Alcohol and Anxiety – the spiral of worry
Anxiety ruins many people’s lives, and lessens the enjoyment of it for most of us. It’s focus can be anything, from the seemingly trivial to the life threatening.
Of course the solution that many people find is through alcohol. This can provide temporary but undoubtedly effective relief – allowing us to relax again and get on with life without being so preoccupied. But alcohol does not actually allow us to deal with our anxiety or manage the situations provoking it, so we fail to develop our resources.
Anxiety arises as a result of our interpretations of a situation as being in some way threatening or unpleasant. This is then combined with our perception of our ability to cope with that threat.
For example, two people are experiencing the exact same event – the possibility that they will lose their job. The anxiety prone person might think -
“but I’ll never find another job, I’m not good enough. I won’t have enough money, I won’t be able to cope – I’ll lose my house”. Obviously thoughts like that will tend to create anxiety.
The other person facing the same situation might think -
“I can get another job easy enough, I’m adaptable. Money might be a bit tight for a while, but I can cope with that”.
So if the first person can learn to adjust their perception of their abilities, they might not get so anxious, and they might not feel the need to drink so much alcohol as a result. Those perceptions and beliefs happen so automatically, we often forget that we have a degree of choice over them.
Unfortunately alcohol consumption tends to exacerbate anxiety levels subsequently – firstly by causing disruption to the nervous system, secondly by creating situations likely to induce further worry. A spiral of increasing use causing increasing anxiety can develop.
Anxious people tend to have a central belief about themselves as being helpless – they underestimate their ability to cope. Although, they are often aware that their fears are exaggerated.
Five key questions can be used to challenge the initial perception of threat and the appraisal of your coping ability:
- What alternative interpretations could I make about this situation?
- What concrete, factual evidence do I have to back-up or deny these beliefs?
- What is the worst that could really happen, and how would that ultimately affect me?
- What positive action can I take to manage this?
- What are the pros and cons of me continuing with these negative thoughts I’m having?
Coupled with some simple relaxation techniques like keeping aware of your breathing, you can soon lessen your anxiety to a tolerable level. If you can adjust the way you interpret the world, and thus not feel so worried about it, then you may not need to drink so much alcohol to cope.
Just an update – I told my best friend my situation about suffering from anxiety and being paranoid about what people think about me. He was very supportive and assured me that no-one thinks bad of me, although he did admit that it’s not healthy that I get blind drunk every now and then. This has given me a boost and for the first time in ages my mind wasn’t wandering during the week and thinking up ridiculous scenarios.
The next step for me is to be stronger and watch my alcohol intake. Then after that I hope to conquer the anxiety and paranoia! Unfortunately, I was out boozing the past friday. Luckily, I was half sensible and didn’t have a black out – still felt the blues on saturday though.
Guys, I appreciate your kind words of encouragement and wish you all the best.
The mind is a complex thing!
Hi folks just found this website i have suffered from anxiety since i was about 13 i think due to mental and physical abuse at home i am now 24 i started drinking from the age of 15 gradually found myself drinking more and more losing friends along the way as i get older.alcohol is like superman juice without it i wouldnt say boo to a fly but with it i think i can fight the world been battered around and got in troulble alot with the police
unfortunatly for me 3 nights ago i had to phone an ambulance 4 myself because i coudnt stop being sick from the night before i had been coughing up blood 4 months and shiting blood but this time i couldnt stop they took blood tests and told me my liver had taken serious damage if i carry on i be dead in within 10 years im only 24 and shiting myself now i have to go for more tests in 1 week 4 cameras n stuff down my throat its the wake up call ive needed hopefully ill be ok by this discovery this will be my first time tackeling my depression and anxiety without alcohol doctors always been telling me i ll never get better if im drinking so this time i ll try.i should tell yous that i am a binge drinker normally 3 days a week o drinkin u dont need to drink every day 4 it to get u i hope you read this and if this hasent already happened to u u realise tht drink aint your friend its your enemy holding u back from opportunitys in life i will post a note on thursday about my tests n stuff and will keep on updating yous on how my battle with anxietys going without drink
good luck
dj.norzie@googlemail.com
Hi,
John N – I read your story and thought how its so true, you don’t have to drink every day for it to damage you beyond repair. I drink 2-3 days a week and drink so much I can’t stop throwing up, obviously alcohol poisoning. I’m on day 3 of my 7 day sobriety challenge and hope to carry it on ibndefinately as I don’t want to die young or become really sick.
