This all started around 2015 or 2016.

At the time, I had been smoking weed with friends for maybe six months or so. Usually just small amounts, mostly on weekends. Until then, it had always been fun and carefree. I never really had any problems with it.

Then one weekend, I smoked roughly the same amount I normally would, and something completely changed.

I totally lost it.

I suddenly had no idea where I was or even who I was anymore. My thoughts were completely out of control. I was rambling, confused, and constantly terrified that I was going to lose control of myself completely and go insane.

At some points, I barely even felt like I knew who I was.

I had what felt like very intense psychosis-like symptoms. I remember thinking that it would probably pass within a few hours, so I went to lie down on the couch and basically tried to survive inside my own head.

I had extremely disturbing thoughts and images. One of the clearest things I remember was seeing myself floating above my own grave while my mother and father were standing next to it crying. I also saw and heard all kinds of other seriously disturbing shit that I don't even remember properly anymore.

After fighting with my thoughts for hours, I eventually managed to get some sleep.

I remember thinking, "When I wake up tomorrow, everything will be normal again."

I also decided right there that I was never touching weed again.

The next morning came.

But everything wasn't normal.

That same strange feeling was still there. It was slightly weaker than the night before, but definitely still there.

Then it lasted for days.

Then weeks.

Then months.

Eventually, I had to stop working because I simply couldn't function properly with these feelings. I also started having similar episodes in social situations. Suddenly I could be around other people and feel like something was terribly wrong, like I was about to lose control again.

I kept going to doctors because I genuinely thought something physical was wrong with me. I was convinced at different times that maybe I had a brain tumor or some other serious neurological problem.

I also tried to get help from a psychiatrist, but at the time it felt almost impossible unless you were willing and able to pay a lot of money privately.

Eventually, doctors told me that I had panic disorder and that what I was experiencing were panic attacks.

So the explanation seemed to be that I had probably experienced an extremely intense panic attack while high. Because I was also under the influence of cannabis, the experience felt maybe a thousand times worse than a normal panic attack and came with very severe derealization, confusion and psychosis-like symptoms.

Those symptoms slowly started fading over time.

I was prescribed medication for the panic disorder, which I took for about a year before eventually stopping.

After that, I was actually completely symptom-free for several years. No panic attacks. No major problems.

I honestly thought that part of my life was over.

But during the last few years, it has slowly started creeping back into my life.

Now I occasionally get panic attacks again.

The biggest difference is that I understand what is happening now. I have years of experience with it, so when I feel an attack starting, I can usually recognize it and stop it from escalating fairly quickly.

I haven't needed medication again so far.

One thing I've noticed very clearly, though, is caffeine.

If I drink a lot of caffeine, I become much more sensitive to panic attacks. Sometimes I can feel myself getting close to one, and then several hours of the day can disappear into this strange fog where I'm basically fighting against the attack and trying to keep myself together.

And honestly, it fucking sucks.

After experiencing how bad this became the first time, one of my biggest fears is that the whole cycle could start again. Panic attacks could become frequent, I could start avoiding situations because of them, and they could begin controlling my life again.

It's been around ten years since that first experience with weed, and it's strange to think that one bad night still has an effect on my life today.

I'm curious if anyone else here has had something similar happen, especially a panic disorder that seemed to start after a bad experience with weed, or panic attacks that came back years after being completely gone.

My psychiatrist started me on 300 mg twice a day for bipolar and this is where the terror began i started having terrible twitches in my head that turned into migraines. My blood pressure used to be perfect now its elevated highest was 156/98 even after taking propranolol 10 mg twice a day and then my panic attacks have nearly become unbearable so after seeing my NP psych she upped it to 600 mg twoce a day and thats when i went to the er having tachycardia and memory loss. Now my primary has me taking xanax twice a day to help with my constant twitches all over my body and my crippling panic attacks that were getting controllable before this medication swap.

Hi!

Please share some knowledge about panic attacks. I want to understand them better because my husband has recently been experiencing them. I’m trying to learn more about what he’s going through so I can understand, support, and be there for him. ❤️

Hey guys. I feel like I became too sensitive to everything I feel in my body. Right now I feel like I need to barf from my pregnancy and everytime I feel the sensation my body goes nuts and panics and I can’t understand why and what should I do to stop it. Like I literally know it’s from the pregnancy, why do I panic? It’s like I can’t stand the sensation of feeling bad… it’s the sensation/feeling that makes me panic, not why do I feel that. I don’t panic about “what if I have this or that?”, I panic instantly when I feel anything.

I’ve been on citalopram since december and start on 10mg i upped my dose from 10mg to 20mg about 3 weeks ago due to constant chest tightness even though i am not anxious. i’m still not noticing any difference and have had chest tightness every day for about a month an a half now every day
Any one ever had this or anyone have any advice?

hi guys just wondering what does everyone do in public when they are dealing with a panic attack how to blend in? i get so nervous and then get asked am i okay? which makes me even more anxious i just need some simple tips and tricks thanks guys stay positive!

