Yeah, I think that the best thing I ever did was just start going out and socializing more. Once I left the house more, it helped. Talking online can help but my understanding is that chat and IM aren't that good for you. Had you heard that?
Hello all, I'm currently on my second day of not drinking. Its been pretty easy for me so far. However, I tapered down for a week. Basically drank one less beer per day until yesterday where I had one. I've been drinking daily for at least 5 years with some breaks in between.
I'm also using kava kava (pure root and paste) and small amounts of marijuana liberally.
Taking multi vitamin,
l-tyrosine in the morning, l-trytophan at night,
an OTC sleep aid to help sleep,
ibuprofen,
milk thistle,
B-Vitamin complex,
Valerian to help with sleep
The anxiety has been only slightly increased during this time. Alcohol just wasn't working for me anymore, I couldn't sleep with out it but when I did drink I would be waking up in the middle of the night. I tried to use it to calm me down, but all it did was make me more anxious when I woke up the next day.
I've got some important events coming up and I need to be sober at least until then. I've used anything and everything under the sun, even had a heavy opiate addiction that I still occasionally mess up with. However, nothing has grabbed me like beer. I do not touch hard liquor and very rarely drink wine... but I love beer.
I'm also using kava kava (pure root and paste) and small amounts of marijuana liberally.
Taking multi vitamin,
l-tyrosine in the morning, l-trytophan at night,
an OTC sleep aid to help sleep,
ibuprofen,
milk thistle,
B-Vitamin complex,
Valerian to help with sleep
The anxiety has been only slightly increased during this time. Alcohol just wasn't working for me anymore, I couldn't sleep with out it but when I did drink I would be waking up in the middle of the night. I tried to use it to calm me down, but all it did was make me more anxious when I woke up the next day.
I've got some important events coming up and I need to be sober at least until then. I've used anything and everything under the sun, even had a heavy opiate addiction that I still occasionally mess up with. However, nothing has grabbed me like beer. I do not touch hard liquor and very rarely drink wine... but I love beer.
I know the dangers of stopping drinking cold turkey...lucky for me I don't drink so much to the point where I'm risking physical danger (DT's, seizures)....just really awful anxiety.
But I had have a questions to anyone that can answer this. If you can't afford or have the means to go to a hospital to dry out...isn't cold turkey the only option? I have heard people going "I drink one less beer every night" to ween themselves off of beer. But I just don't have the self discipline for that.
Isn't cold turkey the only way to really beat it?
Also, are there any over the counter meds or prescrips recommended to help with anxiety? I do my best to deal with it but even after a week of not drinking sometimes the stress is unbearable. Can a doctor prescribe anti-depressents if you tell him your situation? I've been someone who hasn't had the luxury of health insurance so I have no idea how the system works. I did brake a bone 3 years ago (very expensive!!) and was prescribed some pain meds that were very powerful and I never became dependent on them. In fact I stopped taking them after a while because they made me feel so weird.
I was thinking maybe some anti-depressents might help with anxiety. That would also convince me not to drink knowing that I'm on the medication. For as much as I drink, I never want to mix even an aspirin with the alcohol. I guess I'm "responsible" in that way. I think it would be a good way to prevent my drinking and help with my anxiety. Are they costly? Anyone ever do this with success? Some posts would be great to help. Thanks to all and good luck to all.
But I had have a questions to anyone that can answer this. If you can't afford or have the means to go to a hospital to dry out...isn't cold turkey the only option? I have heard people going "I drink one less beer every night" to ween themselves off of beer. But I just don't have the self discipline for that.
Isn't cold turkey the only way to really beat it?
Also, are there any over the counter meds or prescrips recommended to help with anxiety? I do my best to deal with it but even after a week of not drinking sometimes the stress is unbearable. Can a doctor prescribe anti-depressents if you tell him your situation? I've been someone who hasn't had the luxury of health insurance so I have no idea how the system works. I did brake a bone 3 years ago (very expensive!!) and was prescribed some pain meds that were very powerful and I never became dependent on them. In fact I stopped taking them after a while because they made me feel so weird.