Lou – I read what you said about the bubble in your chest. I get this when I’m anxious and feel like I’m swallowing air and have to burp to relieve it. My husband goes mad with me burping but if I don’t I feel my chest will explode. I think mine is definately related to my anxiety.
Toni – you sound eactly like me. A mum who thinks she should no better but keeps up this cycle of binge drinking, blanking out and the spending the next few days with palpatations wondering if I upset anyone or said anything stupid and that everyone hates me. I’m glad I’m not alone and it makes me see its just the drink.
Kelly – yourt story also resonated with me. I went out on Friday, drank a bottle and a half of wine, missed my train home, spent another £25 on a taxi, then realised I’ve lost my purse with two checques for £70 in which were wedding presents. Too scared to tell my husband and ashamed of myself.
As I say I’m doing a 7 day sobriety on day 3 now. Wish me luck
i understand no person should have to suffer like this keep your heart up and i will pray for you to get better we are a very unforgiving nation who do not realize drinking is an illness i suffer so bad myself you are not alone chating here keeps me sane i so want to stop drinking my mum would die if she knew but if i can stop she will not need to why are drinkers treated like vile people we all did it because we have unsolveable problems we all want to live happy lives but the stesses of life debt and partner problems take some of us down a long lonely road try to look and think what in the past has made you happy do the best to create this i know it may be hard with little money i had to give up my job but god feeds the birds and they dont earn a penny if you ask him for help he will answer good luck
Anxiety attack can be lessened by learning relaxation techniques like those used in meditation. some food supplements like 5-HTP helps in easing the symptoms of anxiety attack
Hi,
I have a problem as well with anxiety and alcohol. I would go at it hard on a sat night and wake up depressed and worried about everything. I have questioned whether it is actually worth it anymore and i know that it is nt but what else would i do.
I was out on the piss last night and feel hungover and anxious today. I’m 43 and have had these symptoms since my early twenties. It all started when I split with a girl who I had been with for three years I was broken hearted. Life moves on I have a great partner and three kids and a busy job. My anxiety has never left me but I do cope better and have recognised things that make it worse. Alcohol is the worst thing ever for my anxiety but I still drink the bloody stuff. All my friends don’t have these symptoms just me. Give yourself some praise that you’ve stopped the heavy drinking its the first step to getting better,well done. All the very best for 2012.
Hello all.
This web sight makes me feel like I am not alone in my struggles with alcohol induced anxiety. I am a 35 year-old male and will be graduating with an associate degree in business this Dec. (I say this because this disorder seems to not care who it attacks) I recently quit a job because I felt that my co-workers were out to get me, I now know that it was probably just the anxiety. I work out every day so I can become an officer in the Army, but even with running a mile and a half every day I still feel the need to get drunk about 3-5 times a week. I am trying to curb my drinking and grow the hell up so my wife will not think I am a looser. I hide my drinking from her, she is only aware of about 25% of what I actually drink.
Thanks to this sight I am now aware of the connection that alcohol has with anxiety. I think that Steve Clark (the original guitarist for Def Leppord) had this distorter. He was an amazing guitar player, but he would try to break his hands so he didn’t have to play, eventually he drank himself to death.
I will add more latter (sorry my post is not very organized it was just some things that are on my mind right now) thanks for letting me communicate this!
i am f**ked
lost my girlfriend and my life
my birthday today im on this so u guys will know how i feel
i wrote comments on this a month ago not had results never turned up arguments between me n my girlfriend not doing tht good been drinking she has left me on my 25th birthday drink fur yeee
not worth it
hello to every1 this site is great. its nice to here there are people with the same condition as me, i to have very bad anxiety the next day after drinking iam currently on beta blockers off my doctor ,do any of you get like little bursts of addrenaline rushes throughout the day when feeling like there anxiety is realy bad. iam 26 and had it since i was 18 ive been trapped in my house for 8 years as fearful of the outside world also when i have gone outside my head feels in a spin and i feel very confused i feel like iam on a different planet. been to to the sychotherapist and it nevar worked also the bad thing about anxiety is when we do get rid ov it ,it can come back wich isnt very comforting has any1 got rid of it for long then its came back ?
jj
this website is great,1 of the things that makes me so paranoid the day after drinking is the thought that i am going crazy,the fact that i can relate to every post on here comforts me cos i know now im not alone & not going crazy!
