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’m not endorsing any product and have tried Vitamin Water for years with no decent results and until I joined this list never heard of Pedialyte until John’s comment about what is available in Mexico. I just read a lot of reviews. I’ve never tried it.
I have used Emergen-C, which is electrolytes. But with drinking we deplete our bodies of so much more than just dehydration, so that has not worked for me. High energy drinks IMO are a waste of money such as the ‘5 hr energy drinks’. Rubbish.
I do not want to consume caffeine or sugar. Alcohol is enough of an addiction for me. Anything with caffeine or large amounts of sugar in it will only increase your panic/anxiety. They are uppers. Heart racers. What we want is supplements. I for one cannot easily swallow pills after drinking the night before or the morning after or I am puking. I will give Pedialyte a try and let you know.
Our bodies are all different as you know and any hydration without sugar, caffeine or false sugars and with vitamins and minerals would be good. What has worked for in the past is this:
https://www.amazon.com/Alive-Pea-Ultra-Shake-Vanilla-Powder/dp/B000JWKB4Y/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1310274262&sr=8-6
If you get it at Wholefoods or anywhere else it is twice the price of amazon. Really annoying since I did not know, however it is tasty. I use it in the mornings with rice milk and some organic frozen fruit and blend it. It is the only thing that has worked for me that is affordable and tasty and takes away the hangover and stops you feeling a hatred of yourself for damaging yourself with too much wine the night before as the lot is loaded in really good vitamins, veg, minerals, etc. The pea version is better than the soy version.
Todd: I will look into Revive… ever heard of that one. I think it’s mostly about the potassium, magnesium and the all essential B’s we are losing.
I think pedialyte would be pretty much the same drink I find here, I don’t know if it has caffeine or anything that would give you a rapid heart beat but it’s never happened to me or anyone i know while drinking it. Another thing is that with me it only seems to work when i drink it before i go to bed the night I had alcohol (and drink the whole bottle). It may not work for everyone but for me it does so i just wanted to share it.
Slipped up a few nights ago and had 4 beers. Woke up about 3 am with panic and anxiety. Still feeling the effects 2 days later. It’s just not worth the few hours of “fun”.
I have had some wonderful results in doing The Work. A method of self inquiry developed by Byron Katie. https://Www.thework.com
My experience is that unresolved issues get magnified when drinking. Since doing “The Work” my life has been on a more even, peaceful keel.
Drank on Sunday. Didn’t get lit but had my share. Went in on Monday for a cholesterol test. My doc wanted to check some other stuff too, including my liver. The test results came back and my AST levels were elevated. She said the test shows my liver is “slightly inflamed due to alcohol.” This definitely got my attention. Not terrible news, and quite frankly I would be surprised if the test didn’t show those results but I have to wonder how much of the test results were skewed due to alcohol still in my system on the day I had my blood drawn.
Regardless, I’m quite frankly glad this was the result. Three years ago I had my liver checked for the first time in my life and I was so paranoid, I was sure she was going to tell me my liver was on its last leg. After all, I had been binge drinking the hard stuff for decades. The results came back and my numbers were totally normal.
The bad news, this gave me an excuse to keep binge drinking weekly. So whether the test was skewed or not, my liver is inflamed due to alcohol. This is the information I need to really put me on a better path in terms of less frequency drinking. I’m too much of a hypochondriac to continue doing what I am doing. So as of today, drinking every week is done. Over.
Goodbye.
I’m going dry for a while. At least for another week and then I will absolutely allow nothing more than 2 to 3 times a month MAX. No more consecutive weeks. I know the best thing is to quit altogether but I will take this next step as a natural progression to my ultimate destination: Sobriety.
For me, breaking the every weekend thing is huge. If I can go every other weekend perhaps I may get bored with that too and even go fewer and farther between. The next stop before sobriety is just holidays or special occasions. From there, it’s putting the bottle/glass down for good.
