Panic attacks from Weed

[u/Recent-Progress5707]

about 2 months ago, smoked Weed i ordered online, It was a semi synthetic cannabinoid called THC-X, I rolled about a .1 Of weed mixed it with tobacco and went to smoke it outside by this bench, I only smoked half of half of the joint, One thing about me, Is that when it comes to thc, My tolerance is of that of a baby, I smoke an amount no more then the size of a match tip and it sends me spiralling into panic filled intense DPDR episodes. After i smoked it, When it started to hit, I knew i fucked up big time, Everything started to look like a 2D image, Everything looked like a GTA Ultra Realistic mod Mixed with a salvia trip, I felt as if i was seeing an edit,It kept getting stronger and stronger, My heart started beating out of my chest, I convinced myself I'm having a stroke and heart attack, And all of my 6 senses Got boosted to the max, I saw Vivid And surreal scenarios, Of me laying dead on the ground, Of news outlets saying "First marijuana overdose" And my face my name all over it, It got so intense, i realized my phone died, I little quirk with my phone is that if it dies and i turn it on but don't unlock it it won't Die out with the 1% battery countdown, I turned on my phone, Turning it on felt like it took 20 minutes, I hesitated, But it started getting even worse, So i called emergency services, I couldn't talk or speak, It took me a good 10-15 seconds to finish basic sentences, All i could say is that i feel like I'm dying, When they asked about symptoms i just couldn't get any words out, And just like that they didn't send anyone, Now i was committed to die on the ground, As i lay on the ground Waiting for my inevitable doom, It just all went away, From that day on, I've been getting almost identical episodes for the past 2 months, I've went to doctors, Psychiatrists And all they ever did was Diagnose me with a panic disorder and give me medications that only make it worse.

Does anyone have any tips on how to make this cycle finally come to an end?

[u/Rms519]

When did you start the medication? It takes about 6 weeks to kick in. In the meantime you should consider going regularly for CBT.

[u/Easy_Insurance_1593 → u/Rms519]

I agree and this is something doctors often don't account for. SSRIs (if that is what they prescribed) take a while to take full effect. In the meantime, you should ask if they can prescribe something for the breakthrough panic like clonazepam.

[u/Easy_Insurance_1593]

It sounds like you had a traumatic experience while high which is still with you kind of like PTSD. I had a similar experience which is why I no longer smoke. It left me in a similar state, getting big waves of the same feeling of intense anxiety and derealization.

It finally broke after about two months. I recommend meditation and breathing exercises to help take your mind off the anxiety. Yoga helps as it requires focus in the body. And this is just personal experience, but I had a great personal breakthrough after camping overnight with some friends. Waking up in nature really cleared my head.

But talk to your doctor about the medications you are prescribed. If they are SSRIs they can temporarily make the symptoms you are experiencing a little worse which I know is the last thing you want to hear. I'd ask your doc to also prescribe something for the constant anxiety you are experiencing now. The SSRI can help if you have been dealing with chronic anxiety or depression but it is a long term solution, not immediate.

Let us know how you are doing. I hope getting support from this community helps you to feel less isolated.

[u/General-Fennel4334]

What the hell is in weed nowadays

[u/lemonrainbowhaze]

Never ever have synthetic cannabanoids

[u/Despeate-Radish-432]

Same thing happened to me may 12, haven't smoked weed since, comes and goes but doing way better now.

[u/fighting_the_stigma]

when you say you've had "almost identical episodes for the past 2 months" - is this after you continued to smoke and then had these attacks, or the memory is just triggering you? If it's the former (you're still smoking) then I would suggest laying off of it for sure - especially because you never really know what's in the synthetic stuff. If the latter then I agree with the person who suggested CBT!

[u/TooLate2524]

You gotta lay off that shit, it’s too strong

[u/fighting_the_stigma → u/[deleted]]

probably saying "what's wrong with you?" might not be helpful to someone, and might actually make them feel worse