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 think what occurs for everyone (it’s just a matter of when) with varying degrees of alcoholism is that they finally get tired of the ride. I’ve been drinking for 26 years and it’s taken me that long to understand what alcohol is doing to my body/mind. I always said that if alcohol stops being fun (and the negatives begin to outweigh the positives) it’s time to get off the ride.
It’s not cold turkey for me (yet), but I have tapered my drinking DRAMATICALLY and it’s a HUGE difference to my life. No longer am I suffering withdrawals/anxiety/panic. Or if I feel anxiety, the symptoms are very manageable.
My motivation is fear. I fear the feelings of withdrawal and panic attacks. Of feeling like I am dying all the time. No amount of buzz or high for a few hours is worth the aftermath for me any more. So that is my trick to stay dedicated to a much more reasonable social drinking lifestyle. No more every weekend/binge for me. So far so good!
If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. Trust me on that.
I’m glad and somewhat better to read of peoples experiences with anxiety, in particular anxiety brought on through alcohol consumption.
Ive had anxiety for around 3 years now and its been a lot worse this last 12 months.
I get extrememly bad anxiety on sunday evenings (after friday and saturday night binge drinking) and then again on monday and sometimes possibly into tuesday.
It has very much become a large part of my weekday life overcoming the bad symptoms. These symptoms become a lot worst when im at home on my own trying to get to sleep.
I usually have to have one or two cans just to relax my mind enough to sleep. However this is doing no good for my stomach!!!
Very viscous cycle, I hope I shake this anxiety, Im only 23!!
i just wanted to say that ive apparently dealt social anxiety- i drink all the time solely because of that. I feel that if i can drink, then i will to interact in most high anxiety social situations. Ive had alot of people tell me that cuttin it high or fast is the best way out… unfortunately there is no easy way or true salvation from suffering intense moments of anxiety. that is why i drink- i wish i could smoke weed more than alcohol because of the health problems it pursues, but i think thc in certain doses causes elevated shifts in anxiety.
I drink everyday from early in the morning til I go to bed. If I don’t have a beer near me or a place where I can purchase some guaranteed panic attack. I have been having panic attacks for 5 years and everything I have tried medication wise doesn’t help (altough I won’t touch anti-depressants).
I can manage like this, I have a great job and nobody would ever suspect me in regards to my drinking. I have one beer in the morning, two at lunch and god knows how many to knock me out at night.
If I din’t have this I don’t know what I’d do, I certainly wouldn’t sleep and would be no doubt in the most horrible of places.
Is alcohol really just as bad as other options of controlling a panic attack i.e Lorezapam etc which isn’t good for you either and is highly addictive. At least what I do is controllable and also socialable. People don’t have a clue about my anxiety disorder because I’m so lively and outgoing. I don’t even understand why I get them. I had a bad childhood but who didn’t! If I were to be on meds I’d be monged out and not be able to hold the job I’m doing now down I reckon.
It’s a bad place to be in really but I can’t imaging a world where I was anxious with being able to reach for the alcohol.
its always going to be different for everybody. i been binge drinking often for the last 9 years. im 26 now, and i cant handle it like i use to anymore and takes so much longer to recover. you need to listen to your body. it just can’t handle the abuse anymore. you have to find a way to ween off slowly and drink less. im trying to do this now….im use to drinkikng the whole entire weekend myself and i could NEVER have just a few…its always in the 10-15 beer range. i can no longer do this to myself 2 days in a row. i try to drink once a week, and if im lucky enough, once every 2 weeks. its hard as HELL, and the mind always goes to the booze, and the anticipation of weekends coming up just makes it so hard to manage.
There needs to be better education about alcohol and anxiety. We’ve all heard about liver problems potentially associated with alcohol abuse but if it wasn’t for the Internet I would have never known that alcohol causes MAJOR anxiety and panic disorder when abused. I’m down to drinking once or twice a month and instead of two bottles of wine myself in a sitting, just 3-4 glasses. What a difference.
No panic attacks, no withdrawals, no anxiety…I feel FREE!
It’s about control and discipline and what is most important to you. For me, the buzz/high just isn’t as important as feeling healthy and normal. It is what keeps me on track. Like I’ve said before, if I can do it, so can you.
