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.
Yeah that is for sure. Some days/weeks/months I feel like I have it made. That I have control over alcohol and then I get smacked right back down to earth when I fall back into familiar patterns. That is the power of alcohol. Like I’ve stated before, I know precisely what I NEED to do.
Will I finally take my own good advice?
well, im 12 days sober. the longest ive gone int he last 10 years is probably 14 days. the point is, i feel so much better about life now that i did everything i can to detox the body, started a workout regimen, i live in chicago and im excited about the warming up of the weather and getting out there in the sunlight. i been supplementing a multivitamin, super b-complex, vitamin c 1000mg, fish oil, milk thistle for the liver, naked fruit drinks, etc..i also been taking GABA which regulates , for me, the neurotransmitters in the brain, alongside with that i been taking Taurine, and L-Theanine, all from the NOW company, this stuff combined makes me feel much better about the day, i worry less about things, and i don’t sit and ponder on alcohol and when m y next fix is. im finding new fixes. i felt that i f i didnt do this now, at age 26, and pull out every ounce of will power i can muster up, that i would never get my life together. jobs wouldnt come, the anxiety suffering from binging every weekend, the bad relationships, the fights with people because when your hungover your just so messed up mentally, emotionally, i couldn’t take it anymore. i hate to be defined as the guy to call for the party, or the guy that drinks. im sorry, but i don’t want a liquid anxiety running through me anymore. taking natural supplements has taken the edge off by at least 70% makes the days easier for me, and i know i have to take this a day at a time and not get ahead of myself. i know its going to take a couple months to fully feel like i got the alcohol lifestyle out of my system. i might have a few beers here and there, but i made an oath with myself never to exceed 2 drinks in a setting or party atmosphere. i know i can do this. thats all i should need to loosen up a bit. the rest is will power. its time. and i hope all of you really take the time and think about this. and write a l ist of pros and cons of drinking if you suffer as bas as i do with the effects that can lasty the whole week. you will never be CLEAR and make good decisions while drinking and even the days after. you will just feel like a guilt-ridden person. those days are over for me.
hey guys, hit the booze hard two nights on the trot, the suffering is just kickin in now, gonna be a long few days. not lookin for pitty just kinda venting my frustration i guess, pi$$es me off that all my buddies can do multiple nights and all they have to deal with is the hangover when im copped up in my bedroom havin multiple panic attacks and dealin with being down in the dumps. i dont wanna kick the booze completely cus unfortunatly im at the age where socializin involves booze 100% of the time, but i just dont wanna be feeling like this anymore. i know i shud just go easy but im a big guy and one or 2 just does nothing for me, i dont wanna sound like an alcoholic (which i prob do sound like) but it takes a few more than 1-2 to get me feelin loose.
i guess cold turkey may have to happen, pi$$ed 🙁
i know how this feels also, that totally blows to hear. sometimes the hardest thing to do is change around your whole lifestyle and not be around the same people as much. because eventually this problems is gonna grow into a monster. it happened to me. you will start feeling so much guilt over a 3-4 hours of pouring liquid into you to loosen ya up, then pay for it. its just not worth it. pros and cons my friend. keep them in your mind.
cheers mike, anx just creepin up a lil more now ever hour or so, hate sitting round waiting for it to climax, too sick to get up and walk/run or lift weights to fight it off. too sick to even contemplate having a “cure” which is a good thing i spose 😛
just gotta ride it out
i know how that feels. honestly the last 5 years of my life have felt like a bed of nails. i cant hold any jobs, nothing feels right, i freak out about everything when it comes to a relationship with anybody. i think the worst possible things and outcomes, ill even have horrifying dreams, wake up, and believe and feel them as if they happened. im like a stress ball and i can’t escape. alcohol is a very bad thing for some of us. i can’t depend on it anymore to get through a day/night. i been forcing myself to workout everyday no matter what. its hard as hell to feel motivation and ambition right now in life a couple weeks off the hooch, but im sure it will get to a better point soon enough, and things will feel much more clear. i just want my relationships to imrpove and my well being as a whole throughout the day. feel as if im content with whats happening in my day. and accept all the pain that im feeling is not going to stay. hope.
