Anxiety and depression for days after binge drinking

Hey I read the whole thing : ) I completely relate and sympathize with your situation. Im also very familiar with getting wasted in Chicago. West loop, little Italy was my playground. Also the Lincoln park area or even some hipster bars from time to time. I live in Tokyo now and it's even harder! All everyone does here is club all weekend and I need to do it to meet people ! All I can say is you will feel fine again in a few days so don't sweat it now!

I went out Friday and got hammered, didn't get home until 4am, I've been suffering a awful hangover since , it's now Monday and I am still hungover or something that feels like that. I got a fuzzy feeling in my head, breathing is not good and all my energy is drained and I look like crap. I feel like I am depressed or not myself. This drinking is no joke, I am in my late 30s and not able for this anymore, sometimes my hangovers last for 4-5 days now. This lifestyle is killing me, I only drink maybe once every 10 days, and when I don't have it I don't crave it, I am not a alcoholic as I don't touch drink at home, I think I just drink out of boredom and to meet people. But maybe I am a alcoholic as I've been doing this binge drinking for most of my adult life. I am trying my best this time to stop drinking for good, I will try to drink a coke or something if I go out, it's going to be hard as I am self conscious and worry about stupid things like not drinking alcohol in a bar. I am also going to stop smoking at the same time as it makes me feel like crap also which leads me to not care about my drinking, it's a strange relationship, one leads to the other for me so both have got to go. I've said many many times I will not drink anymore after some truly horrible hangovers that have almost finished me off and put me in the pits of depression and left me in bed for days with what feels like alcohol poisoning. It's hell, and I know what you are all going through, it's not just physical but mental , I sometimes feel like I am losing my mind the following week after drinking. I've had panic attacks and it's just a nightmare. I would like to say there is a cure to all this, but I haven't found one , it's actually getting worse the older I get. The only thing that ever worked for me was quitting the smoking and drinking , I done it for 3 months once, and I felt so good, I felt free like I was no longer a slave and no longer battling with myself, I didn't want to drink or smoke and got back my self respect, simple things like being able to go out for a walk on a nice day and feel good and healthy actually made me really happy. It only took one slip up to put me back into this lifestyle of binge drinking again. And now I am finding it harder than ever to stop again.  Today I start again and will stop drinking and smoking before they finish me off, I have a smoking problem that affects my circulation and I am worried that I will lose my legs in time or drop dead, and this drinking is literally destroying my mind and body, I feel broken up like I am wasting away. I wish you all the best , if I do manage to do it this time I will post here again in 3 months to let you all know how I am getting on and hopefully this will offer some people hope, because if I can quit then anyone can as I am a very anxious person who worries about things and I am not very good with dealing with any amounts of stress. 

You need to stop drinking as it sounds like it's having a very negative affect on your life, why can't you just drink a coke or something when you go out ?, I see lots of girls drinking soft drinks. No shame in it. I've also lost lots of nice phones when I've been out drinking, someone also took my new jacket I only had for a day along with my drivers licence and all my money. I've injured myself falling over drunk and like you ended up in strangers houses drinking at the end of the night, it's amazing we are still here to tell the story. We should view these bad episodes as a warning to stop drinking. I know people who have ended up in hospital with a broken jaw after drinking , there is no glamour in drinking, only ruin. You say you are single and feel alone, but the drinking is not going to solve that, I've done the same thing as you for many years and it only makes things worse, if you stop drinking you will find a new self respect in time and feel better about life in general, you will be happier, it's actually easier to meet people when you're not drinking as you don't say stupid stuff and wake up with a clear head and feel better about the night before. I wish you all the best, you are not alone in this, your family can help you if you talk to them , or even speak to your doctor if you need help. Things can seem very bleak after a bad night out, like the world is against you, but it's not true, in a few short months you can feel great and start making small changes that will in time bring you a lot of happiness, you need to start thinking positive about your ability to take control of your life, and think positive about changing things like stopping drinking, write down a plan and list all the things you want to do, and go for it. It can be done. And you are not alone, many people are in the same boat as you and people do care.

Thanks for the feedback. I am with you on some level but please let me rebuttal : ) I understand the link to neurotransmitters, this is obvious of course. But I think the deeper question is what makes some people much more sensitive to the depressive effects of alcohol. I was not implying that its smart to somehow try to acquire anti-anxiety medication in anyway other than "under the care of a doctor"... The denial comment may apply to some, but for many of us it simply does not. We are not in denial of anything because we are simply not showing any traditional signs of alcoholism, at all... Yes I mentioned that sometimes I go overboard when I go out to drink in the club, with my friends, at a rate of once every two months. This is not alcoholic behavior. In fact, it is far less drinking than most young adults partake in all over the world. You don`t need statistics to understand that most young adults overindulge on party nights fairly frequently. This is common practice, it is a standard, I am not the minority here... So why do I not cut alcohol out of my life completely? Well simply sometimes when weighing out the pros and cons you can make a rational decision to endure the hangover for another benefit that doesn`t ALWAYS have to mean short term pleasure. For example, there are times when I am invited to go clubbing with a group of people that includes someone I am interested in dating and on more than one occasion this situation has lead to us hitting it off well as the atmosphere is perfect for opening up to someone you have just met. This has lead to a few meaningful relationships and great times in my life. This is just one example of MANY that make this lifestyle fit so well with single, young adults. The problem is not alcoholism, its not a problem of failing to use alcohol responsibly. Its a failure of my body to properly process the same amount of alcohol that a healthy person can without side effects. I am not the only one either.

