Mental Health Panic disorder - what can I use at parties?

[hazmatz]

I never used to have problems with anxiety or panic until 2 to 3 years after I started smoking weed and taking ecstasy. I was smoking daily as a teenager and taking molly every month or every other month, sometimes a little bit excessively so I'd imagine that the combination of ecstasy and marijuana abuse has fucked my neurotransmitters a bit and as a result I developed severe panic disorder. I could not go a few minutes after waking up without entering a brutal panic attack that lasted all day. So I went to therapy and took benzos for about half a year and then I said "fuck it I want this to end" so I went completely sober cold turkey about a month ago. I stopped using drugs / medication. I started eating way healthier and started to exercise more. Now I don't have panic attacks anymore!!! (big milestone in my life because the panic attacks were leading me to suicidal thoughts)

But now I have another problem.
Life is so fucking boring without drugs. Honestly I hate that I can't smoke a bowl when I get home anymore. and none of my friends want to hang out because I always turn them down when they offer me drugs. but fuck them because I don't need drugs to be happy. Its just that I am so bored lately. I am going to see my favorite artist live tomorrow night and I just can't believe I have to go sober. I don't have a problem with being sober at parties but I just feel like I could be having so much more fun if I was high or drunk or something. I'm also going to a music festival next month for 4 days and am going to be surrounded by people tripping on acid and smoking weed and drinking. And then theres gonna be me just sitting there sober as fuck. I know I sound pathetic but I really don't know what to do.

Are there any alternatives? Ive read many studies that weed causes long term anxiety so I don't wanna do that. Drinking wouldnt be so bad but I've also read that distortion of the brain through alcohol can also lead to long term anxiety and delayed recovery for mental issues. I'm thinking maybe take some benzos but I feel that if I get that glimpse of how great it feels to be k-pinned, I will become addicted to it again.

Anyone ever experience this problem? Is there any advice you can give me? I guess the real question is "how can I have fun without drugs?"

 

[bees_knees]

There's A LOT of people out there that enjoy happy, fulfilling lives without drugs. It's obviously not impossible. The happiness you get from drugs can sort of come about in day to day life, ancient wisdom says happiness is our nature. You can be really happy and not be on anything, again just know it's not impossible, I can't really say how to bring it about, but maybe if you've been having anxiety and panic then you should try making your thoughts muucchh more 'easy does it' and reasonable and fair on yourself, and realistic... A big part of my depression has been an inability to just fucking take it easy. I was traumatized by panic attacks on weed, weed use which led to schizophrenia. They were the most hellish experiences, after something like that you find it really hard to be reasonable.

But I'm starting to be reasonable now and life is way better.

The sages say there is nothing we need to do to be happy, so if it's that easy, surely we just take it easy, and it will work itself out for us.

 

[T. Calderone]

Hazmatz, I love your avatar! I had a friend once tell me sobriety was boring and that resonates with me after years of always being under the influence of something. So when you say your old friends don't want to hang with you because you turn down drugs, you don't need those friends. It's their loss really and that makes me sad too.

What do you like to do, like hobbies or sports? That can give you a start finding people with common interests besides drugs. I know what you mean, when your circle of friends are all about getting high. School is another place to make a fresh start. Hope you have a good time at the concert!

 

[herbavore]

I was the person not on drugs for a few years when all my friends still used. I found it to be fine. Practice being an observer. It is pretty fascinating to observe deeply and like bees_knees says, happiness is always available to us. It's a matter of quieting your mind enough to see what is actually all around you. When you have been conditioned to equating the altered state as the only way to feel, it can take some time to let yourself open to what is around you.

 

[hazmatz]

Really great advice in here, thanks a bunch guys. I ended up going to the concert completely sober and got a little sick to my stomach when I saw how many kids were off their faces there. It made me ask myself "Did I really used to look like that?" Nonetheless I had a great time with a different friend of mine that doesn't use drugs. I guess being on drugs just makes you appreciate the little things more but its not worth the damage in the long run.