I was thinking maybe some anti-depressents might help with anxiety. That would also convince me not to drink knowing that I'm on the medication. For as much as I drink, I never want to mix even an aspirin with the alcohol. I guess I'm "responsible" in that way. I think it would be a good way to prevent my drinking and help with my anxiety. Are they costly? Anyone ever do this with success? Some posts would be great to help. Thanks to all and good luck to all.
I am the same guest that wrote on 10/03/09 - 08:23
Currently on Day 5 of no alcohol. Withdrawal was pretty non existent. But I tapered for five days, one less beer a day. I had a slight headache, slight anxiety, slight nausea but all were very mild. Not all that many cravings actually, but that may be because I'm really committed to not drinking over the next month at least, most likely 2 (I may make an exception for Halloween and Thanksgiving)
I took lots of supplements, including amino acids. Tons of vitamin B as well. Used Kava and Valerian as needed. Still need to take an OTC sleep med to help with sleep. Tons of exercise. The first few days I walked.. longer distances every day. This was to get me used to accomplishing something after work. Instead of vegging out and drinking a few beers before bed. Today I went to the gym and was able to get a really good weight session in. I am somewhat regular with the gym so its not a huge leap. Whatever you do, I would suggest doing something physical during the day to get excess energy out. This will also help you sleep.
Anyways I'm not out of the woods, but I am on my way.
Currently on Day 5 of no alcohol. Withdrawal was pretty non existent. But I tapered for five days, one less beer a day. I had a slight headache, slight anxiety, slight nausea but all were very mild. Not all that many cravings actually, but that may be because I'm really committed to not drinking over the next month at least, most likely 2 (I may make an exception for Halloween and Thanksgiving)
I took lots of supplements, including amino acids. Tons of vitamin B as well. Used Kava and Valerian as needed. Still need to take an OTC sleep med to help with sleep. Tons of exercise. The first few days I walked.. longer distances every day. This was to get me used to accomplishing something after work. Instead of vegging out and drinking a few beers before bed. Today I went to the gym and was able to get a really good weight session in. I am somewhat regular with the gym so its not a huge leap. Whatever you do, I would suggest doing something physical during the day to get excess energy out. This will also help you sleep.
Anyways I'm not out of the woods, but I am on my way.
There are no OTC drugs with anxiety--and trust me, you don't really want to take something for it anyway. Here's the reason why: when you do, you have to go off them eventually. When you do, you experience anxiety all over again. It's better to deal with the awful stuff now. Does that makes sense?
I have found Valieran root and Kava can help slighty with the anxiety. They aren't benzos and are non addictive. However if you do start to get sever withdrawal, especially the physical stuff then you may need to get on Ativan,Valium or Xanax for it. The rest of your post is on point though.
Anyways I am the same guest that wrote on 10/6..
Still no booze. Its day 10 for me I think. This weekend was difficult because I was around alcohol all weekend. I didn't have a drink and only one strong craving. The physical stuff is gone and I was able to sleep last night without an OTC sleep aid. I did use some marijuana though but thats not a problem. The studying and working out have really increased. My mind is really starting to clear now though. I had no idea how fuzzy the beer was making me.
I have no plans to stop fully. I'm not sure when I will drink again. I really needed to take this break to clear out the system. The major bonus was how easy it was. I mean it wasn't pleasent at first. But with a taper, plenty of food, water, supplements and vitamins then WD can be made much more bearable. It does get easier with time. I haven't been suffering from depression and the anxiety is pretty much gone now. It is so worth it.
Anyways I know I always like follow up when reading the threads here. My biggest advice is to make sure you really want to do it, have a true commitment. Also if you can figure out a way to taper down the dosage. In my case it was one less beer a night. I don't know if I will update again but best of luck to everyone.
Anyways I am the same guest that wrote on 10/6..
Still no booze. Its day 10 for me I think. This weekend was difficult because I was around alcohol all weekend. I didn't have a drink and only one strong craving. The physical stuff is gone and I was able to sleep last night without an OTC sleep aid. I did use some marijuana though but thats not a problem. The studying and working out have really increased. My mind is really starting to clear now though. I had no idea how fuzzy the beer was making me.