Just thought I’d drop back in.
I’m actually doing much better now – the anxiety and paranoia have subsided massively. I’ve started taking 5htp tablets – I recommend them to anyone!
On the alcohol front, I still feel dreadful the next day, even if I know 100% that I’ve been well behaved. I’ve only had 1 bad alcohol experience since I last posted in October – 1 too many for me though. I’m finding I can deal with things much better now and not let problems grow in my head.
I’m still finding my way though. Best of luck to everyone!
hi carl did you have any side effects from the 5htp tablets and what strength were you taking
been suffering from alcohol props for a while now and have come to conclusion that the drinking with me is just a sympton . use it as self medication to overcome anxiety and stress situations in my life . so anything that releives these feelings are worth a try and your recomendations sound promising.
Brian
Hi Brian,
No side effects whatsoever. They just give me a boost. I can’t say they’ll work for everyone but I definitely feel calmer after taking them.
Here’s the company I use – the link explains what they do better than I can:
http://www.healthspan.co.uk/mood/happy-days-5-htp-tablets/ProductDetail-p211-c115.aspx?_s_ref=G56w5QP4S&kw=5htp&creative=4118214142&gclid=CJmHhf_2hqECFQRd4wodOAwVAA
I should add that I’ve also spent some time reading self help books (Paul McKenna is a good starting point), exercising and generally taking time to try and work things out in my head. I try to limit my alcohol and at least remember getting home of an evening. I have the odd set back but try not to dwell on it as much as I used too.
I think I used alcohol to give me a confidence boost. So it makes sense that being more confident naturally should reduce the need for booze!
I still enjoy a few drinks, I just can’t allow myself to get steaming drunk!
Good luck. Please let us know how you’re doing.
Hi there. I’ve just stumbled on this board and can’t believe how much better I feel already as I can relate to lots of the content!! I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the message I am about to post and I do apologise for the length of it, I just need to give a background…….
A couple of years ago, I went on holiday to Spain, got a horrendous chest infection but the symptoms eased considerably when I drank alcohol (like you do, for medicinal purposes!!) as it seemed to soothe my throat/chest. I drank a fair bit on this holiday, plus it was all inclusive so I definitely had way over my limits! Anyway, soon after it was Christmas and I drank more than normal, then I went through a stressful period at work (job can be very stressful some days) and I fell into the habit of having a couple of glasses of red wine most nights. This then turned into every night and pretty soon I realised that I was having way too many alcohol units in a week and it would definitely do me harm in the long run.
I was VERY rarely drunk on these occasions, I never craved a drink it was simply a habit I had fallen in to.
Anyway, I decided just not to have anything alcoholic at all to drink. No problems, it was an easy decision and I was happy. However, after a few days I began having palpitations and had the most horrendous chest pressure. I really thought I was having a heart attack one night! I saw my GP and after telling him all the above, (and after he’d listened to my heart, done an ECG, and taken bloods……all normal….) he vaguely mumbled something about withdrawal symptoms.
I’d never even considered this so started looking it up. I suffer only from a FEW palpitations and to be honest they are getting rarer now I’ve discovered that chocolate and coffee also trigger them, so I avoid both as much as possible now. I have no other symptoms of withdrawal, I don’t crave alcohol, I’ve gone 6 weeks or more without any alcohol and it hasn’t bothered me a bit….but I STILL get this chest pressure from time to time which drives me crazy. It feels like someone is sitting on my chest some days and others it just feels a little tight or like there is a bubble of air in the centre of my chest and I have to keep burping to relieve it. This is usually coupled with aches in my shoulders and back. But then, some days I don’t get those feelings at all and it can feel perfectly fine for days or even weeks……then it comes back. It isn’t during stressful or busy periods either, it’s just out of the blue!
