Undiagnosed Marijuana Induced Panic Attack

[BUnoriginal]

I stumbled across this forum from a web search. I've been suffering for a few months now on and off. I'm not sure exactly what happened to me, so I guess I'll start from the beginning of my story.

So, I had been smoking for quite some time up to the point when my panic attack happened (I suffer from anxiety). Up to this point, I never had a problem smoking; it was always a pleasant experience. Just relaxing and destressing over a movie on the weekends.

Then, it happened all of a sudden. I used to smoke higher grade top shelf material, but at this point, I was smoking lower class possibly laced marijuana. Anyways, the night of my attack, everything seemed fine, and then a few minutes later the laughter turned to panic. NEVER in my life (and I suffer from anxiety) had I experienced such terror. I felt as if I was going to die.

I tried to control my emotions, thinking about other things but I couldn't calm myself down. It got to the point where I thought, 'you know what you need to go to the hospital.' Thankfully my girlfriend was able to calm me down, and after what seemed like an eternity, I finally calmed down and went to bed.

I kept smoking for a bit longer after that incident. However, each new session was a hit or miss. Sometimes, I would have a pleasant experience and others; I would once again have mini panic attacks (not of the same level as the first). The whole thing ruined it for me, though, and I have since stopped smoking. I miss it, though, I had some good experiences, but this once incident overshadowed everything.

Since I've quit, however, I still have the occasional feeling of doom and gloom. I have this irrational fear of death that I can not shake. Some days when I take my meds, I feel good, but feel like I'm on a roller coaster. I've never really put much thought to my existentialism in the past. I just wish I could go back to before this incident occurred and stop thinking about my mortality all the time.

Anyone else had a similar experience? What were you able to do to help yourself regain a foothold and go back to the good old days, where nothing was a matter, and all was well with your world.

 

[Friday]

were you able to do to help yourself regain a foothold and go back to the good old days, where nothing was a matter, and all was well with your world.

You realize this is a PTSD site, right? Almost by definition, that's not the way our world works. Ditto not a lot irrational fears of death. People who have survived brutally life threatening things, lost the people they've loved best in the worst ways imaginable, who frequently struggle with suicide as part of the disorder itself aren't irrationally afraid of death. It's a very real and present thing in many, if not most, of our lives.

Domestic violence, natural disasters, war, accidents, child abuse, murder, torture, terrorism, assault, rape...

 

[BUnoriginal]

Yeah, I understand. I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone through an experience like mine. I think it might be PTSD after that panic attack, but I'm not sure. And yeah I know it's not that big of a deal compared to something more serious as stated. However, I do have thoughts of suicide from time to time especially after that bad panic attack; my life has gone in an entirely different direction.

Maybe I was just looking for a place to talk about this issue since nobody knows about what happened. My family just seems to notice something is off from how I used to be but it never comes up, and I don't talk about it.

 

[anonymous]

Then, it happened all of a sudden. I used to smoke higher grade top shelf material, but at this point, I was smoking lower class possibly laced marijuana.

Why would you do this?
If you don't trust your dealer, why would you put that into your body?
All that risk, just to get high?
You might want to reassess your priorities a little bit, getting stoned shouldn't be more important than living.

NEVER in my life (and I suffer from anxiety) had I experienced such terror. I felt as if I was going to die.

You would likely benefit from seeing a therapist. They can teach you all sorts of tools to help control anxiety, so you will be able to deal with it more effectively.

you know what you need to go to the hospital

Why didn't you?
If I was feeling the way you described, you wouldn't be able to get me out of the hospital.

I kept smoking for a bit longer after that incident.

Why? If you thought that stuff was going to kill you, why on earth would you do it again?

Since I've quit, however, I still have the occasional feeling of doom and gloom. I have this irrational fear of death that I can not shake. Some days when I take my meds

Were you smoking dope, while on these meds the entire time? Does your doctor know you were self-medicating with pot?
If you feel it's the medication causing these issues. You should see whichever doctor prescribed you the meds. Now that you have removed one of the mind altering substances from your brain. It's probably a good idea to see if you need to alter the dosages prescribed to you.

Good job getting off of it.

I just wish I could go back to before this incident occurred

Don't we all.
But since time travel isn't an option, you would probably be better served by seeking some qualified help.

What were you able to do to help yourself regain a foothold and go back to the good old days

You mean the good old days before I developed this?
I've never gone back, probably never will. This isn't a flu.
After what I went through, I know I'll never be the same again.

Yeah, I understand.

No, I don't think you do.

 

[digger]

Part of the DSM diagnostic criteria for PTSD specifically excludes drug use as a source of trauma

H. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medical condition.

So if you consider what you have shared here as the sole source of your symptoms, then PTSD is unlikely.

 

[joeylittle]

Yeah, I understand. I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone through an experience like mine. I think it might be PTSD after that panic attack, but I'm not sure. And yeah I know it's not that big of a deal compared to something more serious as stated. However, I do have thoughts of suicide from time to time especially after that bad panic attack; my life has gone in an entirely different direction.

What you would have is a substance-induced disorder. They are complicated, because the spectrum of reactions an individual can have is incredibly broad.

Symptoms of substance-induced disorders run the gamut from mild anxiety and depression (these are the most common across all substances) to full-blown manic and other psychotic reactions (much less common)...Virtually any substance taken in very large quantities over a long enough period can lead to a psychotic state.

(Taken from: 9 Substance-Induced Disorders - Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders - NCBI Bookshelf. This piece is outdated re: DSM versions, but not totally unhelpful.)

I'd suggest you take a look at this link: Substance or Medication Induced Depressive Disorder DSM-5 (ICD-9-CM and ICD-1O-CM) - Therapedia. It's very readable, and summarizes the various treatment approaches to Substance-Induced Disorders.

You'll want to get acquainted with some mental health professionals sooner rather than later. There's a lot that is not understood about how cannabis interacts with mental health - but research has found links between THC and the onset of various psychiatric conditions. Evaluating that stuff is dependent on a good psychiatrist/psychologist being fully aware of your age, gender, and family mental-health history - as well as the evolutions of your symptoms.

So, long-story short: PTSD highly, highly unlikely. But Substance-Induced Mood or Anxiety Disorder, very likely. Treatment protocols for that disorder are not quite the same as for PTSD. It's in your best interest to get it diagnosed properly.

It's also in your best interest to stop ingesting any hallucinogens whatsoever.