Aa
Will this anxiety go away?
Hello. I am 21 years old. In good health. Don't drink, don't smoke. Had a job for a few months where I was yelled at from the first day by my boss. Screamed at. Called names. Just all around treated very badly. I didn't want to quit the job. I was trying to help with the finances at home since we have been having a lot of financial problems. My mother kept telling me to quit. That I was being treated badly and she didn't want me to work there. But I took it for as long as I could. I began throwing up before I went in, and during lunch. Sometimes even during the day I'd have to run into the bathroom to vomit. I began having bad anxiety. I tried to hide it. Kept going to work. Until one day I just couldn't take it anymore. Things got real bad. So I finally quit. A friend of mine was smoking pot one day and I smoked some to calm me down. I had only smoked pot once before. I didn't have a bad reaction to it then. But this time, I don't know what happened. I went into a very bad panick. I needed to be told continuously that i was okay. This lasted about an hour or 2. But I haven't been the same since. I have panick attacks all the time now. Just about everyday. I still throw up. I break out in a sweat. My heart is always racing. I feel all different feelings at once. Sad, Angry, Scared. i feel like I'm losing my mind. Like I'm going crazy. someone I know told me they went through something similar, minus the pot. And that they are okay now. They got better. My question is, could the pot have triggered something that made the anxiety worse? How long does this usually last. I've been like this for like a month now, with the anxiety. Did this happen to anyone else? How long did it last and how did you get back to normal? Please, any advice will help. Thanks. ( I haven't smoked pot since, and have no intentions to ever again.)
Glad to hear you got an appt, and so quick. Usually, it takes weeks to get in with a specialist. Remember,..go IN with an open mind, let the doctor recommend a medication and then give it a try. Also remember, that as awful as this is, you aren't going to be back to normal overnight. You will still have anxiety and panic while you are waiting for the med(s) to start working, and for the therapy to begin helping. We want to feel better right NOW, but unfortunately, that's not how it works.
The bad dreams are most likely from the high levels of anxiety, your brain isn't fully relaxing. Do not be afraid of taking the Ativan, it is there to help you. Sure, it may make you feel a little "different" at first, but that's okay...better than panicking. Try not to get caught up in the horror stories you will read about any med....the vast majority of people do well, the horrific tales you hear are pretty rare. Most people are somewhere in between. Countless people have been helped with meds...keep that in mind.
Write your questions down ahead of time so you are prepared when you get to the doctor's appt. Best of luck...you're headed in the right direction,
The bad dreams are most likely from the high levels of anxiety, your brain isn't fully relaxing. Do not be afraid of taking the Ativan, it is there to help you. Sure, it may make you feel a little "different" at first, but that's okay...better than panicking. Try not to get caught up in the horror stories you will read about any med....the vast majority of people do well, the horrific tales you hear are pretty rare. Most people are somewhere in between. Countless people have been helped with meds...keep that in mind.
Write your questions down ahead of time so you are prepared when you get to the doctor's appt. Best of luck...you're headed in the right direction,
Thank you for your support. I almost ended up in the ER yesterday. Things got really bad for me. I took a Lorazapam to calm down. I fell asleep for 2 hrs. But woke constantly with bad dreams. I don't know if it was from the medication. it was the first time I took it. I have been dreaming a lot. Bad dreams. But this was different. I don't know how to explain. I decided not to take another unless I really needed to. I have lost some weight. I have not much of an appetite. If it wasn't for my mom insisting i eat a little something, I probably wouldn't. She has been helping me through. If she wasn't here when I went through what I did yesterday, I would have ended up in the ER. Our insurance is not too good. Hard to find someone who takes it. So I have been having problems finding a provider. But I finally found someone to see me on Monday. A psychiatrist. I'm afraid of what meds he will prescribe. I am only 21 and have heard that some meds are not good if you are under 24. So I am worried. I have a therapist now that is working with my mom to get me an appointment ASAP. So far nothing til possibly Monday. I don't know if I can wait til then. I need to see someone now! They are going to call back to let me know if they can find anyone sooner. I tried to play a video game yesterday, and couldn't concentrate too good. After a half hour, I stopped. My mom said that was a good sign, that i played my game. And it did help a little to get my mind off things. I find that have terrible nights. I feel alone and so scared. I will update again after I see a doctor. Thanks for your support.
My goodness! You're suffering and you have Ativan? Ativan is a benzodiazepine, which is an anti-anxiety medication. Take it as prescribed, it will help tremendously until you can get in to see a psychiatrist (which, btw is a great move!). If you can, try to take the lorazepam (Ativan), BEFORE your panic gets out of control. The earlier on you take it, the better it will work in terms of stopping your panic.