@Bees_Knees, you mentioned weed usage that lead to Schizophrenia. One of my biggest fears is that my marijuana abuse as a teenager has given me some type of predisposition to becoming a schizo. I always thought that was an irrational fear but you are the first person I've heard about that it has actually happened to. I haven't smoked in over a month now - do you think I would know by now if it made me a schizo? I guess my anxiety is kicking in a bit and I'm fearful of having developed some type of psychosis.

 

[sinclair1984]

Ive read many studies that weed causes long term anxiety so I don't wanna do that. Drinking wouldnt be so bad but I've also read that distortion of the brain through alcohol can also lead to long term anxiety and delayed recovery for mental issues. I'm thinking maybe take some benzos but I feel that if I get that glimpse of how great it feels to be k-pinned, I will become addicted to it again.

Anyone ever experience this problem? Is there any advice you can give me? I guess the real question is "how can I have fun without drugs?"

can't help with the "sober fun" thing but I do wonder where you read that marijuana causes long term anxiety because I think that is untrue. I have had a severe lifelong anxiety disorder and I am prescribed marijuana for depresion and anxiety. I just have to stick to the CBD heavy strains. I think you could smoke some good indica and it will decrease your anxiety. I'm not a doc it's just my opinion. good luck.

 

[sinclair1984]

Really great advice in here, thanks a bunch guys. I ended up going to the concert completely sober and got a little sick to my stomach when I saw how many kids were off their faces there. It made me ask myself "Did I really used to look like that?" Nonetheless I had a great time with a different friend of mine that doesn't use drugs. I guess being on drugs just makes you appreciate the little things more but its not worth the damage in the long run.

@Bees_Knees, you mentioned weed usage that lead to Schizophrenia. One of my biggest fears is that my marijuana abuse as a teenager has given me some type of predisposition to becoming a schizo. I always thought that was an irrational fear but you are the first person I've heard about that it has actually happened to. I haven't smoked in over a month now - do you think I would know by now if it made me a schizo? I guess my anxiety is kicking in a bit and I'm fearful of having developed some type of psychosis.

weed use cannot cause schizophrenia, it can aggrevate a pre-existing condition though. I know that for a fact look it up.

 

[Jean-Paul]

off topic, but it is scary to me that some of these people who are concerned about having 'fun' without drugs and drugs simply being a 'fun thing to do' are walking around thinking everyone has the same experience.


i will say that it's easy to speculate on whether or not a drug has 'caused' problems you are having now. i had similar concerns when i was younger. it was in my head. and even if it wasn't, there's no use in obsessing over it. don't get stoned if you are so worried it will hurt you. simple. no use in complaining about being sober if that is what you want, either. there are hedonist pleasures to be had for you still.

 

[VioletXxx]

I myself am just learning how to live sober and it can be really weird at times where the majority of people around you are using something to have fun. I've been told to "fake it till I make it" and honestly thats the only thing I can really do. Going out on a date sober was SUPER weird for me and at first I just wanted to get out of there, but I explained how I felt to my date and in time I felt way better and actually had a good time. Im planning on going to a 2 day music festival in Sept and im kinda nervous about that, ive never gone to a show sober so its going to be an interesting experience.

 

[ImagineBetter]

Haha I am typing this as I hangout with a friend of mine. He's toking up on a bong and smoking a cigarette. I recently quit both after 8 years and we're still chilling like old times. This sobriety is very odd to me and my brain just has to get used to not taking in those substances

 

[weekend addiction]

It gets better with time. That's what I keep hearing anyway.

 

[Teabag Johnny]

You could use Phenibut for recreational use when going out. Of course, you shouldn't use this supplement no more than twice a week since tolerance builds fairly quick and it's addictive. It's the closet legal thing to taking a benzo. The supplement known as PEA works well as a combination. It increases focus and alertness. Phenibut affects the GABA receptors and gives a relaxing feeling with slight euphoria. It'll take the edge away.

The thing about alcohol is that it has an effect on the dopamine receptors over time. That's why it's become boring for a drinker to go out sober; they're not experiencing the feel good chemicals in the brain. I would be an advocate of a social moderate drinker just for occasions when you go out to a social surrounding. No shots or hard drinks, but just sipping on a mixed drink or beer. If you wanted to quit drinking, the fun factor would get better over time. You just need to be healthy. Eat well & exercise.

