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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

What are the possible consequences of drug-induced panic attacks?

M

milfhunter

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Joined
May 25, 2009
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I get them from lots of drugs and I've already had so many that they don't really bother me that much anymore because I know it's just temporary. Is it safe to keep doing drugs or is it possible that these panic attacks might land me in the psych ward one day or cause anxiety even when I'm not on drugs?
 
It's subjective, you know yourself better than we do.
I know of people who have had to go through years of therapy after bad trips/feelings from drug (ab)use, I also know that I have experienced panic attacks/anxiety both from drugs and sober, and I'm fine (as far as anxiety goes)
I'm not advocating you just brush off the experiences as I have, and it's really not good to put yourself through all that extra stress when you can just stop taking the drugs.
I think there's a much higher risk of anxiety disorders developing from abusing benzos than there are experiencing anxiety because of the effects of another drug, but I don't know.
The sensible thing to do is to cut down or stop your drug use, as drug abuse can very well put you in the psych ward.
What drug(s) are you experiencing this on?
I should really go to sleep...
 
Had my first panic attack on weed, which were by far the worst of all. I'd even go as far as calling them bad trips. Since then I've had panic attacks on mxe, oxycontin and -believe it or not- heroin.
 
Yeah, some people get really bad anxiety/paranoia on weed. I think it's pretty obvious you shouldn't do weed.
As far as the opiates, it's really up to you to stop. I've heard of people having really bad anxiety after doing opiates, being socially fine before they started but having social anxiety when they're not on opiates.
MXE, well be thankful that anxiety is the only side effect you're getting so far. If you're going MXE for it's opiate effects, it'd be best to just do opiates. If you're doing it for the dissociative affects, then I'm not sure what to suggest other than cutting down use.
 
As for psychologically I would say the damage is the greatest. It can certainly change a person to be less ambitious and outgoing.

Physically, during a panic attack you have increased blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. All of those things can be potentially dangerous, but most likely are not going to kill you. They may shorten your life span though.
 
There are debatable benefits to this, such as learning to cope with anxiety (although in a "forced fashion"... not too healthy IMO) but I think the trivial good is outweighed by the fact that you're inducing states of fear and unmanageability. Fear and anxiety cause stress in the body, cortisol production increases and you would likely suffer long-term physiological consequences from your body being in a state of physiological agitation. I can't speculate on what "damage" (phrase it however you'd like!) you might be, or not be, doing to yourself psychologically; as was stated before, you know yourself better than we do.

My suggestion is to make every effort to stop using the drugs that cause paranoia and anxiety. It may even be wise to shoot for abstinence from drugs entirely, and if you took this route I can almost guarantee you that you'd be astounded by what becomes visible to a person about themselves that has been affected (to some degree) by using drugs. Routinely manipulating one's natural brain chemistry. Done it a thousand times, can't come up with a reason to recommend it to any one!

~ Vaya
 
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