Nike always had it right.
Just Do It.
I decided for once and for all to give up drinking. I am absolutely sure that it causes me the anxiety. I have given up temporarily, one month was the most I managed but I didn’t take even one Xanax. After an extremely horrible experience abroad, I got back to the US and started drinking wine excessively again. It led to paranoia, mind spiraling negatively, feelings of shame, shakes, insomnia, laziness and lack of self esteem as well as agoraphobia. I was also unable to eat and was puking up. What a life to choose! My bf does not drink at all and so has not liked me drinking though he doesn’t say much about it as he knows I don’t drink for fun and that I have tried AA etc. This time after one of the worst bouts of drinking for weeks, I became a complete depressed mess. I decided NO MORE. Not just two weeks off, but never. Yesterday was hell with the DT’s, shaking, sick and highly anxious. Had terrible sweats in the night and slept most of the day today and feel a lot better. I think I would not have gone cold turkey if I had been on the liquor. I’ll still stay on this group and let you know how things go. In the meantime no stress, no scary movies and the support of an alcohol free bf should get rid of the anxiety and get me back to my true self, which when not drinking is much more productive and jolly as well as slimmer!
Good for you Ruth. I don’t believe, I KNOW we ALL are incredible Beings inside with unimaginable power and wisdom. If you can tap into that part of yourself you are home free.
Leave the Light on for me, will ya?
Ruth/Todd,
Ruth, sorry to hear you had such bad experiences, i think alot of us do feel the same feelings on here after drinking excessively when drinking consecutive days…..Its funny how you mention “no scary movies”? I’ve over the years LOVED scary movies but have noticed that when i’m feeling “anxious” after drinking that scary movies do for some reason bring out the anxiety alot more ? never knew if it was “just me” or my imagination but hearing it from someone else makes me wonder if scary movies do actually intensify the anxiety much more? its something to ponder i guess..
Todd, its great that you want to change over a new leaf, but maybe dont bite off too much at once or tell yourself your NEVER going to drink again.. I think the most important thing for you is to not get to that point after not drinking for a few days that you feel the “superman” affect (meaning lets go get drunk again cuz your feeling better) and that we ALL need to realize when were feeling in a very GOOD mood or have a great day that it doesnt mean its time to “get drunk”, and to drink in slight moderation during those occasions, if at all….So far, i havent been able to practice what i preach, but i think that might be part of the key for us all……thoughts all?
Yeah J, I definitely understand. Never say never, especially when talking about addiction or habitual abuse of something. Still, the test is a reminder that drinking every weekend is not allowing my liver to properly heal. In time, it’s not IF but WHEN I end up with alcoholic hepatitis or Cirrhosis. Unless you are blessed with incredible genetics, that seems to be the imminent destination.
I do not want to go there.
So for now, and hopefully forever, drinking every week is a thing of my past.
