There are basically 6 reasons why alcohol consumption and hangovers make many people anxious and I’m going tell you what they are. I want to share this with you so that you can be more informed and avoid becoming alcohol’s punching bag.
Ever since I became sick with nervous illness I’ve heard a lot of people say that anxiety sufferers should not drink alcohol because it makes you more nervous than you already are.
I’ve always found this to be ironic because there are so many anxiety sufferers that drink alcohol to cope with their anxiety, but true it is.
Now, the fact that alcohol can cause anxiety is just that, a fact. It is a scientifically based understanding, so this is not simple conjecture on my part.
Will alcohol affect all people this way? Probably not, but as an anxiety sufferer you should be aware of the possible pitfalls of alcohol consumption, so pay close attention.
Scientists believe that alcohol causes or at least increases anxiety in 6 basic ways and here they are.
1. Mood
Alcohol can affect our mood because it can affect the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a feel good brain chemical that when in short supply can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.
A drop in blood sugar can cause dizziness, confusion, weakness, nervousness, shaking and numbness. These symptoms can most certainly trigger a bout of anxiety.
3. Dehydration
This has been known to cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue, light-headedness and muscle weakness. These symptoms wouldn’t cause anxiety per say but they add to a sense of illness which fosters anxiety.
4. Nervous System
The nervous system is affected because in order for the body to fight off the sedative effects of alcohol it puts the body into a state of hyperactivity in order to counteract this effect. This hyperactivity can lead to shaking, light/sound sensitivity and sleep deprivation.
5. Heart Rate
Your heart rate can become elevated as a result of consuming alcohol which can cause a palpitation false alarm and put you into a state of anxious anticipation. Is it a heart attack or isn’t it you might ask. This “what if” questioning can increase your general state of anxiety.
6. Concentration
A hard night of drinking can also make you hazy, bring on headaches and create a sense of disorientation.
So if you’re going to have a glass of wine with dinner I don’t think you should be concerned. On the other hand, if you’re a heavy drinker, or binge drinker, then this might cause a real problem for you.
According to The Times Online, scientists don’t know exactly why all this happens but they do suggest that you eat before drinking, drink water in between drinks, and stay in bed if you are hung over to avoid all the problems I outlined above.
Some would say that maybe you shouldn’t drink at all if you have an anxiety disorder – that’s debatable. Do you think that alcohol should be avoided at all cost when someone has an anxiety disorder?
I don’t think that alcohol should be avoided if drinking is part of your social repertoire, however, I also know that moderation and good sense should be your guide.
In addition, although alcohol does have a sedative effect it should not be used as a coping tool. This type of behavior can lead to alcoholism and worse yet, more anxiety.
So if you know that you’re a light weight, or if you already know that alcohol makes you anxious, don’t bother. Maybe I don’t need to say it, but really some people just don’t know when to say no.
Note: I want to hear your opinions. Let me know what you think about this issue – comment below.
Update
After waiting forever I finally completed a podcast for this article. Press play to listen now.
I am glad I found this website. I am 27 years old and had never had anxiety until about 6 months ago. I have been drinking since I was 16 and since 22 a functioning alcoholic. I drank every single evening from around 9 to midnight. Its strange and hard to explain to my girlfriend cause she doesnt understand how I am feeling. I get worried for no reason and I get what feels like pressure in my head, its very uncomfortable. I used to go to the bar and drunk almost every night, but since the anxiety started it is very difficult. I do not go to the bar much at all anymore maybe once a month and I cant even drink when I am there because of the anxiety, I feel like I am either going to throw up or pass out. I have noticed the day after drinking is the worst. My anxiety is 10 times as bad. I am glad I found this because the longest I have gone without drinking lately is 2 days and I did notice a difference in my anxiety and it was much better. Now it is time for me to quit drinking for a while and see if this anxiety will go away completely, I hope it does.
thank you everyone for sharing your stories.
62 yrs old bing drink trying to quit a thousand times wake up 2 worry about till it becomes panic hang over is unberible so is depression I have tried million ways to quit get by a month 2 then cravings hit imay drink for week like someone wrote 3 hours ov buzz mind rest isn’t worth 48hrs hell any new ideas on how to quit this Deamond for good I get tiered of the fight.
Hello I am 51 year old male that made a decision to stop drinking beer about 2 years ago I drank for about 30 years and would often wake up with anxiety and leaving me feeling like I will be having a heart attack, I went to my doctor and found out that the amount of beer I was drinking was way to much thus causing my body to react in many ways, my reason for this post is to let you know that drinking in moderation is not a bad thing as long as you know when to stop, I didn’t and I am paying the price for this now. I am a recovering alcoholic and wish I had listened to my wife when she would tell me to stop, I often have anxiety and depression bouts that are not easy to cope with, through my doctors and some medication I deal with this, so please be aware what you do today will affect your body in the future so moderation is the word.