I KNOW that if I went back to my old habits of drinking daily again, I wouldn’t get this pressure, I know because I tried the theory a few months back!!! What I’m saying is that alcohol seems to stop me getting this chest pressure.
That leads me to think it IS like a withdrawal effect….or is it anxiety???!! Finding this board is making me think it’s anxiety, your stories are ringing similar to mine!!
I don’t want to drink daily, that was a thing that I did for just over a year, then I realised one day that is was WAY too much and it was simply a very bad habit.
Just to end, I’m female, 39, live in the UK, don’t smoke and never have, don’t do drugs, I AM a bit overweight, my cholesterol level was bordering high when it was taken so now I’m going down the sensible eating route and it’s coming down. As I said, my blood tests and ECG came back ok (that was a year ago though) and my blood pressure is normal (not even high normal!) and my resting pulse rate is generally around 80 on average (high would be about 98 for me) I have my own blood pressure monitor and it’s always stable although sometimes it feels like my heart is racing and I can feel it almost in my throat. There’s no history of heart problems in my family either.
Is something that anyone can relate to??? Quite simply, I’m sure that if I’d have carried on drinking as I was, I wouldn’t be typing this now as I wouldn’t have the symptoms!!
I’m very confused and would love someone to share their opinions!!
Thank you SO much!!!!
i would say that it probably is anxiety, anxiety comes in many different ways to different ppl. why not try consulting the doc about it again and asking him about the anxiety theory?? good luck
this is gonna sound very strange but reading all of ur problems has made me feel so much better knowing that im not on my own with this! i have been drinkin for 10 yrs now and have really bad anxiety for the same amount of time, i drink everyday and have done for the 10 yrs, im 28 and already feel really old. ive nearly lost everything good in my life so 2day is the day when its gotta stop, been on my comp for 2 hours looking at self help stuff for alcohol addiction and anxiety and am amazed how good i feel about trying to do this! have a doctors appointment 2mrw and mite mention the 5htp’s someone was talking about? what are they, are they like beater blockers? been on them b4 on the past and found them very helpful. good luck everybody, WE CAN GET OVER THIS! keep u updated on my progress.
i have just spent the last couple of hours looking into drink related anxiety. I get it bad, after a very heavy all dayer with my girl friends on sunday i spent most of yesterday not being able to move off the settee and to worried to step outside my front door, the reason i cant remember getting home, i go out every other weekend and drink i go into town have a great time with my friends, but more increasingly spend the next few days after with palpations and stress that everyone hates me i must of upset someone said something wrong became really loud and very annoying, i dont know where all that comes from as my friends tell me that this so isnt the case, sunday in particular was bad as i cannot remember getting home, i have obviously fallen over as i am covered in bruises, i left my friends and they made sure i got in a taxi they say i seemed absolutley fine but i cant remember anything about it, i convinced myself yesterday that terrible things had happened to me, i have been able to piece timings together i think altho still not sure, i left the girls at 10 and was definatly home by 10.20 as i must have attempted to call a take away as when i did 1471 on my phone they were the last ppl to call back, but i have no recollection of this whaat so ever and its really freaked me out, i am glad that im not crazy and other ppl suffer with this in the same way, but after the umptenth time i actually feel scared and i am never doing that again, im nearly 34 years of age and a mum what a stupid thing to do. anyway just felt i needed to add these comments and to be honest i feel a little better now, i binge drink i dont think that qualifies me as having a problem with drink, im not sure but i do know that feeling this way is not good. i have a huge group of friends around me who all do the same but never ever feel the way i do and think im daft for getting so upset but on the same token although i have been friends with these girls for years they always tell me how boring i am when i go out and dont drink and i do feel sometimes that i am the life and soul of the party as i like being centre of atention at the time and entertain everyone and make sure that everyone is ok and enjoying themselves, anyway thats enough from me, but i hope by explaining a little how i feel may help others to realise that they are not mad its just alchol has different effects on different ppl and it obviously isnt good for me,
Hi Toni,
Sounds like you are a similar character to myself!
