Short time users and permanent anxiety following meth use.

[wildbeast]

While swim can't say for sure it seems that his first panic attacks came on the heels of short term Crank use some 23 years ago.

Swim was a heavy drinker then so maybe that partially explains the anxiety too.

Anyway Swim used to trade construction materials to an old Italian guy for Crank. However Swim was too ignorant back then to even know that it was an upper. Swim thought it was Cocaine instead and that "Dino" had just misprounounced the term...

Swim did a lot of crank over one weekend or two and then quit soon afterwards. Quit drinking not long after that too. Had HUGE panic attacks while under influence of crank AND his drinking seemed to cause more panic attacks soon afterwards even though he's quit the Crank.

Someone once told me something about the "Mylon Sheath" or something like that. And that Meth use wears away the insulation on the nerve cells.

Wonder if this is why Swim is more prone to panic attacks than other people?

Seems a shame if this is true. Because Swim only tried the crank a few times and was long ago...

[Forthesevenlakes]

The term is "myelin sheath", its the fatty coating of the part of brain cells that transmits messages electrically in the cell. Basically, wearing away the sheath would mean that cells cannot transmit messages as effectively, so some signals and transmissions may end up being less effective than normal, or even being lost altogether. However, this is probably not what would lead to panic attacks. First, SWIM has never seen conclusive evidence that methamphetamine leads to long-term brain damage in recreational dosages (many studies claiming it harmed the brain were using dosages far in excess of any user), and second, this damage would not lead to a lack of inhibition, which is at least partly to blame in panic attacks.

Instead of brain damage leading to signal loss and understimulation, the cause of the panic might be overactivity in the brain. The brain sets down and strengthens pathways based on stimuli and behaviors being repeated over and over. If one is habitually using meth, they will strengthen pathways linked to certain aspects of the methamphetamine experience, among them, paranoia and triggering the fight or flight response. This increase in neural connections leading to stronger behavior patterns over time is known as "kindling", and relates to changes in neurotransmitter and receptor levels, as well as an increase in dendritic connections in the brain.

What SWIY may have done is strengthen these pathways linked to panic or fear responses to the point that SWIY has a very low threshold for panic attacts, due to the pathways easily being able to overrule any inhibitory defense mechanisms. However these changes should be reversible, perhaps with talk therapy alone, although a benzodiazepine and a beta blocker might not hurt for acute panic situations.

Also, if crank was only used a few times, long ago, perhaps the panic etiology was actually caused by a different repeated stimulus. This is more likely. Perhaps SWIY doesnt even remember what this stimulus was since it was not very obvious. But panic is a self-reinforcing response; the more times one has it, the lower the threshold to have it again the next time. Think of it as a feedback loop. As mentioned in the above paragraph though, this can be changed too, it just takes a bit of effort.

[~lostgurl~]

Cigarettes & caffeine are two other possibilities to look into.

[wildbeast]

Caffeine can be a catalyst for anxiety although usually other factors must be associated with it. Swim could drink plenty of coffee and have no problems at all.

But drink a lot of coffee and take a long trip away from home? that'll cause swim some form of anxiety. So while travelling Swim limits his coffee.

Anxiety can be a real bitch. Worse even than the blues associated with Depression.

Of course Panic Attacks are a symptom of clinical Depression too.

However compared to feeling depressed and having a serious panic attack while driving through a long tunnel?

Take the blues.

Swim doesn't smoke however.

[Forthesevenlakes]

Coffee is definitely linked with panic and anxiety.

Certain genes may also be linked to different phenotypes which, under the right environmental conditions, can develop into depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc. So while two people might have the same genes which would predispose them towards several disorders, different environmental influences could lead one person to express a panic disorder, but another person to have depression.

[Octo42o]

Swim has noticed a drastic change in social anxiety after his use of meth and other various uppers. Not to mention circulation, bone aching, severe sinus headaches, and lack of energy and motivation.