I too tend to spend late nights researching when I’m awakened by anxiety. I’ve noticed it only takes me two drinks to have these panic attacks, which wake me from mid-sleep about three to four hours after drinking. I want to isolate my consumption and determine which liquor it is, but haven’t been able to thus far and upon reading this page I actually think it might be liquor in general, not just a specific spirit. The nausea and heart racing that invades my sleep is really something that is terrifying for me to endure alone. I’m glad this forum is here.
I hate Mondays anybody out there with a hangover also it is a Monday, well anyways feeling like crap all over again I never learn my lessons no matter how scary the symptoms are,well it’s time to pay the cost. Like the budlight commercial says (here we go) again!
Well I am in the same boat Arthur. Went to a pool party this weekend and drank for about 9 hours straight.. I feel worse today than I did yesterday. I hate the anxiety and headaches I get after a weekend of drinking. I’m def. going to take a few weeks off from this stuff. It’s making me having panic attacks and tension headaches more than not lately.. Monday’s do stuck and even worse when you are hungover for a second day.. hopefully tomorrow will be better. 🙂
yep, i went off the deep end on saturday night, got high, got drunk till 10am! surprisingly i feel decent rightnow. but my huge problem everytime is that i put things into my head that are not true, and i believe them! it drives me friggin crazy. so it makes me take shit out on people, until they tell me that i need help or im nuts. thats what alcohol does to me. i get super paranoid about everything and taker everything so deeply to heart. not worth it. why couldnt i just had 2-3 beers for a couple hours wit the friends, then head back home or just changed up my atmosphere…..such a fool. everytime you feel like you have a massive grip on this, all it takes is one alteration of thought to start planning out a night, and next thing you know your under the spell and your getting hammered!
Yea mike u ain’t the only one feel like buying me a damm 12 pack right now but I know I’m going to feel worser just fixing to ride it out let’s see how it goes
One thing I noticed when I have one of my “Bender Weekends” is if I drink those Vita Waters I feel SO much better in the following days. They are packed with key vitamins, potassium and electrolytes…Precisely the kinds of things your body is craving after heavy doses of toxins like alcohol. It really is a big difference. Last weekend I thought I was going to pay the price but I believe it was all the Vita Waters and exercise which kept my anxiety and panic attacks completely at bay.
I’m trying to get beyond the “Hey, it’s the weekend! Time to let loose!” mentality. This past weekend I was able to avoid drinking Friday and Sunday, only drank Saturday night. Today I felt 100 percent normal going to work and it was awesome. Sunday was rough because after a night of drinking, that alcoholic brain takes over and just wants to extend the party, ala “Hey, it’s STILL the weekend!”
Alcohol is wickedly seductive and only tenacious will power and dedication to a healthy life can defeat it. Unfortunately I haven’t tapped into that part of me yet. I have moments of it…I can go days easily, sometimes weeks easily…For me it comes down to patterns and breaking free from them.
Boredom is another warrior to battle. Keeping the body and mind occupied on healthier activities is vital. Every last one of us has the power within to beat addiction. It’s just profoundly difficult especially when alcohol – that damn seductress – comes calling again.
your right. i was beating all this with will power for a couple weeks. felt better than i usually do…i decide to have a beer on friday night, that went fine although it was very hard to n ot continue….so i felt good and accomplished and wasnt hungover the next day…..but then all it took was someone to tell me to come hang out with a friend on a birthday, and its like everything you have worked for goes right out the window….i guess its a good thing i dont drink everyday. some poeple have it so much worse than i do, and i think i just am way too hard on myself. i plan to get back to normal life as best as i can this week, and starting it off with lots of exercise with all the free time
hi all,
great reading all your different types of hangovers.im 30 and ive been suffering from hangovers since i was 19 it all started off when i went on holidays wit my girlfriend at the time and the mother of my child we were not getting on at all,anyway i was working in a factory before we went on holidays i never suffered from a hangover before and i was drinking since i was 16 we went to spain it was my firts holidays away wit out my family members and it was there my life turned for the worst i was just ringing my mam back home and i could feel the ground shaking underneath me so i hung up and went back to hotel where i started getting alot worse my heart was popping out of my chest,i honestly taught i was going to die i went to doctors over there and they said it was panic attacks,long story short this went on for years later when id go out drinking the next day id get a taxi to the nearest hospital and stay there for the day just sitting around cause thats where i felt safe,over the last 2 years my panic attacks arent as bad anymore cause im learning to deal wit them but when i go out still i do be dying for at least 5 days and its all on my left hand side of my body just gets this horrible discomfort pain all around my chest and shortness of breath its horrible,i do still drink prob once a weeek,i have stopped drinking shorets since dec of last year i just sticks to bulmers cider,i carries inhailer wit me everywhere i go and i dont even have asthma just incase i cant breath,im after trying everything i do feel that a good feed helps abit but not much and i also takes the life lines 1 hr before i go out,i do smoke but only when i drink,i constantly be rubbing olibas oil on my chest if makes it feel ok for a bit,thanks for reading i left loads of stuff out but id be here till xmas to tell everything lol!!!