Experience has told me to listen to your body and remember how bad you’ll feel the next day. It’s all about reducing your intake – whether that’s having singles instead of doubles, shandies instead of pints or whatever…
you sound exactly like me.
the better time i have the more remorse and guilt and anxiety i suffer sometimes for up to a week after. i had to go to the doctor for some sedatives this week as i got myself in to a right state wondering what folk thought of me and the paranoia of if i’d be fine for work in a few days . the best thing to try to remember is that you are not that important in others views but it doesn’t work with my self although thats what i say to others .
I writing this is a middle of a crisis. I have been an anxiety sufferer for as long as I can remember. At times im overwhelmed with anxious thoughts, depression, fear and guilt. I find alcohol a reprive but sometimes I take it to far and the feelings im left with after a night out are devestating. For years I have been taking Lexapro the antidepressant. Lately I have switched to Lustral. The combination with alcohol in recently weeks has really screwed me up. My Girlfriend of eight years left to go abroard for a year and I have hit the bottle bad. On nights out my behaviour is more and more risky.Picking fights and waking up with things that dont belong to me, clothes, alcohol, ashtrays out of bars. This is completly against my character. I wouldnt harm a fly. The guilt and paranoia im left with after a weekend on the beer is overwhelming. Im trying to combat this with sleeping tablets and valium but im sleeping all day and when im awake I can’t eat and im in a permanent state of worry. I feel like im falling head first. I feel old. Im 34 this month.
Anxiety and depression is one hell of a nasty disease. even if you have everything but if you have clinical depression, you are still nothing.~:,
Hi all,
Also extremely glad that I found this thread. Some people suffering with the same thing. Im actually seeing a doctor this afternoon.
My last episode, on the weekend resulted in me waking up in bed not remebering almost the entire evening before.
I find myself to be an extremely anxious/paradoid/worried/depressed person at the best of times, and when I go out, after having a few drinks, I become my old self, the one that I know. Have a great time. And then wake up with the above symptoms times ten. Just wanting to sleep and not see the light of day, worried as to who may have seen me, what I may have done. If im in trouble with the law. Are people looking for me. Are people laughing at me.
I call the guys that I was out with to find out what happened, and im worried, just to be told that dont worry man, we all had a jol.
Because I cant remember, I cant believe them and will actually persist in asking people what could have possibly gone wrong, or what I did, surely this guilt cant be for nothing.
I am currently on contract in another country than my girlfirend, and although she knows I suffer and suffer on a higher level after been out, she is very understanding. I cant understand why, I love her but have huge amounts of guilt, What if I cheated or tried to cheat or etc etc. I will never know if i did or didnt, and will worry for the rest of my life. And feel quilty. Did I get into any fights, be horrible with anyone. Jeez I could go on forever. I know I wouldnt do these things sober and to think i may have whilst out drinking kills me.
Obviosuly Alcohol exaggerates the symptoms, but when out having a few beers I do feel better. I dont feel that im an alcoholic, although drinking to feel better is not an option. Need to try treat the anxiety, and if drinking will still cause this problem If a feel even okay sober, then the drinking will stop.
Would rather live a life without alcohol, than sit worrying, anxious, and guilty for the rest of it.
Just hoping to find a way to recover this time, treat it, and be gone with it.
Good luck everyone.
Hey i’ve been suffering from anxiety since i was 14(now 18), i could no longer go out because i’d feel dizzy, see lights and go into a huge panic attack. I’d try to take my mind off it by looking around shops but it didn’t work eventually i’d end up with the jelly legs feeling totally helpless. Taking medication only made me worry more. Only things that seems to calm my anxiety is online gaming+alcohol
Hello my friends,
Anxiety and Alcohol seem to go hand in hand, it is a vicious circle trying to self-medicate with alcohol.
The problem nowadays is that a lot of people do not understand how anxiety works and a lot of websites are there just to make money from anxious people.
The idea to curing anxiety is to tackle the root cause of the problem by re-training the brain with positive images and positive thoughts (yes this really works!)
In Anxiety the brain ‘falls’ into the wrong pattern and anxiety becomes repetitive as the thought pattern is Negative. Negative/fearful thinking will result in high anxiety levels.
So to the people who read my post please give POSITIVE thinking a try.
