Conquering Anxiety and Panic Attacks

[Xemnas]

For about 2 years I've been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks on and off. I spent a year completely sober and tried to work through it and for the most part all the symptoms subsided, but I always felt like I was just burying it and never dealing with it. Recently, I smoked cannabis again for the first time in a long time, thinking I had conquered my anxiety, but it induced the same panic attacks I had a year prior, and my anxiety has been brought back to the surface. I don't think what the cannabis does is bad, it's just bringing out inner things that I haven't dealt with. My question to you guys is, how can I finally deal with these attacks and anxiety and say goodbye to them once and for all? I don't want to bury it again only to have to deal with it again later. Is this even curable?

Also, what are some remedies for panic attacks and general anxiety that I should look into? If meditation helps, what kind specifically should I practice? I've been looking into herbal remedies so I can avoid using benzos when the going gets tough (never tried) and the only promising one I've heard of is valerian. Maybe I should take an entheogenic route? What are some of your recommendations?

I'm open to ALL opinions and advice so PLEASE guys, I would really appreciate your help. Thank you so much.

 

[SpartanII]

Recently, I smoked cannabis again for the first time in a long time, thinking I had conquered my anxiety, but it induced the same panic attacks I had a year prior, and my anxiety has been brought back to the surface.

Lower your dose? Your tolerance may have been a factor.

My question to you guys is, how can I finally deal with these attacks and anxiety and say goodbye to them once and for all? I don't want to bury it again only to have to deal with it again later. Is this even curable?

I recommend lowering your dose and practicing meditation/breathing techniques. That has helped me. Also consider that these attacks may be your subconscious mind's way of giving you a message.

Also, what are some remedies for panic attacks and general anxiety that I should look into? If meditation helps, what kind specifically should I practice? I've been looking into herbal remedies so I can avoid using benzos when the going gets tough (never tried) and the only promising one I've heard of is valerian. Maybe I should take an entheogenic route? What are some of your recommendations?

There are many possible methods of healing. Do the research and trust your intuition. Just remember that relying on a crutch to get through your problem is only a temporary solution. You have all the tools you need within you. Have total faith in your Self and your abilities. Tools can be useful, but don't invest ALL your energy into them to get you by.

My only other advice would be to not take yourself too seriously, and learn to compassionately laugh at yourself and the rest of the world. That's a form of love.:thumb_up:

 

[dtrypt]

I suffer from general anxiety and panic disorder. it's chemical and have to do with your dopamine and adrenal system. it's not something you can wish away "deal with".

I also refuse to take benzos and am on a beta blocker called Propranolol which takes the edge off by eliminating physical symptoms and sensations (elevated heart rate, sweatiness, shakes, stomach knots, etc.)

if weed causes anxiety or panic, don't smoke it. also try and avoid stimulants including caffeine and nicotine. stay far away from amphetamines, cocaine, methcathinone, etc.

some phenethylamines can also exacerbate anxiety but it's usually only noticeable on the come-up.

breathing and meditation definitely works well in managing anxiety.

 

[Xemnas]

dtrypt, are you able to work with psychedelics even though you have panic attacks and general anxiety? What techniques do you use to overcome the anxiety?

 

[soulfood]

I've recently been diagnosed with Generalised anxiety disorder.

I think I've had symptoms for a while but wrote them off as mild physical symptoms of something else which I though were no big deal. On a 2cb trip at a party, towards the end I had a panic attack. At the time I thought I was having a heart attack and lay down until a medic helped me out. I ended up in the Kosmicare tent and met some most wonderful people who managed to talk me down.

I gave it a few weeks and tried some LSD when I was feeling better and then spent 12 hours thinking I was about to pop.

2 months later tried some cannabis and had a panic attack.... So yeah... pretty bummed and I haven't touched DMT now for 9 months which... isn't the end of the world but I miss my ally.

In my day to day life I have some milder panic/anxiety symptoms, shortness of breath, dilated veins, pressure headaches and I've tried diet/exercise variations which didn't seem to help. There was a time where I though there was something physically wrong with me like a tumour or something. This brought me to seaking medical attention.

One doctor prescribed propranalol which really didnt agree with me. I attempted them a couple of times and it made things worse. Another doctor offer'd me escitalopram, I declined after reading about the substance, it's politics and possible side effects. Now I'm on the waiting list for Cognitive behavioural therapy which I recommend you enquire about.


I won't go into details here, but life sucks and I feel in a rut and have been for around 3 years. A friend of mine has been persuading me to go to university to study but up until now I have been reluctant. So now I'm looking at courses, emailing universities etc and have a future plan.... Anyways I can't say this for sure, but having some kind of future to look forward to may have helped reduce my symptoms. They are still there, for sure, but they're not anywhere near a level that actually bothers me except maybe the day after drinking too much.