The other med is Ambien, which is a med for insomnia. You can also take that if you are having a tough time sleeping. Try the Ativan first. You may not need the Ambien at all. Both medications will almost definitely cause drowsiness (which can be good), so no driving, and it wouldn't hurt to have someone handy in the house, until you know how you will react to the medications. Taking both meds together will magnify the drowsiness markedy, so be careful. They are ok to be used concurrently, just be cautious, especially at first. That's why I recommended having someone around.
Please start taking the Ativan, it really will help you, even if just to decrease the severity of the panic for now. Also, to give you an idea of what to expect, the most common medication approach for treating panic is the use of an SSRI antidepressant, like Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, etc. These meds do work very well for a lot of people, but they take TIME to work, usually about 4-6 weeks, so you know, relief will not come overnight. Therapy, along with the medications is vital to help you learn coping mechanisms. The meds work by helping to control the symptoms, and therapy is beneficial by teaching you ways to retrain your anxious thinking.
You'll get there, with some help, time, work, and patience. Keep us in the loop!
The other med is Ambien, which is a med for insomnia. You can also take that if you are having a tough time sleeping. Try the Ativan first. You may not need the Ambien at all. Both medications will almost definitely cause drowsiness (which can be good), so no driving, and it wouldn't hurt to have someone handy in the house, until you know how you will react to the medications. Taking both meds together will magnify the drowsiness markedy, so be careful. They are ok to be used concurrently, just be cautious, especially at first. That's why I recommended having someone around.
Please start taking the Ativan, it really will help you, even if just to decrease the severity of the panic for now. Also, to give you an idea of what to expect, the most common medication approach for treating panic is the use of an SSRI antidepressant, like Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, etc. These meds do work very well for a lot of people, but they take TIME to work, usually about 4-6 weeks, so you know, relief will not come overnight. Therapy, along with the medications is vital to help you learn coping mechanisms. The meds work by helping to control the symptoms, and therapy is beneficial by teaching you ways to retrain your anxious thinking.
You'll get there, with some help, time, work, and patience. Keep us in the loop!
huni..your 21..im so glad your on here as you know you have problems to overcome...but your 21..seek help in your friends and family..if not your gp..maybe there is underlying problems..i dont know but live your life..remember you only here once...
I thank you for taking the time to write to me. I had one of my worst days today. I have been trying to get an appointment with a therapist. So far I have not received a call back. My mother and I were discussing my problem, and we both agree that I will probably need to get on some kind of medication to help me to be back to my normal self again. She is going to look into psychiatrists tomorrow who take our insurance plan, rather than the therapists because my mom said the therapists can't write a prescription. And although I had hoped I would not need that right now, I have come to the realization that I will be needing it. What I'd like to know is until I can get a prescription for something to help me, what can I do to help me to cope. I have tried to put the thoughts out of my mind when I feel them coming on, but it doesn't work too good. I keep telling myself I'm okay, but I still usually panic. And I'm so afraid that I will not get better. I need my life back, and I need to know how to cope and calm myself down when I feel a panic coming on. My primary doctor gave me a Zolpidem, and also another pill to take to calm me called Lorazepam. But I have heard that this might cause a person like me with my problem here with all this crazy anxiety, that it might have the opposite effect on me and then if that happens, I will panic more. So I asked the pharmacist, and he wasn't sure about it. He did also ask my age, which is 21. So he sounded very unsure of what he was saying. Just that the doctor doesn't usually prescribe those meds together, or something like that, and maybe my doctor had a reason for that, and so I don't want to take a chance. Because I can't continue to go through all of this panic. So please give me some ideas of how to stop these attacks I'm having until I can see a doctor. Thank you so much for all of your help. I appreciate it so much. Thank you.
Ok, for one, your mind din't snap...you're having panic attacks. While they feel just terrifying, they cannot harm you in any way, physically or mentally. You're also getting stuck in the anxious cycle of thinking, worrying about everything,"what iffing". Most people cannot stop a panic attack, that's why you need to seek professional help.
Don't start worrying about all these details about medications. Yes, it's true that sometimes you have to try more than one to find the one that will be the most effective for you, but that's ok. You also may do great on the first one you try. Everyone has different experiences. You have to go into anxiety with an open mind, and be willing to try what the doctor recommends. Also, don't start worrying about coming OFF meds when you haven't even started them yet. Most of the meds used to treat anxiety disorders can be taken long term, and a lot of people choose not to come off them, which is also okay. As far as the ones that are habit forming, you may not even be prescribed those kind of meds, and if you are, there are ways you can take it where that wouldn't be a concern. We can discuss tha after you see the doctor and find out what your regimen will be.