Hi I’m 25…Been suffering with anxiety since April 2014 after losing my mother! After reading this blog has made realise I’ve suffered with this for years! I get so depressed with my hangovers and cry and so angry I thought it was normal and I’m just really sensitive person a take things really personal! Wow this blog has help me I’m so glad I’ve found this! As I’m trying to rebuild my self I know a lot more now and when it’s gets really bad! Won’t stop drinking but will stop mixing my drinks…think we all get to a happy mode when drinking and want to let your hair down! Go so high…the next day we crash and burn!! Just can’t win! Wished I knew about this years ago…would of stop me making stupid things and life changes!
I enjoy drinkin.. but I get hella anxious if I drink for like a week daily… I don even know what to do… If I go detox, I’ll drink the same day after leavin…hella sad… I’m hella confused right now…
Here I am trying to understand my anxiety. I noticed that when I drink, my anxiety gets REALLY bad right before my menstual period. Three weeks ago I drank a bottle of Tequila Rose and this whole week I’ve had terrible bouts of anxiety. To the point that I had to miss three days of work. The doctor put me on prozac about six months ago. The doctor doubled the dose and said to only take it the two weeks before my period since that’s when my anxiety kicks in. But it doesn’t work for me, it provides no relief. One of the comments I read on here talked about staying hydrated, quitting drinking, and eating healthy and exercising. That’s what I’m going to have to do because this anxiety is petrifying, and that’s putting it mildly. It’s a whole lyfestyle change but I really want to take care of me and I don’t want to experience this panic I’m experiencing right now. Panicking about all the bad stuff in the world and feeling impending doom is no fun at all. Not to mention missing my friends like crazy because I won’t let them near me during these two weeks. Sorry, this turned out longer than what I intended.
I am a 23 year old and I have been drinking for 5 years now to help cope with anxiety/depression. I recently had been convicted of a DUII (I am ashamed as should everyone be with this crime) but that happened 3 years ago and I’m moving past that slowly. The last time I went to court after a night where I only had 4 beers, I woke up at 3:00 am after the craziest dreams I have ever had spinning uncontrollably like I was on the ride “Gravitron,” and afraid for my life. I went into the ER around 7:30 am because I was afraid to go to sleep again for whatever reason. I was diagnosed with Vertigo and had to be pumped full of fluids. Since then I am totally fine until I drink a few beers and get woken up out of my my sleep with not the same dreams but just as weird and The Fear again. It is literally the worst feeling I have ever experienced. It doesn’t matter how many beers I drink, 3 or 10 it is still the same feeling of fear and I know there is nothing for me to be afraid of. I know I could just not drink anything but the way I feel at the the moment of craving a couple beers overpowers the thought of the consequences. I want to be normal again but I feel like I need help doing so.
It makes me feel like a shitty person that I feel better when I find out that people are having the same problem but it does. I feel like everyone I surround myself with thinks I’m a crazy person when I’m going through this. I literally start to hate myself for no damn reason and I can’t help but feed the fire. I want help but I want to help myself because I know I can but at the time I feel like it’s impossible for anything to help me.
If you feel anything I’m writing, the only thing that seems to help at all is this affirmation my cousin gave to me to read.
“I am deeply centered and peaceful in life,
and it is safe for me to be alive and joyous.”
It only works if you truly believe in it, and I hope it comes useful to someone out there.
I not had a drink since 2 weeks before xmas. I had hangovers from hell. Used to not feel right for a week. Got a condition called klienfelters syndrome, basically low testosterone. Alcohol destroys anyone’s testosterone. I used to feel so anxious, scared to go to sleep, thought i was going to die. Loads of palpitations. Still get them mostly when i get warm, never get used to them, still freak me out. Going to start eating healthy food as i know vitamins are essential. I have in the past but as soon as i feel reasonable stop. Anyway reassuring to read i’m not the only one who worries to much.
there is no doubt that drinking brings on anxieties. I am 59 and have had anxieties for a very long time. Its much more subtle now but annoying and bothersome just the same. GAD general anxiety disorder it has turned into. I have a handle on it for the most part but still have several days or weeks that it creeps back in and makes me feel sick. I love my beer and an occasional couple glasses of wine but if anxiety has taught me anything is that drinking too much brings these episodes on more but also is simply bad for my health overall as well. I don’t let anxiety control me but sometimes its very difficult to shake, especially when it bothers my appetite, headaches, foggy feeling, derealization its called that is the most bothersome. What works for me is I try to not think so much of what is troubling me and to keep busy with things. I also listen to youtube videos for relaxation like hypnosis which done by a professional like Thomas Hall, it helps me slowly get back to normal. Anxiety still bothers me from time to time but over all, I have come a long way. I had to make some changes in my life, like the over doing it with drinking but it was for the best. I know one day this will mostly stop for me as it will for everyone else too. Best wishes to everyone here that suffers with this challenging affliction! Keep up the good fight!!