Give it a try.
very well said Todd. it does make a huge difference when you cut back. it may be really hard at first, but im sure once you experience the amazing feeling of your attacks going away or dominishing, they aren’t as consistent and vibrant in your life…that must be amazing. im trying my best to ween off. going cold turkey for me though leads to a big binge. its very hard for me. my mind is so focused on when im gonna get that high. but i constantly try to remind myself on how im gonna feel the next 2-5 days, then once you feel somewhat normal again, weekend rolls around, and its time to get hammered again! it sucks really….booze really fucks with the whole chemistry of the mind. im currently trying some Milk Thistle complex mixed with some Dandelion Root Tea and a much better diet. its a great benefit for the liver. check it out.
i’m 30 been drinking and smoking herb for 15 years. i had confrontations with anxiety when i was younger but it’s been slowly getting worse over the last 5 years. my feet and hands sweat all the time. i’ve had two anxiety attacks over the last five years and I have a problem swallowing food shortly after i smoke and when i’m hungover. wow, i feel like a pussy.
i feel like the cure to this crap is to feed our subconscious with a healthy diet. this is also why certain things contribute to people’s anxiety and different things help because everyone is slightly different.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HONESTY! I AM NOT ALONE! I was sure I was. I want desparetly to tell mine, but I’m afraid to be exposed. Can people find out somehow?
I suffer badly from anxiety usually on Sunday’s after a binge weekend. It gets gradually better as the week goes on but I seem to get a real urge each night to have maybe two beers or two glasses of wine, and this seems to temporary stop my anxiety. Im conscious I’m becoming dependent on alcohol and I will eventually become an alcoholic. Does anyone share my thoughts?
i have the same problems too. its usually the 2 day combo that really destroys me and makes Sunday and the first half of the week a living hell. so i would try to keep it at one day for sure! as for during the week i can have a couple urges here and there, but i dont follow up on them and wait till a friday or saturday just to keep it safe. i think its because it messes with your mind chemically, and depletes you in vitamin/minerals pretty much, and your dehydrated, so nothing is going to seem right. especially if you have a hectic lifestyle, this just makes life seem like a bat out of hell.
@ Dave
Dave, I would really look into getting yourself into a medical setting as soon as possible. Whatever you do, don’t just quit drinking cold turkey. You need to be under a doctor’s care for this. The anxiety can be managed in many other ways, but the alcohol is going to keep it around if you keep drinking. It sounds like you know you’re in an unproductive circle, or you wouldn’t have posted what you did. I’m the breadwinner for my family so I totally understand the fears of work/money, etc. But, you’ve got to find a way to get some time off, get yourself into a treatment center and get sober… and then start learning organic techniques to deal with your anxiety. Yes, medications may be a safer option, too… but the first thing you need to deal with is the alcohol. It’ll ultimately hurt you much worse than the anxiety. Not try to sound preachy, I just have indirect experience with this and your post stood out to me as one I had to respond to. I hope you find way to get some help. You can absolutely do it.
So to all those that may abuse alcohol (or are an alcoholic like I think I might be) I too would like to learn but am afraid. To anonymoustoo, I feel your pain as I am afraid to be exposed.
I am in a very high level position with a publicly traded company and it is affecting my job. I have taken Lorazepam during my work day (after my “alcohol binges”) just to take the edge off for my anxiety and panic attacks.
Please email me if we can help each other out.
David, I feel for you, I am in a similar position with an 11:30 drinking habit to fight. Check out Xanax rather than Lorazepam, I found it allowed me to control my desire almost completly and wean myself off it. Downside is it is also a benzo with an increasing tolerance factor and encourages dependancy.
I ended up on Xanax for 3 months, an increasing dose for 8 weeks and a decreasing dose for 7 weeks and also had Cipralax (anti depressant) to manage the serotin levels. The ADs I stayed on for a year, again it took 3 months of that year to tail the dosage off.
I am still an addict, I still suffer anxiety but it is 5% of what it is on alcohol and manageable, and those were the tools that I used to get my head straight. No clinics, no AA. Very anonymous 😉
Have a look at these options and best of luck.
Cheers.
Cannot get past the first glass!
Wow- I can’t believe that the first glass of wine or beer makes other people have anxiety too. I wondered if it was all in my head… It defied my logic, but I knew it to be true…
No one ever understood that having a glass of wine had a Negative Impact on me. Immediate deralization, feeling my heart beat… Not too bad, just get me to the Zanex type of feeling! I avoid alcohol generally, I tell people I am allergic, or order very low alcohol content drinks and sip them very very slowly…. If I look down and see an empty glass of wine, I start breathing very deeply and hope for the best, it is pretty scary…
Although after reading these stories about alcoholism, I am glad I don’t drink.