How are you personally if I may enquire?

 

[hixidom]

The dilemma:

- Do we encourage you to mentally overcome anxiety that may actually be a physical illness that won't go anywhere without medication?
- Or do we encourage you to get possibly unnecessary medical treatment for what may just be a psychological wall that you are facing?

Either of these courses of action are dangerous, from our point of view. You alone are capable of understanding your condition from an inside perspective, and so only you can make the right choice:

- Resolve to take control of your psychological condition (assuming you find it to be a psychological condition).
- Accept the physical body that you live in and learn to be at peace with it (assuming you find it to be a physical condition).

Good luck to you.

P.S.: If you're just concerned about anxiety attacks while on psychedelics, you can always just keep anti-anxiety meds handy while you're tripping. Many people do that anyway just in case a bad trip strikes (and it can happen to anybody). In a way, you're lucky to be aware of your anxiety because now you can prepare for it before you trip, whereas somebody who feels invulnerable to bad trips is pretty much skydiving without a back-up chute.

 

[kaos.underwave]

I would highly recommend Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to start with. Its an evidence based treatment for anxiety in wide use internationally. You can access it through mental health services, CBT self-help books, or even online (althought the quality of treatment is going to be greater if accessed through a qualified practitioner, self help materials can work well for people too - if self-help isnt working for you, ask for qualified help). Speaking to services might also give you a different perspective on whats going on, that could be helpful in itself.

If drugs trigger the anxiety I would put those things aside until you feel stronger - they have a tendency to complicate matters in all sorts of ways. Ask your doctor about medication to treat anxiety - I would use it as a last resort, unless you and your doctor come to the same conclusion as dtrypt - that the origin of symptoms is physiological and can be treated medically. The most effective understanding we have is that in most cases anxiety is maintained by a combination and interaction of cognitive, emotional, behavioural and physiological systems.

There is some evidence available indicating meditation works well to treat anxiety, but this needs to be expanded. From personal experience I can say that meditation is awesome at assisting the treatment of anxiety, easy to pick up and practice, and has all kinds of other benefits besides. If you have meditation and a decent CBT self-help book on your side, you'll be well set to grow beyond the things that you indicate are currently holding you back. Hope this helps, and best of luck.

 

[jamie]

lots of people that suffer with adrenal insufficiency experience panic attacks and anxiety..feelings of doom etc..anxiety is a major symptom.

 

[PureMan]

I've been dealing with social anxiety for as long as I can remember... what I've learned is that there ARE band-aids.. but it turns into a dependance.. so I can't really encourage that route.. and I would by no means recommend benzos of any kind.. other than a safety net for a trip perhaps.

Valerian really never worked for me.. maybe I should have gotten the root though, may have made a difference then.. I tried kava kava, and didn't really notice very dominating effects, even after using it every day for over 2 weeks.. felt like it may have wanted to do something though..

Have you ever induced the anxiety willingly and dove into it?.. Perhaps you could smoke enough herb to break through the anxiety?.. I find that the first smokes of the day give me an "edgy" trigger for about 20mins (but that's just the fast come up, imo), but I find the more I smoke, the more it goes away and turns pleasurable.. but that's just me.

Could be "fight or flight" being triggered off, but in the instance choosing to fight?.. just some thoughts.

 

[universecannon]

yea i'm really sensitive to weed, and too much can be very anxiety filled sometimes

i find it best to just smoke it slowly over the course of an hour or two

 

[Cosmic Playground]

I have dealt with anxiety for about four years or so, enough time to probe into it figuring out my triggers and the overall source. I believe that our greatest chance of overcoming anxiety is to fully embrace it and learn the lessons it has to offer. Anxiety is our friend, not our enemy.

My anxiety seems to be an underlying presence that's sort of always lurking over my shoulder.For myself, I have found that the triggers releasing its full force manifest during public speaking/presentations at school and sometimes other social situations. Each time I confront such an obstacle its grip is loosened and I feel liberated, if only for a short time.

Living with such a negative presence is indeed an immense struggle, one that I personally have committed my life to transcending.

Based on personal experiences, my advice would be to face your triggers(fears), focus your attention on constructive thought patterns(meditation has been my greatest tool), and if the road gets really tough give prayer a shot. It was in my deepest and darkest place in life that I fiercely begged for a way out. Through complete surrender I was reborn and I have entered a new stage of my journey.

Hope this helps,

Happy travels my friend

 

[obliguhl]

I don't think what the cannabis does is bad, it's just bringing out inner things that I haven't dealt with.

I don't think so. Some people just react negatively towards Cannabis. I'm one of them. If i smoke enough of it i get a panic attack. Most experienced stoners will propably tell you that they have experience with cannabis and anxiety. I don't believe that it brings up stuff. I can eat mushrooms without getting panic attacks. I can smoke DMT. Not saying that i never had anxiety on psychedelics, but cannabis is very different for me. I can feel fine emotionally, mentaly but still get symptoms of panic all over my body if i smoke cannabis.