I am only 17 and had my first full blown panic attack about 2 months ago. I used to smoke a lot of weed and I took a break and right when I smoked some again is when it happened. It was the most scariest thing that happened to me in my life. First I though I was either going crazy or something physically might’ve been wrong. I was with friends and they had a lot more to smoke and they were fine. We were all in the garage of my friends house and it just overcame me. I thought I was possessed by the devil or something. My older brother had insomnia a while back for a week or two without sleeping and went to a mental institute so I thought I was going through something simaliar. Thank God I haven’t had one like that since and I just got put on some anti-depressents. Although I’m against medication, I wanted to just fix myself in the chemical sense of what goes on in my head. My Father and his sister also suffered from panic attacks but it has been a long time for the both of them since it happened. I never smoked weed after that day and never will again. I don’t blame it fully for it happening but it definately sparked the attack. I haven’t even cried since then and talking about it makes me want to. I’m a healthy person physically. I workout often and eat and drink very wisely. I just gave up drinking alcohol too because it increases my chances of having another one. Especially while on any type of medication like an anti-anxiety/depression. I still smoke cigarettes (5-10 per day) but I will give that nasty habit up too. I’m a pretty good person and the biggest problem in my life was moving. My parents moved me out to Southern California from New Jersey so it was a pretty big move. I came from a small town to Los Angeles County and I guess I’ve been using it as an excuse for not getting the proper jumpstart on my life. I only had one girlfriend here and she turned out to be really hateful and dumped me for complicated reasons. I only have one good friend out here and I’m moving again to Riverside, which is more South of where I’m at now. I was going to join the military but now that I have this disorder I find it impossible to do something involving that kind of stress. I really think alcoholism and anxiety/depression are tied because I’ve had a lot of alcoholics in my family who have died; most I’ve never even met. There’s no positive long-term outcomes by doing any drugs or substances. I don’t like giving advice but if you are like me you should really stop all that stuff. It is a major setback for all types of people. Working out (especially cardio) DOES help a lot for me. Eating healthy and staying away from alcohol and caffeine works like magic. I also got some DVDs online that teach me some good ways of dealing with stress and anxiety. I haven’t felt suicidle after the attack thankfully but before it happened (days leading up) I was suicidle and very down in the dumps. I just feel unaccomplished about so many things in life. The more you focus on the negative, the more bad things will happen to you. I’ve realised that even though I hate the materialistic, California-liberal lifestyle, that I have to make the best of it as much as I can. I’m hoping to move to the Pacific Northwest to somewhere like Montana once I get money saved and my priorities straight. I read the other day that people who are successful in anything make the best of their situation where ever they might be. That’s what I’m trying to live for right now. I’m such a loving and caring person and I consider myself anything but selfish. I asked God the night of my attack to forgive my sins and to help me get through this struggle. I’m not even religious one bit but after having an attack like that it really makes you look at life differently. It was a wake up call for me to stop using drugs/alcohol and become a real human being again. When we were all young we were happy constantly without any of those things. I just want to get back to the natural feeling of happiness and I’m going to at all costs. Anxiety exists in everyone but panic attacks are just about the worst thing that can happen to someone. All kinds of people suffer from this but lots have turned there lives around for the better. You’re really not alone. There’s so many people out there just like us. If anyone would like to talk, my email is beewietecha@gmail.com
well here it is again, saturday nite………i’m on my 9th beer…..my friends are all going out , some to local picnics, and others to clubs, but i’m sitting home again, by my own choice, not because of lack of money or lack of friends, i just “dont feel” like doing anything except watchin movies, havin some beers, and chillin at home…..for the umteenth week in a row……does anyone else feel like this? is it agoraphobia or depression?? I used to be literally the MOST socialable person out there, years ago of course, and now i have resigned myself to being a “Homebody”…..
guys, im in the uk but there’s a milk based vitiman drink called nourishment, its been around for ages but contains all the stuff we need for our bodies after drinking
I’ve not had this problem for some time, but this morning it’s returned to bite me in the ass. Went to a part last night, drank a fair amount over a number of hours, felt okay when I went to bed. Woke up this morning feeling like crap, anxiety has kicked in big time. Not fun.
I’ve often thought about stopping drinking altogether, but as I have no dependence, I always end up convincing myself not to. Part of my problem is that living out in the sticks, what little social activity there is at weekends goes on in the pub. When I don’t drink, it makes me feel socially awkward, if that makes sense, so I end up drinking to fit in. Sound familiar, anyone?
J,
I only used to drink at home. (I say used to, I’m only on Day 2, but still we have to think positively!) Maybe one drink out was all I had. I hated the stigma of people knowing I had an issue with drinking so hit it, or thought I did anway. It is both agoraphobia and depression and also that it makes us all too aware that since we have a drinking problem we have long since forgotten how to happily have a few drinks, since we drink to dull the senses, so we don’t drink for fun like most people do. For me, not going out and drinking at home was due also to paranoia about me thinking I could just have two and drive home when reality meant I was over the limit and could get arrested if I drank so I always declined. And having a designated driver means you have to hang around waiting for them to decide when to go home or them hanging around while you just want a ‘couple’ more. Also alcohol can make one a bit lazy, so watching tv is all too common.
