Please help, is this anxiety?

[BrendanD93]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here. My name is Brendan and I am 16 years old (yeah i know, young)

I have some questions.

About 1.5 months ago I smoked marijuana. While 'high' i felt my heart beat. It was extremely fast and i panicked and i know that's normal while under the effects of marijuana.

During a 3 week period about 80% of the time, i focused on my pulse. I was in school, and i was a little nervous that day thinking about if my heart rate started to rise, what will i do? Well i was nervous from being nervous, and it rose. I then proceeded to go to the nurse and then went to ER. My heart rate was 160 and i can't remember my blood pressure. The did some tests, EKG, urine, blood, they took an x-ray, no traces of drugs were found by the way. I had nothing wrong with me. I followed up with my pediatrician and she said to go to a cardiologist and test some blood samples for some other problems. I went to the cardiologist and he told me some info about how it's natural in teens to have a rise in heart rate from out of now where. They did an ultrasound, and then gave me a monitor to keep with me for a month to record if i feel a rise in heart rate. Side comments he gave me from listening to my heart through his stethoscope was , "this is a healthy heart" i was relaxed for about 2 weeks after that.

Then the other night i was lying in bed and woke up, i heard a load buzzing in my ears so i went down stairs, i was very nervous, my heart rate rose. Until now and even now i felt and am feeling my pulse throughout my chest. Last night, i was panicking, i was dizzy, irregular heart beat, my left arm hurt very slightly, my throat was cloggy, i thought i was having a heart attack. ever since that night i heard the load buzzing and my heart rose, it seems to be beating harder.

Any information and support will be greatly appreciated, i have my whole life ahead of me and really would not want this to bring me down.

Thank you all.

[Mya]

Hi Brendan,

It makes me so sad to see someone as young as you suffering in this way. I am a bit older than you and I have suffered anxiety all my life, but never experienced a panic attack until 2 years ago. It was the most terrifying thing I ever experienced and yes, it feels like you are having a heart attack. My anxiety has chronically become worse from this and it was not until recently that I decided to seek help.

I smoked a lot of marijuana as well and before my anxiety got to this extreme it never bothered me and would relax me and take me to a better place mentally. I have actually tried to cope by getting high since experiencing chronic anxiety and panic and I must say that I can no longer do it. The physical effects that it does in regards to the racing heart will throw me until full panic for days after.

You are so young and it breaks my heart to hear you feeling this way. Please be sure to seek some counseling once you have ruled out any physical problems. From what you are describing sounds very much like a panic attack and anxiety. The longer you have these feelings the harder it is to live life to your fullest.

This site has been such a wonderful tool for me in addition to my therapy. You will find much support and guidance here. I am beginning to notice that although it is wonderful to speak with these people online, I believe now I need to meet others like myself in person. My family and friends do not understand because they have never walked in our shoes. Unfortunately it seems we do not have a forum like this here in the United States, which would be so nice so we could meet other Americans like us. Group therapy is now an additional option I may seek out because it really does help in speaking to others that can understand.

I wish you all the best and please seek the support you need now so you may go on and live your youth with total happiness.

[BrendanD93]

Hi Brendan,

It makes me so sad to see someone as young as you suffering in this way. I am a bit older than you and I have suffered anxiety all my life, but never experienced a panic attack until 2 years ago. It was the most terrifying thing I ever experienced and yes, it feels like you are having a heart attack. My anxiety has chronically become worse from this and it was not until recently that I decided to seek help.

I smoked a lot of marijuana as well and before my anxiety got to this extreme it never bothered me and would relax me and take me to a better place mentally. I have actually tried to cope by getting high since experiencing chronic anxiety and panic and I must say that I can no longer do it. The physical effects that it does in regards to the racing heart will throw me until full panic for days after.

You are so young and it breaks my heart to hear you feeling this way. Please be sure to seek some counseling once you have ruled out any physical problems. From what you are describing sounds very much like a panic attack and anxiety. The longer you have these feelings the harder it is to live life to your fullest.

This site has been such a wonderful tool for me in addition to my therapy. You will find much support and guidance here. I am beginning to notice that although it is wonderful to speak with these people online, I believe now I need to meet others like myself in person. My family and friends do not understand because they have never walked in our shoes. Unfortunately it seems we do not have a forum like this here in the United States, which would be so nice so we could meet other Americans like us. Group therapy is now an additional option I may seek out because it really does help in speaking to others that can understand.

I wish you all the best and please seek the support you need now so you may go on and live your youth with total happiness.

Thank you for your advice, i will try my best to get some help. :)

[Mya]

You are very welcome, sweetheart. If you are having any problems at all in finding the help that you need, you can always come on here and get the support that you need. I wish you all the best. xoxo

[sammie]

hi brendan

this sounds like a side effect of smoking the spliff and normal under the circumstances . try and get as much support as you can see this as a result of the smoking and nothing more it only becomes a problem if you worry about it i have seen and worked with many young people who have been duped into anxiety after smoking drugs.

sam x

[Typer]

Great advise Mya.

The marijuana may have kicked it off but then you became focused on your heart rate etc... as we are all finding, it's then like a vicious circle...like you say a fear of fear which actually creates a circle of fear. It's hell and the circle needs cutting into.

Do some deep breathing techniques, keep your mind busy on something else as much as you can, and keep telling yourself all is well

[BrendanD93]

Thank you all for your advice :)