Anxiety and depression for days after binge drinking

I am the same, drank for about 10 years now I am mid thirties and I have always suffered on and off with anxiety, I am prob drinking about 1.5 bottles of wine at a time 3 times a week and the next day I am jolting and have severe anxiety, following day bit better then I never seem to go more than 3 days to really know and I cant seem to help forgetting how bad I felt and how I was late for work couldnt concentrate e.t.c and open more wine.....I am scared what is going to happen with me.....

Thanks everyone for writing here. It sure helps to see that you're not the only one who just wants to lie down and die after a night of drinking. When I talk to my friends, I seem totally fucking weird, since for them being hungover simply means to feel bad in a physical sense - nausea etc. For me, nausea and head aches I can live with, no problem - it's the feeling of total panic, extreme self loathing, paranoia and shame that gets me. I'm normally quite introvert (but not asocial), I can speak out with friends, but I'm rather quiet around people I don't know well and trust 100%. But when I drink I become very chatty and I speak to strangers and people I barely know. At those times I might be a bit silly and hyper, but nothing spectacular. Friends say I merely become a bit more happy and talk faster when I drunk. BUT, the day after I've had a great night, enjoyed talking to new people etc., I feel like the worst person on earth. Whatever memory I retrieve from the night before is loaded with pain. I'm totally certain I made a complete idiot of myself and should never drink again. Even if I talk to my friends and they assure me that I didn't do or say anything stupid, I can't shake the feeling off me. Every single word that I uttered seems like the worst thing that has ever been spoken, even if it only was a friendly hello to that friend of a friend. Very weird and terrible stuff. I do like drinking as it gives me the courage to actually talk to people I wouldn't normally dare talk to and you know, I just have fun most of the time. I just wish there was a way to drink responsibly and have fun and not want to kill yourself the day after. Anyways, it's been very nice to see all you people writing about similar problems. (Yes, I am a bit hungover today... :)

I completely know how you feel. I'm a heavy drinker. Lately I've kept it in the back of my mind to control myself while drinking and try and write down events while being intoxicated. I don't suggest you resort to that though. A lot of people get irritated with me because I'm alone a lot and when I got into a state of a panic attack (which, I too, get suicidal to make the pain go away) I irritate people from not being able to be alone during this state of paranoia and panic. I have to be reminded quite frequently of things I've said, even if I'm aware of what it was, I seem to have this mindset that I said something or did something wrong that I don't remember. Drinking makes you not trust yourself and lose control. Extremely relative to that.Another thing I find myself doing often, when I'm hungover and in the shameful, paranoid state, I tend to purchase more alcohol and get drunk all over again to relieve the stress and paranoia. Another thing I don't suggest. This is the surefired recipe for an alcoholic.I think you know the answer and what you need to do, and that is to stop drinking. This is your bodies way of telling you it can't handle the overload anymore. If you already suffer from anxiety drinking isn't going to help (all of this I've realized myself). Of course, it seems like it will help for a brief amount of time. Then you get the anxiety for days after. You really reap what you sew.Coming from someone with experience and someone who is going through the exact same thing now--I think you need to stop drinking altogether or at least give your mind and body some time to detox, by trying as hard as you can as long as you can to put down the drink. If you don't stop now this is going to continue and get worse. If it's difficult for you to stop drinking, then you are an alcoholic and need to get some support.

Keep in mind that suddenly stopping drinking can lead to depression and anxiety as well. Evidence has shown that people may feels "anxious" for up to 2 weeks after a drinking binge. So going "cold turkey" may not be the best option. What is wrong with moderate drinking? Are you unable to have a drink without getting pissed drunk? You should be able to have a drink or two and then tell yourself "enough." If you can't, it may be a sign of a bigger issue. I'm concerned that your problem may actually be alcoholism. When you are constantly focusing on your drinking, with thoughts like "I will not drink this week, nor the next because it is bad," as well as the inability to drink moderately, you are exhibiting symptoms of alcoholism. A common sign of alcoholics is the compulsive excusing of their drinking by promises to themselves to not drink. When unable to meet those self-promised obligations, the circle starts all over again.