Alcohol was a very big part of my life. One day on a hangover the anxiety was so overwhelming it was pure torture. Beer was the only remedy to my problems and then bam it exacerbated it. What the hell. I quit drinking cold and am fighting anxiety many days out of the year. It has been 5 years since my last drink and everyday my body craves it. I refuse to give in. I believe anxiety sufferers are the strongest most brave people in the world. They opened some sort of pandoras box in the brain and are in constant battle. I know I will heal one day from all of my destruction from my youth. I will keep on fighting in Christ to the end!
Guys, have a look at this website: https://www.selftherapy.org/ Listen to the audio files every night before bed instead of having alcohol, it has helped me immensely. You can start to look forward to listening to it every night and its completely free. There is an option to donate and you will receive further information but I havent tried this yet, maybe if you try it let me know. The best thing I have learnt so far is this – whats the worst that can happen? Im going to have a panic attack? so what! Ive had them before and survived without anything bad happening, bring on the panic attack! As soon as you are no longer scared of fear, you will start to heal. Good luck guys, you can do it!
@Mike
You described what I would call a carbon copy of my life for the past 10 years. I too, am 26 and have dealt with anxiety/panic attacks since I was 14. They got progressively worse towards the end of high school and seemed to stay at a plateau for a while there after. I have tried various antidepressents (with no help) and perhaps to my saving grace when I got prescribed Xanax which helps though I don’t like the tired feeling. I am proud to say not once have I mixed alcohol and xanax. However I have noticed the need for xanax has increased as of late after the Friday/Saturday combo of heavy drinking. I can’t just drink 1 or 2. Its like 10 or else I might feel anxious. And then the next morning after 4-5 hours of sleep I am anxious from what I assume is the alcohol. Either way, this is one of the those Sundays and I decided to do some searching. I am relieved to not be alone and to find people with identical issues.
Before even reading these comments I’ve decide to stop the weekend binge drinking. I’ve been doing that since my last year of high school, through college, through a masters degree, and even now. My anxiety was at least controllable prior to my college style weekend drinking started back around 2001. I will still use Xanax because it works and is monitored by a doctor and I am lucky to have a great supporting family and friends (many of whom are MDs) so I know I can do it.
Again I am just glad to hear I am not alone.
very true. my biggest obstacle is my enviornment….all people do around here is drink. at least the poeple i hang out with. although i kept it at one day this weekend and i feel good about it. i dread when people tell me about parties now…such a pain in the ass, binge drinking for 9 years…the more time passes the harder the recovery times are coming. im currently gonna start taking milk thistle everyday for 3-4 months even if im drinking and see if it helps.
Hey guys, new to here.
hope my post isnt too long but I’ll give u a quick rundown of me. Im 24, binge drinker since im about 17 (college times were my heaviest) Been suffering anxiety since im about 20. Have had countless full blown attacks where I have come close to passing out. After a long summer of heavy drinking, 4-5 nights a week, my anxiety peeked one night when (for the first time ever) I was really drunk and had a very bad attack, never had one while intoxicated before so this scared the life out of me. I decided in Nov that my drinking had to slow down. I went cold turkey, mainly out of fear of having one of those attacks again. I was put on Lexapro and given some xanax & valium for the first week to help with sleep and nerves. Went cold turkey till xmass (during this time feeling great, getting fit and productive) but started to drink lightly around xmass. Since then I have drank socially and as of late have increased from one night every couple of weeks to maybe once or twice a week. I had a terrible experience tapering off my Lexapro and was put back up to my original dosage after 10 days.
My situation right now is, I had a few drinks thurs night, felt anxious, nervous, down and guilty (???) all day yesterday (friday) feelings are odd now today, shivvers and just feeling down in general. I believe the drink is most defiantly contributing to this again so im gonna go cold turkey again for a few weeks to get myself back into a routine of not caring bout booze. My question i suppose is, is it normal to feel off for a FEW days rather than just the day after drink? generally the second day after drink can be my worst sometimes…
Thanks for any help u may give me.
Hey goocher, absolutely 100 percent without a doubt it is alcohol that is causing the anxiety (a primary symptom of withdrawal especially in binge drinkers). I’ve learned that the anxiety peaks 3-4 days AFTER your last drink. I can’t tell you how many times I have thought I was in the clear a day or two after binge drinking only for my withdrawal/anxiety symptoms to ramp up tenfold on day 3/4/5. This was the primary reason I thought I was dying. Because of the delay in the worst anxiety/withdrawals and the last time I drank anything I thought surely I had some terminal illness (which of course feeds the anxiety/panic disorder).
