Anxiety is really making me stressed!

[Elle03]

Hello. Okay, this is my hole story it's long! Im 19, female.
So in december 2010, one night my friend and i took cocaine. I felt perfectly normal the day atfer, wasnt even depressed. So then i carried on using it, with my boyfriend. we took 1 gram a night, and i felt normal. one morning i even felt fresh after using it. so the hole of december i used it, maybe 10 times max all together. then in beginning of january with my friend i used ''speed'' or amphetamine . when i came home my body was exhausted but my mind was so awake and full of thoughts. i never experienced that feeling before, i felt very worried. the hole night i did not sleep, then in the morning i stayed in bed and had some tea to feel better. out of the blue my heart starts racing and i had this HUGE pressure in my head, i didint know what was going on. I went to the ER and they said it was an anxiety attack and gave me Ativan, did an ECG and that was fine, and told me i must sleep well and it anxiety will not occur again. i was fine for a few days, but again the attack came back, and after a while it goes away. in feb i went to the ER twice and again they said it was anxiety and i did a blood test it, they said im perfectly healthy.
It then went away for a week and then one night i had a few tequila shots and smoked cigarettes, the day after anxiety came back, since then i have anxiety symptoms throughout the hole day! i get tingle feelings throughout my hole body, chest pain, dizziness, pain in my arms, knees, choking sensations, hedaches ect. it is very stressful for me and my family. i even had a hude fight with my dad because of my anxiety. coz i think that something is wrong with me, then i think again about it and realise its just fear and its all from my head. im not a big fan of medications so i use natural remedies like green tea, nervuton, omega 3 and prozen, and i work out 3-5 times a week. it helps but its not that effective like ativan. I really want to be 100% FREE from anxiety cause it is very stressful and i want my old lifestyle back! What must i do??? Please any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Elle03]

Thanks for all the support. I'm ready to get over this feeling and get my life back on track. I made a huge mistake, and I'm glad I know what drugs are all about. Because with some people they dont even notice what the drug is doing to them.
Just need to get better and I'm definitely going to be the happiest person ever!

[nursegirl6572]

Often times, when a person experiments with drugs, it will trigger anxiety that they either had a history of, were predisposed to, or even in some cases...never experienced before.  Stimulants like cocaine and meth worsen anxiety 100 fold, they CAUSE anxious symptoms which certainly can throw someone into a downward anxiety spiral.  To complicate that, stimulant drugs have the "come down" effect in the days after using, and that depressive "come down" can be severe...especially after big binges or heavy usage.  Even alcohol, which is a depressant, is known for some nasty "next day" anxiety and depression.  Been there done that...which is why I rarely drink anymore.

While these drugs do not CAUSE anxiety disorders...they trigger them, and unfortunately as anxiety goes, a person will start to fear the anxiety, leading to the anxious cycle of thinking/worrying/anxiety LONG after the substance abuse has stopped.  It is the simple sensation of the anxiety triggered by the drug that LEADS to the worrying and constant anxiety.  It would be great if these drug related triggers were as simple as ....once you cease using, the anxiety goes away.  That happens in some cases, but in so many others...a person is often left with residual anixety that can many times lead to chronic anxiety and anxiety disorders.

You're already on the right track...you've sought help.  That's step one.  This might be a longer and more complicated process than you thought, but with some work, you can undo that anxious cycle you're in.  And, the fact that you've sought help quickly works in your favor, rather than waiting and letting it get out of control.  It goes without saying that it would be adviseable to stay away from ANY kind of drug, even alcohol, as those things will exacerbate your anxiety something terrible.

Good luck, hang in there and be patient with yourself.  I truly hope you can move past this with ease.  Count your lucky stars that while unfortunately you're having trouble with anxiety...it has caused you to learn a hard lesson about drugs.  You could have gone down a path that lead to nowhere good at all.

Please keep in touch with us!

[Elle03]

Thanks ppl, i went to a psychologist today, she is going to do some kind of hypnosis to clear my sub-conscience mind from anxiety, cause the first anxiety attack is what triggered it.
I hope all this stress in going to fade away soon, and obviously i will not use any kind of chemical that will harm my body. cause its not worth it!

[rls27]

You (and everyone who puts illegal narcotics into their bodies) need to understand something here. These recreational drugs you are taking are manufactured without any regulation whatsoever. The contents of cocaine can vary from one dealer to the next depending on who his supplier is. You see, when cociane is cut, it's ALWAYS mixed with something else. Each dealer may use a different product to fill the cocaine. Here are some common examples of what is used to dilute your coke before it hits the streets: local anesthetics procaine, lidocaine, benzocaine, tetracaine and butacaine are often added to enhance quality, as are stimulants such as amphetamine, ephedrine, and caffeine. Sugars such as lactose, inositol, and mannitol are used to dilute.

In most cases less than half of the coke you're snorting is actual cocaine, the rest is filler that's be mixed in, and it's not regulated so you never know what exact dose you're getting of coke or whatever else they are using to cut the coke with.

This stuff is also cut in unsanitary conditions. You probably wouldn't eat a cheeseburger that fell on the kitchen floor of a restaurant, but you trust an unscrupulous dealer to handle your coke in a sanitary manner and mix it with safe contents. Something that will be snorted into your face and directly into your blood stream. Think about it. There are any number of chemicals and foreign substances in that line your snorting. It's no wonder you are having anxiety attacks and physical side effects.

One thing to remember, for anyone prone to anxiety, coke will only magnify your symptoms and make things much worse. Find other ways to get some enjoyment out of life...stop putting drugs and chemicals into your body.

[kimouse]

You say u have been on cocaine? This is why your body is in a mess. You dont want to be on meds from your doctor that will help you but your happy taking cocaine that can kill you. You need to think long and hard about your life style. Anxiety is often caused by drugs , stress ,well a number of things. You cannot put a time limit on how long it will last but i can assure you that if you do go back to that life style of drugs then your anxiety will increase. You need to seek medical help. Good luck

[Elle03]

thanks. So do you think if i completely stop with chemicals my body will be on its normal average? and do you, by any chance know how long it will last for?

[Rich99]

A drug is a drug is a drug.....you started with coke then speed, then ativan,  you use alcohol,  nicotine....the point here is some chemicals speed up the body while others try to slow it down.     While that's happening,  your brain chemistry and body try to get back to it's normal average levels.     That means if you take anything that speeds up the nervous system,  your brain responds by trying to slow it down.     If you take anything that depresses the nervous system,  the brain responds by trying to speed it up back to its normal self.     Is it no wonder you feel the way you do?    You are playing a dangerous game and need to get off all chemicals.