Mental Health What on Earth happened?

I am a 22 year old female (I have cut the story short) but.....

Ok so at the start of September I went to the Netherlands (had been smoking weed everyday for a few weeks before that with no ill effects). Smoked a pre roll (hash and then skunk) and TOTALLY freaked out. Was in a coffee shop with the people I was staying with. Suddenly I felt like I was in a SAW film. I spent that night in my tent not sleeping then the next day tried to chill out by going into town and a cafe (no smoking) but things got worse and worse. I felt like I was in a lego set and everything was fake.

Things got worse throughout the day and I packed my bags and headed to the nearest airport then booked a flight. My original plan was to stay overnight but I was thinking I was in a SAW film - it was terrifying. I had a massive issue with logos too, thinking everything was fake and I was in a computer game. Anyone could have taken advantage of me in that state. Anyway, got to London and thought I was being taken to a concentration camp, going back and forth on the train (Scared to get off on a platform), I was acting totally out of it and tripping so much. I was hallucinating and seeing things on signs that weren't there. Finally I got off a platform, rang the police (?) and they turned up and forced me into a van (I tried to go back on to the platform to jump thats how terrified I was). Anyway, to cut a long story short, got sectioned. Had to stay in hospital for a night there and every time I nearly fell asleep felt like someone was pressing a switch to make me wake up (absolutely horrible).

Got transferred to a local hospital by escort. As the journey continued, the logos for Mc Donalds, Shell etc. were completely disrupted and moving, I was full on hallucinating (and this is a few days after the smoke). I was convinced they were taking me to the NATO summit and I could see castles etc. Anyway, stayed in the hospital for a few more days (only med i took was a little blue pill (valium i think)). Gradually got better. Sorry for the info but this happened during my 'time of the month'.

Its now been around a month and a half (have had time of the month once since with no ill effects) but during the last few days the psychosis has returned. I have not smoked anything but it started when my 'time of the month' began. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there is a link? Obviously there are huge hormonal changes.

This time, I have it sometimes today I feel like Im in a computer game and if I kill myself people will win and everyone is trying to make me do this. I can't trust anyone and am very suspicious of everything people say. I have to hear every word and am cautious about people muttering under their breath. Even typing this I feel it will be logged and used against me. I guess I want to know why has this come back as I thought I had recovered? I have parted with someone I spent 2.5 years with and am distraught so thinking its connected with this? And any tips to calm me down would be good too. I notice it comes in waves, one minute I'm fine, the next psychotic. I have a mental health appointment on weds. I don't hear voices, only when people mutter things.

I guess another thing I should add is that I think everything is related to me and I get messages from people, songs etc.

Thanks for reading

Dutch weed is too strong for many tourists, that is not a secret.

You may have been through a psychosis but realise that anxiety and panic can cause a lot of similair discomfort. You should dig deeper into that.
The 'return' of the psychotic episode could very well be linked to any stress that is in your life right now, causing renewed anxiety, hyperventilation high blood pressure etc.

Schizophrenia is the only underlying cause to make weed trigger real psychosis, you have the age for the disease to show up, have you had similair events happening though milder in the previous months?

But i dont think you should worry too much, worrying too much might very well be the cause of this all. Go see your doctor.

Good luck

Yes what njirem said, Im 22 too,and mental problems just begun in this year,it is not only the part of the month,it is the part of the age now. Your thoughts are pretty delusional,lego,nato,game,conspiracy hallucinations ,dear ionzi, every Doc will diagnose you with schizo and probably prescribe antipsychotics,those are really badass meds. Oh ye,dont stress youll be fine ,just try living healthy and valuable life,be honest with your self,set goals and pursue them (really this process,can be healing and will distract from not very good society/surroundings) ,except for not being psychotic lol,that of course if you dont want to take nasty pills. Stay away from weed for now too. You CAN relax,by telling your self ,that this is just you freaking out,no real danger,bullshit complications that your rich imagination created,repeating that and slow deep breaths(for me helps to inhale with nose and exhale with mouth,dunno why)
udachi

Yep; I was about 22 when similar shit happened with me. I wonder what it is about the age, or was it just when we all started getting serious with our substance abuses?

ionzi, I think it's too early to say why you're feeling this way. You had a traumatic experience after smoking weed - that's not an uncommon reaction. Now you have feelings and emotions that bring you back to that experience - something that happens to a lot of people after a traumatic experience.

There's a lot of explanations for what you're experiencing besides latent mental illness, let's not jump to any conclusions.

njirem said:

But i dont think you should worry too much, worrying too much might very well be the cause of this all. Go see your doctor.