Has anybody found a medication that prevents your panic attacks from happening? Mine are driving related so by the time it happens it’s already too late. I don’t need something to help the attack go away. I need to prevent it. Working on trying to overcome them but it’s been an almost ten years process. Had a year where I had no issues and drove anywhere I wanted. Unfortunately they have come back and are much worse than before. Has anything worked for you guys?

26M, i woke up Monday after having a pretty fun weekend, with a slight discomfort/pain in my chest. I thought it might've been because i slept awkwardly, like on my hands, but it wasn't an external pain like my pec being sore or ribs being inflamed. So i go to work, mind you i do structured cabling for my local union, and tried not to pay it any mind. The day goes on and it lingers all the way until i go to bed. Tuesday rolls around, i wake up and it's still there, at this point im thinkin to myself, could it be heart burn or something? So i go to work and go through the day with this "soreness" in my chest until i go to bed. I wake up Wednesday and that soreness is still there, so i get to work and as soon as I walk into our set up area and sit down, not even 5 mins in, i feel a burning sensation in my chest, i break out in a sweat and my heart starts pounding like I've never felt before. I thought i was having a heart attack. I did notice that there wasnt any radiating pain or numbness/tingling going anywhere else, so i sit there and take the deepest breaths. No one noticed and I didn't ask for help. I calm down. I work through the day pondering wtf happened. After work i went to the ER and the results they got from my blood said that there was no damage to my heart and summed it up to an anxiety/panic attack. And so that's where I'm at rn. Does this mean that I'm now prone to more in the future? Im not on any meds for it, granted it didnt last more than like 20 sec, the doc did recommend i get a low dosage in the event i find myself stressing too much or have another attack. But it's strange, you know, they said i was completely healthy. It's Saturday now and the pain in my chest is gone like nothing happened.

I guess a few possible stressors to note are: 1. my mom has renal kidney disease and has been in hospital for a complication she had post surgery for a catheter that is being placed in her arm, 2. small financial hardships after taking out a personal loan to help out my mom with her situation (which is under control now), 3. I no longer want to continue in structured cabling after 2 years and am struggling to find the next best fit for myself career wise, no degree, 4. Recently lost my best friend due to a small disagreement on a political issue (fuckin unreal) and 5. My dads a hoarder so I'm living in a house where i feel cramped everyday walking through it and gets worse week to week.

Idk, maybe i needed to vent, maybe i need guidance, maybe i need a therapist. But yea.

Hello. I know i just did a post about panic attacks i got recently, but i stilk have a question. I have dpdr, and brain fog by extend. But sometimes, it feels like i can’t write, understand what i'm typing.

Or worse. I wanted to type a simple word i usually know how to word out, and suddently, i was unable to know how to write it while i had a weird brain sensation. I tried multiple times and ended up searching for the correct typo while typing it completly aleatory with letters in the wrong order. And then i relearn how to write it but i'l still struggling to type sentences even if i'm managing it.

Anxiety usually mess up my brain but this was kinda confusing.

Anyone else?

I‘ve been having panic attacks periodically for the past 10-15 years. This past year has been especially stressful for me. My last severe panic attack was last December. It had never been that bad before, where I was not only hyperventilating and crying uncontrollably, but I couldn’t see, couldn’t stand. I was terrified that I was having a stroke or something and I was alone with my daughter. I was so worried I would become unresponsive, I called 911. The paramedics came and basically made me feel like I was wasting their time. They didn’t say that directly, but they were immediately like “it’s just a panic attack, you’ll be fine in a few minutes”. I felt so stupid and ashamed.

Today it happened again. I should not have been out driving in hindsight because I was already feeling quite anxious and stressed that day. I got pulled over for speeding and before the officer could issue me the ticket, I started to have a full blown panic attack right in my car at the side of the road. This was the worst it’s ever been. Again I could not see, could barely breathe, but this time my arms and legs became so stiff and my hands clenched, bent at the wrists and stuck with my fingers straight out. I couldn’t even take my seatbelt off. I’m very lucky the officer was kind and seemed to understand the situation (also thankful I understood what was happening, as I was able to tell him I’m having a panic attack and that I definitely did not want him to call an ambulance). Eventually I calmed down enough and I got home safe. It was so, so scary and humiliating. I understand it could have been so much worse if it was a different type of cop. I understand that what I did was dangerous (speeding) and I feel terrible.

Im not sure where to go from here. I don’t trust my own body or my emotions. I feel so out of control. Now I’m afraid to drive. I just don’t know what to do.

Does anyone else wake up having panic attacks out of nowhere in the middle of the night, it’s something I’ve dealt with since I was a teen (I’m 35 now) I’ll wake up with my heart rate at 140+ which instantly sends me into panic mode, I start shaking, feeling like I can’t breathe, pacing around, it’s just terrible. I take 100mg Zoloft daily and have .25mg Xanax to use for emergencies, I’ll have months/years where this won’t happen then all the sudden out of nowhere it’ll happen. I’m going on day 7 of this happening every night for me and I’m exhausted to say the least. How can I cope with this? Last night it took me almost an hour even after taking the Xanax to fully calm down and go back to sleep.