im 28 i use to drink every weekend fri and sat, sun through fri i was a health nut going to the gym but still felt depressed . now i only drink every other week not every weekend ,am still a health nut try to make it to the gym 4 to 5 days a week but after i drink i loose all motivation become depressed to the point that i dont even want to drink anymore ,but i love to drink and have a good time,i just cant deal with the depression and just want to sleep all the time,is there anything like vitamins i can take to help with this feeling after i drink,i dont want ativan or whatever,iii take panicyl for anxiety,

Sandra and everyone else, I totally feel the same way. A couple of years ago I started writing a journal, because I noticed that I became depressed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. I was okay by Wed., and totally fine by Thursday. I was starting a new business and noticed that I was all crazy and excited about it on Wed-Sat., but when Sunday hit, I recall much anxiety about the business., how it's not gonna work, how I'm gonna make a complete fool out of myself. After a few months, I realized it was all the alcohol making me feel this way. I stopped drinking (not because I was trying to stop drinking on the weekends, just because I got into a relationship and she didn't like to drink) for a few months and realized that my new business was not only prospering, but I hadn't been depressed for weeks. Then we broke up and I went back to drinking on Saturdays, and the depression started again. So, I stopped drinking for an year, and everything was fine. I don't have a drinking problem per say, but why am I getting panic attacks and severe suicidal ideation just because i decided to have a few drinks? None of my other friends have this problem? They don't understand why I get so depressed. This only started in my early 30s. I was never like this in my 20s. Any replies will be appreciated greatly.

take vitamin b6, things like alcohol drugs and nicotine deplete your system of vitamins and especially b6 causing depression and anxiety and shaking also. (alcoholics that shake when they do not drink)

The problem is that when you drink, it tends to sap your body's natural reserve of serotonin, which is a brain chemical associated with depression. Unfortunately, if you're prone to depression, it will affect you pretty adversely. Does that help at all?

helped me!!! i didnt know drinkin did that. i knew smoking. guess i should stay away from the drinking till all of this just goes away. but you know how everybody does something to realease there stresses and stuff smoking was mine. i trid to drink this weekend after starting to feeel better after a month. now im back at square one...bad thougths and all of it. sucks.

Trust me, when I had GAD and all that, I was a MONK until I got better. No drinking, no smoking, no caffeine even. It was a drag for the first month (oh god was it ever) but after that point, things got a lot easier. I'm glad it helps! Keep me posted on how you're doing. I'll be glat do hetp.

Large prolonged consumption of alcohol causes malnutrition and vitamin deficiency (duh). I just came off a week long binge and my skin is crawling.. I woke up having a panic attack after only 3 or so hours of sleep. Low Blood Sugar causes shaking and trembling. Alcohol withdrawal causes Anxiety (relative in scope to how much/how long you drank). Take a multi-vitamin (especially B-vitamins), get some sugar but not too much, hydrate yourself, and dry yourself out of alcohol for a while. I'm 24 and because of an alcohol addiction i have severe anxiety, gastritis, and a number of other health related problems. Hopefully this binge will have been my last.

