing, I was breathing quick, etc. I was letting every thing that I noticed stack on top of each other until I had so much anxiety built up I had a panic attack.

Second, I learned a bit of breathing technique. Slow, steady inhale. Slow, steady exhale. After about four times of that my heart rate is cut in half and I instantly feel better.

Taking all that I learned, next time I went to smoke I was of course nervous. I did that breathing technique and calmed myself down. Rather then sit around like I did last time, I kept myself occupied. I watched a bit of Anchorman, then went to the movies with a few friends. At the end of it all, I had a great time.

Hope this might help you.

[Dream of the iris]

hahah thanks signman... and dream of the iris, we dont have medical marijuana, and I dont know if we have a mail order service lol

Well, you do you lucky bastard :p

[JohnGreen23]

We do what? Have medical or mail order? Cuz we forsureee dont have medical haha

[Dream of the iris]

Marijuana mail-order (http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3041.html)

[JohnGreen23]

Thanks dream of the iris!... so should I go straight to the premium bud... or what?

[JohnGreen23]

Its gonna be like my first time getting high again so what would be a good indica strain for a first time smoker?

[JohnGreen23]

nobody's replying anymore!! Do any of u think that Jack Herer or Purple Kush would be a good re-intro to smoking and to eliminate anxiety. Tell me which one is better please!