Refreshing to hear others go through the same thing as me, I’m 37 years old now, I started drinking heavily around 19, quit twice, once 8 years for two years, fell off for 4 years, and last summer started again, I’ve had many rock bottoms, I’m a heavy heavy binge drinker of hard alcohol and beer, most of the time I’m ok when I drank, but recently had another one drank for 5 days in a row blacked out for most of it,
This last time scared the crap out of me, not remembering most days, calling in sick for work luckily, came off cold turkey, profuse vomiting for a day/night wrecking my throat/chest in process, face with red blisters, not sleeping, can’t eat/drink water, umpy for loud noises, and just getting my health back, but still a sensitive stomach, and it’s been 6 days since and I’m still experiencing anxiety!
Sucks back on sober rider again, just need something for the anxiety, I remember even with almost 2 years of sobriety, the anxiety was still strong, might need medz.
I am a male age 62. I wished I had the internet 40 years ago. I suffered from anxiety my entire life. Finally I read on the internet to stop alcohol, cut back on coffee and sugar. I did that and my anxiety stopped.
I was never a big drinker maybe 5 drinks a week usually no more than 2 at a time, but this with daily coffee and sugar hammered my brain chemistry. I think that the alcohol was the main antagonist but coffee and sugar is definitely bad for me. Currently I have about 1 drink every 2 months and only on special occasions.
Three years ago I quit alcohol along with my coffee and severely limit my sugar consumption. The result was a Hugh positive life changing event in my life. I wished I could have those 40 years back. Stop drinking alcohol is a very minor sacrifice to give up if it greatly increases the quality of your life. For years I could not relax, I was always on edge with heart pounding anxiety. The quality of my life has significantly increased with these Minor dietary changes.
This is a inherited trait because my father and my children have anxiety problems. My children are making these changes and are feeling the positive results. Unfortunately my dad never did figured it out and I suffered with anxiety for many years. Good luck to you all, and may you figure what is causing your anxiety make the appropriate life style changes.
I found some interesting information on using niacin to deal with the alcohol cravings. This could be a game-changer in a world where we are constantly stressed and filled with anxiety.
Ignorance = missed opportunities
Below is what I did not know about Bill W (AA founder):
“Bill was very curious about it and began to take niacin, 3 g daily. Within a few weeks fatigue and depression which had plagued him for years were gone. He gave it to 30 of his close friends in AA and persuaded them to try it. Within 6 months he was convinced that it would be very helpful to alcoholics. Of the thirty, 10 were free of anxiety, tension and depression in one month. Another 10 were well in two months. He decided that the chemical or medical terms for this vitamin were not appropriate. He wanted to persuade members of AA, especially the doctors in AA, that this would be a useful addition to treatment and he needed a term that could be more readily popularized.”
The above quote is from this website: https://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_niacin.html
Hopefully this will be an eye-opener for many who consider using niacin.
Hey I’m 21, I’ve binged drank since I was 14. I just started having really bad anxiety attacks about a month ago. I got blood, urine, and EKG and chest x Ray. They all came back clean, I was having bad heart palpitations, dizzyness, nuause, sick, puking, heart pounding, strong heart beats, felt like throat was closing in on me, can’t sleep or eat. I always feel fine a couple days later,and my hangover lasts roughy 3 days at some times. I just wanna die at times and cry, the only thing that helps me is when my gf is beside me helping me deal with it. I’m really stupid and can’t refuse alcohol. I really need to stop drinking 🙁
Just thought I would offer something.
I developed an anxiety problem at age 20 after an extended illness, having
been totally healthy up until then.
I did not drink at all.
Over time and because the anxiety issue and symptoms became set in, I started
to use alcohol to treat the symptoms.
I realized of course very quickly that drinking only helped in the very short term but
helped the anxiety continue.
So..I battled along for 20 years, drinking..not drinking..doctors , psychologists, meds
What stopped me from being completely in the gutter so to speak was the meds I could take for the anxiety which did help and made every one else happy cause …no drinking and therefore I was fine..which was far from the truth..it was a very isolated, lonely and difficult existence with no real way out.
The meds were just the same as the alcohol in that they kept feeding the anxiety.
After 20 years I had resigned that this was to be the rest of my life…the Dr agreed.
One day at the age of 40 I had an ephiphony.
I received a phone call from the police, one of my children had been killed in an auto accident.
Just as I was rushing out the door a police car pulled into my driveway and the officer said he was so glad to have caught me before i left cause there had been a terrible mistake.
It was NOT my daughter…or anyone else I knew.
I stood stunned while he explained….and apologised for the earlier call.
Well he left and I went back inside and sat down.
After a while I became aware that my body was slowing down from the initial feeling of panic and sickness.
Eventually I was back to normal.
I thought about the poor family who the call was really intended for.
