Anxiety and depression for days after binge drinking

This message board has put me at ease, that I am not the only one feeling like this. I would be very social and binged drank all in college and more recently not for any particular reason, prob the people I hang around with. I would be very anxious after drinking but just put it down to the hangover but as I get older ( now 30) the anxiety feelings have spirreled out of control. I feel nervous all day, cannot eat, feel crap, feel sucicidal would never do anything but want the feeling to go anyway. if it was a heavy session this feeling could last for 2-3 days. I cannot blame it all on the drink as I have felt like this one day and had no drink just panicing for no reason. I do not want to take medication as I feel there must be a way out of this. I have started Transendantal Medidation which I would recommend to everyone here. I also have started to see a therapist dealing with CBT, has anyone ever tried this? I am giving up the drink fully as it does not help & I think no amount of alcohol is worth feeling like that the next day.

I understand your situation. I keep going through the vicous cycle of panic attacks after I binge drink for a couple of days. The only thing that will make me feel better is more alcohol. I know this worst thing you can do for panic. I know if do not binge drink I can control my anxiety. Pretty easy solution but difficult to acheive. These past 3 days I havent even drank that much, my body is trying to tell me something. I already feel better, writing my thoughts. I just need to sleep, but I cant.

This is so great to finally find people I can relate to, thought I was alone in all this, people don't understand how severe the situation gets, I binge drink, never had a problem before and could handle it, I must say I enjoy drinking and all my friends are drinkers, It's hard not to want to have fun with them, but recently only started thinking about the end result and refuse to suffer no more, I have been thinking of diluting my alcohol drinks, or even buying Grapetiser and putting it in a wine glass just to make everyone comfortable. Where is everyone from I'm from South Africa, Cape Town

Totally almost exactly the same as me, even like your life!!Like you, I had a party lifestyle with no problems at all apart from standard hangovers and when I was 25 I settled down with a girl and rarely drunk because she was a non drinker but I could feel this sort of thing beginning to creep up slightly after we'd been out for a few drinks after a meal etc, but i put it down to just bad beer or something. And similar to you when I go out, I cant just have 1/2 but tend to get carried away and drink a fair amount (im no alcoholic, btw I could go months without drinking by choice)Me and the girl broke up when I was 31 (I'm 34 now) and i've spent the last few years enjoying myself. going back out with friends and colleagues and basically picking up where I stopped off at 25!But now.... this horrible horrible panicky feeling just jumps up sometimes the next day, sometimes a day later but it's totally scary. It doesnt feel like me, normally I feel totally in control and calm but all I feel is extreme panic, like i've done/said something really bad the previous night, or like a weird feeling like the worlds almost coming to an end and I when I walk down the street the next day people seem to feel different, like the whole atmosphere is colder, a bit sinister - I dont really get it!It makes me sound like a class A nutter!! but i'm not and never feel like that unless after i've been drinking.From reading all the stuff on here its like it effects people badly from their late twenties mostly, but there doesnt seem to be anything else that links it to any cause.

I'm glad I found this thread. After spending a fortune on counselling and getting nowhere. I read this and its exactly whats going on in my life. Its actually made me decide from today never to drink again. Thank you.

Wow...Reading these posts really show that many of us cannot moderate. I'm 35 yrs old and have had problems with alcohol. I'm a pure binge drinker. I can go months without drinking but then get to feeling healthy, confident and full of myself and take that first step. I've been to many AA meetings but never really committed to it. Ego creeps in and tells me that there isn't anything i cant control, but that's never the case with alcohol. I fresh off about a 4 day binge and am having the same fearful, depressed anxious feelings. I can't even guess the amount of alcohol i consumed during that period. I've never been an everyday drinker and am an avid fitness and gym buff, I'm very dedicated to vitamins, herbs and minerals and such so after a couple of months i'm on top of the world again and think a couple drinks would be harmless, but it always gets me, usually sooner than later. Sometimes i'll maybe go out and only have a few in the beginning but then very shortly i'm blacked out and come to realizing i've drank a couple cases of beer or so and go through the inevitable suffering of impending doom, anxiety, depression etc. It's sad and insane to put ourselves and family through this. I took a yr away from AA and went to a meeting tonight. For me, moderation isn't the key, it's complete abstinence. Maybe some of you can slow it down, but i've tried for years now and it's only gotten worse, while the hearts i'm breaking (including my own) adds up. I had my last drink a couple of days ago and with the exception of a couple pills from my step-dad to help with sleeping i've pretty much been shaking off. the guilt and remorse get worse and worse after binges for me even if it's a short binge and the physical withdrawals aren't as bad, mentally and emotionally it gets worse. I'm glad i found this post and got to share with you all. Maybe it can help someone and me. My anxiety in the meeting tonight was so intense that i could'nt even communicate very well and was having really bad social anxiety, so at least i can say a few things here and home on the net that i couldn't say in a public place. I know it's going to get better but i have to keep myself from thinking it's ok to drink again, cause it never does for me, only worse. Thanks for the posts. It's great to hear from ppl with similar experiences. 

I am happy that i found this thread. Last night (monday) i had my first real session of panic attacks / anxiety. I drank over this past weekend pretty heavily just beer about a 12 pack to myself in a 3 hour window. The next day (saturday) morning i was sort of hung over but more nervous, panicking than anything it was the worst feeling ever. I could not sleep the whole night i felt like i wanted to just go run a couple miles at like 3am. It was horrible i hope tonight is better. I got some sleep aid pills from the local drug store in hopes of a better nights sleep.I might need a drink to cope with this panic attacks though... never want to feel it again... We shall see ill post tomorrow.night!