I have no plans to stop fully. I'm not sure when I will drink again. I really needed to take this break to clear out the system. The major bonus was how easy it was. I mean it wasn't pleasent at first. But with a taper, plenty of food, water, supplements and vitamins then WD can be made much more bearable. It does get easier with time. I haven't been suffering from depression and the anxiety is pretty much gone now. It is so worth it.
Anyways I know I always like follow up when reading the threads here. My biggest advice is to make sure you really want to do it, have a true commitment. Also if you can figure out a way to taper down the dosage. In my case it was one less beer a night. I don't know if I will update again but best of luck to everyone.
There are no OTC drugs with anxiety--and trust me, you don't really want to take something for it anyway. Here's the reason why: when you do, you have to go off them eventually. When you do, you experience anxiety all over again. It's better to deal with the awful stuff now. Does that makes sense?
I completely agree here. Deal with this problem without meds if at all possible. We are not talking about an infection that can be cured with antibiotics. Anti-anxiety meds just manipulate chemicals in the brain to circumvent the anxiousness. They DON'T fix anything just cover it up. Once you stop taking the meds the anxiety will be right back. I avoided the meds because I didn't want to replace my anxiety with a prescription drug habit. Anxiety is the most easily cured mental illness there is and the most effective method is cognitive behavioral therapy. If you have the insurance to see a therapist to learn what to do then do it. If not, then research on the internet non-medicinal anxiety therapy and do it yourself. I have posted in plenty of posts on here of exactly what I did so I won't get into it again.
I haven't had any hard alcohol since 8/22. I have gotten what I would call "drunk" 2 times since then. All on beer. I did have some anxious moments the day after these 2 nights but I was able to stop all of the attacks almost immediately with the techniques I have learned.
I completely agree here. Deal with this problem without meds if at all possible. We are not talking about an infection that can be cured with antibiotics. Anti-anxiety meds just manipulate chemicals in the brain to circumvent the anxiousness. They DON'T fix anything just cover it up. Once you stop taking the meds the anxiety will be right back. I avoided the meds because I didn't want to replace my anxiety with a prescription drug habit. Anxiety is the most easily cured mental illness there is and the most effective method is cognitive behavioral therapy. If you have the insurance to see a therapist to learn what to do then do it. If not, then research on the internet non-medicinal anxiety therapy and do it yourself. I have posted in plenty of posts on here of exactly what I did so I won't get into it again.
I haven't had any hard alcohol since 8/22. I have gotten what I would call "drunk" 2 times since then. All on beer. I did have some anxious moments the day after these 2 nights but I was able to stop all of the attacks almost immediately with the techniques I have learned.
Thank you for posting to back me up! I just wanted to point one important thing out--make sure you find out what your anxiety is. If it's just regular anxiety, then do CBT. If it turns out it's OCD, then you will need to use a modified form of CBT. Trust me, I have OCD. It is not the same treatment. I hope this helps someone!
I wrote in this thread earlier, and want to reiterate how reassuring it is to hear so many people in a similar situation. Quick recap, I started suffering panic attacks about 3 years ago. My first one was driving to the airport to pick up my girl, and it was exactly similar to a freak-out I had when high on coke one night. Felt like I was going to have a heart attack and die. I really feel like the drug abuse introduced the scenario to my bod, and to be honest, I suffer from that fear to this day. It is so difficult to fully understand what is going on in your body, so it adds to my anxiety.
So my anxiety was sort of cyclical,it would come and go. I've been in an anxious cycle for awhile, and it became clear to me that as much as the drinking is an amazing cure, it is also clearly without a doubt the cause of the anxiety. Hangovers made me literally feel like I would die at any moment from a heart attack or stroke. I was terrified on subways or driving, and even in some public places. I used to be an extremely outgoing person with a real fondness for life and this was such a change.
I began going to AA about a year ago, and dried out for a total of 3 weeks. However, the most important thing that has ever happened to me was to receive the AA "Big Book." If you have found this thread helpful, you will find the stories in that book to be moving. It really resonated with me that we go through changing everything--lifestyle, job, location, relationships, exercise, etc.--but will not quit booze. I've got news for everyone: ITS THE ALCOHOL.