I realised something about my body….the terrible feelings I had experienced in those first moments were NOT caused by me..consiously..and neither was the feeling of ‘relief and recovery. if you will.
It was in that moment that I realized what I had been long told about anxiety in the simplest ways was true and that the body has its own remedies.
Can you imagine your life, if you had feelings like that every day ..all day…without any real cause that you could see.
So I set about revising my approach to my anxiety issue, and any and all self medicating.
The first thing was to realise that it wasn’t in my head.
The second was to plan a regimen of meds whose dosage could be reduced over time
in such a way as not to produce anxiety symptoms (which can be done if done methodically) and the third thing was to decide that alcohol was ok for some people but not for me, at least while my body reacted the way it did.
Anyway without going on too much more, I managed to come up with a plan ..including meds and after 2 months of following it I finished the meds.
That was 18 years ago, I have not had a med, or a drink since then.
I have also not experienced the anxiety again either.
So the bottom line for me re alcohol and anxiety….
I used alcohol and meds in the same way..that is..to relieve symptoms and I got nowhere long term.
Because both alcohol and the meds wearing off would put the system on alert again
and prevent the body from desensitising itself to a normal state.
Once I used meds as treatment and got rid of alcohol then recovery.
That lesson took me an insanely long time to learn, but there you have it.
I’m also happy to say that I was able to successfully help a good friend of mine with a very similar issue and that its often simpler than you may want to believe.
@tyler…im experiencing exactly what you are too.the worst part is waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep.it is horrendous.one of the worst things in my life right now.i also take about 2 to 3 days to recover.please someone help.
I’ve dealt with this very issue so many, many times.
First and foremost I am a 30 year old male who has had issues with panic disorder my whole life. I have also been a fairly heavy drinker from the age of 15.
I’m writing on here this morning because I am having a huge and rolling panic attack. Talking about it helps me to overcome most of the symptoms.
Anyhow. My story is that I have used alcohol for my anxiety for years. I will agree that its done nothing for me but make me more sick. I’ve been drinking for the past two days. All I want is to feel normal. Only problem now is that I’m hung over, sick, and my anxiety makes me feel like I’m gonna die.
The doctors wont give me anything to help with my anxiety disorder because I drink. I’ve told them that I would give up alcohol in a heart beat if I could just get some help for the anxiety. Well they all say and do the same things. First they say that anxiety is not a life threatening condition. Well I beg to differ. If im close to putting a gun in my mouth because I can’t deal with these symptoms no more. Thats pretty life threatening if you ask me.
Fact of the matter is that alcohol is no good. You can’t use it for anxiety because of its long term effects. It makes panic much worse in the long run. Take it from me. I’m having a panic attack as I speak. It was brought on by none other than my bad old friend Alcohol. I’m so done with it….
I use to drink often in my mid 20’s I’ve suffered with anxiety all my life im in my early 30’s and it is at it’s worst. I’ve never experienced anxiety when consuming alcohol up untill my 30’s I can’t even have 1 drink if i do i will more than likely have a anxiety attack as im sensitive to my bodily functions and feel the effects of the alcohol when im trying to sleep or at rest alcohol now also has the effect of insomnia on me it’s so weird in my 20s i could drink and be fine sleep came easy now totally opposite effect I no longer drink alcohol as it causes me anxiety ( being so sensitive to my body functions) I can’t handel the effects of alcohol it isno longer enjoyable experience i don’t mind that i can’t drink after all I really want to live a healthier lifestyle and we all know alcohol is so bad for you if you are like me and suffer from alcohol induced anxiety DONT DRINK when i do get the urge or am asked to have a drink i tell myself is it worth having an anxiety attack and that’s a no #anxietysucks
I’m 40 and I must say i am borderline alcoholic. In my 30s i drank near every other day to the point of a good buzz-drunk. Now after 40 when I drink a lot I get anxiety attacks really bad. The other day I drank 8 beers and the next morning I got a tingle in my left arm and made me panic. I thought I was having problems due to my heart, then I checked my blood pressure and it was really high and I had a high hear rate ( mainly due to my anxiety) I know I need to cut back dramatically on the booze, my body cant take it anymore and I cant deal with these anxiety attacks
I too get anxiety if I drink the night before, it also affects my sleep I get tight in the chest, scared and panic and don’t function normally and I spend the whole next day hoping for that feeling to go away. I hate what alcohol is doing to me. I have decided to cut right back. I am unable to give up drinking totally because I enjoy the relaxation effect it gives me but now have set a limit to 2 drinks per sitting, as any more just does me in.
Good luck with the anxiety everyone!
I suffer from anxiety disorder and agoraphobia caused by my PTSD. I was never a heavy drinker; usually only have a glass of wine every few months or so. However, recently, if I have a glass of wine, particularly white wine, I have a panic attack, shake, can’t sleep, vomit and get a splitting headache.