You could hit the gym hard before going out; get the endorphins kickin'. You could also cut your caffiene intake throughout the week and consume a caffeinated drink when you go out. Even caffeine will get the feel good chemicals kickin'. If your the type that gets anxiety from stimulants, you may want to decline it or take a smaller dose.

Just be creative. The best ingredient would be your mindset. Use the power of positive thinking and make the best of all life situations. After all, your life will be over in a blink of an eye. No reason to worry about minor anxiety issues. And the more exposure you get with a particular situation, the stronger you get. Cowboy it up my bud :D

 

[VerbalTruist]

Phenibut is a bad idea. If you're going to screw with your GABA receptors you really should see a psychologist. Talking about some of this stuff with a professional can really help. I'd recommend finding a therapist and discussing your panic. Talk therapy and a light dose of Xanax worked miracles for me until I didn't need the Xanax or the therapy.

Go talk to someone, if that's an option, and it's always an option. Sometimes it takes a little looking.

 

[Teabag Johnny]

Phenibut is a bad idea. If you're going to screw with your GABA receptors you really should see a psychologist. Talking about some of this stuff with a professional can really help. I'd recommend finding a therapist and discussing your panic. Talk therapy and a light dose of Xanax worked miracles for me until I didn't need the Xanax or the therapy.

Go talk to someone, if that's an option, and it's always an option. Sometimes it takes a little looking.

I'd say most drugs or alcohol is okay in moderation. Taking 1g of Phenibut (the recommended dose) once a week would not be a problem. I prefer Phenibut over Xanax. Although Xanax is a lot more effective than Phenibut, but the withdrawals are a lot harsher. If you have a bottle of Xanax laying around the house, you're much more likely to get addicted to them. Trust me, I know. I was addicted to Xanax once, and went through a brutal 2 week withdrawal.

The thing about Phenibut is... you can't take it everyday, tolerance builds too quick and it loses its magic. Xanax is not the same case, you can pop footballs everyday and its nice... but the withdrawals are extremely harsh. By the way, both drugs affect the GABA receptors in the brain. Xanax is the GABA-A, and Phenibut is the GABA-B.

I don't use illegal drugs anymore, but I use Phenibut for recreation value or for specific purposes. I only use smaller doses no more than twice a week. Phenibut saved me for my Public Speaking class.

And Phenibut is dirt dirt cheap and legal. There is speculation about Phenibut's effects on the liver, but there is no conclusive research done on it. You should be cautious using the supplement and definitely don't abuse it. I think 1g no more than once a week wouldn't be a problem. Just be sure to drink plenty of water.

 

[phactor]

The thing about Phenibut is... you can't take it everyday, tolerance builds too quick and it loses its magic. Xanax is not the same case, you can pop footballs everyday and its nice... but the withdrawals are extremely harsh. By the way, both drugs affect the GABA receptors in the brain. Xanax is the GABA-A, and Phenibut is the GABA-B.

Phenibut withdrawals can be brutal as well, just to be clear.

If someone has any type of addictive personality, especially if they have had issues with booze and or in benzos in the past, I would recommend staying far away from Phenibut. Phenibut withdrawal hospitalized me... yeah it was that serious and I had been through heavy withdrawal before.

What I enjoy doing and how I find enjoyment is in the process of changing. Going out to bars isn't fun because... well.. I don't use anymore, including alcohol. Sure, it might be cool to stop by for an hour or two and catch up with old friends. But after that its time to go. A concert is fun, I still love Phish, but would I go to a festival? Likely not. If I ever do, I will be getting my own hotel room a bit away from the festival.

Over time, your brain will rewire and find things pleasurable, you just gotta figure out what those things are. The only way to do so is to try new things. Drugs will only work for so long for some people.

 

[Teabag Johnny]

Phenibut withdrawals can be brutal as well, just to be clear.

If someone has any type of addictive personality, especially if they have had issues with booze and or in benzos in the past, I would recommend staying far away from Phenibut. Phenibut withdrawal hospitalized me... yeah it was that serious and I had been through heavy withdrawal before.

