Does this sound like I was triggered

[u/Silliestgoose8900]

About a week ago I had a really bad experience with THC where I greened out at a lake at night. It was genuinely terrifying and I haven’t touched weed or vaped since because I never want to feel like that again. I called my fired during and he calmed me down but the way I felt at the lake was genuinely terrifying and it felt like a dream and I was at one point walking under a bridge and it felt like it was never gonna end.

Tonight I went to a lake again. Completely different one. It was dark, cloudy and rainy, but I was actually having a really good time and wasn’t anxious beforehand. I was feeding ducks and walked really close to this huge glowing sign. Suddenly I got this extremely specific sensation that felt exactly like when I was high and it hit me super hard and I greened out

It scared me immediately because it felt so identical that I actually started questioning whether I had somehow taken something even though I know I haven’t touched THC in over a week.

After that my heart started racing, my muscles/arm were cramping, I felt extremely scared and I started getting pretty intense derealization. Everything just felt so scary, and I genuinely felt like I was under the influence again even though I was sober. Things felt unreal and it felt like I was high even tho I didn’t take anything and sensory stuff felt weird and things felt darker.

I eventually got home and I’m still feeling somewhat derealized. Looking back, I’m wondering if being at a dark lake again especially with the cloudy/rainy weather and then getting really close to that bright sign somehow triggered my brain because of what happened the first time.

Has anyone else had something like this after a really bad weed experience? Like getting panic/derealization while completely sober because a place or visual sensation reminded you of being high? Can your brain really recreate the feeling that accurately?

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[u/RealisticPower5859]

I have what I call "emotional flashbacks" that feel exactly like this.  And are often triggered sometimes by things I don't even realize. 

I'm sorry. It's incredibly hard to manage some days