Within a month you will see definate improvements and believe me your life will change for the better, the brain will no longer function in ‘negative’ mode.
Everytime you think of 1 negative thought/image change it with 5 positive ones of yourself.
This is the only solution to cure Anxiety you do not need to buy any pills!
This is not a bodily ilness/problem but one that can be fixed by using positive mental power.
Dr Jazz
Sorry Dr.Jazz i disagree with you. I am an alcoholic in recovery and i have been diagnosed with severe panic disorder. I can totally relate to all the posts above how people talk about feeling dizzy when leaving the house, panicky, worried, numbness, fear of big open spaces, driving and the list is endless. I had such severe panic that i eventually became agoraphobic – i could NOT leave my house, and i drank all day everyday, and if i had to leave the house, i would drink even more to try and overcome the panic. “Positive thinking” alone will not solve the problem entirely, but it is a step in the right direction. I have been put on “Cilift” which is the generic of citalopram and i believe that this medication has been my miracle drug. It has helped me to live an anxiety free life since, not needing to self medicate myself with litres and litres booze every minute of the day. I have been clean for 8 months and i never thought i would live a normal life without crippling anxiety. So i say, if a person is suffering so badly, try the medication.. It might just be what you need. Positive thinking comes afterwards, once you are able to start living normally…Good luck to all the panic/anxiety sufferers, it is awful i know, but, there really is a life after it. xx
I tend to agree with Dr Jazz on this one. Keeping a positive outlook has really changed my life. My anxiety is now 95% better without taking pills that have nasty side effects
It also helps to have a good diet with plenty of fruit and veg, no junkfood and do regular excercise.
Cat if the pills work for you then thats good, but can you cope without them or are you now reliant on them? I’ve heard of cases where people go back to square one after quitting pills and the anxiety is then far worse… Its a deadly spiral.
Guys stay positive and away from the pills if possible as they will only make matters worse in the long run.
Hi Lou. I can’t really tell as my doc has advised that if i am comfortable or ok now on the medication, he says i should stay on them forever. I think my panic or anxiety was just so bad that now that i am on the meds, i am ok, so i don’t really want to take the chance and go off them. I understand though that some people diasgree about relying on meds completely, especially if they have a history of drug abuse too. I feel ok and don’t have any side effects. My weight has not changed, except i did loose the alcohol belly thank goodness! It’s a tough decision i suppose, but for me personally i would rather not risk ever ever getting so panicky again, as that is when i will most certainly relapse (as alcohol was definitely a way of self medicating myself towards then end of my drinking career). Positive thinking is definitely a must too though, no doubt. xx
hi my name is natasha and ive just come across this site which has been really helpful. ive been an anxiety sufferer since i was 14 and i am now 25. life has been utter hell for all these years and at my lowerst point i couldnt even the leave the house because the anxiety would suddenly hit and i knew that if i had a full blown panic attack out in public, i wouldnt have an escape and people would see me panicking and know that something was wrong with me. i then found my way out through a bottle of bourban and if what i thought was really bad before was nothing compared to what was yet to come. i would have extreme anxiety so id have a drink and then i would get even worse anxity because id had a drink. what a vicious cycle it is. my anxiety in recent weeks has been absolutely terrifying. my thoughts are so transfixed on the anxiety im feeling that its escalating and i feel the need to just run but i wouldnt know where to start running too. i feel so so scared, yet i dont know what it is im scared of, i feel like im on another planet and just so out of touch with reality and while im feeling like this im thinking what if im stuck in this state forever. i get to the point of feeling like ill have to go and book myself into a hospital but then im terrified to do that cause there going to think im mad. i find myself ringing up the 2 people i know about 50 times asking them 1000 questions like- have you ever felt this way or felt that way and im praying there going to tell me something i want to hear. i seem to pace around and around and then i think that id better stop doing it cause its a sign of some sort of madness– anyway i was just wondering if anyone has felt like that before in their states of anxiety. my levels arnt too bad at the moment but its always in the back of my mind wondering if its going to hit. i know i really have to do something about my drinking as it is spiralling out of control again but its just so hard when you know that its the something that takes away your anxity- even if it is only for a short amount of time, not to mention all the pieces of the night before your left to pick up after. anyway i hope this comment can help someone and to let you know that your not alone. my only advice as to how to help yourself is to get off the drink, get on some antidepressants and keep up with regular councilling appointments. i know this is easier said than done but i just feel that for me it might work. i guess that im just not doing it at the moment because the bottom line is that i want to drink.