I think it’s finally time I admit once and for all that my body just can’t handle even the smallest amount.
Anxiety is new to me, I’ve always been one to handle myself pretty well. I am 22 years old. I recently had a big move to start a masters degree in immunology and that’s enough stress as it is. The new location, my new day to day schedule, not having any family near by etc.. etc.. I think added on to my first episode. Several students in my program and I decided to go out for drinks before the semester really kicked off. I was way hungover the following day, I drank more than I typically do. I would consider myself a binge drinker. Although I do have a couple of beers here and there, but nothing to get me drunk. Anyhow, I felt so horrible for about 2 weeks. Flushed feeling, unfocused, weird vision, headaches, increased heart rate, overwhelming feeling, some depression. It was just awful. I think that a lot came down on me my 2nd week at school with being so far from family and my girlfriend. My life was sort of upside down. Anyhow, The last two times that I went drinking, and I was drunk, but not belligerent, the same feeling spawned and peaks the second day after I went out. I remember having a beer some time after my first episode and I felt fine, so I don’t know what my safe zone is. I went out on Halloween and I had the same feeling again, it’s lasted pretty much up until now, although I feel much much better, just some slight weird vision, blood pressure has dropped and I feel a lot better. I think for me it is alcohol induced. I did go to the ER after my second episode because that one felt very different to me but I was okay, just mildly dehydrated. It’s a very frustrating feeling and I do what I can to control it. I am a healthy guy, not dangerous habits, and exercise 3-4 times a week. Running clears my mind. -A
First I wNt to thank you for your honesty. I have been back and forth to the doctor and all.they do is say I’m healthy. That’s good I’m glad I am. But not once did they tell me that alchohol. Was making me hyper active. Thank you so much. I will start moderating foreal foreal. I mean seriously this is what I needed to understand. Thank you so much.
This is going to sound ridiculous but honestly that feeling will go away with 1 glass of wine, or 2 beers. So, if you drink the night before, be prepared the next day to have 2 drinks around 4-5 oclock and you’ll be fine and sleeping like a baby. The anxiety is actually your body wanting more alcohol, you’re borderline dependant on it for those 48 hours.
<- Dr
Oh also one more thing. The increased heart rate is actually dehydration more than the anxiety. Your heart beats faster when dehydrated.
I used to have very bad agoraphobia, but I have controlled it to the point where panic attacks are rare. My anxiety is now situational. There are still certain high-stress situations that can set me off. If I know that I am going into one of these situations, then I will take a Xanax. Xanax can be a dangerous drug, and those who are addicted to Xanax may find themselves in a hellish state of heightened anxiety – but through all of the years that I have used Xanax this has never happened to me. I believe the reason why is because I use Xanax in extreme moderation.
When people use Xanax every single day what happens is their body adapts to the presence of Xanax. The body’s response is to increase anxiety so that it feels “normal” while under the influence of Xanax. The result is that when the Xanax is taken away, the body’s “normal” state will be extremely anxious – but if you only use Xanax once a month or so for rare high stress events, like giving a big speech, then I do not believe that the body adapts to the presence of Xanax. In fact, this kind of usage may even be healthy and was surely how the drug was meant to be used.
I suspect that alcohol is similar. If you only drink on rare occasion, then you will probably be fine. The occasional glass of wine may even be healthy as it may reduce your stress levels during a highly stressful event. If you drink on a regular basis though, then you will probably only end up increasing your anxiety.
I have suffered from panic attacks on and off now since I was 15 I’m now 35. When I drink now that I am off Effexor (anti-depressant) I have full blown panic attacks. I puke, I have diarrhea, I feel as though I’m going crazy, dizzy light headed everything all the symptoms you know are associated with panic. But, for me I always think ‘oh I can handle a couple drinks at this work party’ then I’m up at 220am looking on the web about alcohol and anxiety. I think I have to face the facts that I can’t drink.
45 This is the greatest site I have come across since I got panic attack 6 months ago due to alcohol since then I have given up drinking but the anxiety and depression refused to go, I thought iam dying no hope but reading other people comment today I’m 70% up , iam going for vitamin B-3 tomorrow morning and all will be well, knowledge is power and can set you free
The first few times that I had panic attacks were after nights of drinking- now I have more general anxiety than attacks, but I find that the effect of alcohol on anxiety is extremely hard to predict. Sometimes I have a big night, expect to have a bad next day and instead am just fine, sleeping off a hangover. Another night I might have just a few glasses of wine and find my anxiety greatly heightened. At times it has seemed like even having a glass would set off a panic attack, and at other times I could have a drink every night after work and be fine. Lately I’ve just been trying to accept that I can’t know what it will do.