I don't have any more answers. I've quit drinking during the week and kept to that for the last 2 months, and this is the first weekend I've been trying to stay sober. All i know is that I have trouble with anxiety when I'm sober, but I can manage. I have trouble sleeping, but I can get past it. Alcohol is the root cause and the only way to solve it is to remove it entirely (in my opinion.)
So my anxiety was sort of cyclical,it would come and go. I've been in an anxious cycle for awhile, and it became clear to me that as much as the drinking is an amazing cure, it is also clearly without a doubt the cause of the anxiety. Hangovers made me literally feel like I would die at any moment from a heart attack or stroke. I was terrified on subways or driving, and even in some public places. I used to be an extremely outgoing person with a real fondness for life and this was such a change.
I began going to AA about a year ago, and dried out for a total of 3 weeks. However, the most important thing that has ever happened to me was to receive the AA "Big Book." If you have found this thread helpful, you will find the stories in that book to be moving. It really resonated with me that we go through changing everything--lifestyle, job, location, relationships, exercise, etc.--but will not quit booze. I've got news for everyone: ITS THE ALCOHOL.
I don't have any more answers. I've quit drinking during the week and kept to that for the last 2 months, and this is the first weekend I've been trying to stay sober. All i know is that I have trouble with anxiety when I'm sober, but I can manage. I have trouble sleeping, but I can get past it. Alcohol is the root cause and the only way to solve it is to remove it entirely (in my opinion.)
well i just wanna say thanks to everyone that has posted and its good to know we are not alone. im 26 been drinking daily for about 7 - 8 yrs. I have gotten the anxiety/panic attacks to the point where i really dont go to public places or stores probably in the past 6 months or so. Im going to try to taper off alcohol and hopefully i dont get those heavy attacks. I really want to quit, i feel ill never feel "normal" again. all the little common activities like shopping, going to movies, events, i cannot do anymore due to ill panic and get heart palpations.
I honestly really miss even going to walmart and buying c**p and feeling fine and normal.
Im glad to read these posts and see people overcame this problem. Its inspiring.
Its very hard to quit, If i dont drink 1 night ill feel a little awkward and trouble sleeping, i usually always have a lot maybe 6 - 10 weird dreams when i dont drink, the most i can go so far is 1 day/night without drinking
If anyone has any more tips/advice please keep posting. If i ever beat this thing ill try and post back on what steps i did.
I honestly really miss even going to walmart and buying c**p and feeling fine and normal.
Im glad to read these posts and see people overcame this problem. Its inspiring.
Its very hard to quit, If i dont drink 1 night ill feel a little awkward and trouble sleeping, i usually always have a lot maybe 6 - 10 weird dreams when i dont drink, the most i can go so far is 1 day/night without drinking
If anyone has any more tips/advice please keep posting. If i ever beat this thing ill try and post back on what steps i did.
14:21 I was in the same situation as you as far as the agoraphobia goes. I was canceling plans, working from home, ordering groceries online, etc. because I couldn't leave the house without having severe panic attacks. I did a little research online about mindfulness meditation's effects on anxiety disorders. I hadn't been outside for a days but I had stopped drinking on Sat. and it was now Wed. The anxiety was really bad. I decided to try meditating for the first time. When I was finished I was so relaxed that I decided to try and go do something so I drove to the park and shot baskets for an hour. I continued meditating everyday and I am back to normal. I can't put into words how much this helped me. I went to see a therapist and she didn't have anything to tell me to do because that is exactly what she would have prescribed.
Of course, you have to STOP drinking everyday and get through the initial withdrawals. There really isn't anyway around this. If alcohol withdrawal is causing your anxiety then it won't go away as long as you keep a steady intake of alcohol. Withdrawal can start within 10 hours of your last drink so everyday after drinking you are probably having anxiety due to withdrawal kicking in. I was lucky enough not to be a true "alcoholic" in that I drank because I enjoyed getting drunk not because I "needed" a drink so stopping for me wasn't really an issue. If you can't stop I would get some help.