Sorry one more! As for the "just stop if drinking is causing significantly negative repercussions in your life and if you can`t you have a problem comment" I am just going to straight up prove you wrong with facts that no one can argue. Did you know about 100 years ago, drinking alcohol was extremely dangerous for the average person. It could lead to your imprisonment, loss of job, having a simple drink and getting caught could ruin your reputation. Not to mention you would be taking a big risk even if you weren`t caught as a significant amount of liquor was makeshift produced and could kill you or cause severe organ damage (this was also widely known). Sounds awful right? Surely in these times only the true alcoholics would choose to continue to take such risks right? Oh those poor helpless souls, HAVE THEY NO SELF CONTROL ?!?!?!? Guess what, most people STILL DRANK, and did so in excess at times, and yes many suffered these consequences, and 99% of them were not alcoholics.

People need to view themselves as a building with a foundation. The drinking is destroying the foundation, their very core, so that everything else is in turmoil, your mental and physical health and your spirit are being broken down as you are weakening the foundation with alcohol. Which makes everything in your life harder to achieve. If you want to take control of your life and be happy you need a strong foundation, and the number one thing you got to do is quit the drinking so you got a strong foundation to work with. Otherwise nothing is ever going to go right in your life. As a drinker everything was a major struggle in my life, even going to work on a Monday was like climbing a mountain, and I was not able to be happy , ever. I had no friends as I was always negative and never felt well. I never wanted to face the world or people as I felt awful.  Drinking broke the very foundation of my life and nothing else worked out for me as a result, I lost jobs and friends and my health got so bad I could barely go out of the house most days as I felt so sick and tired, and I just felt like I was in a hole that I couldn't get out of, and every time I consumed alcohol it felt like I was thrown back down into this dark hole and had to once again try to climb out which I could never do. It was a cycle that kept repeating over and over and I felt like I was losing my mind. This is the reality of alcohol for a lot of people, and the only cure is to quit, everybody has the power to stop, it's a built in strength that we can all find , there is no drug on this earth that can overcome the human spirit we just need to find our inner strength and take control, and never let your guard down. Build yourself up , create a strong foundation and nothing will ever be able to take over your life again. Focus on bettering your health, start walking or working out and feeling good about yourself, if you are spiritual join a church and get involved, if you're not join a gym or a class to keep you occupied, surround yourself with people who are not drinking. In time your whole outlook on life will change and drink will become a part of your life that you left behind and no longer has any control over your thoughts. If you love going to bars and clubs, drink soft drinks, I know lots of people who go to bars and drink soft drinks, big guys who workout, who get lots of girls, there is no shame in not drinking, no one cares if you don't drink, it's a battle in your own mind taking place, drink will fill your mind with lies and doubts and try to break you, you need to win the war so you can find peace and put that energy to use on every other part of your life. Good luck.

Great website, very glad i found it also! That's crazy you couldnt have described my lifestyle any closer to yours. I love getting drunk so much but it always ends up as me being the party animal, which you could call showing off, but its actually underlying insecurities i have. When im sober im very self conscious which is probably why when i get on it, i end up drinking loads so that barrier is broken and i can realax and be myself but then i will just keep on going and end up in randomers houses smoking weed, maybe other things... phone will be lost, and the most embarrassing, my bed is wet and i wake up shivering the next day in my bed. All of this make me deeply ashamed and wish i could have just stayed at the merry level and stayed and socialised with my people! Then the next 3 days the depression. The constant thinking about what i may have said to my friends before i left them behind. It doesnt help that my dad drinks every other night and ive been up his house most weekends for months now. but he'l just have to understand! i will then end up falling out with my girlfriend because she doesn't fully understand why i am in the depression. My mother will then be there for me to talk it over and she will say the usual u gotta stop drinking then! But it is so frustrating beyond belief because i love the first few pints of beer or cider and the socialising in the pub. There must be a way of finding a medium it just scares me that your a bit older and still havent found it! im nearly 24. The summers on its way and festivals with it. I find though when im at festivals its like all the days are rolled into one because your constantly occupied. Maybe its best to just reduce the nights out drastically (easier said than done obviously) find a friend thats not bothered by drinking, im lucky enough to have one! Just gona try spend more time with him on weekends, mountain biking and long country walks! Went horse riding yesterday with the savage anxiety and paranoia still rife from the saturday night drinking session, and it cleared my mind hell of a lot. My drinking can be for pure and utter boredom, laziness, but luckily its almost seeming like a chore to me of late... Maybe there is hope! Hang in there everyone and try some new shit. Peace & Love

