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View Full Version : Not as bad as most people here, but..



jessicalynn34
09-21-2012, 08:43 AM
So after reading some of the posts here, I realise I have it quite easy in regards to my anxiety but I am worried that it's going to take over and get as bad as everyone else, so I want to try and "cure" this asap..

A bit of backstory: when I was 10, I hit my head on a waterslide. I felt really weird after, but we assumed it was a mild concussion. For 4-5 years after that, I would get this really weird sensation, like the one after I hit my head; what my 10 year old self thought it felt like was "a million people talking in my head at once and I can't concentrate". When I was about 11 I went to the hospital because I was freaking out one night with the sensation, I'm not sure if they ever realised it was a panic attack. As the next few years went by it happened less frequently and eventually went away. I asked my parents about it yesterday and my dad vaguely remembers taking me to the hospital, and then said he remembered his mom and sister had to take meds for anxiety for many years.
Cut to last year (on my 21st bday) when I smoked pot with my friends (only about the 3rd time in my life I'd done it and I'd never really been high.) Me and one other girl got way too high and had full blown massive panic attacks. Thought we were dying, thought the pot was laced with something else, screaming, crying, heart beating massively. We called the ambulance and they just thought we couldn't handle our high. Now obviously the panic attack was set off by the fact that we were too high, but never the less, thats now the 2nd time I've gone to the hospital for a panic attack.
This summer I was in Thailand and had to take malaria pills for 2 weeks. Two days after my cousin and I started taking the pills, we both almost had panic attacks in the middle of the night for several days (anxiety is a side effect of malaria pills). My cousin had a full blown attack in the middle of the day. Luckily I can talk my self down from a pending attack (telling myself it's irrational, to calm down etc). Once we stopped taking the pills, the anxiety went away, except for about 5 weeks later I woke up feeling very panicky, but again I talked myself down.
That was about 2 months ago. Four days ago I turned off the light to get into bed and I got very anxious. Happened again the next night. Two days ago I was in the library reading a book and I suddenly felt an attack coming on. I talked myself down but my mind felt off for the rest of the day, and I had convinced myself that it was the beginning of myself becoming schizophrenic. I now realise that's absurd and I obviously don't have a mental problem. Last night as I was trying to fall asleep I came very close to having a panic attack, but talked myself down for about 20 mins.
Now, it's all I can think about. Why all of a sudden am I anxious? What's causing these attacks? It's not to the point where I don't want to leave my house, but I really want to know what's going on and how to fix it before it gets to the point where I'm having a pending attack every day. Any advice? Sorry this was so long, and doesn't seem as serious as most people on here..but I'm just worried it will get more serious.

dazza
09-25-2012, 02:59 PM
Having had panic attacks in the past dictates that it is quite likely you'll have them again I'm affraid.

In essence, a panic attack is a bio response to a perceived danger (fight or flight) - this only has to be triggered ONCE in your lifetime in order to become easily activated thereon. (Yep... this sucks but it's true)

I liken fight or flight to a sleeping monster. Once awakened - it lurks and is ready to pounce.

You may not feel consciously anxious about anything... but I can bet my bottom dollar (or great British pound, rather) that something is bugging you and that something is triggering fight or flight.

It is highly likely that you're actually fearing panic attacks reoccuring and, ironically, this fear is actually causing them.

You've probably had a few flash-backs of your panicky past and this has rekindled the anxious fire, so to speak.

StopTheMadness
09-25-2012, 07:29 PM
Mine all started too with a pot experimentation when i was younger. Same exact reaction. And over time i started getting the same creeped out feeling for no apparent reason. Im also not a stressed out person. But i sure am afraid of that anxiety!!! My counselor told me i have a phobia of anxiety. I also agree with the above. That once i woke that monster up and know how it feels, i will probably have to deal with it for the rest of my life. It's very discouraging lol

Enduronman
09-26-2012, 10:16 AM
The so called pot, was actually Asian spice..It has caused permanent brain damage in a few people already. Just dont smoke anymore of that shit!! Yes, you have some work to do and the 1st part of it is to push 3 buttons at one time (ctrl.alt.delete) in your mind. Quit going backwards to re-visit, re-live, re-investigate the past..this is the only way you'll have a chance to succeed. DONT LOOK BACK! period...move on.

E-Man.