I’ve now educated myself (thanks to this site and others like it) about the effects of alcohol in my mind/body. Although I haven’t been able to quit for good, I most definitely don’t binge drink like I used to. No buzz/high I get from alcohol is worth the living hell a few days later. So fear has become my AA and for me it’s effective.
If you can’t or don’t want to quit, I highly suggest you knock out the consecutive days of drinking. If I drink once a week I am absolutely fine. If I drink two days straight (for me drinking hard is a bottle or up to two bottles of wine), I’ll feel mild symptoms during the week (I’m a weekend warrior). If I drink 3 days straight (Friday/Sat/Sun) like I used to, look out. That’s when the evils and horrors of withdrawal/panic/anxiety attack me like a giant wave that takes days and days to recover from.
So I’ve learned to never drink 3 days in a row and if I drink two days in a row, don’t go nuts. Most of the time, I’ll have my one day out of the week where I will let my vice run things for a few hours.
Ultimately though, I believe tapering and eventually quiting altogether is the end goal. Alcohol can be fun but it is a toxin and is the Great Slow Death. I’ve already lost a good buddy at the too young age of 40 to alcoholism (liver failure) and seen how easily it destroys lives.
i definetely do not recover or feel back to somewhat normalcy until wednesday if i drink on a friday night alone. but i been binging for 9 years a lot, and by the time you start feeling yourself again, guess what its time for? DRINKING because the weekend is back. vicious cycle. although im glad its at one day a week for now.
ya i cant handle multiple days anymore at all, can barely handle one night. Had a few bevvies last night to celebrate finishin college and for Patricks day. Regretting it big time now. In bed, depressed and a complete bag of nerves/anx.
My doctor said something to me and I only realised how true it is. he said I have a problem with drink. what he implied wasnt that im an alcoholic but rather my “problem” is that i cant drink. It mess my body chemistry around way too much. I think it could be time to go cold turkey again for a few months, if not for a few yrs. just wish there was a real time chat site u cud go on to talk to ppl when these days do occur. next few days are gonna be long, arduous and tough.
sorry to hear that goocher, im in the same boat right now trying to find out what plans are for today(st pattys day) to go out and get shitty….i shouldn’t be doing this and should take the time and think twice before i go out. because i know it wont be a few drinks, it will be ten
Hey goocher. Ive never posted on here but I have a very simmilar story. Finished College a couple years ago, 23, started having anxiety since I was about 20, and very simmilar drinking routine. Back in school I would drink hard 2 to 3 nights a week and make it through the day. Now, forget it if i go hard one night its complete hell the next day or two being so anxious and feeling like something is wrong with me and im going to die. I have cut my drinking down to about once a week and dont go nearly as hard and try to hold it to 3 to 4 beers over the night but its tough when your buddies are pounding them down. Ive been taking citalopram for about four months and it helps but I hope to come off it in a few months because I dont like taking meds really. Going the the gym regularly, eating decent, and drinking responsibly really does wonders for the body and mind. For me now its just not worth it anymore, Id rather have 2 beers feel good the next day then have 10 or 12 drinks feel like crap and the next 3 days feel anxious.
Going through it now.
Hi Guys! I suffer with G.A.D and a few physical problems etc have caused my anxiety to carry on in a loop. Since I lost a really close friend I drink 4 cans a night which I know is bad, just carlsberg I feel NO anxiety with the first beer, infact I feel releif because I know its a comferter, then I will sleep also, may wake up once or twice but it helps. Not a cure.
My problem is , if i have a night out and have more than say 4 pints, I will wake up feeling a little ill, and also at a very early time! I can’t get back to sleep as my head feels dizzy, and I just can’t stop hyperventalating when I lay down, so I have to get up, this day then usually causes several panic attacks right untill night, including depression and anxiety. It’s so hard. I can’t beat anxiety because it’s based around real things like dying etc, or not breathing, I have asthma, have a heart condition called svt! and I just cant deal with it well. But without alcohol and a good nights sleep am perfectly functional ZERO panic attacks! The trouble is this is depressing I neeed fun and excitement! Alcohol seems to turn up on the evenings menu out of bordem and lonellyness. Im in a catch 22! All in all alcohol is most probably bad for anxiety! Try medication if you can.