Well hello crew. I never typed into one of these but these posts are the best things to read and learn and help each other out. My anxiety /depression started long ago when we had a second house fire(yes 2 in the same house) My mom was 2000 miles away in california getting mental help after a nervous breakdown from the first fire only to hear we had another one. I was a 13 years old boy and extemely depressed and confused as what life was and what is happening. My first panick attack was when i smoked Marijuana I think the 4th time. I was also a drinker at that time. Things were fine for awhile even though i was still severely depressed living in a hotel while the house was being rebuilt etc. Finally we are back in the house. I am going to school for a few months (very depressed) a freshman when boom first period in school in the middle of class i had a full blown panic attack much worse than the first one when i was stoned. It was so bad that i actually forgot about the first one and thought i was dying, or having a heart attack. It felt like i was floating off the chair. I ran out of class and went to the deans office and explained and they called my dad to pick me up. This all was calmed down shortly after i left the deans office. So my dad told me to explain what happened. Then he said oh no! I said WHAT? I thought i lost my mind, or i was going to die at any time. He said you had a panick attack. He explained that he had them for a period of time when he was at this job he hated. He said they would last for hours on end sometimes and one was like 10 hours long. (I am getting really anxious talking about this right now by the way) It was a big relief and weight off my shoulders when my dad told me this but i still get them over certain things. I have been drinking ever since. I masked it well being popular in high school, being in a band, etc. But i masked it with drinking. I was very funny, always a pleasure to be around while drinking. The next day in my younger days i would just be full of anxiety when i was hungover. Now i am 33 yearsold, very itrritable and short fused, anxious, tired, feeling like im in a cloud and very very depressed with racing depressing thoughts that always tend to go back to the thoughts of my family back then around the time we had fires. Some of these thought include terrible guilt that im a bad father to my kids, and my gf assures me that i am extremely loving to the kids i just need to get a grip on the anxiety. (as i typed that in about my kids my eyes welled up) My son will be 3 this month and my daughter will be one. I am currently laid off and watching the kids in the day. Here is where the guilt lies. I get so anxious when i take them out. To the point of panick attacks most times. I can barely go to the grocery store by myself without getting one. I get severe anxiety if i have to drive with the kids(with no other adult in fear ill get a panick attack and something will happen to them) for anything more than a 5 minute drive. I rarely take them out to the park. I take them for walks only a few times a week. Winter is on its way so activities will be indoors. So when im depressed which is 98 percent of the time my guilt kicks in and remembers the terrible events of my youth and the present that im not providing an enjoyable life for my kids. I cant help to think am I doomed for a life of depression due to genetics. I am terrified of antidepressants. My dad tried them for the first time in his life about 6 years ago. He took prozac. He locked himself in the basement bedroom and wouldnt eat and said he had the worst thoughts imaginable after taking them. Thoughts he wont even tell me when the subject comes up. My mom said to please visit him asap because she thought he was going to die. He did share some stories of ways he was thinking of killing himself at the time. He stopped taking the prozac and got back to normal. Which for him is just a bit depressed. That is far better than the previous state he was in. He still drinks but doesnt get anxiety anymore. Now me, i am full of anxiety. It does help when i cut down on the drinking with the anxiety but i still always seem to have the blues. Like looking through a cloud 24/7. I barely leave the house. Its stressful watching the kids all day like this. I had 2 beers last night and dont feel too anxious today. If I was out driving though the anxiety will rise. But not so bad today. I pretty much can guage its level because depression/anxiety have been a faithful enemies to me for 20 years. I feel terrible for anyone with these depression/anxiety levels. Lets beat this together. If you know you wont quit or make the effort to, start here with me. This is the first time in a long time where i can say i had 2 beers last night instead of 7 or 8+. Cut down or quit completely. No more than 2 a day. If i cant do this im quitting entirely. Drink plenty of water and definately get a few days a week in of cardio activities. I cant do this anymore. My kids will have no future if i dont toughen up and do things i have to. If I can get my mind well I know the rest will follow.

Hi everyone, just like most the other posts it is nice to hear that I am not the only one with this problem. I am 23 and had to stop smoking weed because of the anxiety it caused. I had been smoking since I was 16 and just recently had to quit. I am thinking the same thing is happening with alochol. I binged the other night and have been consumed by racing thoughts and constant over analyzing the parts of the night I do remember. Even though my friends told me I didn't do anything stupid it doesn't calm my thoughts. I have just eaten for the first time in two days and I am starting to feel better. This has happened to me before so I know it will go away, but it's the first couple days afterward that really suck. I guess the ultimate cure is to stop drinking, but being 23 it is hard to go out in a social setting and not drink. The best thing I can tell myself is I need to control my intake and not start drinking in the middle of the day because by the time I close down the bars I am blacked out. I think these posts are good, because it lets us talk about our thoughts anonymously instead of our friends who might not understand. Goodluck to everyone.

I know that it's really hard but trust me, I have had to do it and people aren't really paying attention to you as much as you think. Just order a cranberry juice or an orange juice and no one will even notice that you're not drinking. What do you think?

i have the same thing!!! i feel like a horrible mom! i just want to smoke again i was such a better mom! everyone said it. but now i talke a xani everyother day to deal with this. i have a constant feear something is giong to happen raelly bad. i hate it. im so tired of this feelingi dont want my kids to see me like this anymore. i use to talke them to do stuff adn og places! now i cant. i dont have the patience and i feel gross all the time. i hate how ive been trying to get better adn been putting them on hold but i fell lke its waht i need to do. i cant be there for them fully fight now. i feel selfsish and i dont want them to hate me for anything, like not being there. but im barely here for myself right now. im about to just give up and start somoing again. i was a better person