Panic attacks and my heartrate.

Peterzim95 · ‎22-08-2017

Hi everyone, i'm peter, 22 and I've just joined beyondblue. I wanted to talk about the problem I have with panic attacks and see if anyone else could empathise or share their own personal recovery story with me. About 7 weeks ago I smoked marijuana with my friends and when one of them (who had never smoked it before) who was acting odd asked me to check his pulse i freaked out because i touched his skin (nowhere near his wrist) and hallucinated that his heart was basically exploding. I freaked out, I instantly became aware of my own heartbeat, which was throbbing in my chest and rocking my head, felt like a blood vessel would burst. I ended up calling an ambulance and going to hospital all night where i was panicked the entire 4-5 hours and passed out at one point when my heart reached 240 bpm. It's been easy to account that experience to the drugs and traumatic experience but ever since im now constantly aware of my heart rate. I have increased anxiety and every few days my heart rate spikes and everything becomes super sensitive because of the adrenaline. Wind on my leg hairs feel like the tingling one supposedly experiences before a heart attack. My shirt rustling against my chest feels like my heartbeat. It suffices to say, im really stressed about my own heart rate. Ive had blood and blood pressure tests, they say im fine and won't be experiencing a heart attack anytime soon.

But just the memory of that first panic attack, every sense amplified by the marijuana, and the fear of believing i was about to have a massive heart attack or brain aneurysm is enough to send me into a panic. An irrational fear considering the evidence weighed against it, but my nervous system doesn't care how irrational it may be.

Id really like it if someone replied, i feel so hopeless at the moment, as if I'll never return to life as normal.

Oh and after thinking for a while i could deal with it, after a panic attack tonight ive decided to organise a psychologist visit

white knight · ‎22-08-2017

Hi Peter, welcome

Thanks for sharing your experience

Few of us older supposedly wiser people are angels when younger.

At 21yo I had the same drug one night among friends. It caused me to become paralyzed for around 15 minutes. I could hear them laughing, I was aware of everything around me but couldnt move a muscle...so scary.

From that day onwards I never touched an illicit drug and a few years later gave up smoking.

There is a price to pay for lifestyle. Depends on your choices.

Now, anxiety. Please read these threads. Use google

Topic: how I eliminated anxiety- beyondblue

Topic: the balance of your life- beyondblue

Lots of threads here. Use search.

Tony WK

blondguy · ‎22-08-2017

Hi Peterzim95

Welcome to the forums and good on you for having the courage to post too!

That would have been awful to go through what you did with your friend and you did well by calling the medics

You dont have to feel helpless at all. Anxiety is awful...and can leave us feeling very low...I understand as I have had severe anxiety for over 10 years....and it can be a dark place to be in...for sure

The 'heart attack' feelings are very common....when our adrenaline (panic attack) is pumping so hard we will have the heart palpitations and the dizziness. You are a very smart guy for getting yourself checked out though.

Life will return to normal Peter...the panic will lessen in severity over time with frequent visits to your GP. I still see my doc every 4 weeks for a 'tune up'

You are very proactive for already making an appointment with a psychologist...good on you Peter!

The marijuana can be a problem as its hydroponically grown nowadays...which makes it very much stronger than what it used to be. It can also be a a huge trigger for any underlying mental health issues as well.

There are many gentle people on the forums that can be here for you (and also have anxiety attacks)

You are a legend for organising a visit with your psychologist. If you have a good GP they can also be a huge help with anxiety issues as they have better training nowadays than when I had my panic attacks.

The earlier you have treatment for panic/anxiety the better (and sometimes quicker) your recovery will be 🙂

I hope you can stick around the forums Peter...

my kind thoughts for you

Paul

MsPurple · ‎22-08-2017

Hi Peterzim and welcome to the forums. Thanks for sharing your story.

I think you are right in considering seeing a psychologist. They can help you deal with the stress and memory of your panic attack.

I thought I should suggest the youth mental health service called headspace. As you are 22 you are eligible to see them till you are 25. It is a low cost/no cost health care service. They have GP, psychologists, mental health nurses, allied health etc. It is a really good place for someone to start if they have never dealt with mental health issues in the past. I found them very welcoming and I felt comfortable. If this doesn't sound for you book in to see your GP (long appointment) and discuss your panic episodes and wanting to see a psychologist.

I know how horrible anxiety and panic attacks are. I have had to deal with them in the past (haven't had a panic attack in over a year now). But my psychologist help me with strategies to deal with it and ways to stop my stress turning into full panic. Trust me it does get better

MP

Peterzim95 · ‎23-08-2017

Thank you for your replies everyone. The marijuana factor, i should have stated that i was a very casual smoker myself (about once a year) so i didnt really have a good grasp on my reaction with it.

It's the dilemma of the fight or flight system activating when i have nothing to fight or run from, so i just lay in bed feeling my heart thump. Thanks for the headspace suggestion, they have a pretty useful app i tried out. Everything points to me making a recovery since i know the facts of what it is and what it does, i just need to control my anxiety about it. I just need to keep telling myself that it really isn't that big of a deal if i dont make it out to be one.

Thanks again for your posts.

MsPurple · ‎23-08-2017

HI Peterzim. I know you don't have to smoke much marijuana to have a reaction. I was lucky. I only had a drag or two of weed because I had such a terrible cold at the time, I don't think I really absorbed any. My brother has had major anxiety from weed so lucky I was sick. I don't judge anyone when they come for help and advice on the forums. Everyone is here for help and support and judgement isn't constructive. I believe we should all move forward. We all have something in our past we regret. (a lot of mine is alcohol based)

I do like the headspace meditation app. There is also a youth mental health service you can go into and get counseling. They also have online counseling. I'll put a link below. I have gone onto the chat online with them and I found it helpful. They can also call you if required.

https://www.headspace.org.au/

Alexia1 · ‎07-09-2017

Omg my fear is feelinng and listening out for my heart rate. The other day I sent myself in to hospital and my heart rate at one point reached 250bpm. I have never been so terrified and didn't think this was possible because my panic attacks always reached 150bpm and to be honest I am still terrified. I've been in an up and down spiral. Ever since I saw it beat that fast I thought at any moment my life was finished...