Are these panic attacks? Anybody's opinion would help so much!!

[BethanySublime]

Hi,

I need help as to whether or not I'm having panic attacks.  Sorry-I made this way too long but I find it all important, so I'm going to post the rest in comments.

First of all, my family has a long history of depression, different kinds of anxiety, OCD,

hypochondria, schizophrenia, and probably other mood disorders.  I personally have never

been professionally examined for any of those, although I'm definitely a hypochondriac, and

I believe I have anxiety and seasonal affective disorder.

Second, it should be noted that I occasionally use ecstasy (not a heavy user but I've taken

a considerable amount over the past year, probably around 75-100 pills), which is believed

to cause/trigger those types of disorders, especially in people predisposed like myself.  

When I do use it, I feel depressed and empty the next few days, and these "panic attacks"

did not start until after I started taking ecstasy.

There are two different kinds of "panic attacks" I've experienced: (continue in comments)

[crazzy 121212]

hey im 17 years old ive been smoking marijuana on and off for about this past year and last night i had one of the most scariest things of my life happen so i smoked it there was a huge thunderstorm outside i ran to my car booom i heard lightning i was scared to death i was soo scared i was shivering i finally goit hom went into bed everything was going crazy my heart was pumping i thought i ws hearing loud loud noises i felt like i was going to die like my heart was gonna stop i wasnt sure how to breathe slow or fast my heart was pumping i felt like i was at a constant freak out panic as if theyre were monsters trying to kill me some crazy **** happened to me and i wanna know was it my enviornment like the scary rain or was it me please let me know and find an answer as soon as possible thanks!

[dying everyday]

You are definately having panic attacks!!!  I speak from experience that street drugs will create an anxiety disorder that will plague the rest of your days.
My personal histoy is as follows:
- cigs. since 12 years old, over a pack a day for 13 years now
- weed since 14 years old, averaged an ounce &1/2 per week for 10 years
- ephedrine abuse (up to 1,500 mg in one day) for three years off and on, in the form of Mini-Thins, they use ephedrine to make crank and I believe it's in ecstacy too!!!
- alcoholic for three years (mixing it with the ephedrine or weed)
- smoked crank ONCE
- smoked meth ONCE
I never had anxiety until I smoked the crank in 2000.  My father had just died and I didn't really give a s**t about anything.  I developed anxiety symptoms immediately.  My hands and feet would tingle, then get cold, my lips would tingle at times, I would get dizzy/light-headed, my breathing would become shallow, and I would always go to bed at this point.  As soon as I would lay down, my inner chest wall would begin to feel ice cold, I couldn't feel my heart beating, I couldn't detect my pulse, my extremeties would turn white and feel like ice, and I was convinced I was going to die.  This went on for 8 months before I was hospitalized.  I had gotten so bad that I could no longer eat, and couldn't even keep water down for 2 days.  I was then hospitalized for a week and had all kinds of tests run on me, their final diagnosis being anxiety, and they sent me home with yet another pill to take.  I took it for a month and one day I realized that not only had my worries about my health disappeared, my personality had disappeared as well.  I could no longer cry, laugh, make any decisions, or even force myself to smile.  I quit taking them and haven't taken anything for my anxiety disorder since.  Whenever I would smoke weed I would get that lump in the throat thing too, which would always bring on a panic attack.  Becoming a mother made me clean up my act, no more weed, no pills, no alcohol/beer/wine, but I still smoke cigs. and am trying to quit everyday.  When I was younger (30 y.o. now) I had no desire to be a mother and never really cared about my life and did pretty much everything I could to "throw my life away".  Now that I have children I regret the damage I've done to my body, and the time I've taken from my kids, by shortening my life, and spending so much time worrying about when that might happen.  I have tried a 15 week at-home self-help program that allowed me to regain the ability to leave my house, drive a car, and socialize with friends, but the anxiety reamins.  I still worry about my health daliy.  
I'm sorry to have gone into such detail about my life and anxiety disorder, but I wanted to tell you just how bad it can get if you don't stop now.  You may wake up one day and regret the choices you made as I do now.  I wish you the best of luck, and I hope my story helps you.