Of course, you have to STOP drinking everyday and get through the initial withdrawals. There really isn't anyway around this. If alcohol withdrawal is causing your anxiety then it won't go away as long as you keep a steady intake of alcohol. Withdrawal can start within 10 hours of your last drink so everyday after drinking you are probably having anxiety due to withdrawal kicking in. I was lucky enough not to be a true "alcoholic" in that I drank because I enjoyed getting drunk not because I "needed" a drink so stopping for me wasn't really an issue. If you can't stop I would get some help.
Well, I never thought I was going to post it but it's good that I can let it out of my system. I started drinking when I was 18 in college as a result of peer pressure. I didn't enjoy it at first and didn't think too much of it. After a while, I was invited to a house party and that's where the "fun" began...
From that point on, I was drinking 2 times a week, Friday and Saturday just a few beers for a year or so until I moved out to a house with a friend. My drinking from that point became worse. Daily, I was buying cases of beer, hard alcohol and etc and drinking 4-5 days a week. Throughout Junior and Senior year of college, it pretty much stayed the same and I was a proud functional alcoholic. I thought that would last. I enjoyed drinking after a day of hard study, watching shows while feeling " high" off of the effect. Last week however, I had half a bottle of Jack, gave myself a day to rest off and drank the other half. I got around 2 hours of " sleep" before I woke up to do some studying. Well, after lunch, I started to bug a little and felt really anxious like I wanted to cry out something but wasn't sure what it was. I felt like I needed to say something, I felt like I was going to black out and that I was going to pass out. I thought it was only my fatigue so I passed it off until night when it became really bad. During dinner as soon as I had my first bite of salad and sip of water, I felt like I was having a panic attack and felt really nauseated. I went home and tried to sleep but wasn't able to. My heart was pounding very deep and my mind was too awake even though my body was very tired. I couldn't sleep until 6AM after taking some sleeping aid. Second day was a little better and I was able to eat a little. It's been almost 7 days since I had my last sip of alcohol. A few minutes ago, I was having a little panic attack ( not severe) but I walked it off so here I am.
Pretty much to sum it up, it was such a scary experience for me that I never want to go through. I'm not going to give in and I'm quitting cold turkey.
From that point on, I was drinking 2 times a week, Friday and Saturday just a few beers for a year or so until I moved out to a house with a friend. My drinking from that point became worse. Daily, I was buying cases of beer, hard alcohol and etc and drinking 4-5 days a week. Throughout Junior and Senior year of college, it pretty much stayed the same and I was a proud functional alcoholic. I thought that would last. I enjoyed drinking after a day of hard study, watching shows while feeling " high" off of the effect. Last week however, I had half a bottle of Jack, gave myself a day to rest off and drank the other half. I got around 2 hours of " sleep" before I woke up to do some studying. Well, after lunch, I started to bug a little and felt really anxious like I wanted to cry out something but wasn't sure what it was. I felt like I needed to say something, I felt like I was going to black out and that I was going to pass out. I thought it was only my fatigue so I passed it off until night when it became really bad. During dinner as soon as I had my first bite of salad and sip of water, I felt like I was having a panic attack and felt really nauseated. I went home and tried to sleep but wasn't able to. My heart was pounding very deep and my mind was too awake even though my body was very tired. I couldn't sleep until 6AM after taking some sleeping aid. Second day was a little better and I was able to eat a little. It's been almost 7 days since I had my last sip of alcohol. A few minutes ago, I was having a little panic attack ( not severe) but I walked it off so here I am.