Good luck

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I think that's good advice. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

With strong weed its normal to feel like you're in a game or dream I sure as hell felt that on was concentrates on multiple occasions. What you need to realize is that you took a drug a very powerful , they dont fuck around over there and those were the effects of the drug very simple. The problem is your hallucinations after the drug , seems to me like derealzation or even worse paranoid schizophrenia , my advice dont smoke again.

weed is more powerful than most people realize, or they forget it at least
but that was definitely just the weed

Hi ionzi.. how are you doing now? I went through a similar experience, but ended up in an inpatient mental hospital and was given anti-psychotics to rid me of symptoms. At the time I felt like my life dropped down into a movie. Signs were all directed at me, TV spoke directly to me, everything I did was to be used against me in a conspiracy. And, to relate back to your post, I was ovulating at the time (I track my cycle), and I strongly believe that it was related.

I've been on a very low dose of anti-psychotics (at 0.5 mg risperidone) now for about 4 months since it happened and am completely symptom free. Everything was triggered by taking mushrooms, weed, and alcohol together (was a once-a-day weed smoker, but had quit for about a month prior to the incident when I ingested all 3 substances at one time).

Just wanted to relate my story and see how you were doing. Hope symptoms have died down for you.

Sounds like the powerful weed over there exacerbated some underlying mental problems. It's not uncommon really. As my bipolar got worse I gave up the weed because it would make me paranoid. I'm not really sure if weed can trigger mania. Either way, no one on here can really diagnose you so it's good that you're going to get checked up. And it probably goes without saying, stay away from drugs for now.

njirem said:

Dutch weed is too strong for many tourists, that is not a secret.

You may have been through a psychosis but realise that anxiety and panic can cause a lot of similair discomfort. You should dig deeper into that.
The 'return' of the psychotic episode could very well be linked to any stress that is in your life right now, causing renewed anxiety, hyperventilation high blood pressure etc.

Schizophrenia is the only underlying cause to make weed trigger real psychosis, you have the age for the disease to show up, have you had similair events happening though milder in the previous months?

But i dont think you should worry too much, worrying too much might very well be the cause of this all. Go see your doctor.

Good luck

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Good post, but I have to disagree on Schizophrenia being the only possible explanation. Cannabis is well known for triggering latent psychoses, but not everyone with psychotic tendencies is Schizophrenic.
It is a very specific condition with many symptoms aside from psychosis/delusions.

OP: we cannot diagnose you and it could be dangerous to do so. Your Psychiatrist is the one for that.

Good luck.

nuttynutskin said:

Sounds like the powerful weed over there exacerbated some underlying mental problems...

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I totally agree with that.

I have Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Depression, Social Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder...

When I smoke weed I get paranoid, increased anxiety, disorganized thought and speech and other awful shit...Even in times when I was overdoing it I get depersonalization from it.

Cannabis and Psychotic Disorders really don't play nicely together - the last thing I need is to disappear even further into my own head.

But I guess not being locked to the couch whilst eating day old pizza is worth it.

ionzi said:

Its now been around a month and a half (have had time of the month once since with no ill effects) but during the last few days the psychosis has returned. I have not smoked anything but it started when my 'time of the month' began. I'm wondering if anyone knows if there is a link? Obviously there are huge hormonal changes.

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hey ionzi. i thought i was the only one who felt effects like this when i am close to menstruation or menstruation. my psychiatrist and gynecologist are trying to find a link to this. they figure it may be hormonal, but are not entirely sure. are you on birth control? i am, and what they are having me do is skip the "sugar pill" and just keep taking the active pills. this has helped a little.

with regard to the rest of your post, i'm not sure what exactly happened to you, but it sounds like it was anxiety, obviously derealization and depersonalization... but the cause, i'm not sure.

how did your psych appointment go?

Sounds like you had a bad trip that has possibly led to a breakdown, somehow. It could be anything though really...maybe there was something else besides the hash and the weed? Like a hallucinogen? But a month later is a long trip. I'd still say you're having a breakdown.

Thank you for your positive responses. I am now recieving CBT but it isn't really making me better. It's like 45 mins every other week. I think part of this problem is I have stopped talking to someone I was in a relationship with for 3 years so it is a big change and I am finding it hard to adjust. Thanks all, it is good to know others feel like this and recieve support helps a lot

The CBT you do every other week should be teaching you techniques. You should do these techniques twice a day morning and night.
Do you feel anxiety or any intense mood such as depression or hypomania when you are delusional? For example if it is bought on by stress then reducing stress such as through exercise can reduce it. If its completely its own set of symptoms a course of anti-psychotics could speed up recovery.