LSD FLASHBACK Vs PANIC ATTACK

[skibba]

Hi, i'm 21 and took LSD, once, three years ago. I had a very bad trip that ended with me being hospitalised for three weeks. I was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder/drug induced manic-psychosis. I responded well to treatment and was back at home where i spent a long time recovering.
I started a job, working in a petrol station, which i enjoyed and lasted 2 and a half years. I quit the job because of panic disorder. My first panic attack occured whilst i was at work. I was manning the cash desk solo and had a queue of customers. I recognised the sensation instantly. It felt like LSD. My vision distorted and my heart started pounding very fast. My first feeling was that this was an LSD flashback. The feeling past after about 10 minutes. I felt weak as if i'd just run 400 metres. I put the experience down to the LSD and assumed it wouldn't happen again.
One week later, it happened again, in the same situation. Alone at work, a queue of customers and a forecourt full of cars. I felt as if i was going insane. Having been pretty insane once (2002), i feared i was losing control once again. But the feeling past. It once again left me feeling emotionally and physically drained. I completed my shift and went home. Then, in the following week, the symptoms i had experienced returned whilst i was at home. I was fearing the worst. Catastrophizing... I felt so strange and panicky i went to the A&E department. I told the receptionist i was having a mental health crisis. I waited 3 hours in the waiting room to see a psychiatrist.
Once i explained my symptoms to him he assured me i was not going mad and this was a clear case of a panic attack. He, the psychiatrist, prescribed me some LORAZEPAM which worked well and within 10 minutes i was calm and relaxed.
I have not been back to work since and have signed on for all the benefits i can recieve. I have been having panic attacks and general/free-floating anxiety with agoraphobia for nearly a year now. I have managed three trips abroad. Two to Spain, and one to the Carribean. But the thought of having another panic attack is constantly with me. The fear of the fear.
Having been in close contact with a mental health trust for 3 years meant easy and quick access to doctors and therapists. I was prescribed CITALOPRAM. The SSRI made things a lot worse for several months. I couldn't leave the house for a long period.
Only recently, now i have been stable for quite some time have I really been able to look at my symptoms and try to understand where my anxiety is/was coming from. I knew all my mental health troubles were caused/triggered by taking the potent hallucinogen LSD. So i thought that this might be the answer to my panic disorder. When i have panic attacks it feels like an altered state of consciousness. Like that experienced when i took LSD. I know LSD is unique in that symptoms can be experienced after taking it, while not intoxicated by anything. I recently have been thinking that maybe, the momentary re-exeriencing of LSD symptoms may be the trigger for an intesnse fear reaction (fear of losing control/going insane).
Now I have been looking into this i realise i may have HPPD or PHPD. POST HALLUCINOGEN PERCEPTION DISORDER with ANXIETY symptoms. This is a real illness which affects sight/perception. It does not mean i am less in touch with reality. It can and has interferred with my life and i am now seeking help.

Thanks

Skibba

[skibba]

Oh, i guess i should mention this too. Before i took LSD i had also taken: Amphetamines (speed), Cocaine, Ecstacy (MDMA), FoxyMethoxy(designer drug), Cannabis regularly, Ketamine (Horse Tranquiliser) and Diazepam. I took all these with no ill effect (well, no disasterous consequences). I didn't take them all at once either.

[Nicky]

im pretty messed up with anxiety and phobias due to LSD and other crap ive taken when i was younger. seems your like me i realy freaked out one night i thought i was dieing , i was so high with other drugs at the time i should of fell a sleep but the LSD kept me awake making it worse i was never put in hospital though. anyway next morning i felt rough and its like never left me.
i quote u saying "feels like an altered state of consciousness" aye that is what i think about myself i think i knocked myself stupid with them stupid drugs and they also effected my vision.

[nomorepanic]

Skibba

Welcome aboard the forum.

You say

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I have not been back to work since and have signed on for all the benefits i can recieve. I have been having panic attacks and general/free-floating anxiety with agoraphobia for nearly a year now. I have managed three trips abroad. Two to Spain, and one to the Carribean. </td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

What stops you going back to work but enables you to go on holidays etc? Is it just the previous feelings at work? These can be overcome in time and I am sure you can start to get yourself back to the workplace.

Start here - www.nomorepanic.co.uk/firststeps and see if you can find any help from there.

Hope to hear more from you.

Nicola

[Meg]

Skibba

Try some voluntary work to ease you back into doing something positive for yourself and your future.

Volunteering ...

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[denise84]

hi skibba, i have put a post on here about my taking drugs being the cause of my panic attacks, i was into e's big time and im totally blaming taking them on my panic although someone said i was wrong.

dmcgovern

[SDWlogon]

i totally agree that E is a major factor in panic disorder later on in life. it milks you seratonin receptors and makes them go empty. i have the same problem. LSD does alot of damage too. i am also dealing with agoraphobia, panic/anxiety attacks, and feelings of terror when i am in public places. i find myself looking for all the exits so i can flee when they get too bad. i have even been known to go shopping, and even though i have a cart load of groceries, i will leave them and run away from the store if i feel crowded. i just can't deal with people. i have been labeled permanently disabled due to my disorders, and am in the process of getting SSD. it sucks but we did it to ourselves by participating in drugs in excess. i am doing my best to manage it with medicines like prazosin for flashbacks, xanax for panic/anxiety, and two types of amphetamines for ADD/ADHD. i don't like relying on drugs to deal with the problems i have due to excessive drug use, but they help to make me feel more comfortable in my own skin. you can do it! just talk to your psychiatrist and be bluntly honest about your past, and they will be better equipt to help you in managing your issues. have faith and all will be well. just don't be ashamed to talk things through with those who are trained to help you.