Pretty much to sum it up, it was such a scary experience for me that I never want to go through. I'm not going to give in and I'm quitting cold turkey.
this is a great thread guys. i must admit the first few posts i read only intensified my anxiety, but after reading through most of them i must say i feel significantly better
i'll relate my story. im 21 now and started drinking heavily after i'd turned 18. to be honest i never kept a real track of how much i drank and how often, which is probably better for me these days when i think back, but i guess honestly there was probably a year to 18 months of very heavy drinking involved in the last 3 years of my life. it was always in cycles. when i was younger i had ADD and was on medication till i was 15, and i struggled coming off that. furthermore i suffered really bad social anxiety during school. after id turned 18 i had a girlfriend who kind of lost it a bit. looking back now i think she may have been on drugs or even an alcoholic herself, but she had some major issues and drinking till i couldn't think always seemed a better alternative to being abused by her every single night. the christmas after i'd started drinking i decided to stop, and for 4 days experienced moderate withdrawal symptoms considering how much i was drinking (10-15 drinks a night). i had no idea what they were. then for the next 6 months i drank heavier as my tolerance increased, peaking i'd say around 20 drinks a night. throughout this period i had intermittent periods of shortness of breath, and heart palpitations and a racing heart rate.
i eventually decided to see the doctor about it, but after another night of heavy drinking at home in my room i ended up in hospital with what they called at the time a panic attack. i had severe shortness of breath that just turned into rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, dizziness, shakes, tingling. went to hospital where they lay me down, took my blood, basically tried to figure out what was wrong with me. they gave me the run around with tests on all my major organs and said i was in good health, it was probably just anxiety. i was referred to a psychologist, who also shrugged my drinking off. my shortness of breath was with me every single day, as were my heart palpitations. my thinking was relatively clear and i wasnt really haunted by any terrible thoughts, and my panic attacks basically went away. however i continued to drink heavily on and off till about 2 and a half months ago.
my anxiety has gradually gotten worse and worse, to the point where its basically my entire psychological life now. i get rests from it, maybe 2 hours, maybe a day at the most. i recently spent a week up the coast surfing and eating mangoes, that helped significantly. only recently have i come to the conclusion that my anxiety has to do with my past drinking. i dont think all my anxiety problems stem specifically from drinking, but a lot of my anxiety is specifically about alcohol and what its affects have been on my body. my biggest turning point was 2 months ago. i'd cut back heavily on drinking but i was still drinking every other night to stop my anxiety, i was down to about 3-8 drinks when i did drink. my anxiety helped me, cause i became so scared of drinking and what it was doing to me i was able to break the cycle
of course you guys all know what relapses are like, especially when out with friends. hangovers make me crazily anxious, whenever im the slightest bit sick from drinking alcohol the night before i think i'm in real strife, that im in actual danger of dying or falling back into what i used to be. i have maybe 1 or 2 beers at the very most on weeknights, and i limit myself to 5 beers on a saturday night. i dont know if total abstinence is necessary, but i have a psychologist visit tomorrow so i guess i can ask him. it would be hard but only the social impact. trust me guys, once you break the cycle for a few months IT GETS MUCH EASIER!!
i'll relate my story. im 21 now and started drinking heavily after i'd turned 18. to be honest i never kept a real track of how much i drank and how often, which is probably better for me these days when i think back, but i guess honestly there was probably a year to 18 months of very heavy drinking involved in the last 3 years of my life. it was always in cycles. when i was younger i had ADD and was on medication till i was 15, and i struggled coming off that. furthermore i suffered really bad social anxiety during school. after id turned 18 i had a girlfriend who kind of lost it a bit. looking back now i think she may have been on drugs or even an alcoholic herself, but she had some major issues and drinking till i couldn't think always seemed a better alternative to being abused by her every single night. the christmas after i'd started drinking i decided to stop, and for 4 days experienced moderate withdrawal symptoms considering how much i was drinking (10-15 drinks a night). i had no idea what they were. then for the next 6 months i drank heavier as my tolerance increased, peaking i'd say around 20 drinks a night. throughout this period i had intermittent periods of shortness of breath, and heart palpitations and a racing heart rate.
i eventually decided to see the doctor about it, but after another night of heavy drinking at home in my room i ended up in hospital with what they called at the time a panic attack. i had severe shortness of breath that just turned into rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, dizziness, shakes, tingling. went to hospital where they lay me down, took my blood, basically tried to figure out what was wrong with me. they gave me the run around with tests on all my major organs and said i was in good health, it was probably just anxiety. i was referred to a psychologist, who also shrugged my drinking off. my shortness of breath was with me every single day, as were my heart palpitations. my thinking was relatively clear and i wasnt really haunted by any terrible thoughts, and my panic attacks basically went away. however i continued to drink heavily on and off till about 2 and a half months ago.