Rich,
I’m from the UK too but live in the US. In my posts further up, I mention Boost and Ensure. These are pretty much the same as Nourishment. I find all these too thick though and also when buzzed out, forget all about them!
Well, I made it through the weekend without a drop of alcohol. Not a major achievement – I’ve done it plenty of times before – but it’s always good to let a weekend go by without using my liver as a punching bag.
Milk thistle anyone? 🙂
I admit, there were more than a few times that the thought of drinking crossed my mind. Especially those moments of boredom when I wondered what I wanted to do. Boredom is a HUGE motivator for me to fill the time and make that time go by more interestingly by drinking.
What I feel I may have missed in catching a nice buzz, was easily made up for by waking up each day without a hangover, fuzzy head or “pickled brain” (where the alcohol is still in your system and your brain just wants more alcohol to feel good again). It’s nice to go about your day with a clear head and NO ANXIETY!
I am heading to the beach in two weeks so I may even forego drinking this next weekend if I can since I always enjoy some wine looking out over the beach with the setting sun. If I do drink next weekend then I will go dry for the beach. I’m very serious about keeping my drinking spaced further apart. I refuse to die the way I watched my buddy die (liver failure). I may not have the healthiest liver when my time does come but I refuse for that to be the cause.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Todd, glad to hear youir doing good, keep us posted . and if you do slip up its no big deal, as long as you make “lasting” efforts to cut back , which is what we all need to do . I myself drank about 12 beers last nite, didnt feel that bad today, just tired, but tomorrow i might have some anxiety, (its usually the 2nd day after drinking the anxiety kicks in?).. Maybe its withdrawls actually that causes the anxiety??
I’m on Day 3 of being clean. I’m sleeping a lot, but in the day, like ALL day… the sweats are reducing, but still have diarrhea and am having a hard time eating. I’m still anxious but much less so than before. Other than sleeping in the day and therefore not at night (very annoying), I can’t stop thinking about the past. Someone way back in these posts mentioned that. My mind keeps going back to my two last boyfriends which is not where my mind wants to go. One ended well enough, the other really badly. I have no contact with them. Is it common for the past to keep rearing it’s ugly head when going through withdrawals? Also I’m having a lot of dreams where alcohol is in every one… where I’m drinking a lot but always just about to run out. When I did a stint in AA, they said this was normal, but the past? Any thoughts?
Ruth, a few things….first of all about yoru eating problems, and stomach problems..I would suggest eating, but eat “bland “stuff for a few days…Like salads (without tomatoes or anything acidy). VEgetables are good also (no butter), or fruits like bananas ….Your body NEEDS food for nututrition or else you cant heal…..Your sweating after 3 days of no alcohol?? May i ask how much exactly do you drink prior to the 3 days? Its a little unusual to be sweating 3 days later ….Also, as far as dwelling on the past, we all do it….What i would suggest is to read a good book, get your mind off of the past, and try thinking positively about day to day things, or watch a light hearted “fun” movie…..that helps, along with moderate exercise also……Hope all goes well, and keep us posted.
i used to drink quite a lot and feel just a lil hungover the next day but since an year back after being told by my doctor that i have anxiety disorder and alcohol would worsen it ….. i am always screwed whenever i drink alcohol …from nightmares ..to insomnia to terrible fear and anxiety the next day and wanting to pop in xanax or knolopin a.s.a.p ….. ( im on 2.5 mg lexapro too ) as im against putting poison in my system ….
after reading many articles iv come to the point that no science or medical has proved the shitty theory about chemical imbalance or serotonin issue …its all in your head … couple of my relatives who suffered severe depression a decade back …never had any medication and are drinking 4-5 days a week without any problem …
hell no i aint giving up drinkin …. though will try to minimize it … plenty of water and some exercise is all we need .