[GreenEyedMama]

and at first they are not bad enough to make a scene

[GreenEyedMama]

no there are not the drugs maybe they were induced by them but like for me it was just the start of many more to come

[BethanySublime]

I know, I know...don't do drugs.  But whether they're drug-induced or not, would you say that they are panic attacks for sure?  The thing that makes me think not, is that I don't get SO scared that I make a scene.

[suzi-q]

What I can't understand is, if you are that worried about your health, why would you harm yourself with recreational drugs?  Even those without anxiety disorders get attacks when doing drugs...my suggestion?  get off the drugs...get a physical...get psychological help......its not easy, but it is the  only thing that will work.  Best  to you!!

[GreenEyedMama]

i used to smoke weed & other things would get them really bad to the point where i had to stop smokin weed,then i would get them with soda then ciggs i stopped everything but i still get them ive been drug free for years it still happens everyday all day after i eat the most

[azqtpies]

Can I suggest to stop using any kind of drugs.. they will absolutely cause paranoia.. and create panic, not to mention they are VERY bad for your health.

If you are using these drugs to surpress feelings may I suggest  you contact a counsler to discuss your feelings and possibly they can help you through any issue that are causing the need to self medicate with illiegal substances. I wish you great luck, but you will certainly  need to stop using in order to begin your healing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck & God bless

Kelly~

[fluffyrabbits]

..........maybe it would help if you quit doing drugs and were more careful not to get a big sugar/caffine rush.

[BethanySublime]

1)  Has only happened twice, both times at work after much excessive worrying about my

health.  Both times I made my herbal tea too strong by accident, which has caffeine.  First

I feel the effects of too much caffeine - shaky, mind racing, irritable.  Then I start

crying or hyperventilating due to worrying about my health.  I can't feel my heartbeat.  

I'm breathing so slow.  It feels like I'm dying, but I can't explain it.  Then I feel

disconnected from my body sort of, like I'm wandering through the day without really being

there or being able to focus.  It's not so strong that I start freaking out on the outside,

only internally.  It is so strong that I have to tell my parents (I work for them) even

though I feel like they'll just call me a hypochondriac (which is what happened).  And it

lasts for hours.  Obviously not a textbook panic attack, but what's going on in my head is

what makes me think it might be.

2)  This next one I believe to be marijuana-induced.  Every time it happens, it's right

after I get done smoking a lot after getting home from work.  The first one was about 3

weeks ago, and I've had it about 7 or 8 times since then, most of which have happened in

the past week.  They are starting to happen much more frequently.  The first two were the

worst, because I had no idea what was going on, and I really thought I was about to die,

but now I'm better at staying calm.  It starts out with a tingly lump I feel in my throat.  

The strange part is, it's not in my windpipe or my "swallowing tube" (i can't think of what

it's called lol).  It feels like it's in a vein or just the tissue.  It either feels like

an air bubble or a dry sticky spot.  Sometimes it feels weird to swallow, sometimes I

breathe different because it feels like breathing normal will cause some unexplained

horrible effect.  Very slowly, it moves up my neck until it makes one side of my lower face

all tingly.  That's when I begin to feel like I'm dying.  Then it continues all the way

around up to the top of my head.  It's numb and tingles, and it feels like it's between my

skin and bone somewhere.  During this slow progression, my legs usually go numb and for a

while I start to *panic* because I feel so weird, but I always calm it down (after the

first two, I've been able to keep my mind mostly calm but the physical effects still need

to run their course).  There are times when I tell myself "What if it's not a panic attack?

What if there's really something wrong with me?!?!  What if it actually kills me?  No

doctors will be able to figure this out!  I've never heard of anything like it!  What is

WRONG WITH ME????"  But I usually just counter it by thinking "No, it's just a panic

attack.  There's nothing wrong with you.  You're a hypochondriac, that's all."  Even if I

don't believe it, it's what I keep forcing myself to think.  Once the tingling runs its

course through my body, my "panic attack" is over.  They usually are about 10-20 minutes

although the one I had last night kept tingling for a long time even after it was done.

So, now that I've written a short novel about my exeriences,  what do you think?  Are they

panic attacks?  My hypochondria?  Drug-induced panic attacks?  Or...my biggest fear...is

there really something wrong with me physically?  If anyone has input it would be greatly

appreciated.

Thanks,

Bethany