Panic Attacks / anietxy

[jsrst8]

I'm sure there is someone else who roams these boards with a panic/anixety disorder, which is why I came here. Basically I get them pretty often and if I smoke I always get one. I took a 4 month break from smoking because I was getting them and just couldn't do it anymore even though I loved being high. Now I'm on Clonapen which I take to block the attacks. I take half a pill in the morning half a pill later in the day which usually blocks all attacks. I smoked the other day and I was pretty high off 4 rips. But the thing is, I still didn't enjoy it fully. I still was worried and stuff like that. Now I know its all a head thing and stuff but is there anything I can do to help me get back into smoking? I know its probably not the best thing but I really do love being high, I smoked every day for about 2 years and then suddenly I got these panic attacks and I couldn't smoke anymore. I'll try anything to be able to smoke again.

I think I'm going on Paxcil soon, which hopefully will allow me to smoke.

[amandyjo]

i was in the same exact situation except i was younger and my mom was against anti-depressants such as paxil. she flat out said "ohhhh no! you're not going on more drugs!" so i had to basically deal with it. i didn't even know there was a name for what i was experiencing. i did lots of research, found out i was having panic attacks. i read everything i could about them. eventually i got fed up and when i felt a panic attack coming on i would be like "screw you panic attack, you're not getting me again." it sounds stupid but it worked. less then a week later i didn't get panic attacks anymore. once you realize it's in your head and it's possible to get better it's so much easier. good luck :)

[DTRave420]

Lay off the Sativas as many of these strains will increase feelings of anxiety and nervousness...Stick to indicas or heavy indica doms...That'll mellow you out 4sure...:)

[jsrst8]

Thanks for the replies.

Yeah, I know its all in my head and I can get better and I have made a lot of progress. Not only through the drugs but even before the drugs I made a huge improvement. But its still there, just not that bad.

As for the indica strain, how can I tell if its indica? I have access to a lot of different strains of bud, but in all honestly if I ask my dealer is this indica hes going to laugh and tell me its fire. I don't have access to big name bud though. I can get the occansional purple urcle or sour disel but its rare.

Though I am thinking about growing my own, I've been thinking about it for about a year now.

[cannakeeper]

Check out the medical strains sect for more info on best for anxiety n such but firstly decipher if you have an anxiety disorder or expierience some high anxiety with certain situations. Totally different. A disorder is physiological/bio-chemical and is not "just in your head". This can be determined by a MD as I can only give an account of my expierience.. Get a few oppinions because that is what it took for me. A smarter doc discovered that my extreme case was just a byproduct of Bi-polar disorder. As far as your treatment goes, odds are just as good for you to find what works as your doc is if it truly is an anxiety disorder. All they will do is put you on one pill after another til you find one that doesn't make you wan't to puke, kill yourself, stay in bed all day or make you unable to get off durring sex. All very popular side effects. I exp. them all in my 29yr quest for relief from this demon and in the end the simplest answer was the most effective....The right strains of Medicinal quality cannabis combined with a med called Lamictal. What may be in your head though is all the worries/stygma associated with cannabis use. Purge your mind of this and any other worries and give a session with something other than "fire" a try. An indica dom strain as rave said. Soo far Mendo purps and a haze works well with me, wonders actually but I've not had the pleasure of trying very many flavors to find better. Another 6wks and i'll see how Buddah x purps or kush does. Best of luck

[weedidas]

Accept it and render it powerless. Thats the only way it wil go away, unless it's a true disorder it might be harder but for general anxiety and panic attacks the best thing to do is know that it can never hurt you and that the more you give it attention the worse it gets.

For herbs try St johns wort, Valerian, and chamomile(tea). They all good for anxiety and have no side effects like the synthetic drugs. Valerian is basicly a natural valium. I find chamomile to be pretty good for nervousness.

I have a huge problem with anxiety towards weed, and thats how my anxiety started. Was just smoking one hit or so every now and then to help with things and got to to high a few times and panicked real bad. ever since I have had bad anxiety towards weed and even worry about it being in food and stuff sometimes. I loved it but now my mind is completely rewired to fear it. I think hypnosis/nlp would help.

[JackdaWack]

Heavy indicas :thumbsup:
Sativa strains will fuck with your head, while a pure indica will relax your body and mind.

I had the same issue and grew some BigBud and out of the 2 o's i kept and smoked, not once did i have anxious feelings.

Its just a pain in the ass becuase you need to find some one who knows what there selling.

People with social disorders should stay away from over 50% sativa strains, or sativa in general

[Maloneyyy]

I have anxiety issues as well but I find weed to help with it. I feel so much better after burning. Guess its all different for people.

[painretreat]

My experience: I am off Prozac, Paxil and reduced my Klonopin to nothing, until my doc said I needed some for my physical problems (chronic spasms plus others). No longer a 3mg a day person though.