J,
Things are looking up this morning. No more sweats, thank goodness and I managed to eat some pasta last night. Watched a fun movie and it really did the trick. As to my drinking, I’m ashamed to say it was 2 bottles of Chardonnay a day, every day, except when working. I’m self employed and my work is very seasonal so I get a lot of time off in the summer, so I would start out the day drinking at home and slowly carry on. Then after a terrible experience abroad recently, when I returned, it went to 3 bottles. At first I didn’t realize my increased consumption as I was drinking from boxes (kept in the spare room in quantities of three or so for back up) as I hated to ask my bf, who has never drunk at all, to go and get me more every other day. Drinking helped the anxiety after 3-4 glasses, but it was setting off a vicious cycle. I knew I had to stop altogether. Reading books is a bit tough other than online for some reason, it is one of the side effects of Xanax… slightly blurry vision… but I’m cutting back on the Xanax which went from 3 a week to 3 a day. I just don’t want to get addicted to them as apparently after a while they actually CAUSE the anxiety. Today’s breakfast is a fruit energy smoothie full of loads of vitamins… so hopefully I am on the up and up and over the worst of it now. Thanks for your concern. I’m so glad a group like this exists.
Ruth, i’m so glad your doing much better.. PLEASE when you want to drink(and believe me you will again soon probably) , think of how GOOD you feel right NOW, versus how you felt the last 3 days with the shakes, sweats, and panic. Remember how good you feel NOT drinking and watchin a fun movie, put yourself back in ‘that place” when you are tempted to open another bottle.. It would be crazy and not practical to believe we are not going to drink again, but if and “when” we do, just tell yourself AHEAD of time, and DURING that even though your feeling good, you KNOW what the consequences will be in the morning. When i’m getting nice and loaded and feeling that “good buzz”, i remind myself that if i keep going that its not going to be “fun” for a few days afterwards..Try to keep that in mind…Ruth if you would like to chat more about it off the forum, my email is nepaguy0000@aol.com 🙂 Good luck to all.
ps..Ruth, thats nepaguy0000(4 zero’s , not o’s) at aol.com
nepaguy0000@aol.com (four zero’s, not o’s)..for anyone that wants to email also.
Well said J!
J,
Thanks for the comments and the offer of emailing. In the past I’ve been in the phase of ‘Well, I deserve couple of glasses of wine now things are under control’, but for me I KNOW that I can’t drink like most ‘normal’ people can. The ‘never say never’ idea is good though. I hate the beating oneself up that goes with the aftermath of that. Last time I went off alcohol for a month I kept a daily journal. I just got it out and reread my section I called ‘Noticeable and Positive Effects of Sobriety’. (Sounds a bit OTT I know…) The list went on for 3 1/2 pages! It was a good thing to do back then for a reaffirmation next time I get the urge to get buzzed. Sweats have gone, anxiety much reduced, drinking wholefood energizer smoothies and getting lots of extra B12 in. My bf noticed a real difference this morning. It really helps that he is a non-drinker yet understands anxiety. I’ve also started making a list of the horrors as well. Any preventative options to keep things under control are good! Thanks everyone for your support.
Does the heat make it worse the next day after drinking? I feel it bad today but I feel its worse because of the heat.
This article is so true. I’m college student, and I feel the pressure to drink a lot every time I go out. The culture seems to give the message that the more you drink the more you have fun. I’m on anxiety medication, and drinking a lot makes me feel tired and HORRIBLE THE NEXT DAY. I beat myself up for drinking, and my anxiety runs wild. I often feel really lousy, make up all these weird health problems that must be wrong with me, and think everything in my life is shitty…I even schedule appointments with my doctors. But after a few days of getting over my hangover, I realize it was just the alcohol that caused my anxiety to come up, and depressive symptoms as well. I’m perfectly happy having one or two drinks, and I am REALLY trying to make an effort to stick to that, but it can be so hard when everyone around you is wasted. I know, peer pressure. But it’s college?