Hi Natasha-sounds like it is me writing your post!! I was so bad, and eventually so agoraphobic, i also discovered that drinking my bottles and bottles of jack helped, but only somewhat as you describe above. I was not suicidal, but it was so bad sometimes i wished i could just die peacefully in my sleep. Long story short, i eventually quit drinking, completely, and have been recoverinbg from all that suffering for the last couple of months, and i am feeling better and better everyday. I have my life back and i feel like a whole new happy person. I have been put onto panic disorder meds and lots of vitamin B. Everybody in this position, there is a way out! Good luck xx
I have a big problem with binge drinking to relieve anxiety/stress/underlying mental/emotional issues. It’s kind of like which came first the chicken or the egg. I don’t know if my anxiety comes first then the binge but I am sure that the anxiety is AWFUL the day after a binge. I too am a 39 year old woman with a little boy and a husband. I can go 3-4 months without incident and then I go out and get completely trashed. I live in a small town so I make a complete butt of myself and of course everyone talks. Last night I went to a wedding and ended up going from the restaurant to a bar to my mom’s boyfriends house (my mom lives with him) because I was to scared to come home. Apparently at some point I was passed out in my vehicle in a bar parking lot and someone called my husband and when he got there I was gone. I don’t know how I got to my moms house but I didn’t drive there. I then got into an arguement with my mother (not a good relationship even when I am sober) and the fight became physical. Cops were called and they gave me a ride home (husband sitting up waiting for me). Most of the time I am healthy, eat right, work out, have a part time job, keep my husbands books, online classes, keep a clean house, cook most meals at home, etc. I seem to have alot on my plate and tell myself it would be good to have a few but I cannot stop alot of the time. It is always alot of drama and I am tired of my behavior. I dont know if the drinking is a symptom of the non-mother figure in my life even though she is alive or if it is something else. Today I have terrible anxiety, fear, humiliation, embarrassed, worry, self loathing and all the above. I feel crazy……..This has to stop. I have soooo much energy and this seems to be the way I wear myself out about every 3-4 months. I have a problem relaxing unless I am totally wasted drunk……I am scared of meds due to my mother and sister having Rx addictions which started as anxiety meds. I have to do something because what I am doing is not working. My husband told me to call a pyschiatrist tomorrow after I get a new key made for my car since I lost my keys last night……Nice!!!! I am wondering if anyone else feels like they are going to bust at the seems and feel that the drink helps with that and if they have found a med to help with this feeling. Thanks
Recently went to a festival called glaston budget drank heavily for 3 days and have had very bad anxiety for few days after. I have also had a sensation in my left wrist like it is being squeezed. Is this nerve damage or is it brought on by the anxiety. if anyone could help would be great. thanks bobby x
i am so sick of having anxiety and paranoia after i have drank. i was at a work do last night and only drank 2 and a half glasses of wine and ended after not drinking for 6 days, it went straight to my head and i ended up drinking the dregs from a colleagues glass – disgusting i know! I did it in front of people as well and i am so ashamed. i am so worried that i said something i shouldnt. i have black outs of the evening where i cant remember what i said or did. i just know i woke up in bed this morning feeling terrible and worrying manically all day- it makes me feel like im going mad! i really think i should cut out alcohol altogether. I have OCD as well, which i have had for 20 years which obviously doesnt help. i find lately once i have one drink i want more. i dont crave it, but its like pringles once you pop, i cant stop- until i feel sick! I hate this paranoia, it makes me feel physically sick, worried, and i get terrible head aches.
Hi everyone, yes me too to all of the above
but my mother is an alcoholic), and i care for her. I hate what this drug has done to my mother and to the family yet i go out with my girls friends and cannot say no or limit my drinking. I have just had a weekend away with 8 girlfriends , we all drank copious amounts of booze but on the last day of travelling home i felt sooo paranoid and was saying stupid things everytime i opened my mouth because i was over anxious about everything. Its such a horrible feeling and having been home for 2 days now everything in my life seems a disaster my home life my mum, yet nothing has changed since before i went away?! I felt my friends wr talking about me ( as they were actually bitching about one of the other girls) so i thought they were also bitching about me too.