Forget about this plant!

From my experience with panic attacks, i can give you the advice not to pay attention to them. Avoid stuff like cannabis, yes...but live your life! Do things you wanna do, be happy and don't focus on anxiety or it will stay in your system.

Kava Kava is a helpful plant.

@soulfood

I'm sad to hear about your troubles. If you have an idea about what to do next, then i would not hesitate. Sign up for courses and don't dwell on it. The more you do, the less important constant anxiety becomes to you. This is my experience.

 

[DeDao]

I used to have panic attacks when I smoked large amount of marijuana when I was younger.

I recommend quitting marijuana entirely or at least for a period of time.

Take an exercise such as meditation, yoga, or tai chi.

Listen to ambient music often also. Small things can go a long way.


I really hope your problem resolves itself because , like I said, I have had something similar .

I was at the point of balling up and crying and shaking.

With a clear mind and body and calming practices, I think many things can be overcome; This being one of them!

-DeDao

 

[InMotion]

Hi brother! I know fear and paranoia more than I've given myself a chance to know myself. I don't have the keys to a cure but I imagine if there is one it's inside of you. Sometimes things like pharmaceuticals can help us reach a place where we can see the thoughts and their roots more clearly.

Other times a psychedelic experience can help unless one gets locked up exploring the roots of these things(happens to me sometimes). I've found cannabis to also not necesarily aid panic. For some people it just does the opposite, everyone's different I guess.

For me the most progress I made was either on ayahuasca or mushrooms, but I no longer shamefully admit that anti-psychotics have been pivotal in my over-all recovery. I however am classified as an acute paranoid schizophrenic(high functioning blah blah blah). So my case is likely different. Here's what I have been learning though, and this should be applicable to anyone struggling! I'll try to lay out what I'm doing.

1)Find a way to reach a clear state of mind(for me it took antipsychotics and avoiding cannabis as well as psychedelics for some time 5 months or so now). This is really important, meditation can temporarily bring you there but you need a means to have some lucidity on a daily or frequent basis(at least I did). This might mean changing your schedule a bit or organizing things better, or whatever. This is about setting the Pace.

2) Find a means to love yourself unconditionally(takes time but it can start with loving things around you). Might sound like hippy stuff but honestly its so important. It's too easy to be too harsh on oneself and give up in a process like this. Sometimes I slip but hell that's life and I cheesely love myself for it !

3) Mild exposure to the things that freak you out. I know its not easy and your brain will make up a million reasons to avoid certain stimuli but you know encounter the issues from time to time.

4) Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Don't roll with the punches of your fear. Start by 'watching' it. Catalogue the thoughts that come up when the fear comes. Try and think about their roots. See which side(s) of yourself you like more and which will allow you to grow the most. Growth is often painful but it gets easier(think baby teeth). This is all about learning ourselves and the power of Choice. Finding where we can learn new patterns by first learning our current ones.

5) Don't revert. Keep up with yourself. If you make progress it's okay to fall backwards a bit but keep at it and don't get discouraged. You've got a life time to live and everything you experience is acceptable! It's happening it's okay, it's acceptable, it's fine. It may be scary but it's okay there's a tomorrow to work towards and in 20 minutes your fear will subside a bit and you can move forward. It's always temporary and okay .

6) Find ways to manage stress. If it can't be managed yet at least be aware of when you are stressed out. Simply knowing it can really help guide the flow of thoughts and which ones to pick and choose from and which aren't in my interest. Again setting the Pace.

7) The real core to this also lies in Faith. Some people find jesus or buddha or commune with the dead or whatever! What I mean is balancing out the rational calculating every possibility side of the brain, and finding the part of the brain that walks, drives, talks, pees, poops, and breaths without even contemplating. We can find faith in ourselves to operate in a way we hope too. We can find faith that the world is comprised of people just like us figuring it all out. We can find faith that things do get better. We can have Faith!



I'd like to add that this is what I'm doing and it seems to be working. It's a work in progress but it does get better. Some things still make me faint and some things still trigger delusions and at times hallucinations/visions, but its so much more manageable now.

The words I made bold are some of the most powerful things I think we have in our human experience. Call them tools or call them properties of existence. I'm sorry if this is a bit scatter brained hehehe but I hope theres some stuff in here that can help someone.