Let’s break it down to the black and white of it:
Alcohol in moderation: FINE.
Alcohol in excess: BAD.
If we over consume, suffering occurs. Anxiety, panic, withdrawal…
At what point do we finally say…ENOUGH!
hi just like to say its all in your mind its not very nice but realy silly when u think about it because you put it in your mind to start with dont get me wrong i have sufferd with it but been going to a stress class got the number from my doctors its for 6 weeks and it makes you relise that you can feel better if you realy want to i get bad when ive had a drink but i know i will be ok .
is most depression/anxiety, the feelings like something is wrong all a result of alcohol depleting and messin with your neurotransmitters like serotonin and etc? im in the process of tryin to get over this girl, who is also my friend, and i struggle with it so bad, and when i drink on a friday night, it seems like the worry and the panic towards that heightens, then i always end up doing something like arguing with her or gettin all these emotions i cant control…i wake up the next day and im like “shit, what did i do” and i know i made things worse….things can be a little easier and flows okay when its just a normal day without alcohol….i guess these are dumb questions but im just lookin for someone to relate too with this. i screwed up and went on a 3 day binge this weekend, and now im feeling like everything is very wrong, and maybe things arent as bad as they seem, but i feel like alcohol maybe messes with all the chemicals in the brain to persuade e to think the absolute worse, then that leads to sweating, worry, fear, panic….the list goes on. and it lasts all week…im tired so much of this cycle. i can never make things right and just try and go my own way. everytime i go out and drink, things always seem to backtrack and im back to step 1. is alcohol really to blame for all of this?
My problem is STRESS. Money problems, large school debt, a job that keeps me paycheck to paycheck, underappreciated, too many demands on me, no real time to myself, etc. The only release is alcohol. If not just to escape my mind. Binge this weekend too. Today was the worst. Have to get up early tomorrow and many demands on me. I just hope I feel better than today. MODERATION is absolute key bc when I am moderate, I am really ok next day. BUT…anything more I’m shit.It’s too bad this isn’t live chat.
By the way, everyone, look into the acid/alkaline balance in one’s diet. Alcohol is extremely acid and a body in harmony with itself is one that is alkalined. Also, take a lot of vitamins and Force Yourself to work out. I did that today. I ate very alkalined foods, B12, antioxidants, raw garlic and onions, fish oil. I did feel a bit better. Lots of water. Make sure you go to the “bathroom” to get rid of all the toxins. Toxins in holistic medicine leads to a host of ailments: both mood and disease.
Another stressor for me is being around so many negative people I can’t avoid. I think I am extremely sensitive (is anyone else like that?) and I take things to heart. If you are like this, look into this writer and her famous book: Highly Sensitive People, Dr. Elaine Aron.
Yes, chemical imbalance. I am setting my foot down and I WILL reduce this stress in my life. I am sure once we all have more peace in our lives, all this pain we are in will go away. Mike, feel better. Please look into what I said.
You are right, Julie. When the panic attack seems impending, I force myself to BREATH FROM MY STOMACH very slowly. When I went to the hospital for a panic attack (thought I was having heart attack), the nurse told me to do that. I also read that YOU CAN’T HAVE A PANIC ATTACK if you breathing slowly.
Also, everyone, look into adrenal fatigue. If your adrenals are taxed, you are always in a catch-22 situation. Siberian ginseng. That started to work for me with stress. I was great for a while. Then a new batch of demands home/work…binge to release…you all know the rest.
But really, I am making it an absolute mission to change my situation and get a better job etc.
Let’s all make a pact and post our successes to start making our lives more positive and happy. I want to be happy.
The great book by Philis Balch: Nutritional Healing. Excellent. Good health with moderation!
is there any real good natural ways to get all my neurotransmitters back to normal? binge drinkin for 9 years i feel like maybe my brain is wayyy out of wack. any info would be great.
Hello All,
Fellow GAD sufferer here. I’ve been binge drinking (only on the weekends) for around 9 years now. My anxiety is terrible the next day. The only way to feel better is long periods of sleep. I could do that back in college, but can’t anymore now that I’m working.
I have done a lot of rearch, and I know what the right things to do are. Reduce the quantity of drinks, have lots of water, always eat before drinking, choose beer over hard liquor, end the night early, get as much exercise as possible, eat right, have a routine, get enough sleep and have a regular schedule. However, it takes discipline to actually execute all those things, discipline that I lack.