Hi Sandra how do i start.First an for most please do not take medications to help with your anxiety do to the fact that medications also have to metabolis threw the liver and that just adds more strain on the liver besides the drinking  GNC and a couple of other stores such as rite aide duane reede have a all natural relaxer call CALMS FORTE i called them the magic pill. I have been going threw the same symptoms i am 45 years old and have been drinking for over 12 years it has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least but for the past couple of months i have started having anxiety (panic attacks). I tried a lot of things to try to control them but threw trial and error i came upon these pills they work very well. Just take them in the morning after a night of drinking, try to stay clear of caffine such as coffee soda anything that contains caffine if you do enjoy coffee just make it decafinated . Also also at GNC they have another all natural pill called LIVER CLEANSE to help keep the liver functioning properly. Y do i say this because as i told you before i have been drinking for 12 years and when i go to the doctor and take blood test he is amazed how i drink so much and my liver function panel turns out great.Anyway Sandra i hope everything turns out well for you and all who may read this and please get back to me and let me know how you are doing GOD BLESS and hope you try my advise and feel better          Jimmy

What a mind F_ _K!  We are all suffering from the same symptoms and we obviously know the root cause.  I'm not accusing anyone of being insane as I am in the same boat.  However, if strawberries caused me to break out in hives or made for overwhelming anxiety and depression I would have no problem, what so ever, giving them up for good and I LOVE strawberries.   I am 36 years old and I have been aware of these post alcohol symptoms since my late teens.  I made many a valiant effort to regulate and abstain from alcohol due to the post alcohol anxiety and depression.  The only problem was that I felt incredible anxiety and depression when I wasn't drinking and I would inevitably give in and I would tend to binge with resultant consequences.  So what I'm saying here is that I have an natural tendency for anxiety, paranoia and depression  and this is incredibly exaggerated after a spell of drinking. However, for some reason, I can't accept life without drinking. Alcohol allows instant, although temporary freedom from the edginess and my subconscious is acutely aware of that power.  It prods me so subtly yet powerfully beyond my rational mind  to seek my old pal alcohol.  Also, alcohol has allowed me to have some very fun, romantic and colorful times and it's impossible to deny those good memories.  

I get depressed and very anxious after drinking but don't think you can call someone who only gets drank ocassionally (like in my case once every two weeks!) an alcoholic! harsh!

nah i get itim shaking right now how do i lessen the seizure imm about to have

First things first, "Daftydil"'s post just made me howl drunkbitch. Second off we get it we suffer and we feel like were dyeing why we so special? Thirdly I'm currently shaking and I feel like I'm going to seizure atm so how can I lessen that feeling. Fuck is there some kind of reason this happens? Other than the fact I binged I don't see anyone else I drank with feeling this way. Y ME ugh

I'm 18 not even legal & I've done my share of drinking. I'm ovb nvr drinkng again its just shitty being worried about having a seizure and nobody can tell me something idealistic like consume copious amounts of filtered H20 or take a tylenol or put a cold cloth on your forehead. My throats throbbing I just embaressed myself I have goose eggs on my hand and chin my teeth feel weird from my own stomache acid I'm irritable I'm shaking I'm hungry but I'm frightned to see anyone in my house I just lost 10 pounds and I'm trying to. Block out the bad thoughts I've been to the hospital and back. I'm in a rut y'all there's got to be something like being diabetic or lack of iron or something. This dosent happen to anybody I know and I just embaressed myself for a lifetime. Ill pray for y'all because I'd want someone to do the same.

firstly this site is amazing, it has made me happy to realise that i am not alone,although I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The doctor told me I have general anxiety disorder after reoccurring panic attacks daily.I got drunk last night and today i have been unable to eat as my throat feels like it is closing up,my breathing is all out of sorts,tingling,sweaty palms, head feeling tight,dizziness and a pounding heart,sometimes my hands and face feel numb. the viscious cycle is that you get frustrated with the general anxiety and you know that a few drinks will take it away for a few hours until you wake up the following morning and have to really pay for it!! I really am considering nipping alcohol in the bud, i have tried cbt counselling,hypnosis,medication everything, but i don't think i can recover unless i stop the drinking,its very hard at 23 though. It helps to try and notbe scared of your anxiety,afterall it cant harm you,panick attacks are the bodys built in fight or flight responseso really it is there to protect you from danger even when there is no danger,but try talk to it and accept it.I find the more afraid you are of the anxiety the higher level of panic increases.Hope that helps somebody.

hello all sitting here after 4 day bender .two nights ago I promised never to drink again.one day sober and here I am feeling all the things you guys say.i was so sick my hands were getting like stiff my heart was beating like a drum felt so bad I made peace with my lord yeshua and wanted just to die.luckily my wife was with me and she told me she needed me here .alot of you make good points.i do have a friend that had a stroke after four day cruise full of massive quantities of vodka and beer. So I know for a fact you can really hurt yourself with this poison.we all know reason we are lightheaded is lack of oxygen to brAin so I think it does burn cells. I really think you need some support either twelve step or like me through the lord only time I've quit drinking for three full months was when I was going to church. Pretty amazing since I've been binge drinker since I was fifteen I am 38 now so my body is telling me your time is up with this poison do you love life and family or booze pretty easy choice if you ask me .the problem is that your brain forgets or you have problems in life and life and there you are again back on juice do friends stay strong and healthy and let's not sugar coat it drinking has to stop.