A sativa is great for depression. Which is why most of us laughed our way through the '60's and '70's plus, as it was all mostly Sativa. The Indica is quite the opposite for me. Settles me down. I was an anxious, hi-strung, over-productive person. Then injury. Anxiety is something that is in your head and ecomes physical and limits you, sometimes can lead to more severe symptoms or others within the scope of it, and as suggested, you really need medical help and poss. a bit of therapy. However, a quick fix to help you get thorough it, using all the prev. suggestions, is Indica. Kush is pretty good for it. It seems you know what it is and might can procure it. Try it. Then if it works, gro it! There are sites (and books-order on line or Barnes and Noble) that will tell you what strains are Indica and Sativa (Plus get you hooked on the sanity of gardening as a hobby--which will help also).

In the gro section, you can find all kinds of cheap gros and/or small ones even in a computer case! Do not take anymore cannabis unless you are sure it is Indica, a Sativa can and will cause the onset of your symptoms, it is not the cause of them, unless you have paranoia--which is something a lot of people have and cannot use mmj.) But, your explanation says-between the lines, "You need a little TLC and help!" Go get it. Look for free clinics. All therapists have to put in a ridiculous amt. of 'free' hours for practice--like 3,000 more or less! Call all over and you may find a free or extremely cheap therapist. It is better to try to cure it than medicate it. Try the mmj-kush or any Indica AND MY FAVE - iNDICA EDIBLES! You can learn how to make them-I love a good sucker or piece of medical candy and it keeps me level all day. Panic attacks and anxiety make your life miserable--there is a safe organic solution for medicine and try to work it out with a therapist or psychiatrist M.D. as said! You won't die from it, but if it keeps up, you may want to. Don't let it go on any longer.

Plus, getting off Klon. is a buger. You could be having a half a pill of 0.5 mg, 1mg, 2mg etc. So, half a pill isn't much help. However, half a pill of the lowest dose is a lot for such a sensitive person. Sensitive people need medical cannabis--it helps to not take everything out on yourself and bottle it up inside! Once, you fix that or whatever is bugging you, you may find you can switch to whenever you need a little mmj and less or no pills!

jrs8t (jsrstraight?-curious, my specialty)? Good luck and please come back and let us know. If you didn't give all the facts, perhaps you'll remember things you need to, or feel you need to share to help in making suggestions to you. Don't fight it, fight the Sativa and leave it alone. Work on the rest! You've found the right place! pr :jointsmile:

[mjmomma]

I am considerably older than most of you, probably, and I've battled with anxiety for most of my life.

During the 80's, when antidepressants were all the rage in the medical community, I was mis-diagnosed as depressed as opposed to anxiety alone, and was given a slew of antidepressant pills that basically fucked my brain chemistry for a very long time.

I do believe that Paxil is the devil.
It permanently alters your brain chemistry.

I also take Klonopin, but not on a scheduled basis, just as needed for panic attacks that get out of hand.
Bud helps a lot, but mostly meditation, quiet reading, and yoga. The combination of yoga and buds have literally saved my life, not to mention the lives of countless people around me!

There is no cure for anxiety / panic attacks.
You just have to train your mind and body on how to deal with them when they occur. It is a very personal experience, and therefore each individual suffering from such should have a personalized plan of action; something that works for you, something that you're comfortable doing.

I would advise that you stay away from antidepressants as they are terribly over-prescribed for things that aren't, by definition, "depression". To take them without actually being depressed would be like going through chemotherapy and not having cancer. It fucks you up. (not in a good way)

Perhaps bud would be more beneficial for you if you refrain from sativa, and also indulge in some yoga and / or deep breathing exercises PRIOR to smoking.
Good luck.
Namaste.

[biostrength]

There is no cure for anxiety / panic attacks.
You just have to train your mind and body on how to deal with them when they occur. It is a very personal experience, and therefore each individual suffering from such should have a personalized plan of action; something that works for you, something that you're comfortable doing.


I totally agree dealing with anxiety is so incredibly personal and i believe so is the cure. ^ ."Cognitive Behavoural Therapy" - I went through this "treatment" it was that kind of form of mental training i think stated above. I do however live in Australia so it may be called something different. Being a fairly long term smoker and having long term anxiety/panic attacks i had been on everything, valium, zoloft, prozac, all that stuff which resulted in drastic disfunction, irrational fears, and extreme paranoia not to mention the addictive properties of valium. I love pot, and i refused to believe it was contributing to my condition as i enjoy being high way to much. What i did was stop for a few months (nothing drastic... but i love my weed so it was hard :() went through this behavioural therapy which really opened me up to the idea that it is MY brain and i can take control. The treatment helped me to a certain confidence that allowed me to challenge the anxiety and now currently im a happy daily smoker with not a single attack since around the end of 2007. Now this obviously wont work for everyone, nor is it as simple as i have put it. But through a series of controlled "epiphanies" (im no doctor but its how i felt as a patient) it really puts you above the disorder, but it worked for me. Very much luck on overcoming this as my quality of life has increased so much and i wish this to you.