 

[Philosopher]

I randomly get anxiety when smoking, usually not but sometimes often. It helps me to smoke out of a vaporizer because it damages your lungs less. Breathing is a very important mediator of anxiety, it is an endogenous response in all animals because of the ancient brain formations. If you breath calmly and slowly this helps to decrease he physical and physiological stresses of anxiety. Adrenaline is responsible for this fight or flight stimulus you may experience on cannabis, your body feels its in danger and you might be unable to sit still, feel sick, or feel near death. This is a physical response and is normal for all humans during adrenaline release, what our problem is the improper release of this chemical. Medication can help if it is a generalized or ongoing anxiety, which is usually less intense but more chronic. When. You find yourself terrified try and remember that it is the chemicals reacting, and to stop this reaction you must remind your body you are not under attack. Think of safe environments, try and relax, drink some water and breath.

An important note, some studies have shown a huge release of adrenaline right after the inhalation of DMT, this will trigger an anxiety attack for someone who has had these reactions before and becomes panicked. You do not want to have anxiety attack while on dmt because you feel like your dying from the drug and from your own body. This can be scary, but just hug a close friend and wait it out.

 

[endlessness]

Bumping this thread, I´d love to hear the feedback of more people.

Yesterday in training I got approach by a guy from my martial arts school who knows I am a psychologist and decided to open up with me before class and mention he had serious anxiety/panic attack issues. I explained im just an educational psychologist but could anyways listen and give him my non-expert thoughts.

He said he has had it for years, and was taking benzodiazepines like alprazolam, and even got addicted to them for taking every day for a while. He says now he just uses them in `emergencies`, but he really does not want to depend on medication to treat his state.

I asked him about triggers, he said it seems to come randomly but that he will try to be more attentive of triggers.

I also asked if there´s anything that helps, he said since he started training bjj it definitely improved his condition but episodes still happen and he needs something else to help.

He said he overthinks things, and that this might be related to his condition. Like if he has something important to do next day, he will obsessively be thinking about it all day and this makes the anxiety come. He also says he gets quite obsessive with things, like he downloaded a game for his phone, and he says sometimes he`d wake up middle of the night just to play the game.

He does not have much money so he`d rather try working on it without having to pay a professional at first.

He is not at all into psychedelics, so it´d have to be something else.

I thought of breathing techniques or meditation, but I don´t know the specifics. When you guys mention meditation, how exactly do you do it, and specially, how do you do that when you are in public and having an episode? Same with breathing, please be more specific how you do it.

Anything else? What other techniques or ideas can I bounce back to him?

Thanks!

 

[obliguhl]

He said he overthinks things, and that this might be related to his condition. Like if he has something important to do next day, he will obsessively be thinking about it all day and this makes the anxiety come

No psychologist, but my personal theory is, that these overthinking types are rarely conscious of their overthinking. It sounds weird at first, but every habit that forms is automatic per se. The same goes for "overthinking". I can only speak from my own experience, but it is like a trance. Have you tried breaking a trance with willpower alone? On a strong psychedelic experience, you might be able to crawl to the bathroom if you forgot your puke bucket...but thats about it. The overthinking has to stop first. It is goodthat he know that it happens, but it is not enough to know that you'Ve got a cramp...you need to relax that muscle.

Meditation seems to be a fantastic idea. I was a sceptic myself and still don't do it often (lacking discipline) but i know it can be beneficial. I would suggest for him to seek out a mediation GROUP, because meditating with other people is a world of a difference. I don't know how to explain it, but it helps you keep meditating while taping into that energy field of the people around.

During accute episodes, i found it best to just ignore it and to start doing something else on purpose. "Oh, a panic attack...alright then! Let's get some fries!". It can also help to think about something beautiful and to develop some sort of "confidence" in that beautifulness. Remembering love for instance, in all it's vibrant color....allowing yourself to sink into it, while feeling that "Everything is OK" ...

 

[Jox]

I had anxieties many years ago, and meditation resolved it, but it is not meditation people commonly understand, it is doing it with a teacher and in a group for a month or a couple of months, and then going to one or two days of meditation, and building up to go to a 7 days retreat.

Meditation is not relaxation, and a group and a teacher are there to hold you still when the mind tends to wonder, actually it is serious and slightly difficult.

The best is Zen, vipassana Goenka style may be a lot for many people, so I don't recommend it. Later on in practice I think it may be ok. Zen may be little more expansive depending where you live and how available it is in your are, but it can be arranged if you don't have the monies...

Anxiety is actually perfect for starting meditation, when with depressions body work is better and meditation can be counter productive... So I will say definitely meditation.

 

[FloorFan]

I used to have nearly daily panic attacks. They were hypochondria related. What helped me was to squeeze my hand into a fist really tightly till it almost hurt, and concentrate on that and only that. Possibly adding the mantra, it will pass. It slowly lessened the effects of the attacks, and was comforting to know I even had a plan, a coping mechanism if they were to happen.

 

[۩]

This is a very informative thread that hits real close to home for me.

How does one get tested for an adrenal insufficiency?