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Experiences of depression, anxiety and panic attacks, more recently worsened by alcohol.

By CoralQueen242731 | 2 posts, last post
Sasa Milosevic, MD answered this Relationship Between Heavy Drinking And Mental Disorders
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CoralQueen242731

More recently, I have been experiencing intense feelings of depression and anxiety after consuming alcohol. 

The next day after drinking, I used to be hyperactive around others, laugh hysterically but when it came to being alone in a room I would start to feel reflective on life and have sad thoughts. I understand that alcohol is a depressant and explains this mood change but I am unsure as to why it has become worse. 

This weekend, I went for a drink with my boyfriend, we had a really good night and woke up a little worse for wear. All day I had a sense of, "I can't be bothered to do anything" and this is when the feelings of depression and anxiety started. Even when I was in conversation with my boyfriend, I would have thoughts shouting at me in the back of my head and he could see that there was something wrong. 

 It came to bed time and there were still thoughts ticking over. Once I was in bed, in the dark and quiet I felt this uncontrollable urge to cry. I felt like I was being really selfish as my boyfriend didn't know what to do but every time I tried to stop, it just kept happening again. 

I spoke to him about some of this, but I don't want to burden anyone. I even feel selfish writing this much about myself on a website, hoping that someone will be kind enough to read it and give me some advice. 

The only other time I have felt feelings this intense after alcohol is when I was on holiday with my sister. The day after drinking, we got a train into the town. I felt hot and ill and not really up for it, but still went. As soon as we got on the train, I noticed there were no windows, started to panic and uncontrollably crying. Very embarrasing! 

I'm a 21 year old female, studying computing at university and have been on a work placement for the past year. I feel that in this past year, I have been feeling quite stressed and have experienced depression and anxiety even without consuming alcohol. 

Sometimes I will be in bed, mind racing ten to the dozen and all I can think about is dying. I don't have suicidal thoughts and I really appreciate the life I'm living, but can't help thinking about it and end up sitting up in bed panicking and crying. This has happened the odd time over the past couple of years. 

I often worry about loved ones, even when there is nothing wrong and find myself thinking about something bad that could happen to them and playing the whole situation out in my head, bringing myself to tears. 

I have only ever lost two people close to me, one being my great grandma when I was younger and the other being an elderly neighbour who I was very close to, that being the first funeral I had ever been to. I cried hysterically through out the funeral because I couldn't imagine them not being there anymore, but I realise that this is normal for anyone. 

During this past year, I have had two pets that I was very close to die, one being my cat run over and the other being my hamster dying on Christmas day. I feel pathetic even mentioning this, but like anyone else who is an animal lover, it really upset me. 

More recently, one of my grandma's has had a brain tumor, which luckily was benign and now she has had it removed she is regaining eye sight. Although she is recovering, I still worry, which again I realise is normal. 

My parents have been having money troubles and they have large amounts of debts, up to the point where they had to ask me to lend them money. Another thing I have been worrying about. 

I mention the death of some of my pets, as I think as I have not had many people close to me die, this is the only way I can relate to loss and feel that if I have been this emotional about that, then losing a loved one will be ten times worse! 

Being a female in a male dominated industry has also been a struggle for me. I'm the youngest one in the company as I am a placement student and feel that this and my gender affects how people perceive my opinions. 

I am usually confident and not afraid to express myself but I feel that this experience has knocked a lot of confidence out of me. A lot of the time when I make a suggestion or an opinion, it is either ignored or criticized. It's even more frustrating when I am confident that what I am saying is correct yet because of these feelings, I will mutter it and stutter as I'm saying it or not say anything at all. 


Along with the workload of a full time job and university work I feel that this is where the stress is coming from, but I am also feeling the things previously mentioned. 

I have written about all the things that have been bothering me, and can see some kind of link. I said to my boyfriend that if this is how I feel after drinking alcohol, the best solution is to not drink alcohol, but I still feel that this does not solve the problem. 

I have read that many other people have had similar problems and have seen a doctor and been given medication, but I would feel silly doing this and don't think it is the answer?

Richard Barrett

You might try taking a large spoon of fish oil daily. It sounds like a simple idea, but it worked for me. Fish = brain food.

Booze is a depressant, so why take it?

Exercise to the point where you really want to sleep at night, but don't be obsessive.

I'm not in favor of pills, but what you could do is get a physical check first as an  illness might be the cause of your depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

Regarding anxiety attacks and depression, there are a few simple techniques that you can use to deal with and I wrote about these on my website:

http://www.cleansing-for-depression.com/depression-and-panic.html

And I also wrote about the benefits of taking fish oil for depression:

http://www.cleansing-for-depression.com/fish-oil-for-depression.html

 

 

 

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Tim

If you are suffering from depression, drinking is only going to make it a whole lot worse. For me, drinking can put me into a very dark depressing mood for a good week if I drink to much. And give me nightmares and that feeling of impending doom that you seem to describe. Alcohol is no joke, people treat it as a bit of fun, but it's actually a poison that can wreak havoc on your mind and body.

I have suffered severe panic attacks after drinking that have required medical help, and smaller anxiety attacks that can come and go for a week after drinking to much. As the drink leaves your body it can cause severe problems for your nerves, breathing, emotional well being, and your body can pump out other chemicals that can increase the odds of a panic attack.

I know people who suffer severe depression after drinking, and for me, it makes me very emotional for days afterwards, it's like your whole balance has been thrown out of sync. The only advice I can offer is to stop drinking, and if you smoke, stop that too along with any other drugs you may be taking. Emotional people like us who suffer anxiety and panic attacks, and depression have a very hard time finding their comfort zone, where they feel well and at peace, once you add alcohol or nicotene or any drug to a person like that, it can throw them into a state where they think they've lost control and that's where the feelings of doom and dread and fear kick in. It's a response from your mind that you have no control over. If you start to panic, breath slow, hold it for 5 seconds, breath out, keep doing this until you feel better. don't breath fast as this will only increase the oxygen in your blood and trigger a full blown panic attack that can feel like you are dying. But you're not, so don't worry.

 

 

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