[painretreat]

bio and mjmom: thanks for sharing your experience's. It is different for everyone and it would be nice if more would share and what type of mmj you use for your situation?

Good luck to everyone and mjm--couldn't agree with you more, "it is like taking chemotherapy" and not having cancer--it is all poison, but has its' place is prescribed properly.

I don't think I had long term effects of stopping Paxil--who knows. I only know one other person that stopped and I am not sure if the behavior exhibited without it was the reason she was placed on it. Regardless, it does mess up your chemistry. Others have reported the exact same thing in other threads.

Sharing this is very important and appreciated! PR :thumbsup:

[luciddreamer]

I concur. antidepressants are the devil.
I've been on four diff types not even for depression as well as Xanax.
I recently read a study that they are as effective as placebo only. But in MAJOR depression they have a MILD effect. Well, I was bloody pissed. Because the last one I went on I believe fucked my heart. I just got random (god dammit I keep forgetting what they're called) pulses, for lack of a better word, for months after stopping it and now pains sometimes for no reason.
The FDA never published this bad data but now researchers got it under the freedom of information act.

It's all a lie people. Don't take antidepressants unless you are depressed as people have said. But I'll add SERIOUSLY depressed.

Regarding anxiety. I have suffered it too along with OCD. I find meditation helps a lot. I got this book called the Calm Technique. Very good technique for relaxing. It also provides good info about the type of food you eat. No lethargic foods for example and only occasional stimulant foods but not much. Too bad if you're a meat eater because it is lethargic. But it will help to not eat it. Calm is different to tired. Being tired actually makes you more stressed and anxious.

That was probably a bit nonsensical but anyway, I'm tired haha
Just treat yourself well, meditate and medicate. (with weed).
Peace:thumbsup:

[wvkickstand]

I had to chime in on this subject. This hits a personal note with me. Back in 1986 before panic attacks became the trend of the stressed I was misdiagnosed. I had what I believe was a nervous break down in basic training. Was told it was just stress.

Anyway they never figured it out and I went through 4 years of pure hell while in the service. When I had a panic attack it felt as if my world was changing around me. I would forget how to breath, I would get dizzy, tingle and start to go numb in parts of my body, I learned later on this was because of hyperventilation. Then my heart would race and pound, chest pain across the collarbone or under my left breast. Hold on, we are not done yet, then random thoughts of death or dying. This coupled along with the fear or feeling of losing touch with reality really made for a bad trip. Needless to say that in 93 two years after I got out of the service I was diagnosed and place on medication for a panic disorder, depression and bi-polar.

These are some of the pills I was placed on. Note I will list later what I currently take.
Nardil
Clozaril
Buspar
Ativan
Geodon
Inderal
Wellburtrin
Seroquel
Remeron
Risperdol
Zoloft
Lexapro
There are way to many for me to continue to list

What I am on is
6mg of xanax
60mg of prozac
600mg of depakote
100mg of veraset
The above is for panic attacks and depression only.

For my heart:
100mg of Lopressor
5mg of Quaniprin
75mg of plavix
40mg of Lipitor
145mg tricor
200mg Imdur (long acting nitrate)
adult asprin

Now after being told for the past 11 years that the symptoms of a heart attack were caused by panic/anxiety attacks. Well at the ripe old age of 38 I had a heart attack. MI in the left ventricle. This cause me to be stented.

Two other clogs were found but were not able to be cleared by my local hospital so up to Pittsburgh I went. They did what they called a roto rooter procedure, tried to drill the blockage out. Both the stent and the roto rooter work for a week. I ended up back in the ER and was cathed and told I needed to have triple bypass surgery. That sucked. This was in 04. From then till now I have had two other stents, angio for a total of 11 cauterizations. The doctors are in my crotch more than my wife. It has been over 4 years since the surgery and I feel like bees are stinging me all over my incision and left breast area.

After i recoverd from open heart, i was told i was diabetic, well that sucked also. It's type 2 so i am still pretty positive i can deal. When my glocose lvls are higher than normal, it constricts my seconday vessels of the heart which give me all the symtoms of a heart attack. So my trips to the ER are very frequent.

I wish i didn't have all the pills shoved down my throat. Bud is all i need.
So, if you have panic, it can cause real problems. Donâ??t be like me, donâ??t sweat the small stuff like I did. Live for today and enjoy. On the other hand if it feels like a heart attack, it just may be a heart attack, let the doctors figure it out. If you have any questions feel free to ask away. Still looking for the seeds of life. The seeds that will bring me relief from my mental and physical pain.

[lovelife47]

i was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and panic disorder about 2 years ago. my parents refused to put me on medication so they just got worse and worse. eventually, i tried smoking weed and i loved it. it made me forget about everything and all my stress and now, about a year and a half after i started smoking, all my problems are totally gone. i rarely ever get those sad feelings of depression, and i honestly cant remember the last time i had a panic attack. its awesome and i love it. i feel like marijuana has changed my life.