You need to do something. There is just no reason to continue to suffer when there is help out there. So many of us have learned how to keep our anxiety to a manageable level and get our lives back, you can too! Take that first step today, and call your doctor. You really need to start addressing this before you can consider going out and getting a job. Right now, it woiuld be too hard for you to properly function at work with this ;level of anxiety.
Let us know when your appt is.
Don't start worrying about all these details about medications. Yes, it's true that sometimes you have to try more than one to find the one that will be the most effective for you, but that's ok. You also may do great on the first one you try. Everyone has different experiences. You have to go into anxiety with an open mind, and be willing to try what the doctor recommends. Also, don't start worrying about coming OFF meds when you haven't even started them yet. Most of the meds used to treat anxiety disorders can be taken long term, and a lot of people choose not to come off them, which is also okay. As far as the ones that are habit forming, you may not even be prescribed those kind of meds, and if you are, there are ways you can take it where that wouldn't be a concern. We can discuss tha after you see the doctor and find out what your regimen will be.
You need to do something. There is just no reason to continue to suffer when there is help out there. So many of us have learned how to keep our anxiety to a manageable level and get our lives back, you can too! Take that first step today, and call your doctor. You really need to start addressing this before you can consider going out and getting a job. Right now, it woiuld be too hard for you to properly function at work with this ;level of anxiety.
Let us know when your appt is.
I was up all night. I slept for maybe an hour, but woke up with the worst feeling of fear. And I don't even know what the fear is of. It's like a chill comes over me, and I just feel myself going into a panic. I try to fight it off. But it's just too much. What a I supposed to do? I can't get a job like this. I can't even go to the laundromat or the store. I know I went through a lot at work. But I have gone through so much worse in my lifetime, and this has never happened to me. I know I have my mom and she is great and here for me every step of the way. But I still just feel so alone in this. I don't know what happened to me. Did my mind snap? Please tell me if this something has happened to anyone here. I know I have to go to a therapist, and I'm afraid to get on meds. I didn't want to have to do that. I have read so much about how some people have to try so many different ones to find the right one for them. Or how you can't just stop taking a medication without slowly getting off it. Or how some people get addicted. It's some scary ****, and this whole thing is scary to me. I really need some more advice here. I feel like I'm losing my mind.
Well, you're most certainly welcome, but no thanks is needed. A site like this is a fabulous resource for info and support. We DO care, please stick around and let us know how you're doing.
I have been going through a terrible ordeal. And to find people here who understand what I'm going through means so much. At least I know I'm not alone in this. I want to say thanks to every person here who has been writing to me. I appreciate it.
Thank you very much. It helps to have this information and to know that I am not alone in this. I have been feeling so scared, and just want to feel better. I will take all of this advice and start the steps I need to get better. This is not a good feeling, and I just want to get back to my normal life. Thanks so much for caring. It means a lot.
Hello and welcome!
I'm sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. It sounds like you may be suffering from panic disorder. Like specialmom explained, anxiety that lasts longer than a couple weeks or anxiety that starts interfering with your life, requires intervention, usually in the form of professional help.
I would recommend making an appt with your doctor, explain what has been going on. Most likely, he wll refer you to a psychiatrist. That doctor will thoroughly assess you, give you an accurate diagnosis, and then offer treatment options, that may include medications and/or therapy. That is the most common approach to treating anixety and panic, and has been successful for countless people. For most people with an anxiety disorder, anxiety is something we have to deal with in some degree, for a lifetime. There is no "cure", only treatment of anxiety in times of exacerbation. The good news is, with treatment, you can get the anxiety to a manageable level, and live a normal life.
We see anxiety triggered by pot and other drugs on the anxiety community all the time. It's a common occurence. The trigger, or cause of a person's anxiety becomes far less important than what he or she does about it. To reassure you, the weed did not harm you or "damage" you in any way, that's a common worry. Most likely, a feeling you had while high triggered an anxious response that was severe. The anxious response itself causes more anxiety, because it is traumatizing. That's why you haven't been able to "shake it off", per se, and that's also the reason why at this point, it's best to seek some help. You've been suffering long enough that it is safe to assume the anxiety isn't likely just going to resolve on its own.
So, take that first step, and make a doctor's appointment, get the ball rolling. A few things to keep in mind as you go down this road. For one, in order to not make the anxiety worse, you need to steer clear of pot, or any other drug, plus alcohol. Alcohol will intensify anxiety big time. Until you can get the anxiety to a more manageable level, abstain from drinking.
Also, anxiety treatment takes time. The medications commonly Rx'd can take up top 4-6 weeks to really start working, and therapy takes time as well. It's important to try to be as patient as possible, and work at it, do the things your therapist recommends. It will not always be easy, and relief will not come overnight.
Hang in there...please let us know how you're doing!