Similar with me. I rarely drink but had a horrible hangover after drinking 5 pints of beer. I became very anxious in the run up to Christmas: lots of family pressure and work. I felt dizzy and unbalanced when I stood up and walked and felt too heavy and then too light like being on a ship. I have stopped drinking and after 2 weeks feel more normal. The alcohol did not help but the main special occasions were making me anxious too. My advice is have a two week break from alcohol and if you feel better stay off it!
I have what seems to be an anxiety attack after just half of a drink. I used to drink a lot throughout my life. I don’t understand what has changed and fear it could be heart related.
Hey guys, Im 27 years old and never experienced a anxiety/panic attack in ny life, in fact i was always one of those people thst thought people with those attacks were exageratting or trying to get attention.
For the past 6 months ive noticed that if i drink any type of spirits in high quantities (4-10) drinks , after going to sleep , i would wake up a few hours later with my heart racing and sweating. I tested it out and noticed it didnt happen when i had wine just when i had liquor and such. its the most scary thing ever…. Anyway my body is just tired of it? i cant drink as i did back when i was 18-24 . So sad 🙁 Where does time go?
Been drinking for 28 yes Binge drinker and get anxiety depression how long does it last
Same here! 37 yrs old and my hangovers are horrendous. I’m an all or nothing type of drinker (obvious binger) but have no problem going without it.
My hangovers last 3-4 days with my anxiety being unbearable and needing Xanax to combat it. I can handle stressful life events just fine but give me even 1 drink and I pay dearly for it. I’m wondering if it’s because my body has been depleted of things that help keep anxiety away? Anyways, I am trying to accept that I need to give it up forever which I think I can live with if it means I won’t suffer for days! It’s not worth it.
Best thing my fellow anxiety sufferers can do is to quit alcohol altogether. I know. For me, even light alcohol intake – one glass of wine, or beer – sets my heart on fire. We all have different physiological tolerance levels for alcohol, but why complicated your health with this poison?.
if i drink even 20 mg today after one day my mood is very bad and stress.
what you advice me to solve my problem with alcohol?
Would appreciate opinions on this (and btw great to see I’m not alone). 53, male, two kids, functioning alco, decent income etc. Hard drinker all my life, but only 9pm till bedtime (kids never see. Yeah, a cunning and sneaky alco like so many of us). Recently having horrible panic attacks in stores, so much that I have to drop the stuff before even checking out and leave. Extreme dizziness, feelings of ‘unreality’ (panic attacks, I guess). Divorced some years ago, but aside from my ‘private’ problem, still a good Dad (shared custody). Have been under stress for so long, I can’t remember when I was last happy. Sometimes think I have a fatal cancer of some sort. Beer drinker mainly, and wondering if I am pissing out too much salt/electrolytes and disrupting my body’s chemistry (again).
I don’t even know what I’m asking. Pitch in.
Hi,I thought it was just me that suffered with anxiety after drinking.My symptoms are>it feels like I have a knot in my stomach getting tighter by the second,also night’s without sleep,depression and can’t talk to anybody because I’m to nervous.i used to drink 12 cans of Guinness a night or 3 bottles of white wine,I felt great at the time,but the next few day’s “THE WAVE” of anxiety comes.l had days off work because I was to scared to leave the house.I’m on mess now for my anxiety and very rarely drink,but if I did drink,I’d have to face the consequences.Peace and good luck to all you anxiety sufferers,I feel your pain
Been drinking for years. Quit so any times.was not a problem on my 20s and 30s. A hangover here and there. Now at 42 I get shaky, anxiety, because.so the first couple days are horrible. Ibe had to drink 2 beers today, to “even put”. Trying to get rid of these symptoms for a couple days. Or taper off if possible. Any home remedies to stop these in a day? Without drinking.
I’m 50, and started at 14. I’m definitely a binge drinker and usually drink beer, but red wine as well. Vodka can get me into trouble, as it’s essentially tasteless when frozen and mixed. Sometime in my thirties, my tolerance increased tremendously, and it even astonished me.The hangovers and anxiety only get worse with age, and one starts to lose their looks. Those post drinking days are the worst with the dry mouth, armpit and genital sweat stinking, depression, paranoia, blurry vision, shakes, loss of dexterity in the extremities, and one poster above mentioned that lightheaded feeling as if being on a ship. I suspect that last one may be due to dehydration, but it can be a scary and surreal feeling when all of a sudden you feel like you are floating, at work or in a public place. That in turn exacerbates the panic and anxiety.
Hi guys first of all i want to thak everybody for your honesty, im not sadic but it kind fell god to not be the only one im a 24 male a started to drink at age of 15 and am a very havy drinker i stoped alc. Few times but a year ago i started again.first time i stoped was due ti the horible anexiety and depression that acohol caused me, after a year of apstination i againg could dink huge amounds widouth even fell a headache tomorow everything until past 3 days i BEAT MY RECORD in drinking im now like a year ago so anoxious that every 5 min i want to go emergency there is 3 days past i sleep maybe 5 hour total i got nausea im shaking im feeling im going crazy blury vision cant eat cant drink cant even lie in bed calm btw gyus if you have anexiety problems STOP drink. Well my vacation are ruined for sure i just hope this will go away in a week or 2 so i can go to work and continue vith my life… good luck everybody and any advice will help.thanks!
