Anxiety and panic attacks

[jenniemxo]

I'm 18 I have anxiety and panic attacks all started at 17 I was a smoker started smoking age 15 I think weed triggered my anxiety not sure. I don't smoke anymore became scared. I was depressed at one point in life over a desicion I made that made me loose friends people hated me. I cried almost all the time at this time of started to smoke more than usual to make me feel better also it helped me sleep& I would get intensive headaches that smoking made feel better. One day I was so stressed & had a big headache wanted to smoke. I did that night I went home herd this notice that frightened me but I ignored it layed down closed my eyes to sleep & immediately stood up faster than I could think of my chestgot sotight & Ifeltlike I couldn't breathe my heart started racing Icould feel my blood rush tinglingfeelings inmy arms hands legs I couldn't really see if immediately thought I was going to die I remember yelling this repeatedly my mom called the ambulance I didn't know I was having a panic attack IthoughtI was having a heartattack. Once I was in the shower I started thinking about this night and my stomach started hurting so much like a nife and I had to use the bathroom except nothing was coming out in stood up and immediately fainted. I woke up the doctors said I probably got too nervous .. after this it's been hard to be alone to sleep I'm constantly thinking ima have a stoke heart attack because of my headaches tumors and so on it study to be a nurse so I'm also exposed to all these things.. my panic attakso have gotten better because I eventually with therapy learned to control it and not be so afraid the anxiety is what's hard to control how do you even calm down when your nervous ... most of the time I'm just nervous to sleep I'm scared I might die in my sleep I'm always thinking about death which I think makes sence since I thought I was going to die. When I try to sleep at night which is one of my biggest problems I shake, I feel as if I am sophocating when I'm sleeping I feel weird movements idk if I'm making this up and feeling the sensations because I worry so much but it's hard to deal with it neglect taking therapiutic drugs I feel as if they don't work because of a study about therapiutic medication and placebo. I'm also into psychology and mental health and I do believe in getting better alone I have gotten better it's just some weeks it comes back but my adviser to anyone with anxiety Is don't give up it will get better especially if you believe you'll get better.

[Agora1]

Hi jenniemxo, There have been a few people on the forum who feel that smoking weed prompted the anxiety and panic attacks. Who really knows... Studying in the medical field could be a benefit or a hindrance to those of us with anxiety. I try to use my medical training in a way that explains how the body is physically reacting to a mental disorder. For me, it helps in explaining the symptoms that are caused by our brain. The secondary episode you had was a fear tactic of the first panic attack. It happens and the "what ifs" can continue unless we learn to accept that it is anxiety playing it's mind game.

Jennie, I think you are in a good position to overcome the fears that are left. Your advice to others gives hope to those still struggling. I wish you continued success in your nursing studies. x

[jenniemxo in reply to Agora1]

Thankyou so much I appreciate it and yes I love helping people and talking to people that have had these same feelingsize because it's like talking to someone who finally understands you

[aminaismail]

oh no poor you :(( hope you get better soon enough!remember theres alot of help around you! i have a similar situation, my panic started last yr just when i turned 17..it was always because of my heart

we can all conquer this if we have faith and motivation

[jenniemxo in reply to aminaismail]

Thankyou Samel to you. & you have an ear here if anything

[Alexjohnfuller94]

Hey Jen,

I have had the exact same experiences as you for years I'm 22 now but I've had heaps of occasions this has happened and I constantly was thinking to myself "when is it my turn to die"

Only after this long dealing with it have I finally decided I need to fix it one and for all. It's hell I know but think how far you've come so far, you will be past it all one day, just keep making those little mental changes to your life and it's going to get better, stay strong! X

[jenniemxo in reply to Alexjohnfuller94]

Thank you sometimes it's hard because you do get better for like a week or two even a month and you go right back to not sleeping the worrying the panic it's frustrating but your right

[Hidden]

At least you seem to be heading I the right direction now, you are right about not giving up and it does get better. I hope you continue to improve.

[jenniemxo in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou so much and yeah I'm hanging in there I have my bad days and I have my good ones

[Hidden in reply to jenniemxo]

Same as us all, we just have to keep going. I hope your day has been good.

[jenniemxo in reply to Hidden]

I'm feeling better now thanks how had your day been

[Hidden in reply to jenniemxo]

Glad to hear it.

Mine has been ok, was busy with work thank you.

[Johnnie1234]

SO just wanted to put this out there if you didnt Know or didnt see my post soo three months ago around thanks giving i was in my friend car he was driving we in the highway so i started rolling up weed and me and him started smoking soo i took a couple of pulls about 4 or 5 pulls so out of no where i started panicking for some reason my heart started racing i was telling him to pull over i need air from out side or put the windows down My heart was going even more fast i felt my head tingling like something triggered my head or something but i was the only one going crazy he was fine it was just me going nuts No i guess the weed wasnt laced he was perfectly fine because if it was laced me and him would been going nuts but the only way i calm down was by throwing up. next morning i still woke up like my heart racing been to the hospital alot of times say my blood is normal and ekg is normal as well but you know me i didnt believe went to a heart docter made me do stress test and did thyriod aswell he said everything is fine and my heart is very strong and health Ok so now let me tell you my sypthoms Shaky hands, dizzyness, and ever sense that time my vision seems unreal , feeling like body sore my legs and arms ,back ,neck , head tingling , chest pains sometimes shortness of breath , always using the bathroom aswell and my head is always feeling heaving or wierd i guess the most that gets me alittle scared is my chest pains and my heart beats fast for no reason i could go outside and am only walking my heart beats fast or sometimes when am in a car aswell idk but this hard for me right now these past three months been going to hospitals and all they say am fine to trust them everything looks good but the only thing is i hope dont feel like this for the rest of my life Am only 20 years old trying to enjoy my life and finish school but it seems like i csnt do that feels like something is going to happen to me probably in the future or idk but thats why am almost home all the time .

[jenniemxo in reply to Johnnie1234]

Thanks for sharing your story with me atleast were all not alone I had some tough times to going back and forth to the hospital and everything was okey.. I still worry sometimes about my heart and stuff when I do get the pain or the panic but it'll get easier to deal with I hope you stopped smoking I sure did it scared me so much I'll never do it again but everything you described I did feel and I feel support here because before I thought I was crazy and my friends didn't understand and I didnt understand and most people thought I was looking for attention

[Johnnie1234 in reply to jenniemxo]

Yeah thats what i say people think your crazy or something when you actually feel these things how long you been having this for doe ?

[Peacewithin1]

That's interesting you say you think weed triggered the Anxiety. When I was 18 I smoked weed for the 1st time with my cousins (they smoked regularly) and had my first panic attack which triggered me to have anxiety continuously for a few months after that. It eventually went away as i was active going out, going to school, working, and I forgot about it but as I got a little older recently it came back at night and now I'm having it continuously all day again. I also had a series of events that could have triggered it but it's too much to explain.

[jenniemxo in reply to Peacewithin1]

Yes I believed the weed triggered it I smoked regularly well I was a smoker I smoked hooka and I smoked pot at parties I was a teen having fun I never got nervous or anxious while I smoked or after it wasn't until I got into something and I was upset and smoking alot because I was upset and then it happened .. I guess the effects of me being upset all the time and smoking plus what had happened probably triggered it ..