I'm sorry to hear you are having such a rough time. It sounds like you may be suffering from panic disorder. Like specialmom explained, anxiety that lasts longer than a couple weeks or anxiety that starts interfering with your life, requires intervention, usually in the form of professional help.
I would recommend making an appt with your doctor, explain what has been going on. Most likely, he wll refer you to a psychiatrist. That doctor will thoroughly assess you, give you an accurate diagnosis, and then offer treatment options, that may include medications and/or therapy. That is the most common approach to treating anixety and panic, and has been successful for countless people. For most people with an anxiety disorder, anxiety is something we have to deal with in some degree, for a lifetime. There is no "cure", only treatment of anxiety in times of exacerbation. The good news is, with treatment, you can get the anxiety to a manageable level, and live a normal life.
We see anxiety triggered by pot and other drugs on the anxiety community all the time. It's a common occurence. The trigger, or cause of a person's anxiety becomes far less important than what he or she does about it. To reassure you, the weed did not harm you or "damage" you in any way, that's a common worry. Most likely, a feeling you had while high triggered an anxious response that was severe. The anxious response itself causes more anxiety, because it is traumatizing. That's why you haven't been able to "shake it off", per se, and that's also the reason why at this point, it's best to seek some help. You've been suffering long enough that it is safe to assume the anxiety isn't likely just going to resolve on its own.
So, take that first step, and make a doctor's appointment, get the ball rolling. A few things to keep in mind as you go down this road. For one, in order to not make the anxiety worse, you need to steer clear of pot, or any other drug, plus alcohol. Alcohol will intensify anxiety big time. Until you can get the anxiety to a more manageable level, abstain from drinking.
Also, anxiety treatment takes time. The medications commonly Rx'd can take up top 4-6 weeks to really start working, and therapy takes time as well. It's important to try to be as patient as possible, and work at it, do the things your therapist recommends. It will not always be easy, and relief will not come overnight.
Hang in there...please let us know how you're doing!
Hi there. Well, there is a criteria for diagnosing anxiety or depression. One of the things doctors talk about is that symptoms must last for at least 2 weeks, every day during that time. You are past that point. So, I'm going to tell you that I think it is a good idea to see your doctor.
Whether the pot was involved in triggering anxiety, I don't know. (although I sure wouldn't smoke pot again if I were you). But regardless, it has been a month now so the pot isn't involved in today's anxiety.
A doctor may recommend various things such as talking to a therapist or medication. There are also other things you can do to help reduce your anxiety.
One thing that is a big stress reliever for people is simple exercise. It naturally calms the nervous system and has a calming effect. It also releases our brain's natural happy chemicals. so, try to exercise every day.
I'd keep a journal. This is good to not only get feelings out but to start to look for patterns and triggers. If you notice your anxiety peaks at a certain time of day or before or after something in particular, you can begin to see how you may be able to help yourself (either alone or with professional help).
Don't isolate yourself and stay connected to friends and family. Really important to build/keep solid relationships in your life.
Agoraphobia (fear of leaving your home0 is horrible and if you are having regular panic attacks and now fear leaving your home, I encourage you to see a doctor as soon as possible. That is no way to live and anxiety/panic attacks ARE treatable.
good luck dear. You are young and I hope that this is short lived for you. Peace
Whether the pot was involved in triggering anxiety, I don't know. (although I sure wouldn't smoke pot again if I were you). But regardless, it has been a month now so the pot isn't involved in today's anxiety.
A doctor may recommend various things such as talking to a therapist or medication. There are also other things you can do to help reduce your anxiety.
One thing that is a big stress reliever for people is simple exercise. It naturally calms the nervous system and has a calming effect. It also releases our brain's natural happy chemicals. so, try to exercise every day.
I'd keep a journal. This is good to not only get feelings out but to start to look for patterns and triggers. If you notice your anxiety peaks at a certain time of day or before or after something in particular, you can begin to see how you may be able to help yourself (either alone or with professional help).
Don't isolate yourself and stay connected to friends and family. Really important to build/keep solid relationships in your life.
Agoraphobia (fear of leaving your home0 is horrible and if you are having regular panic attacks and now fear leaving your home, I encourage you to see a doctor as soon as possible. That is no way to live and anxiety/panic attacks ARE treatable.
good luck dear. You are young and I hope that this is short lived for you. Peace
Thank you. I just wish I'd get back to normal. I'm even afraid to go out because I'm afraid to have a panic attack outside. It's a bad feeling.
You just had a bad period in your life especially with the job & you did the right thing quitting because sounds like your boss was an a$$.Stay away from the weed because it will do nothing but make the situation worse,I can't really comment on it's effects because I have never tried it but from observing how others behave it's a great idea to not use it.I believe you have anxiety but it can be cured.If it gets worse you should consider meds.Talk to your doctor.
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