It’s tough, but I have to keep trying. Everything needs to be balanced. It’s okay to enjoy alcohol, but it’s not okay to abuse it. It’s simply not worth the debillitating anxiety, the liver damage, the expense, putting your own mind and body at risk.
Good luck to everyone!
i definetely agree. everyday i have to remind myself that there are way more pros then cons. its just an awful disease…theres nothing worse than waking up the day after partying all night, hungover, depress, anxiety, wondering if you did bad things, screw up relationships with people becaue of how unstable it makes you. it just messes with your head in every way, shape, and form. im a 9 year binger also, and its done nothing but awful things for me. i havent been happy for years and i need to stop drinking away my problems and be the sober man, even if i dont enjoy it, at least i know im one of the people that cant handle the after effects of it, and what it does to define my life. instead of a beer, i just need to throw a pop in the hand, and sip on that and keep myself occupied, and reminded every couple minutes what good is going to come out of this. regardless of everyone drinking around you being bafoons.
One of the main issues is that our lifestyle revolves too much around the bar/drinks scene. This was OK (even fun) when we were younger, but our bodies can’t nearly handle it as well now…especially with the added pressure and responsibilities of a professional life.
A powerful way to attack our alcohol/anxiety issue is to start hanging out with people who prefer to do things other than drinking (these people do exist). Or even people who don’t make alcohol the centerpoint of their get together. Their behavior will rub off on you, and make it easier to keep your mind off the booze. Get into a meaningful relationship, or if you’re already in one, spend time with each other without alcohol as the third wheel. Get into a hobby, play a sport, exercise as much as possible. These are simple things, but they will require discipline.
I am hoping to do as many of these as I can. I have to try hard to make them work, but the payoff is more than worth it. Really, it’s my life hanging in the balance. I have to get out of this seemingly endless cycle of wasted evenings, hungover days, anxiety which makes me feel like I’m dying. I have to start ‘living’ life, ‘enjoying’ life, to meet my potential with all the things I can do with a clear head.
I have had anxiety/panic disorder since I was 18 and I’m now 31. Over the years I have taken Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro and I am now on Wellbutrin because after a while of taking the meds, the seem to no longer be effective. I have always drank alcohol with these meds but I am more of a social drinker and mainly drank on the weekends. I recently went out of town to a bachelor party and left my wife and 18 month son at home ,which I really didnt want to do but I am in the wedding so I felt obligated. Once we arrived to our destination we started drinking immediately at 11 am in the morning. Id like to add that I am not a liqour drinker, strictly beer. We left the first bar and I was feeling pretty good. We stopped at a couple of places to look around in the way to the hotel. Once we arrived at the hotel we started drinking a little more. We took a short break to rest and get ready for the night at the club. We went to eat dinner which included more beer of course. On the way to the club after dinner we took a taxi to the club drinkihf on the waqy there
It’s been about two weeks since I posted last. I went to two weeks, with two bottles of beer. Definitely felt physically better. Slept better. St. Patricks day came around and I ended up drinking, but I kept it under control and the next day was tolerable. In fact it was by far the best I’ve felt after drinking in a long time. I really do think moderation and maturation (for me, at least) is key. The alcohol wasn’t the cause of my anxiety/panic, so I didn’t expect it to go away, but it is much easier to control when your serotonin isn’t all out of whack because your body is withdrawing from alcohol. I’m also in the process of weening off a beta blocker (Metoprolol) that I believe has been causing me insomnia since I started taking it twice a day last year. I know I’m putting my body through the chemical ringer right now, but I think I need to be on as little as possible and start over fresh to see if I can find the right combo of meds or therapy (with the help of a Physician of course).
Really the hardest part is reminding myself it’s panic and anxiety, not some heart problem or severe neurological disease. It’s so difficult to convince yourself of that when you want to crawl out of your skin, but thankfully things like reading this board are a helpful reminder I am not alone with this.
hope everyone is doing better this week.
I was watching this web site because I thought it was strange that I can not drink because I get immediate panic attacks… very scary, so I don’t drink…
But the issues on this web site makes me so greatful that I do not drink!
Thanks for the redality check…
It seems to me that many stories I am reading show some serious alcoholics, sharing a common excause… please get help before you hurt yourselves and your families further…
And the guy suggesting getting a relationship to help get your life on track. Omg, that is the most selfish districtive suggestion, get yourself together first! Have a heart!