What I enjoy doing and how I find enjoyment is in the process of changing. Going out to bars isn't fun because... well.. I don't use anymore, including alcohol. Sure, it might be cool to stop by for an hour or two and catch up with old friends. But after that its time to go. A concert is fun, I still love Phish, but would I go to a festival? Likely not. If I ever do, I will be getting my own hotel room a bit away from the festival.

Over time, your brain will rewire and find things pleasurable, you just gotta figure out what those things are. The only way to do so is to try new things. Drugs will only work for so long for some people.

Right on phactor, I've read several discussions on Phenibut addiction and withdrawals. It would indeed be a good idea to stay away from any addictive substance. Even alcohol since it leads to making bad decisions.

I'm able to use particular drugs for recreational use on a moderate level... but it takes a lot of will power and discipline to do it. In the OP's case, its maybe better for him to turn down drugs & alcohol all together. If hazmatz is able to control himself, then maybe it would be okay. Only he can tell. I know if you already started drinking & the party is fun, it is quite hard to stop. And after several drinks, its even harder to turn down pills or a line of blow. It's almost like a disaster about to start with the first sip of a drink. I'd say there has been countless times where I set a drinking limit only to party the whole night until the sun rose. I know it takes a lot of experience to get a control on it.

 

[blakout]

Phenibut Experience

Phenibut is a bad idea. If you're going to screw with your GABA receptors you really should see a psychologist. Talking about some of this stuff with a professional can really help. I'd recommend finding a therapist and discussing your panic. Talk therapy and a light dose of Xanax worked miracles for me until I didn't need the Xanax or the therapy.

Go talk to someone, if that's an option, and it's always an option. Sometimes it takes a little looking.

Phenibut is actually one of the better options IMO. It's a GABA-B agonist and doesn't act on GABA-A like benzos do. From someone that has abused it as far as you can go with it, there are a few things to be wary of:
- Take the dose at least a few hours before you need it. For some reason it isn't absorbed very readily in the stomach (most likely due to low pH of stomach acid). I've found making a sodium salt with phenibut and sodium bicarb lowers the absorption time, but not greatly and isn't really worth the time/effort.
- Resist the temptation to redose if you feel it isn't working. Most likely you still have some unabsorbed phenibut in your stomach, it can take up to a good 4-5 hours depending on stomach contents sometimes for your body to absorb a gram.
- If you go too far with it, you'll reach a limit where it's impossible to take any more because you'll be vomiting. Lots. And your head will be spinning constantly. And oh my does this stuff taste awful on the way up (a very strange combination of extreme saltiness and sourness). Phenibut produces little to no amnesia on its own (with alcohol it can), so unfortunately you'll remember this unpleasant experience. This has only happened when excess of 3g has been taken in a night.
- If you take it for a few days in a row, the effects become much more euphoric with each day.
- As far as withdrawals go, it's a cakewalk (for me anyway). 3 days of solid abuse (trust me you'll be bored of the feeling by then) leads to a day of severely impaired short term memory, but no rebound anxiety or anything like that
- It will potentiate the effects of alcohol, but not to the same extreme that benzos will. You will certainly be feeling drunker (and dare I say a much nicer, more clear headed drunk) than usual, but you can handle it much better and still actually remember what happened that night provided you don't get too pissed.

As a sleep aid, Phenibut is fucking magical, but too much can lead you to an unpleasant morning. If you take more than will be absorbed/metabolised/excreted before you wake up, your head will be spinning and nausea will ensue upon waking. However if you dose low enough, you wake up feeling so god damned refreshed it's awesome. It won't knock you out like other sleep aids will, but it improves the quality of sleep beyond belief. Nothing else I've ever tried comes close to providing as good a nights sleep as Phenibut. If no tolerance then 500mg max for sleep, if you're a little more accustomed to it you can go up to a gram. Taking it a couple of hours before bed is best too.

I've had baclofen a couple of times, a very close prescription relative (just a chlorine added to the phenyl ring), but apart from differing potency there isn't much to separate them. Baclofen, even though the dosages are as low as xx mg as opposed to x grams, still catches you out with very slow absorption and issues with redosing. Baclofen, for whatever reason, does not make you vomit like Phenibut will upon overdose. Your head will still be spinning and you'll be pretty incapacitated and uncoordinated, but for whatever reason not as nauseous.