I would smoke Hella green and drink and I think it’s catching
Up to me cuz for a week straight I’ve been having random
Anxiety attacks and not so much waking up in the middle of night
But weird brain motion crap when I lay down straight so I sleep on my side . I’m hopping
To recover but I guess time will tell. Since then I’ve been working out
Hard core and eating good an it kinda has been helping but I kinda still
Get these random clicks in my head and it’s really annoying. But what else
Can I do but keep going and pray for the best
WELL, the weekend is here! stay strong my friends! if you simply cannot go without drinking. space yourself out dramatically and try to keep it under a 6pack…..try to focus on other things around you. drink water in between and have some food prepared to eat and pop a b-complex in between. you will probably feel like a m illion bucks the next day! easier said then done, but we have to try!
Well said! As my 5-year-old daughter says, “Make good choices!”
How are you Mike?
I have been reading quite a bit on the acid/alkaline balance, doing quasi-fasts and such to remove the toxins. If anybody is interested in learning about it, let me know. It does reduce cravings and you naturally are satiated with far less drink. You can get away with one or two, small buzz, and you are ok tomorrow.
It’s really good to see alot of men talking about these hangover anxiety attacks. I find that women for the most part have anxiety attacks. One thing that I have found that helps me is to stay hydrated while your drinking and enjoy your beer. Instead of getting a case of bud light get something that you really enjoy. I have had anxiety attacks from drinking for over 15 years now and have always looked for an easier solution. The only solution that I have found is moderation. I live near the Speedway track and twice a year its crazy drunk and all my friends come into town from all over the country and that to me is the hardest time to keep things in moderation. Especially when I have to wake up sunday morning at 8am to park cars. So Mike, what does B-complex do? Also Todd, do you drink this vita water the next day or while you are drinking? Something else I have found out. I used to drink gatorade like crazy the next morning and while it’s “ok” i think alot of it is just a bunch of advertising crap. With 2 young kids I have found that pedialite is SOOOOO much better than Gatorade. I know its kinda strange drinking a beverage that helps babies stay hydrated when they have diarreha, but it will be well worth it. Have a good Saturday everybody.
I guess you can say i binged last night, but i spaced out my drinks very much so…it was a friend’s birthday. but i didn’t go to overboard.
Me too. I feel pretty ok today. Juice or blend a good number of apples. Buy some dandelion leaves. You can pretty much get them anywhere. Blend those separately. Also make a salad out of them. Raw garlic, raw onions. Very little if any meat. Stay away from cheese. Celery and parsley excellent too. The whole point is clean up your system EVERY DAY for the rest of your life. From now on, incorporate a largely raw diet. It’s weird, but when you clean up your health at first, the toxins get removed from the body too quickly than it can handle. So you feel a bit shitty, with headaches. But read up on cleanse and side effects on web. Lots of info on that. Do you like cilantro? That is an amazing detox of heavy metals. I did that. Whoa! It worked.
If we are going to do some damage, at least let us have a strong immune support system to handle it.
B12. Brewer’s Yeast. Thiamine. Zinc. I think you posted on that anyway.
Jason- I tend to drink them every day but even if I don’t, if I drank the night before and I drink the Vitawaters the next day, I swear I feel 10 times better about an hour after. I believe it’s the combination of B vitamins and electrolytes that really takes the edge off.
