Newcomer, opinions PLEASE HELP

[JoeyLowtown]

Hey I want some opinions on my symptoms. Im a 22yr old lad, used to be outgoing, fun loving etc. I never touched drugs or smoked but drank quite a lot socially. A few of my friends started dabbling in speed and coke and after one mammoth drinking session at an all nighter I succombed and had 3 bombs of speed. The next dayI felt like I was dying and in the passenger seat of my friends car coming back from this weekend away we'd had I started having all muscle twitchin, my face went numb and I felt I had to battle to stay conscious but I did keep conscioussness. When we got home after the two hour journey that can only be described as hell, I vomitted so violently projectile!! Only on one occassion tho. I couldnt sleep that night due to fear of not waking and decided to go to A + E and admit my stupidity. They did an ECG and had a little chat and said I was fine. I couldnt eat anything but toast and the next day I went on hol to corfu cos I didnt wanna let my gf down and tell her wot I'd done! I felt shocking I still wasnt eating and upon arriving in corfu I went straight to hospital where they put me on a drip for 2 days and built me back up etc due to dehydration. After this I never drank barely any alcohol on the holiday and felt really strange. Upon returning home to a hero's welcome because everyone thought I'd battled some strange virus I returned to work and all was normal except I couldnt stop reading symptoms of speed overdose, lymphoma and god knows what else online and panicking like mad! 3mths of this has passed and Ive become so consumed that I feel im walking in a dream etc. Ive heard of derealisation through my mum who is a mental health nurse. She's bought me the book 'AT LAST A LIFE' by Paul David of which some makes sense. However im not convinced I just have anxiety and fear I may have permanently damaged myself beyond repair by that one off dabble.
My doctor has prescribed me some anti depressants on the 3rd visit because of the torment im giving myself and problems in other areas of my personal life. I know this goes on forever. My proposed anxiety leads to extreme absent mindedness and confused thoughts eg. Nearly just walking across the road into the traffic without looking because im constantly obsessed by my feelings. Its got to the point where I have had to take a two week break from working as an electrician, however im worried i'll never recover and wont be able to work, my gf will leave me cos I wont go out etc etc etc. I am certain some of my problems are anxiety but the memory loss is scaring me and all the information I read online is aimed at people with social phobias which I dont have! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP COS IM GETTIN DESPERATE AT TIMES

[Daisy]

Hi, I can tell you, if you have all the checks possible at the hospital and nothing is showing up, then everything you talk about is anxiety. I have read Paul David's book, 'At Last A Life', and it is very down to earth and true of what anxiety sufferers go through. You don't need to have every symptom mentioned in the book, just a few. Also the absent mindedness and constant loss of memory are two of the symptoms that I myself suffer badly from, I put it down to far too many thoughts going through your mind to be able to keep track of everything. Try to think positively about your health, I know it is harder than thinking something is wrong with your health, but worth a try. Don't look for the cause of anxiety but try to deal with the present.

Hope this will help you in some small way.
Daisy

[Capt-Hook]

Does it feel like you are in a dreamlike state somewhat? You may have depersonalization or derealization, which commonly occur from taking drugs. But, lots of intense drugs like that can also onset genetic anxiety. Do you relate to any of these symptoms?


Affective
- Emotional numbing (for both positive and negative affect)
- Lack of Empathy
- Sense of isolation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Dream-like state
- Loss of motivation
- Loss of a sense of the consequences of one's behaviour

Cognitive
- Impaired concentration
- Mind 'emptiness or 'racing thoughts'
- Memory Impairments
- Impaired visual imagery
- Difficulty in processing new information

Physiological/Perceptual
- Partial or total physiological numbing
- Feelings of weightlessness/hollowness
- Lack of a sense of physical boundaries
- Sensory impairments (e.g. taste, touch, microscopia and/or macroscopia)
- Sensory distortions (e.g. sound, loss of colour)
- Dizziness
- External world appears flat and 2 dimensional
- Objects do not appear solid
- Loss of a sense of recognition to one's own reflection and voice.
- Changed perception of time

[JoeyLowtown]