I know it will be a fight to live a life without alcohol, but it is definately time… the party is over. 🙂
thats great to hear. i have definetely made a promise to myself that im going to stop drinking for a WHILE, until i can get myself back on track with my life. my confidence, self-esteem is out the window, i got messed up relationships with people that i gotta deal with everyday, just all these withdrawl symptoms that never seem to flatten out the way you’d like and by the time you flatten out as best as you can, your back on the booze wagon. i HATE it to death. its over. id rather suffer horribly then go back to this. its time to start learning how to live again because when i booze i have way too much, and that next week i cant function at all and im all messed up, emotionally unstable big time. my friend the other day, who i kinda had feelings for in the past, she told me she was goin out to a party and i completely had a full blown panic attack. it drives me crazy that i have no control over it, then i end up threatening suicide all this shit to her because im so unstable. 9 years of binge drinking and not properly dealing with my problems has led me to this. god knows what i did to the circuitry of my brain and my neurotransmitters. i just hope there is relief somewhere down the line. i need to stick to a plan and just stay away from everybody no matter how much it hurts. stop the booze. no more contact with her and people that make me out of whack. just explain my situation to those people, say im really sorry, and just do the best i can to stay away until i can get better. this has been so hard lately, i wish i can be a better person for myself and my friends and family. its sober time and im 5 days in. it needs to stay this way for a a very long time.
I am still in college, and during my freshman and sophomore years I partied and subsequently drank a lot of alcohol, or at least as much as your average college kid does these days. During my freshman year I didn’t really seem to develop any anxiety symptoms, but when I moved back home and started taking classes in my hometown instead of a state away I started developing my anxiety symptoms. I have since stopped the daily panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms for the most part, but I seem to have developed an intolerance to alcohol, and all of my friends and family think its all in my head.
I can drink alcohol in any amount, and the night of I am perfectly ok. The next day, however, I feel really sick. I don’t feel hungover sick – believe me I know what that feels like too. I feel “oh my god take me to the hospital” sick. I usually feel extremely anemic and shaky, my stomach feels a mixture of nausea and bloatedness, sometimes I have diarrhea. I get these weird feelings in my brain where its almost like I loose consciousness for a split second (this is what usually scares me the most).
Also, other stimulants like caffeine make my heart race like crazy which can start up my anxiety symptoms. I used to smoke a cigarette every once in a while (I was never addicted just the occasional bum of a cigarette off of a friend), but that started to make me feel nervous and anxious.
I have since just given up on alcohol, tobacco, and even caffeine completely. So, you could say that my anxiety systems actually made me healthier.
I just find it interesting that I seemed to develop an intolerance to stimulants and alcohol after I seemed to have kicked anxiety to the curb not during my anxiety problem phase. I haven’t figured it all out yet, and believe me I’ve tried a lot of things. I’ve tried the whole drink a glass of water in between drinks, and a ton of water before bed. I take vitamins during drinking, and other things that would seem to help the dehydration theory. No matter what I eat the next day it always makes me sick.
It’s just a big mess, and I just steer clear of it all lately, but it’s kinda hard to keep a social life intact in college without alcohol 🙂
Jeff…I’ve been sitting here reading your post and you described the same symptoms I have down to a T. It’s nice to know that other people out there experience the same anxiety symptoms. I’m actually having one now and one way I deal with it is research from problems.
Edd & JEff-
I experience the same problems. And yes, it is terrible… I find that usually the best way to get rid of the anxiety problems is to force yourself to nap the following day. I usually have really bad anxiety when I first wake from a night of heavy drinking. Usually, if you are able to sleep it off it helps a ton. If you arent able to do that, I suggest drinking some type of sports drink to get the electrolytes back into your body. Just know you guys aren’t the only ones who experience these problems and hang in there!
Edd and Jeff,
Edd I totally know how you feel. Jeff, I’m the same, still recovering from a hangover from the night before last and still feeling ill and anxious and like you am trying to deal with it by researching this stuff. It’s the first time I’ve researched it and is definitely good to know that others feel how I do. Usually the next day my friends would all be bright and chirpy and ready to live the day while I’m feeling like death (actually feel like I’m on my deathbed) and anxious as hell. The heart racing, regretting things that I might have done or said the night before and just overall extreme anxiety. I don’t want to be around people but at the same time I don’t wanna be alone. I also suffer from insomnia when I’m hungover which drives me even more insane cause all I wanna do is sleep it off. Sigh. I used to be quite the drinker, being a bartender for a year and a half led me into a world of drinking heavily 5 nights a week. I’ve just had a baby 4 weeks ago so I’ve been off the booze for some time. The night before last was my first night out and I had a blast, the next day however it was the same story. I’d never go back to my old lifestyle but it’s such a shame that I can’t even have the occasional night out drinking without suffering such severe consequences!!!