Hello everyone. I am having severer problems.Iwas told I had colon cancer and had some treatments supposedly. The state paid, and not cant get my records. I started drinking more because now I have stomach pain again, but now when I drink my boyfriend says I have seizures. He said it only happens when I drink. Now for the whole weekend after drinking tequila and wine I started having a seizure in the bar, and he had to help me out so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. I am on a waiting list for a colonoscopy, and am quite worried about it as everyone in my family is dead-half sister-colon cancer. Docs at the county clinic say I have anxiety, but I never acted like this before.I am embarassed, ashamed that I drink even knowing that it is probably making my colon and stomach hurt worse. I even ran to the bathroom one day at work after drinking too much and did not make it–so sad, I cried and cried.I too drink the poweraid stuff and I think it helps too. Docs gave me xanax to take 3 times a day, but I am not a pill popper and don’t like that pills do other things to your body. I also have to take heart palpitation/blood pressure meds which I hate also. I just hate meds because I have been a medical person all my life and know what they do, but nonetheless I feel like drinking is just killing me, but can’t seem to want to quit altogether. I feel less shy when I drink, but then I sometimes can’t stop and now having these damn seizures-boyfriend says they are full blown eyes rolling convulsing,but I don’t remember. I am scared to the point where I almost hate myself, but still want a buzz sometimes. I only take a xanax if I feel some trembling coming on the next day-don’t take them the way they want me to. I would be a zombie. But what am I now? Just as bad as a pill popper and I’m totally ashamed of myself. Help anyone.
It is purported you can cure cancer naturally. My friend says that four of her friends are doing this now.
I know I sound redundant, but flush out your body! That way toxins coming in they leave. Read “Cleanse and Purify Thyself” by Dr. Anderson for starters. I’m telling everyone, really look into acid/alkaline balance.
Does anyone have memory problems from this? Or is it just anxiety?
Yes, for me I do have some memory problems for a few days after drinking. Nothing too bad compared with the anxiety.
Is it temporary or permanent? Does the capability of memory come back?
The memory problems, coupled with unusual stress, is making me anxious.
Anonymous Too: I can’t remember if the memory comes back or not lol. I find my recall to be slow a few days after. You will find after several days away from the sauce you will be good as new.
Hello, everyone. I have been struggling with anxiety attacks since December and took some Xanax pills to calm myself. Three weeks ago, I decided to withdraw abruptly because it can be addicted that I didn’t want to hook up with it. First two weeks were pretty tough but I somehow managed without Xanax. I feel better now till I drank a whiskey shot and a half pint of beer to celebrate my team’s victory at trivia league. Next morning, I got a serious anxiety attack. I believe it came from alcohol so I decided to stop drinking. I have to overcome anxieties without Xanax, alcohol, caffeine, and excessive sugar. The best way to heal is to accept anxieties and let it flows so you can feel better naturally later. 🙂
Wow, add me to the list of people who find this article to be a huge sense of relief! I would normally drink to varying amounts on the weekend, but recently stopped for a few months as I started a new work out and healthy eating regime. It took very little time for me to be completely turned off to drinking, and feeling a big difference. So there have been a few celebrations recently where I went back to indulging, and I was in shock at how I felt the next day and how it carried over into my week, and hadn’t realized it or correlated the two previously. Now, if I say drink alcohol on a Saturday night, I have anxiety the next day about the week ahead (or any number of things), right down to getting heart palpitations. But simply remove the alcohol intake, and I remain totally calm and confident. The moral that I’m learning is that a few hours of “fun” is NOT worth it!
Hi mike, u remind me of myself very much my friend, I’m 30 and I have had let’s jus say a very eventful life. I don’t want to go on for ages but bottom line is I have researched anxiety for a very long time and I don’t feel a big head to say I am an expert on the subject, how can I when I took so much of youth from me. I now work with anxiety sufferers full time an have fir 5 years. I do drink now but in moderation and it doesn’t effect me at all but believe it took me a long time to develop this but it can be done. You seem like a clever guy so I’m gonna let u do it itself. Your answers lie in the teachings of the late dr. Claire weeks. Get her book essential help for your nerves. All ur answers are in those pages. Believe me, it is the only way. Keep reading, and persevere cos u will make mistakes, and remember to loosen and accept!
