Stimulants The Anxiety Threshold

[Renz Envy]

I want to address the issue of anxiety while on stimulants.

It has always been "I get that too."
or
"What are you talking about? I can't stop taking more."

What makes a person fearless?

Upon a slightly higher dose I will become spaced out, then immediately feel the onset of a panic attack. Something isn't right. It is always my heart. I fear a heart attack. Impending doom. It is unpleasant, but I truly am fine. Many times my BP and HR will be quite normal despite my panic. Upon the arousal of a stimulant attack I cannot disregard the fear of death until the drug begins to curve out of my system.


There are the other people. Those who think "more is better" and that's the way they are. Some have no anxiety until it is too late. An Iv methamphetamine user once took a very large shot in the arm. He quickly died of an aortic tear (ouch). But the point is that he never was affected by anxiety until something truly was wrong.

From stories like these,
I believe it is safe to say that there is a very broad difference between the types listed above.


Why is the threshold so high for some and incredibly low for others? Does it measure intelligence? Genetics?

Or are those who worry easily, riding the razor's edge of death?

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I think the short answer is that we're all built slightly differently.

A high natural level of phenethylamine, epinepherine, glutamate etc. (stimulating compounds) and low natural GABA, endorphin and enkephalin etc. (chemicals that slow the brain) would make one tolerable to a relatively small amount of methamphetamine. Mix and match as needed.

However, scientists still know hardly anything about the brain compared to what there is to know.

 

[ugly]

In pharmacology it's known as idiosyncrasy. Each individual has the potential for an unusual, unpredictable response to ANY given substance. It has to do with a myriad of factors and isn't about the drug, it's about the person.

 

[Alex000]

I think, rather like a psychedelic drug's potential to induce anxiety, amphetamine-induced anxiety, is somewhat dependent on the setting. I say somewhat, though. For example, my anxiety is fickle in nature with my daily Adderall use - almost always the come-up is nice and euphoric, while taking my morning bath and listening to music. It is, with my other drugs, calming in its own right, at this time, because of what I can only guess to be that initial rewarding release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (focus on dopamine, but I think the norepinephrine release also helps me by taking away my fatigue of mind and body). Frankly, I do not know how serotonergic mixed amphetamine salts are, but they do have a serotonergic feel to me in some ways, but that could be in my head. Anyhow, that is the come-up, it gets me feeling good and allows me to think and feel with more ease, takes away fatigue, lifts mood etc., and that part of the amphetamine experience is never really that anxiety-prone. If anything, rather anxiolytic. Now, a few hours down the line, if I am out and about, the stimulation continues, and I am still "up" - at this point I can either feel "pretty good" or "somewhat off" or "somewhat off with anxiety that almost always has a paranoid nature", or even "pretty good with anxiety that almost always has a paranoid nature". The anxiety can creep up, while I am still feeling good - weird and paradoxical, but with amphetamines, it makes some kind of sense when on them. That being said, if I am at home, I may still feel off, but the paranoid anxiety never really comes about all that much. And, later in the day, after having re-dosed the Adderall, but while having a chance to relax and unwind, chances of anxiety are quite low as are chances of feeling "off". It would make sense to me that re-dosing Adderall would provoke anxiety, but when at home, later in the day (evening into night) I just feel the Adderall as doing what it should, but with usually half the morning dose to re-dose with, there could be something to that. I am rambling, quite a bit, but what really, I think, has a lot to do with amphetamine-induced anxiety is setting. I may get jitters from amphetamines, but that does not always bring with it true anxiety. Almost any anxiety I ever get because of amphetamines is paranoid anxiety, and it can get quite delusional if I do not tame myself (which I almost always do), but it all depends, with me, on the setting. A person's predisposition to various anxieties that have been learned, I'd guess, would have great effect on why it varies, as would the amphetamine being used (type, amount, over what period etc.), and the person's biological response to amphetamines, on the whole. I know this is not a popular theory anymore, but I really DO NOT think we vary THAT MUCH biologically when it comes to brain chemistry via a hereditary mechanism. Brain chemistry, yes, can become quite varied after it is altered by the external (e.g. drugs), but I think, even then, personal life experience really dictates predisposition to anxiety, on the whole, and like I said, I think setting is crucial, too, as is, of course, the amphetamine use itself - its nature (which, how much, for how long, ROA, other drugs taken etc.). Well, that is my ramble - I think there is some truth to it.

 

[kingtweaker92]

^^ I can agree with that. I've always had anxiety is many aspect of my life, (especially social) and i notice i get oober paranoid around people when im using. i get headaches, achy chest, shortness of breath, basically all the symptoms of a panic attack. amphetamines, for me, are not a social DOC. Its more a boost for creativity, and somewhat of a spiritual thing for me. until the anxiety kicks in..which usually triggered by something (e.g. unexpected guest or a call from a friend i rarely talk to) that type shit will trigger outrageous delusions that they are somehow after me or plotting my demise. I've even gone as far as to accuse a friend who showed up unexpectedly with a 6 pack of attempting/trying to poison me..


did i mention i have Generalized Anxiety Disorder? yeah.

anyways, as Alex000 said, it's probably got a lot to do with the individuals brain chemistry, and ROA.
i IV my crystal, and i've noticed anxiety has been worse. im guessing the sudden onset is somewhat alarming to my brain? idk. but before i started IV'ing the gradual onset of swallowing, or even smoking (compared to the drastic onset of IV in only seconds) did not seem to have as much of an impact on my anxiety.
I agree with Alex000 100% the individual and ROA are key factors that effect a persons anxiety threshhold.

-KING

 

[Tryptamino]

I never get anxiety on meth unless I take too much or if there are some cmlications, such as one time when I took it with oxy and the seizure threshold was dangerously low, and ai got anxiety, but only cause i was shaking and i was sure i was gonna die.

 

[BlueHues]

Sometimes, when I use stimulants and I start paying to much attention to what it's doing to me, I freak out as well. It could be a tingle in my arm, or a weird feeling in my chest, but something triggers this intense fear of dying. In turn, that triggers panic and anxiety, which elevates my heartrate, and the whole thing snowballs! I can't use stimulants while watvhing a movie or anything that requires just sitting there. I need to keep moving.

 

[kingtweaker92]

^^ i'm the same bluehues, anytime I sit down or it gets to quiet I'll notice dinner minor insignificant tingle or something and immediately believe its a symptom of some life threatening problem such as heart attack, stroke, etc..

just yesterday I convinced myself my kidney was failing because I had lower back pain due to poor posture at my office desk..
spent an unknown amount of hours researching signs and symptoms of kidney failure, disease, etc lol