Anxiety Causes

[MiuMau]

I have been diagnosed with GAD two and a half years ago. I`m also slightly agoraphobic and I have social phobia. I have been on antidepressants for a year and a half or more, but since December last year I`m not on any kind of medication and I`m in cognitive therapy.
I`m lately having this fear that my anxiety was caused by using drugs. Every time I used drugs (marijuana or ecstasy), and I didn`t do it more than 10 or 15 times (ecstasy maybe 4 times), I had hallucinations. There was one particular hallucination that scares me even when I think about it today - when I practically saw things that were not there and I almost made a fool of myself (it happened on the street after a music festival). All this happened six months or so before my first panic attack and anxiety.
I`m fearing I ruined my life by doing things I shouldn`t have done - and my biggest fear is that I will start hallucinating again.
I never used drugs before that period - and I don`t intend to use drugs ever again, I don`t even drink alcohol, but I am wondering could my anxiety have started because of the drug abuse? And - am I at risk of hallucinating again?

[Stro512]

Hello! Your not alone, there are many of us that suffer from anxiety/panic attacks including me. One real fact about anxiety/panic attacks is that, when someone has an incident that triggers high anxiety or a panic attack, later, if you dwell on it too much, just thinking about the incident or some variation of it can cause one to have another anxiety/panic attack. Since you hallucination was triggered by a drug, chances are that you will not start to randomly hallucinate. but to answer your question. I would think that because a drug caused a hallucinations that still scares you today. The answer could be yes, but more likely your anxiety/panic attacks stem from either other stresses in your life or constantly reliving the scary hallucinations in your mind over and over again could cause you to have high anxiety/panic attacks. It is doubtful that taking your antidepressants will cause hallucinations but with any drug you must follow your Dr.s recommended dose. You might want to check out this website for some good information on Anxiety and how to manage it.
http://www.anxieties.com/panic.php
Your not alone...Hang in there.

[Paxiled]

The marijuana isn't a problem, the ecstasy is more problematic, but it doesn't really matter.  You have to deal with who you are now.  Those experiences were then.  Wave goodbye to them and get into therapy to solve today's problems.  And drugs and anxiety don't mix, so wave goodbye to them, too.

[MiuMau]

Thanks !
Since I got my first panic attack six months or more after using drugs - and I have had my share of stressful situations - I`d say drugs didn`t cause it too. But it`s like I`m remembering such episodes from my life only to feed my anxiety - and sometimes I do get really really scared I`ll start hallucinating and something bad will happen. Tho I haven`t had any hallucinations for almost three years now (well - since that horrible episode with ecstasy) - it`s like I cant convince myself that it was the drug and not some underlying psychosis of some sort!
Anyways - I`m not on meds anymore, for months now, I`m in cognitive therapy.
And no - of course I will never use drugs again! I rarely even drink! That was just a stupid phase in my life when I thought nothing could get to me!
I just have to figure out a way to deal with it, I`m sure to talk it over with my doc as soon as she is back from her business trip!
Anyways anyways - thanks for the advices, really helped me!

[MiuMau]

Thanks! You sound just like my doc and what you say does make sense!
I guess it really is true analysis = paralysis :) ... anyways - I`m trying my best not to think about such things - but it`s always good to know ones not alone!