Hi, Mike? How are you?
How’s everyone else?
A quick note on memory…Hell Yes does alcohol effect memory! In fact, it is one of the primary side effects I loath the most. I’ve said before, one of the main motivators for me is fear. Fear of the horrific side effects of alcohol withdrawal keeps me from my binging ways. But more than that is the fuzzy, loss of memory, disconnectedness I feel after a night or two of heavy drinking. Mainly because one of my main goals is to get my Private Pilot license. And let me tell you what. You CANNOT have a fuzzy mind when going for your private pilot license. In fact, I can’t think of a more sober journey.
It’s a valuable tool to keep me focused. While I may slip here and there, it’s this valuable goal that will keep me from straying too much.
What’s YOUR goal?
Jeff
After reading your post it’s help me understand alot more about my anxiety and drinking. When I drink at a party I’m just fine I feel great but the next day I’m go crazy I feel Teribble constant anxiety and co stant worry and today I had an attack while I was driving to go get my sister and was very hungover and was scared cuz it has never happened befor I ended up pulling over for like an hour just to try and calm down. And after I did I came home slept and woke up went outgoing a party again and for the first time in about three years didn’t have one drink and I feel just better then ever still hungover a little bit but excited to wake up tomorrow and see the affects of me not drinking with my anxiety I’m gues u can say new to anxiety I was fine for years drinking partying and nothing happened an about two weeks ago I got to drunk had the worst hangover and since then just been a victim basically and been have to learn and cope with this situation I’m in and to hear some one around the same age you no has gone through it as well and I’m not the odd ball out is comforting and goes to explain to me that I am fine it’s just my anxiety getting the best of me
I’m highly educated and afraid I’ll forget all I learned. I’m ok with moderation. Great the next day. Last night… today…
hey everyone, thanks for asking about me. im doing decent. i drank once over the weekend….probably within 6 hours i had 9 beers, eep. not good. but i usually do so much worse. i feel the effects today regardless, but i feel like this one wont last as long as the others(usual symptoms last 5-6 days). so i hope to get on m y feet again this week and be able to workout and try and function properly. has anybody here ever been in conflict with a woman and have just all these problems like trust, always worrying about what they are doing, assuming the worst of everything? i tend to face these issues every single week. but i do notice the longer it has been from NOT drinking, the weaker those symptoms feel and ill beable to let loose some and do my BEST to not let her get the best of me and control my life….it seems like everytime i drink, the next day im realy angry and just wanna say so much mean shit to her, start fights, tell her everyting i hate about her(shes not even a girlfriend, just a friend who i use to like). its crazyness. its like constantly all day i wanna say shit to her to make her feel pain that she makes me feel. i can’t stand it. it ruins and controls my life. is it the alcohol thats heightening these feelings everytime? and why i cant get past it and just move on? ARGH!
oh and also when she goes out with friends. i feel really really impending doom and panic that shes going to sleep with someone or get sdrunk and do stupid stuff….i dont even want to date her, it was an old thing in the past…why do i care so much? i feel like alcohol is making me feel these ways…..i am just looking for someone who maybe has shared this experience….i tried hanging out with her today(day after drinking) an di just feel so agitated and irritable around her, cant look at her the face, dont wanna talk…just feel horrible feelings…i hate how she cant be the person i want her to be. shes very heartless in so many situations, and is never there for me in tough situations in my life. i just wanna accept it and not care about it anymore….but its got to be the alcohol…this shit is tough.
Mike you have some hidden issues with this girl. All alchohol is doing is magnifying the issues by 1000. Thats what alchohol does. Why do you think you are the strongest man in the world when your drunk? Its the booze. You may need to talk to this girl when you both are sober if you want her in your life at all. Life it too short to have those kind of people around. I’ve been through this exact same situation(I think) and when I stepped back and looked at the situation as a whole and the girl was just somebody I didnt like when I was sober but when I got drunk just thought she was so irritating. I didnt realize this until I went to counseling and read a book called “Dont sweat the small stuff, its all small stuff.” A very easy read and I HATE reading. You see something in this girl thats really changing your mood and it really isnt worth it. Nothing is worth that. My wife and 2 kids arent even worth that. The situation that I was in I think about from time to time has made me a stronger person. Love is the strongest emotion you have and Hate is the 2nd strongest motion you have. As cliche as it sounds its the absolute truth. Another cliche is still waters run deep and at least in my situation, if I would not have gotten off my chest how this girl made me feel, it would have stewed and stewed until…….I dont know the end of that because I did get it off my chest and it did make me a better person.