my anxiety has gradually gotten worse and worse, to the point where its basically my entire psychological life now. i get rests from it, maybe 2 hours, maybe a day at the most. i recently spent a week up the coast surfing and eating mangoes, that helped significantly. only recently have i come to the conclusion that my anxiety has to do with my past drinking. i dont think all my anxiety problems stem specifically from drinking, but a lot of my anxiety is specifically about alcohol and what its affects have been on my body. my biggest turning point was 2 months ago. i'd cut back heavily on drinking but i was still drinking every other night to stop my anxiety, i was down to about 3-8 drinks when i did drink. my anxiety helped me, cause i became so scared of drinking and what it was doing to me i was able to break the cycle
of course you guys all know what relapses are like, especially when out with friends. hangovers make me crazily anxious, whenever im the slightest bit sick from drinking alcohol the night before i think i'm in real strife, that im in actual danger of dying or falling back into what i used to be. i have maybe 1 or 2 beers at the very most on weeknights, and i limit myself to 5 beers on a saturday night. i dont know if total abstinence is necessary, but i have a psychologist visit tomorrow so i guess i can ask him. it would be hard but only the social impact. trust me guys, once you break the cycle for a few months IT GETS MUCH EASIER!!
Im glad to have found you lot!Ive probably drank since I was 14.Stopped for a while, stopped when living with my mother.as soon as I was given an ounce of fredom, as soon as her back was turned , Id be opening a bottle of osmething somewhere and basically trying to chill. i went through a stage of even crying opening bottles. I dont drink throughout the day , though on numerous occassions Ive been asked"do you drink in the morning"? I used to think thats when to stop , when craving the stuff was so bad that id need to drink all day and night until unconsciousI used to think it wasnt a problem, until I got so anxious Id be panicing and raging all day long, with one thing on my mind , i want a drink to take it all a way. Things people say to me, eat away at me, and i think and think until I need a drink. Ive let people talk to me in ways that are unprofessional and Ive always wanted to walk away and stick the fingers up at them.
I drink about a bottle of wine a night, whne Im finshed it i make sure I go to bed , even though Im looking and wanting more. One night last week , i didnt thin Id had that much, I got up at about 10 am felt fine. But by 1pm, I dont know, I think my blood sugar had dropped or somethingand I had to crawl around the place, was a bit hyperventilating. Got some lucozade chucked it down my throat, then lay down for s bit. then half an hour late felt fine.
Anyways, Ive gone for heelp. Firstly about 2 and a half years ago -I didnt talk about it straight away to the doctors. My mum was ill and I couldnt cope. so anyway, I couldnt eat , couldnt sleep, could not do very much . Thank f shes all right. im in knots though about things. mum is fine now but im still drinking. Im 33 . I have 2 fabulous children. I know what Im doing is wrong. also , I know this sounds stupid but for some reason iv always thought I would never live very long, and I guess that swhy I started . I always thought at least if I drink Im a nicer person. less of a grump. More confident , can even manage a giggle. Dont have to worry because i feel comfortable drinking, I dont care about what others think of me so much , I dont care if someone says something awful to me, as Ill have the confidence to say f off, or ignore it and not let it bother me. If I could be like this sobber , I wouldnt feel the need to drink-would i?And that s another thing. it gets to a point where you dont enjoy it . You feel full of guilt the next day , especially with childrenThen as anxiety overtakes and you can no longer walk, the need for a drink is all I think aboutI dont htink about food in the way I think about wine. In fact i dont think about food very much ( though imthinkning about it right now) oh boy, this is easy. In fact I would say Ive been strange around food all my life.. yeah even to apoint I was gobbling laxatives and staving myself. i was hoping the wine i drank would be full of fruitor something and nobody would know. Now everyone knows, but instead of thinking I should really stop , I get more upset because everyone knows and i feel like evryone is judging me. Im now trying not to see poeple to talk about my c**p so that I myself can take the moment where I say enough rember that feeling, crawling about the floor, or gagging fighting back the puke
I drink about a bottle of wine a night, whne Im finshed it i make sure I go to bed , even though Im looking and wanting more. One night last week , i didnt thin Id had that much, I got up at about 10 am felt fine. But by 1pm, I dont know, I think my blood sugar had dropped or somethingand I had to crawl around the place, was a bit hyperventilating. Got some lucozade chucked it down my throat, then lay down for s bit. then half an hour late felt fine.