[whatisthis]

Hi skibba

I highly recommend you have a look over at: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/index.php

There is a large amount of information for all known rec drugs about recovery, addiction and safe use. The site itself has many people who have first hand experience with side effects and recovery.

I myself have never had experience with LSD but have dabbled with most other mainstream drugs. I had my anxiety before hand by the way.

No.1 to the above comment that there is yet to be any evidence that MDMA causes any long term damage to the serotonin system in humans. After prolonged use at acceptable dosages levels of serotonin appear to restore themselves after abstinence. There is no evidence that any brain damage occurs. I am noway approving of recreational drug use but there is just too much information thrown around by scare mongerers and goverment official. You only have to look at the Mephedrone fiasco this year to see that.

As far as I know you have had a bad trip and you have rewired your brain into this state. I have read of people revcovering from this over time and you need to remain positive. LSD is a powerful drug but is now proven to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco (when chemicially correct), even cannabis is rated as more dangerous in new studies. The problem with LSD is that it can bring out existing problems and remain there until dealt with. This is why is was developed for therapy purposes to speed up the process of talk therapy and deal with sub concious problems.

Sorry if you already know all this but there is much hope. LSD is not stopping you from working or going outside. Like you said its the bad trip that you need to unwire from your brain. I have many friends who have come through this, one friend developed schizophrenia brougt on by drug use but is now living a normal happy life. He was pre disposed to this by the way.

I think alot of these anxiety problems to do with drugs is because no one fully knows the true extent of their affects. You need to except what has happened and that you can recover. If you say I am physically damaged the anxiety over the issue will continue. Accept and move on while doing as much research as possible from real people with real experience not scare mongering goverment officials and people with anti drug attitudes.

Good luck, hope I have not offended you in anyway.

By the way my opinion of this subject is the light of all use was in moderation, not overdoses!

Lastest classification studies of drugs based on physical harms, dependence and social harms:

1. Heroin (Class A)
2. Cocaine (Class A)
3. Barbiturates (Class B)
4. Street methadone (Class A)
5. Alcohol (Not controlled)
6. Ketamine (Class C)
7. Benzodiazepine (Class B)
8. Amphetamine (Class B)
9. Tobacco (No class)
10. Bupranorphine (Class C)
11. Cannabis (Class B)
12. Solvents (Not controlled)
13. 4-MTA (Class A)
14. LSD (Class A)
15. Methylphenidate (Class B)
16. Anabolic steroids (Class C)
17. GHB (Class C)
18. Ecstasy (Class A)
19. Alkylnitrates (Not controlled)
20. Khat (Not controlled)

[Skittlez]

I am 21 and i have done LSD many times, the last time was about 3 weeks ago. Last night i was at the movies with my friends and my vision started to get smaller like i couldnt see my friend standing next to me. it was like if you have ever stood up really fast and got a head rush and spotted vision. i shook my head and closed my eyes and opened them again and these coloured spots were covering over my vision until thats all i could see. I lost my muscle control in my arms and legs and fell over. i tried to get up but i just kept falling over. i couldnt see my friends or anything around me. i couldnt hear anything or speak either.

my friends finally sat me in a chair and i passed out for about 5mins and then i came to and the spots started going away, but i was sweating and my shirt was soaked in sweat. My friends said my pupils were extremely dialated and my face was so pale, but the whole thing was about 10min.

I don't know what happened. but now im scared to go anywhere.

I've come down to a few things i think it might be after looking them up. i found brain bleeding, caused by what i don't know. Stress/panic but it was not a stressful situation i was in, it was like any other night going to the movies. I am stressed out because me and my girlfriend are in the process of breaking up and ive been under a lot of stress lately with that and work and my career. The last thing is some sort of LSD flashback. I take LSD once in a while, Speed and MDMA at least once a month, and i smoke weed quite often.

Also I was smoking weed when this happened.

If anyone can help me figure out what happened or offer more information.
Thank you.

[Oosh]

Hiya

I've taken lots of LSD, amphetamines, smoked weed for quite a while.
Listening to what you're describing, the first thing that comes to mind is that the blood supply to your brain was shut off.

When ufc fighters get choked out they describe exactly what you describe ie your vision turns into an ever shrinking tunnel. When the tunnel closes you're unconscious. Being choked out is squeezing the neck so blood can't reach the brain.
As the blood supply returns to your brain you're gonna see flashing blobs of colour, kaleidoscope sort of appearance. I know that because we used to play feinting games :/
I've woken up on the floor many times after an induced feint.

I've sat opposite a pot head when they've taken a big hit of weed and feinted in front of me. There's going to be less oxygen getting to your brain.

I've also smoked too much weed where I felt extremely sick and felt like all the blood had drained from my head, I was as white as a sheet and didn't have the energy to get up off the floor.

I think it was just weed mate.

I bet it wore off as you straightened up didn't it ?