I read somewhere once that negative feelings of distrust are the root of anxiety.
i did get it off my ches and i tell her all the time how i feel, and i think its the lack of her caring that makes me very very angry inside…it slike “what am i dealing with here, and why am i?” i just have this very soft side to want to be her friend, and hang out 2-3 times a week or so…but it always feels like once i drink, its like the next 3-4 days ive super irritated with everything, panicing, freaking out, sweating the small stuff, worrying, and it rubs off on our relationship as friends….i like to go out and have a few, but its controlling this relationship and how i feel with it. every week once i touch the alcohol, it feels like in my head that this is never going to be better. why is she able tog o out and get drunk, and not worry about anything the next day, and here i am freaking the hell out! so you think the alcohol is magnifying all those feelings after a night of drinking? makes them feel that much worse than they actually are? i pretty much should know already that its not helping at all. but i like to know everyone’s opinions.
Ahhhh this sums up exactly how i feel. it takes me a week to recover after a night out, mainly due to my anxiety levels and sleep deprevation. I also get really bad concentration levels, and don’t feel like myself. At worst, i wont be able to sleep and il be violently shaking, with my heart beating like crazy and i’l be sweating. it’s the worst feeling ever :'( I’m under so much pressure to keep drinking as all my friends do it socially, and I dont wan’t to be left out. However I am only 16, but to be honest, in todays ‘culture’, most underage teens drink. Ive been regularly drinking for a bit less than a year, and ive never had anxiety problems untill i started drinking at night, ive always been fine when getting drunk in the daytime?
As always, there are three things that you cannot forget. Those are moderation, moderation, and moderation.
Going out tonight to meet a friend. The plan is to eat heartily, stick with light beer, sip not chug, avoid all forms of hard liquor, punctuate with water (that means probably a dozen trips to the restroom but its worth it), and end the night reasonably early. Wish me luck.
i have had anxiety since i was 16 suxs onetime was so bad i had go to the er bc i thought i was going to die:-/ but they sed u just have anxiety dont worry ur fine ur not going to die lol,,anyway this year ghas been the worst for me bc all i do is get nervous ,cry ,get depress and i get scared im 24now and this still happens:-(…and i go to doc all time they prob think im crazy wen i was 19 i had a heart monitor for 24hours bc i had badddd chest pains and then a echo cardiograme done and i was fine and this year i has cat scane done xray sonogram done blood work and a ekg they were all fine saw nothing wrong well ekg showed qick palpitation but she sed nothing serious to worry about anyway what im trying to get at is i always use to drink od alotttt 16 till my age now like alottt but now i dont anymore ill go weeks with no drinks and if i drink now its wine or beer thats it and wen i go to sleep i always wake up sweating heart pounding and raceing like im haveing a heart attack what i wanna know is if all those test and everything came out fine should i just get over it and know it just my anxiety that happening??? and im not gonna die yea im one those ppl bad anxiety to point were i worry can my heart stop for no reason kinda person and u think thats why thats happens to me i think so much it going to that i cause my own anxiety:-( i just wanted to know the doctors would saw anythiing wrong with my heart or something right?? i just wanna be able to have fun again ohh and btw this never use to happen to me i use to drink and never wake up feeling like that in the middle of the night:-(
Hi Mike. I always get extremely anxious whenever I deal with insincere and cold people, which is everyday. There is this passage I once read that too much evironmental stimulus and lack of ethics in Western world leaves a person without a strong feeling of community, subsequently feelings of anxiety.