Loved this. Thanks

i try but seldom succeed in living by my motto '' keep away from negative people , the world is full of them"; drinking takes you to people and places which can only have a detrimental effect on your health,mind and wallet

I'M TOLD I'M A YOUTHFUL LOOKIN 67 YEAR OLD GUY,WHO LIVES IN EASTERN CANADA,I HAVE AND STILL EXPERIENCE SOME OF THESE CRAZY BINGES THAT YOU HAVE.I HAVE LEARNED TO WATCH MYSELF A FAIR AMOUNT ON THE TOWN,BUT I MUST BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE.I SUGGEST THIS A DANGEROUS HABIT PARTICULARLY FOR A LADY IN A BIG CITY,THERE ARE MANY CREEPS AND CRIMINALS ON THE GO,EVEN IN MY SMALL CITY AND DRUG USE IS GETTING MUCH MORE OUT OF HAND (I;V NEVER EXPERIENCED DRUGS,BUT VIOLENCE IS GETTING MORE COMMON HERE, AT THE RISK OF BEING A HIP[POCRETE,I DISLIKE BARS AND TAVERNS

Reading these stories make me feel more hopeful. I am goinv through the exact same thing right now. I feel like I am going to lose my mind or possibly die. II don't know who to talk to about it. But it is a VERY scary feeling. I need to stop putting myself in dangerous situations and probably lay off drinking for a while.  Or I fear the end could be near for me. I also feel like such a piece of shit that I migbt deserve it. Drinking and anxiety have led me to go against my morals. Also causes more problems by drinking to lessen the pain of the original problem. It truly does feel like a catch-22.WHAT CAN I DO?!:(  

Baaaahumbug, you say you feel like a piece of sh*t? do you think that this might be the casue of your drinking problems? perhaps if you can bring your self to confront those reasons you can start to feel better about yourself. you could try laying out the reasons you feel so bad about your self here, it can sometimes help to just get it out. hope it helps.

I am glad to know that this is a somewhat common thing. In my case it started a bit differently, I started having panic attacks for the first time while smoking weed several yrs. ago so I stopped. Then I was at work about 4 months ago, drinking coffee like I always did and had the worst panic attack ever, my body got cold and clammy, couldn't breath right mind racing, horrible thoughts. That night I had a nightmare that was so intense it made me stay up for the rest of the night, I had to smoke a cigerette to relax at all. These attacks began happening more and more often, I had to stop drinking caffeine all together. I went to the doctor one day because I couldn't handle it my head was swimming and my body felt like it was on fire. The doc told me my body was releasing adrenaline and that's why I had that weird burning feeling. Anyway, I've been on zoloft for months now and it seemed to take the edge away I still feel depression and stress and I still drink 3-4 times a week, I have been noticing lately that everytime I drink the next day I spiral back into that depression and anxiety, racing negative guilty thoughts. I think that the alcohol might have contributed to the initial onset because I have been drinking almost daily for the past year. I also drink alot when I drink. I actually feel the chemical imbalance that I have never experienced before. I was always a happy person and this was just shocking. I know that I have other issues that I need to deal with and that alcohol just makes things worse. I am going to stop drinking all together, I think it may be the only way I can start to recover. I need to focus on getting healthy, running, eating right, meditation, reading self help books, getting counseling or at least talking to someone instead of bottling things up, crochet, cooking, anything that I can do to make myself feel better. I'm sure I can do it and we all can, I would like to have support by others and I would like to support others in this life change that needs to happen. Our bodies are telling us we just need to stop.

I have been a drinker for years!  Now I am facing suicide over the fact that I cannot deal with the pain of depression.  I have a wife and 3 beautiful kids who I love more than life itself but I cannot deal with the pain of not drinking.  I am scum and have no hope of dealing with this anymore.

Im 26 and have been a big drinker since i was 15 with my peak booze consumption being college going out 3/4 times weekly and since trying to cool it down to once a week. When I go out it's hard for me not to blackout and  when this happens I turn into a different person. Since im single (lots to do with my drinking) i mostly wake up alone not knowing what stupid mistakes i made. Anyways, I have horrible PAD. I will shut off my phone, sleep all day and have consistent thoughts of suicide. I know my mind is playing with me but it still sucks. The only cure I can think of is to stop drinking all together. This will suck as my social network are all big drinkers but im tired of the feeling. I have even thought of moving away to get away from the calls to come out and get hammerd. This form has helped me think im not alone and i can fix this. It's weird that i want to give up drinking when i maybe go out once a week but it has come to this.