Substance Abuse and Panic Attacks

[Deadzy]

My first panic attack hit when I was in HS. I smoked weed for like 2 years, but during one time smoking...massive attack. I was high at the time and didnt really understand what had just happened, I figured bad weed?? IDK. so I try again with smoking, and it hit again. That was when I quit smoking weed.

I still drink very often, but it never really felt like its taken its toll on my body, but I just started getting my attacks again. I just want to know, is there anyone that has a related situation, and does substance abuse lead to panic disorder.

 

[alexjames09]

Yep. I had almost the same thing.

What happened to me was I had taken some "hard drugs" for awhile but one day driving home from a friends house... where I had smoked some weed i began to have a very bad panic attack.

For about a year afterwards everytime i did it again, i either had some degree of panic attack.

Now years later it doesn't happen so much. I do get a little more stressed out (instead of being relaxed like i used to) when i smoke but no more panic attacks.

Strangly enough smoking weed has the opposite effect since i had the attack. Instead of being relaxed and lazy, i get hyper and start cleaning/talking a lot.

Anyway, my entire bout with panic attacks was due to substance abuse. What set off the attack was me thinking I had done "irreversible damage to my brain" with drugs i had taken in the recent past.

Now that i reflect on it i really doubt that happened. I realized over time it was the panic causing it and not the drugs "irreversible effects"... just that thought sparked the fear which led to the attacks.

 

[sophie78]

Alot of people who have panic disorder become dependent on alcohol. I did five years ago and my life was absolute hell. I was in emergency so many times thinking I was dying...anyways you need to quit drinking as alcohol does bring on panic attacks/anxiety. Basically, you have to get your body to a clean and peaceful state to be able to find the strength to recover from these blasted things. I seriously am learning how to control all my anxiety and panic by basically not feeding it anymore and it is getting better...now I need to work on my social situations...

hope this helps.