Hi, thanks for setting up this site. The question I would like to ask is: I feel anxious as soon as I start drinking (aswell as the day after) yet everyone seems to talk about anxiety the next day. This has only started to happen over the last 5-6 years, before that I was fine while drinking. Can you tell me whats happening?
Hey guys
New to this thread but happy I found it. I am new to this anxiety train but still have some questions. A bit of background. I’ve always been the party girl, heavy drinker, person people would call if they were going out. My 20’s were all about the party and I always handled it fine with your typical hangovers but nothing more.
I just turned 30 and things have seemed to change. One day I woke up with my leg and arm twitching like crazy. Panicking I went to the ER thinking I had MS and was reassured it was not and to lay off on caffeine. A year later here I am worse than ever. I feel like even if I have one or two beer the next day the twitching is back .. Legs and arms .. Pins and needles and crawly feelings. Does anyone else have that?
I am back to panicking about it thinking there must be something wrong as I never used to get these feelings. Can anyone relate or provide relief ? I do get these sensations whole sober too but not to the extent as when I’m in my anxious state after drinking.
Thanks guys
Hi, I’m 35 years.
Like 10 years ago i could go even 6 months without alcohol. but recently i can drink like everyday, and i mean a mixture of sometimes beer and whisky or vodka shots. this has affected my office IT performance highly, i return i will hit the gym and do a steam bath as i drink water. but i’m afraid with the rate that i am drinking.
the next day i hate practically everything. in in I.T support and on part time i am a fitness trainer.
the article i helpful i have read a few items that i will put into practice and see. much appreciated.
I’m 33. I used to drink since I was 21, and been a heavy drinker since about 25. I drank mostly beer. I started to have The Fear (anxiety) at around 27. Once on a good day last year (after a trip into ER in an ambulance because I woke up with a crazy heart rate and was so scared to die *again*), I decided to call it quits. So I went to the doc, ran some blood tests and other test, and he gave me lorazepam and an OK to exercise. Lorazepam worked wonders. I used to take 1mg before bed each night (or whenever I felt like anxiety might be coming; 2mg if I got a really bad depression attack) and have been exercising my ass off for a a few months. I can now do things I only DREAMED of while drinking and don’t even need to take lorazepam anymore, just in extreme anxiety situations (which now happen VERY rarely).
How I quit? I just said no and started exercising, little by little. My starting routine was 20 pushups / 20 sit ups per day. It wasn’t easy, and in part possible because of lorazepam. Now, I exercise almost 2-3 hours every day with much more intense workouts AND am able to finally get back on track playing my favorite competitive sports without fearing of dying from a heart attack on the court.
Pro tip: The Fear (anxiety) is only that, fear, inside your brain. It’s not the state of your health unless your doc says otherwise.
I’ve been drinking from a very young age, I think I was 12 the first time I got drunk. Through out my teens I drank off and on, but began drinking heavily in my 20’sand worse now in my late 30’s. I drink wine daily and began drinking a shot of vodka once in a while. Then eventually my one shot turned into me buying the airplane bottle size shots at the convenient store once a day also. Now I Have anywhere from 3-4 shots of vodka a day plus my wine. Every morning I wake up and tell myself NO VODKA! THEN 11:30 or so comes around and I’m at the store buying my first two shots. I’m 38 and I guess my purpose for writing this is for other people that may be suffering and are just beginning, if they happen to read this, PLEASE SLOW DOWN NOW! Get a hold of yourselves and realize how important your bodies and minds really are. 💛 I’m on my way too.
I’m 33 years old. Been drinking since i was 18 and daily since about 25. NO problems at all, never had anxiety ever. I was able to work a stressful high paying job in finance and have great long term relationships with friends family and lovers. I am fit and work out regularly and never really got shitfaced going out or took drinking too far. About 3 months ago, out of the blue, I started having crazy panic attacks the days after drinking, usually peaking the 2nd day and lasting about a week. I would feel my heart racing at work and would have to go home sometimes. I LOVED going out with coworkers and friends to the bar regularly as it was one of my favorite pastimes. Now if i have 1 drink or 10 i pay dearly for it the next days and it is almost unbearable. Horrible dreams and cold sweats and waking up in the middle of the night drenched and heart racing. I have not drank for 3 weeks now and the anxiety has subsided but the feeling of never being able to drink again is very depressing. Having to explain to everyone that you can’t drink anymore is truly heartbreaking and embarrassing. Watching everyone else drink and have a good time is just as bad. I’m going to try and stop drinking completely for 6 months to see if that helps. Has anyone stopped for an extended period and come back ok? I fear that this might be permanent.