hi all, im 33 yrs old and suffer with anxiety and panic attacks, this all started around 2 yrs ago, what brings it on is drinking alcohol. Ive always been a regular drinker, but its now got to the stage where as soon as i start to drink it feels like poison running through me, then the shortness of breath, chest pains, and feelings of bruised ribs, then i will awake at night feeling of impending doom. These feelings will last days. I guess what im trying to ask is if anyone has suffered like me and has found a way to beat this and still enjoy a drink even if its only like once a month? I dont really want to be a tea toottaler, but then i cant keep going on this way
Rich, I was about your age when I had my first panic attack. I was flying to a trade show and got stuck for several hours on the ground in Newark. OMG scared me baby! It took me several years to realize that the source of my PA was alcohol. I would have 2 or 3 glasses of wine or beer almost every night. I am now 52 years old. I find it increasingly difficult to drink more then 1 glass of wine. I don’t have panic attacks anymore however even a glass or two of wine will cause me anxiety and turn me into a ball of emotions. Damn embarrassing to cry at the drop of a hat ! I never saw my drinking as much of a problem because I would never act out or do stupid stuff when drinking. The worst for me was the day after. I was rarely ever hungover in the traditional sense. Just felt very off and emotional the next day. I would always have trouble sleeping through the night. Then I began to have depression. This depression would last for weeks at a time.
I decided to listen to my body ( mind ) and began to see how bad this stuff was for my well being. Yes I would feel great for a few hours with my buddies drinking but would pay a huge price the next day ( week ) for having even a few glasses of wine.
These days my life is on an even keel without dramatic ups and downs. I had a friend over for dinner last night and so wanted to have some wine with our meal. Oh well, not the end of the world. There are many people who have to restrict their diet for various reasons.
John, for some reason it takes me a week or so to recover properly and i know i should not drink the next week/weekend but i always fall into its just so hard…i did a 4 day binge last week, and i dunno how i survived but it really took a toll on me. it makes me so unstable about life. especially about a girl im not interested in dating, and im not sure what i feel for her, but when im with her i get extremelly agitated and bitter about everything and for some reasons i get very controlling and say shit i dont like, and feel like i need to keep tabs on her on what shes doing all the time…it keeps me up all night. I DONT UNMDERSTAND WHY I HAVE THESE FEELINGS. but they always seem to be magnified or heightened when i drink, then the next week after. i cannot stand it. all i wanna do is have some drinks with the friends and not worry about what shes doing all the time. i know we are not match at all, she makes me extremely angry about so many things. i feel like i dont know how to get past this. it contorls my whole life and consumes me, i cant focus on myself ever because shes in my head. anybody ever have any similiar problems like this? or maybe just problems with the opposite sex that relates to drinking and how everything makes it feel?
Mike, I am no expert. But , quite frankly I don’t have to be! Listen to your own body ( mind ). I stopped listening to others and began listening to myself and asking my body what it wants. After a night of drinking ( for me it’s only 3 glasses of wine ) my mind starts with confusion, anxiety, emotions, crazy stuff. I finally started to see this as a physical manifestation of an unbalanced body/ mind.
I began to listen closely and treat myself with the utmost respect and love. I give myself time to relax, play, and put good things into my body. I exercise everyday ( very important for me ).
As for your girl friend, once you begin to think with clarity again you will figure it out. Don’t give your power away to anyone or anything.
One thing is journey has done for me is made me much more aware of myself and infinitely more compassionate of myself and others. There is gold to be mined from this. You wait and see for yourself.
Mike, it sounds like this may not just be a physical problem but a spiritual problem of ur spirit. When our spirits r not at rest and at peace we will search for other things to give us that peace. I follow Jesus and Jesus promises us peace which surpasses all understanding. It says in Philippians 4, “be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving present ur requests to God and Gods peace whch transcends all understanding will guard ur Hearts. Minds in Christ Jesus. I can tell u that Jesus has changed my life. I cast all my anxiety on Him and He gives me peace in my heart and calm quiet and gentle spirit. I wouldn’t trade itfor all the money in the world.. Its truly amazing. He can set u free from slavery to this woman (not just phys, but psychologically and emotionally) and ur constant need to control. I believe that anxiety is usually (not always) an obsession to play god or control things that we really have no power to control. We just gotta let go and let God take care of it.