I also get anxious the morning after drinking. Any more than 1 glass of wine and I feel it. It also seems to have a cumulative effect. It gets worse after several straight evenings of drinking. I have been looking at the toxic liver idea. Much is discussed in the web about anxiety and a toxic liver. Damn shame, I enjoy a glass or two of wine 🙁 . Sadly it has taken me years to figure this out. I blamed everything but that. Now that I have stopped ( except the last two nights ), my head is clearer, specially in the morning upon waking up. How sweet are the early mornings without the doom and gloom!
i feel that. im going through some really hard personal issues right now, but oh my definetely forced myself not to drink this weekend, and i feel great knowing im not going to be suffering all week with panic and terrible thought process….plus not drinking and gettin wasted won’t lead me to call up this girl who i been having problems with and really say the nastiest shit ever, then have to deal with it the next day…being more in control and having time to think about an issue and what the best conclusion is, makes all the difference. thinking with a clear head. as long as i stay sober and do my best to move past these personal issues and hurt, i think things will slowly get better and better…just takes lots of time when alcohol was part of your life for 10 years..
Same thing guys. It is not actually one night of booze that causes issues but two nights in a row. Not large amounts….just anything past one glass, or so it seems. And on those mornings I wake up pretty early too…so no restful night. Which is a shame as I won’t be able to fully take advantage of the all inclusive resort 😉
I do notice now that booze relaxes but doesn’t give that big happy effect it used to. Brain chems to low, I guess? Ah well compared to how anxiety used to be I can take these side effects.
I very recently gave up hard liquor, and now I limit myself to a few beers, and only on fri/sat night. I find that I can still enjoy alcohol, but since beer has a much lower percentage of alcohol, I’m no longer getting those terrible hangovers and extreme anxiety the next day. It’s actually working out pretty well, and I highly suggest it to everyone.
If you were already down to beer, then try going down to wine coolers or the bacardi breezer kind of stuff. Or some light beers that have 3% alcohol. I also find that eating right before drinking is very helpful. Its well known that you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, but I’m taking about eating just minutes before you start drinking. That way, the body absorbs the alcohol really slowly, plus you’re too full to drink more than a couple of drinks.
All I know is that I choose to have peace in my life. The morning side effects from a few glasses of wine are not worth the short pleasure of a glass or two. My perspective on life’s challenges gets quickly skewed and everything seems insurmountable. Negativity finds it’s way into every crack and crevice of my mind.
Think y’all got it bad I’m going thru Xanax and alcohol withdraws used Xanax for hangovers for the past 2 years ain’t gonna lie didn’t know what an anxiety hangover was anymore really helped partied really hard Friday thru Sunday woke up like nothing Mondays so addiction kicked in and used daily for sleep only, went to jail for warrants for 4 days before new years man oh man did I suffer got scared tapered off slowly my self when i got out but still party in the weekends and feel twice as awful then what I used too now I have to keep on drinking too level myself if u know what I mean well anyhow get real anxious noise sensitivity is now giving me’ real high anxiety anyone feel the same but it goes away after days be strong out their people!
In preparation for an upcoming podcast I’ve been reading all the comments on this post and I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for sharing their stories and advice on how to deal with this problem.
Special shout out to Todd, great insights and advice for everyone to learn from.
Thanks everyone!
Thanks Paul…It’s still a weekly struggle for me. Just this last weekend I fell back into old patterns and I’m now awaiting my “fate” this week. Preaching is a breeze. Practice, well…
Hey Todd, I think that preaching is easier like you mentioned, but you still know what to do and putting it to practice just takes time. Not being able to go cold turkey is just sign of your humanity! We’re are flawed and struggle in our own ways daily, weekly, and so on. You’ll figure it out.
I just want to thank everyone for there experiences, that actually makes me feel like I’m not going crazy. Alcohol is fine to a certain extent with me. And what I noticed after this past weekand was, that hard drinking does my sanity no good. I have had extreme anxiety all day, and feel a breath of relief after reading everyones post. I need a life style change to cleanse my body, mind, and free myself from anxiety. Positive thoughts everyone.