Anyways, Ive gone for heelp. Firstly about 2 and a half years ago -I didnt talk about it straight away to the doctors. My mum was ill and I couldnt cope. so anyway, I couldnt eat , couldnt sleep, could not do very much . Thank f shes all right. im in knots though about things. mum is fine now but im still drinking. Im 33 . I have 2 fabulous children. I know what Im doing is wrong. also , I know this sounds stupid but for some reason iv always thought I would never live very long, and I guess that swhy I started . I always thought at least if I drink Im a nicer person. less of a grump. More confident , can even manage a giggle. Dont have to worry because i feel comfortable drinking, I dont care about what others think of me so much , I dont care if someone says something awful to me, as Ill have the confidence to say f off, or ignore it and not let it bother me. If I could be like this sobber , I wouldnt feel the need to drink-would i?And that s another thing. it gets to a point where you dont enjoy it . You feel full of guilt the next day , especially with childrenThen as anxiety overtakes and you can no longer walk, the need for a drink is all I think aboutI dont htink about food in the way I think about wine. In fact i dont think about food very much ( though imthinkning about it right now) oh boy, this is easy. In fact I would say Ive been strange around food all my life.. yeah even to apoint I was gobbling laxatives and staving myself. i was hoping the wine i drank would be full of fruitor something and nobody would know. Now everyone knows, but instead of thinking I should really stop , I get more upset because everyone knows and i feel like evryone is judging me. Im now trying not to see poeple to talk about my c**p so that I myself can take the moment where I say enough rember that feeling, crawling about the floor, or gagging fighting back the puke
Im a 25 year old woman that has almost cried with delight upon discovering this page. I have suffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks since the age of 18. My first panic attack was standing in a fast food restaurant after a heavy nights drinking, almost every time since this episode after a drinking session I experience the same horror. The fear, sweaty palms, extreme dizzyness, shaking, palpitations, twitching, lurches and butterflies in the stomach, the whole lot. Most recently I had an attack so bad I vomited for hours on end and water could not even be kept down. It scared me. On numerous occasions I have begged my parents to take me to hospital, that I was dying....I honestly believed I was. All sense of normality and focus went out the window and I could not calm down. I have also taken to drinking the next morning after a heavy session to 'cure' or 'prevent' feelings of mass anxiety and panic which I know I'm sure to experience once the alcohol starts leaving my system. This has just been a cop out and only proves to aggrevate my condition 10 fold in the hours after. I live in Ireland, where Im sure it is commonly known that drink and Irish society goes like bread goes with butter. Its impossible to escape, although I dont feel like I have an alcohol problem (I only drink on a friday night and never crave it), I do most definitely believe that my experiences with anxiety are SOLELY brought about by the after effects of a binge session. I have stopped drinking for the past 3 weekends in a row and oh my God!!! The relief of not waking up with those dreaded symptoms!! I had almost gottn to the point where I would PANIC about the inevitable PANIC ATTACK to come once I opened my eyes after a night out. I had my 'hangover stash' on standby which consisted on at least 3 bottles of beer, valium, painkillers and mulitvitamins'. Its not worth the pain, I have recently started taking Cytacon tablets (Vitamin B12) to build up my nervous system again and try to repair dome of the damage I have done. I have definitely noticed a vast improvement. I also acknowledge that alcohol abuse from both parents and living in a hostile environment growing up, there was always a possibility that I was an ideal candidate for anxiety/panic attacks and serious emotional retardedness in later life. And I've since had the sense to realise I need to stop, before it destoys me. I have found huge comfort in these posts and I only hope others find comfort in mine. Strength and love to you all and always remember you're NOT ALONE!!!!! :-)