AnOther thing that I have kept at the forefront of my life is having a clean conscience before man and God. The Holy Bible says tht we r to be at peace with all men as far as it is up to us. This means to keep short and honest accounts with God and ppl. Bitterness and unforgiveness can destroy and ruin ur life. So go make ammends with ppl and apologize and suck up ur pride and humble urself and go seek reconciliation! And utmost and most importantly- please go seek reconciliation and peace with God! We have all sinned against a righteous, just, and holy God of the universe. We need to seek Him out cause ultimately only He can cleanse us and heal us from fear and worry and past heart wounds. Our hearts our I think naturally hard like stone and selfish so its not innate for us to turn to God and forgive others and be blunt and honest. He says in matthew 11:28-30 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ”
Wat I want more then anything is to find God and rest for my soul. I hope u do too friend. God bless u and may u find true inner peace in Jesus!
hey can anyone answer this questions for me:-( i suffer from anxiety bad well it became bad this year very ..wen i drink i wake up middle the night sweating and heart raceing bad! this never use to happen to me ever…i know anxiety messes with ur head and makes u think stuff thats not ture…but ever since my friend told me about cardiac arrest i swear that all i think about 24/7 and i believe thats why my anxiety got bad bc thats all i got stuck in my head now my questions is if i had a echo cardiograme done and a heart monitor for 24hours at age 19 and im 24now..and they saw nothing wrong with my heart am i ok?? or that to long…but this year i had a xray,blood work,cat scan,ekg,and sonogram done and always fine nothing came back bad well my ekg should a qick palpitations but thats bc my heart was raceing bc i was scared and doc sed nothing serious to worry about ..anway with all those test done should i stop worrry bc im makeing my anxiety worse bc there is nothing worng with me?? of i have a right to be nervous:-(??? bc i cnt take this anmore …i get workout i havent drank in mad long i just cnt do anything like i use to and i wanna be like i was befor someone please help me?
Tina, sounds like you have been in a bad way! Doesn’t look like there is anything wrong with you. Your thoughts are powerful and not always your friend. Looks like you realize that you are not your thoughts. Thoughts are just thoughts, nothing more. When you start to BELIEVE these thoughts, then the pain begins. An unbalanced body/mind will make these matters worse. I found my perspective changed quickly once I stopped with the alcohol. Listen to your body and understand that your mind is part of it! I have discovered a remarkable woman named Byron Katie. https://Www.thework.com . Check out a few of her videos posted on the sight. I have been working with her now for several months with awesome results.
Hi Guys!! I decided to search ‘why do i suffer from anxiety after drinking’ and I am so glad i found this post. With me, the majority of the time i drink, i wake up the next morning in serious meltdown. I get panic attacks that when i go into work on Monday I am going to lose my job, everybody hates me and my life is over. It does sound very dramatic but it’s true. Even going to the local supermarket I feel as though I cannot cope.
I am 22 and have realised the past couple of years that it is drinking that causing this insane anxiety and like most of you this does last a few days.
The way i deal with it is, I try to tell myself that it is the effect of drinking that is making me feel like this and try to calm myself down. I also rarely drink but when i do I am pretty much guarantee that I will be a nervous wreck the next day and it is horrible and few people understand.
Hi All. Sorry to hear of the challenges even having two pints.
I think the posts her are saying “Booze makes me anxious”. And let’s be clear, it can.
But you might want to look at this the other way around. Instead of asking why alcohol causes anxiety, maybe look at anxiety itself as a condition and if alcohol makes it worse?
There are lots of reasons for anxiety, but some of them include general life stress, your brain chems out of wack for a time, your body just being burnt out, etc.
Lots of things you can do there, and you know it turns out one beer is good for anxiety (from time to time), but two or more make it worse for all the reasons listed in the original post waaaaay up there.
Good health!
Colin, you make a good point. Something I have contempated a number of times myself. I have heard it said that alcohol magnifies whatever it is your feeling. Very well could be true. However the anxiety and panic attacks can get so bad for some of us it can ruin our quality of life. Anxiety can contribute to making bad choices out of irrational fear. Something I have experienced first hand. Brain chemistry and body burn- out are also directly related to alcohol consumption.