Basically I just feel weird. I get dizzy and panicy spells. Ive gone 3mths since the incident working 12hr days sometimes rewiring houses alone, so I cant be that ill. However I find it difficult to switch off and have had a lot of other stressors such as moving house, my gf went away to egypt with a dance company for a month and we could barely speak due to the cost of phone calls, so that stressed me a lot. Also I have a lot of trouble with my younger brother. For the past week I've felt a lot of pressure in my head like its gonna blow off, this subsides after sleep or when I calm down, but it leaves me with dizziness and feeling that Im not really in my surroundings. These episodes can last for a few hrs and I feel very tired.
I wouldnt say I have panic attacks but my doctor has described my state as prolonged chronic anxiety, however it doesnt seem to subside much no matter where I am and the confused thoughts are very scary which just cause more anxiety. What is genetic anxiety. Surely this can be overcome and taking amphetamines once has not cost me my life!

[VAUGHANY]

i have read Paul Davids book aswell, but the way u say it doesnt help,is because u havnt listened to wot he said,because it sounds like u r still constantly worrying and scared of ur thoughts,instead of trying to accept them and tell urself i know its gonna take time but its temporary and i will recover. remember ur mind needs rest cuz it is tired through constant worry,please give it a chance u may actually feel better.

[ImatypeA]

Wow, what you experienced after the speed sounds really really scary. But you have been given a clean bill of health physically.

Many people have found that a major illness/health incident like yours will prompt severe anxiety even after the health incident has passed.

Okay - I have been exactly where you are - thinking I had every illness in the book. First piece of advice is to stop looking up symptoms on the web. Second is what the last poster just said - accept your anxiety and fearful thoughts - try to "deescalate" their importance for short periods of time by engaging in something that requires your concentration and some physical movement. Try it just for a minute or two at first and force yourself to focus.


I hope this helps you -

[Mark05]

Basically I just feel weird. I get dizzy and panicy spells. Ive gone 3mths since the incident working 12hr days sometimes rewiring houses alone, so I cant be that ill. However I find it difficult to switch off and have had a lot of other stressors such as moving house, my gf went away to egypt with a dance company for a month and we could barely speak due to the cost of phone calls, so that stressed me a lot. Also I have a lot of trouble with my younger brother. For the past week I've felt a lot of pressure in my head like its gonna blow off, this subsides after sleep or when I calm down, but it leaves me with dizziness and feeling that Im not really in my surroundings. These episodes can last for a few hrs and I feel very tired.
I wouldnt say I have panic attacks but my doctor has described my state as prolonged chronic anxiety, however it doesnt seem to subside much no matter where I am and the confused thoughts are very scary which just cause more anxiety. What is genetic anxiety. Surely this can be overcome and taking amphetamines once has not cost me my life!

Hi There,

Thought i'd reply as i've been battling simular thoughts etc except mine didnt start like yours.

Anyway mate, Have you been to see a psychologist about these thoughts? They can be enormous help & support at a time like this. I too experienced crazy thoughts etc and couldnt concentrate at all. I was buggered by the end of the day cos i had done so much thinking. Ive been dealing with anxiety for 3 months now. Im 24 and was loving life going out doin the usual stuff us boys get up to. Its really hard but you must remain positive even tho that may seen miles away at times.

Keep occupied. Those thoughts will eventually fade a little. It wont happen overnight but slowly they will fade and you will learn that they are only thoughts and they are not real. Pay no attention to them.

I still am striving on aswell and will continue to do so. I still have my bad days but deep down i will never give up. Look forward to being back to my best.

Good luck! Those fun times are still there

[JoeyLowtown]

hey mark,
Yea I wont give up either, i enjoy life too much when Im well. Bad days just bring it all back you know what I mean. Im feeling better than I did last night which is a positive for sure! good luck

[woofytalk]

Hey Joey,

ANY kind of drug will have an effect on you level of anxiety. A stimulant will cause your anxiety to creep up when you're crashing. A depressant like alchohol will only flood your brain with chemicals that emphasize anxiety.

The best way to beat the anxiety is with a clean slate. The clean slate involves a healthy diet and positive influences that create positive thoughts. Once you have a controlled lifestyle, you'll take control of your anxiety. And once you have that kind of discipline, you will have greater control when you do decide to take risks in life.

I'm not encouraging a boring - do nothing kind of life. But you should take control before you explore more controversial territory.

-Rachel