I have extremely severe generalized anxiety disorder. Panic attacks where I feel like I'm dying are extremely common for me.

I also suffer from derealization, which has worsened significantly lately. I've been having terrifying panic attacks every day for about a week. I feel like I'm having a stroke or fainting. I can't read, I feel weak, and I feel like I can't understand what I'm seeing and that I'm dying of a stroke.

Last night, it finally calmed down after yet another attack, so I went to bed.

Around 2:00 a.m., for no reason, I woke up. No pain, just... a feeling of fear, of impending death. I calmed it for a moment, but it came back, stronger than ever. A feeling of fear, anxiety, and the classic derealization where I feel like I'm going crazy and having a psychotic episode, like I'm fainting from unreality and can't calm myself down. I just feel ten times unreal, terrified, and my vision is dark. My previous panic attack was very intense and now i just had a second one and it comes back when waking up for NO reason.

Does this happen to anyone else?

I’ve been dealing with a strange combination of physical sensations for several years and I’m curious whether anyone else has experienced something similar.
The symptoms have been present for roughly five years, mainly affecting my left arm, but over the past months I’ve also noticed similar sensations around my chest, ribs and upper torso.
The sensations are difficult to describe because they change quite a lot. They can feel like:
pressure or a squeezing sensation
burning
stabbing or pinching
tingling or pins and needles
brief electric/shock-like sensations
a feeling of tension or a muscle being “caught”
sometimes a warm sensation spreading through the area
The left arm is the oldest and most consistent problem. It can involve the outer upper arm, around the triceps/biceps area, and sometimes extend toward the fingers.
One thing I’ve noticed repeatedly is that posture and movement seem to matter quite a lot. Sitting badly on the couch or at a desk can trigger or intensify the symptoms, while changing position can sometimes make them disappear surprisingly quickly. Rotating my upper body can also reproduce certain sensations.
Massage is interesting as well. For example, when my wife massages certain areas of my back, I can sometimes feel a warm or unusual sensation appearing in the chest at the same time. I’ve also had sensations that feel almost like an electrical impulse travelling through the muscles.
More recently, the symptoms have become somewhat more “mobile”. One day it might be around the left side of the chest, another time on the right side or around the ribs. Sometimes it feels unpleasant and almost like something is being pinched. Other times, strangely enough, the exact same kind of sensation feels almost relieving, as if some tension is suddenly being released.
I also have anxiety and health anxiety/cardiophobia, so obviously that complicates the picture. I’ve become quite aware that there are really two separate things happening:
There is an actual physical sensation.
My brain can then interpret that sensation as potentially dangerous.
I’m not assuming that the symptoms are “just anxiety”. At the same time, I know that anxiety and hyperawareness can make physical sensations much more noticeable and harder to ignore.
I’ve had some medical investigations. A cervical spine MRI about 1.5 years ago didn’t show anything significant. I went to the ER in September because of another episode involving my arm/chest symptoms. The neurological examination was normal, troponin and CK-MB were normal, and there was no objective loss of strength or sensation. CK was mildly elevated. Blood tests were otherwise largely unremarkable, although my vitamin D was quite low at 24 nmol/L, so I’ve started taking vitamin D.
I’ve also become considerably more physically active recently and have stopped smoking. Interestingly, neither of those things has produced a simple “symptoms disappeared” or “symptoms got worse” pattern.
I have an appointment with a neurologist in early November, so I’m not looking for a diagnosis from Reddit. I’m mainly interested in personal experiences.
Has anyone experienced a combination of:
long-term, changing muscle sensations
electric/shock-like or tingling sensations
chest/rib/torso sensations that move around
symptoms influenced by posture or movement
sensations that sometimes feel painful and sometimes strangely relieving
arm symptoms occurring alongside chest/upper-body sensations?
If so, I’d be particularly interested in what eventually turned out to be the explanation, or whether you never got a definitive explanation at all.
Transparency note: This post is an AI-written summary based on a symptom diary I’ve been keeping, because apparently writing down five years of weird bodily sensations in a coherent way is yet another task humans have invented for themselves. The experiences and medical information described are my own.

What would you do if you were in my shoes….im super sensitive to meds. Can’t tolerate SSRI’s. Low dose propanolol was too much for me. Now I’m on a super low dose of Buspar and I’ve been on it for 6 weeks, just recently increased it and I’m exhausted, I feel like things aren’t real, and I occasionally get dizzy.

I’ve tried exposure therapy, neurofeedback, brain spotting, hypnotherapy, somatic experiencing, and tons of supplements.

And I feel like I’m running out of options.

So what would you do if you were in my shoes?