Everyone thinks i am really confident & outgoing but after heavy drinking i rip myself to pieces. Worrying that i am boring (because i was really quiet on the last day) and that i am stupid ( because i was saying and doing stupid things as my brain was pickled!)
Its two days since i had a drink and i just thought , oh while i feel so bad i mite pour myself a drink , but i am not going to i need to get out of this. Wish you could buy willpower !!
hi everyone im a forty yr old guy whos not had a particularly easy life and consequently use to drink like,everyday and wanted t let everyne know its a massive no no.2 mths ago i made the decision to stop drinking all the time and now just moderately drink socially a few times a week .its hard as i was use to drinking everyday but the anxiety is slowly but surely getting easier.i will NEVER go back t drink heavily again
Hi, I have been abusing substances my whole adult life, just like all my friends have. For me though I think its made me bi polar or something. I look back on my past and realise that most of my formative years were spent so smashed out of my face on drugs and alcohol. I was much more confident then generally and didn’t realise that i was setting the life trend that meant i had to be drunk or high to gain the confidence to pull. I wouldn’t even attempt it until i felt i was suitable drunk enough and it would all flow so naturally. Looking back i realise that what i thought and what is/was was two very different things. Ignorance is bliss rings so true i almost wish i wasn’t aware of my failings.
Now, years later (im 32) i’m a civil engineer and i’m trying to start my own business on the side as well. On one hand i’m a perfectly intelligent, capable and confident man and on the other i’m a mewling mess and poor imitation of myself.
Last night i went out promoting my new business with some extremely sexy and friendly promotional girls. It was great fun! We all had a few drinks but I wasn’t able to join in the promoting until i’d had way more drinks than them. After they left i went to meet my friends and had 1 measly line of shitty coke and then BAM! I crashed soooo fucking hard that i my mates all think… i don;t know what they think but they can see how uncomfortable I am and that i’m a nervous wreck and while there all chatting up some drunk essex twat girls and having a laugh, i’m desperately trying not to run away cos i feel so frigging awkward/anxious.
This happens just on drink too sometimes.
My ex girlfriend, the only true love of my life is now 7 months pregnant with some vegetarian, non drinking copper dude who loves all things mountainous and outdoors. They’re a perfect match and this sucks soo bad for me as i love/loved her soo much and she’s the only girl i’ve ever had the confidence to pull sober in my life and we did so many cool things together. Triathlons, hiking, snowboarding/skiiing, running and all things active that i love.
I broke up with her in Canada when we went for the winter olympics season in whistler. I went out and got smashed after work with all my work mates and spirialled away from her soo fast that i just dumped her like a cunt, on her own in a foreign country with know one else and hardly any money. What a total shit! I then spiralled so far out of control that my awful behaviour to someone im suppose to have loved back fired on me soo bad. Yes i made lots of friends and yes i had a great time but underneath the outgoing self confident exterior that i portray so well now lies this timid, fearful excuse for a man made of cast iron. One knock to the wrong spot and i crack into this mewling mess desperate to run home and get away from the world.
How the hell do i regain the INNER confidence I had when i was in the army and met my one true love so that I might one day find happiness again?
Hello everyone, like others its good to kow im not the only one. I have suffered from alcohol related anxiety for 14 years, i have lost many girlfriends, happiness, and the freedom to conduct my life without constraint. Its always at its best post drinking, the only way out is to drink again. This leads to insomnia, and generaslly feeling absolutely awful. Recently i had to leave a stag do early, as i was 400 miles away without my home comforts, and flipped.
Im now left unable to face going abroad as if i drink (and going abroad normally involves that), my anxiety will become unbearable, drink again, and eventually go into meltdown. Has anyone experienced this? Is there any techniques apart from the extreme obvious, stopping drinking!!!!!
Im currently considering medication, which i have tried to avoid since suffering from this for fear of becoming reliant.
Any helpful tips would be much appreciated.!