I’m 24 year’s old and have always struggled with the anxiety, of course I use to socially drink when out with friend’s. But about a year and a half ago, I began to stay in more and drink every night by myself. I guess I sort of used the alcohol to cope with a lot of life struggles. As time went on, instead of experiencing the typical hangover, I would just go straight into a panic attack, I recently stopped drinking in general due to the severe panic it sent me into, the fear has become so unbearable at time’s, I’ll feel super paranoid as well, as if something is wrong with me, but knowing nothing was really wrong, the fear just takes over, the feeling of hopelessness, and the people around me not really understanding what I’m going through, it kind of makes me feel even more hopeless because going through this, leads you to believe your alone and losing your mind, it’s a little reassuring to know I’m not the only one experiencing this horrible anxiety, it seems to take a huge toll on my life and my everyday motivation to do anything. It’s a very terrifying thing to deal with, some day’s I’m okay and other day’s, I’m scared.. of course no one wants to feel this way, nor live with it forever. Everyday I just pray that I get better and can go on to live normally. Anxiety affects everyone differently and many other’s cope with it differently as well, but if anyone knows of any advice to help, I would be so grateful for your feedback, thank you for reading!
Try
The linden method
Google it
Also a great book
Paul David
A life at last
They will 100% help anybody with any levels of anxiety
I just figured out I have Alcohol Induced Anxiety that lead to Panic Disorder. I am a 58 year old male and I’ve been drinking beer since age 17. I’m athletic and felt it was never a problem. Some hangovers were rough. My dad passed away June 2015 and I think that’s when a whole new level of anxiety set in. I drank heavily with my brother who I have not seen in nearly 20 years. We had lots of catching up to do. Later I drank everyday for 10 days straight until my liver hurt and I thought I was going to die. I started getting shortness of breath. I was convinced I was going to die and went to the hospital. The doc told me to quit. I did. Instantly… for one whole year. No AA meetings or nothing. I was proud of myself. Then in May 2016 my Australian Shepard went blind suddenly at age 8. This really got me very anxious to where I started to drink beer again after one year of being sober. Within 5 weeks I got shortness of breath again. Then it became worse. I still drank though for 2 more months. More shortness of breath. To a point of running to the hospital emergency room. My blood tests and xrays were fine. Anxiety they told me. They gave me anxiety pills. They are working. Been sober for two weeks. Just today I feel much better. Listen to your doctors … they know what they are doing.
I am very thankful to have found this site this morning. Made me feel more normal and not crazy knowing others have the same issues. Anxiety has been something that I have been trying to “figure out” for the last 5 years since it has intensified. It started with worry, about whatever, whenever. I drink alcohol and my tolerance is high. I cut back to 3 days a week (my days off work) but lately my symptoms of anxiety are unpredictable to say the least. I can drink one night and be fine, the next time I am a mess the next couple days! Recently the racing heart, breathlessness, tingling fear and what I can only describe as scrambled thoughts of worry are almost debilitating! It’s terrible! Funny thing is I know all about how alcohol affects neurotransmitters in the brain and I still drink! Guess it’s time to give my brain a break! Thanks for sharing everyone..It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
I suffer from social anxiety and I use drink to trick the brain into thinking that it has no anxiety. I find that I get much less anxiety the day after drinking if I drink a bottle with a high sugar content like sherry or port, preferably port. Beer is acceptable, wine and spirits are the worst for me. Some UK supermarkets offer bottles of port at half price at Christmas and I like to stock up with plenty of bottles to see me through. After reading about the drop in blood sugar levels the day after, it may be worth taking sweet drinks the day after. I always start drinking earlier so that I can sober up, drink some pints of cheap diet cola and eat a good meal before I crash. And I use paracetamol before I crash and wake to a pint of cola at the bedside. Too much booze can make one aggressive, even confrontational, which will raise anxiety levels the next day, so one has to be very careful with that. Good luck!
Hi all. Thank you for sharing. I like many of you never know how the alcohol will impact my anxiety. I have been a heavy drinker since about 18. I am now 42. I did stop for several years. I never had any anxiety but now it can be debilitating after multiple drinking days. I am glad to know I am not alone. I plan to quit for awhile and see if it stops occurring good luck all!
I can’t stress it strongly enough. Quit drinking & your life will forever be changed for the better.
I’m 59 now, had my first taste of alcohol at 11 years old. It finally hit me that I just don’t want to drink any more, almost 2 years ago now.
My anxiety would peak on Sunday afternoon into the evening. My first stop after work would be the closest liquor store where I would buy a 6 pack for the ride home.
I did this every M-F up until quitting.
It is truly liberating to free yourself from this dark cloud alcohol throws on you.
Everything will change for the better. It must come from inside & no one can convince you to say never again. Only you have power over yourself.