Oh one undesirable side effect you get from it is the inability to orgasm, but that's only while under the influence of it. If you dosed low enough you could probably still finish

So as far as I can tell, phenibut has one of the better safety profiles and is the least addictive of the intoxicating anxiolytics at your disposal, plus it's dirt cheap and legal. You can go outright silly with it and apart from some unpleasant vomiting and impaired short term memory after extended abuse, it's really not that bad. No lasting effects or nasty withdrawals to go through in my experience. If I treated other drugs like I treated phenibut, I'd probably be dead or horribly addicted to something. I showed it no respect whatsoever, and it fucked me around a few times sure but nothing that bad. I, apart from my experimentation phase with it, have never felt compelled to constantly re-use it. It's more of a 'that was nice, I'll do it again sometime' than 'fuck that was good give me some more now'. Much much much less moreish than benzos.

This is not so relevant for the OP, but in the event of overdose the best thing you can do from my experience is smoke a bowl of some good weed. Takes the nausea away and stops the head-spinning from being unbearable. Usually pretty easy to sleep after a cone fixes the nausea.

That's my experience with it, which does differ from others in the thread. I don't see how I could've pushed it much harder (being up near max dose possible (ingesting over 10g a day) for 3 days straight, with some regular-ish use prior to that binge), but I never experienced WDs anywhere near that severe that they would even make me think about going to the ER. If you have an addictive personality and are afraid of redosing, just don't take any extra with you to the party and only take your initial dose. It's relatively long lasting (about 8 hours at sensible doses once its absorbed) so one dose before a party should keep you calm all night. Only cap up what you want to take if it's going to be near you while on it, you'd have to be a pretty determined individual to take it any other way than in a gel cap. Fucking horrible taste.

For less fucked up ness but still relaxation, give picamilon a go. Won't make you feel drunk or fucked or anything like that, but snort some and its literally the most instant anxiolytic I've ever experienced. Works orally too, but not as fast. About 50mg intranasally or 150mg orally will do the trick. It's basically GABA + niacin bound together that once it crosses the blood brain barrier splits fairly rapidly into niacin and GABA - as far as I know it's the absolute quickest way to increase GABA concentration in the brain (you could take GABA, but its so mild as hardly any of it actually crosses the blood brain barrier) but does not produce any obvious intoxication like GABAergic drugs normally do at all. Even in combination with alcohol/phenibut it doesn't noticebly increase intoxication (CAUTION: benzos may be another story altogether though, as they are positive allosteric modulators and just increase the effects of already present GABA, not agonists like alcohol, phenibut or baclofen are - I've never mixed benzos with picamilon, never intend to find out what will happen. My guess is it won't be pretty.)

I most certainly agree with Teabag Johnny that if you want to avoid going all out at a party that's going to have drugs present at it, don't drink at all. With phenibut you are more clear headed and still have your wits about you, I've been on phenibut around other drugs and felt quite content with just the phenibut. Not so with alcohol, probably the greatest gateway drug of them all.

 

[velmwend]

phenibut and etizolam. Don't go overboard. 1g tops phenibut and 1-2 mg etiz together. Or even a light dose of 4fa. Take phenny at least a few hours before you party (3 hours) and etiz about an hour before you leave. They'll act on a and b gaba receptors and give you a good time.

Or...you coul try 500mg phenny and 70mg 4fa together. Take phenny 3 hours before party, take 4fa 1 hour before.

Enjoy. Always take drugs responsibly. Always dose low to start, never try to be clever and take shit loads before you know how you'll react. Peace!

 

[aq.]

Just a reminder to everyone that we can't tell people which substances they should or should not take.

Also, the OP asked for solutions that do not involve drugs.

 

[Teabag Johnny]

The OP did make his title: What can I use at parties for panic disorder? He's wanting something that will give him a lift.

Maybe hazmatz can use Theanine for relaxation (The GABA effect), Tyrosine for focus & alertness (The Dopamine effect), SAMe for increased mood (The Serotonin effect), and combine that with caffeine (that's if he likes caffeine). AND also hit the gym hard before going out.

Well said blakout on the Phenibut post :D