Tomorrow will be 12 days since I last drank and I can say without any doubt that alcohol abuse is creating most of my anxiety problems. Since I typically binge on the weekends, just taking a break from one weekend has shown me just how much of my panic/anxiety is due to alcohol withdrawal more than anything.
I said I would try every other weekend but I really am enjoying this freedom from the physical/emotional/mental drain that is alcohol/panic/anxiety.
Oh, she’s calling my name at every corner…Promising me more good times ahead. I admit, it’s hard. Even feeling great right now, and knowing what binging means for my health, I still crave the buzz.
I’m going to drink when I’m going to drink. That much I do know.
Until then, I am going to enjoy not thinking I’m dying for one reason or another.
Todd,
I completely agree with you. I’m almost a full week in without alcohol. Much less Xanax intake and less agoraphobia. I’ve had about three cravings but they didn’t last long. The freedom is a great thing. My nightmares are dissipating. I wake up feeling pretty good though my insomnia is still there, just getting better. Anxiety causes SO much drain. I hate the disassociation with oneself and all the fear. They way I’m looking at it now is… is it really worth drinking after what I’ve just been through? NO WAY.
Glad to hear you’re doing better Todd. Good job on not drinking, but as you say it’s always around the corner ready to bite us in the ass.
I had more than a few beers last week and weekend as my son and his family were here for ten days, I only a a couple of beers during the week, but on the weekend look out.
We had a big party on Saturday and I drank I think about eight beers, then pigged out on some great food, but that was around midnight after everybody had left and gone to bed. Of course I didn’t eat anything when people were here, I never had an appetite when I’m socializing. My mother was the same way, but she was not a binge drinker, just didn’t feel like eating when visiting, I’d rather talk.
Anyway I felt fine the next day, no anxiety whatsoever even though my son and his family were going back home. Of course I cried like a baby when we dropped them off at the airport but that was expected.
The new medication I’m on is really taking care of my anxiety all around, including my social anxiety. I hope it lasts.
I’m still weaning off the Effexor XR therefore I’m getting brain shocks but I’ve had them before and no big deal. In fact I’ve been totally off the Effexor for three days now.
I know I can’t live without an antidepressant or Lithium because of my Bipolar II disorder, so I just have accepted that fact.
By the way, so far no side effects with new antidepressant, no sexual side effects, and no pigging out on sweets and gaining weight, plus lots more energy, I even exercised today dispute having a cold and a sore throat. Also the energy is not that restless, agitated,
creepy kind where you can’t stop moving. I can still relax and I feel calm.
I’m now up to my therapeutic dose of 40 mg.
I’m still looking at this with cautious optimism, if I’m still doing well in a few weeks I’ll be very happy.
I hope everyone is doing as well as can be. Take care of yourselves!
Sorry this is so long winded, I’m sick of listening to all this bullshit myself.
BLAH…BLAH…BLAH…!
Todd/Ruth, that is absolutely GREAT you guys went for a week or two without a drop (wish i could do that!). The most i go is a day or two without a drop, then i’ll drink 10-12 beers–feel like crap the next day, and then anxiety either the next day or most probably the “2nd’ day after drinking. Which leads me to believe that maybe the greatest anxiety times are not the “hangover” day, but the day after and that it IS because of “withdrawl”? Has anyone noticed the same time frames and agree it is the alcohol “withdrawl” that causes the anxiety? Keep up the great work Todd and Ruth, and remember you WILL probably falter and drink again, maybe even soon, but just get right back on the “not drinking” horse and remember THESE times of how much better you feel WITHOUT the alcohol..I’m starting to get to the point myself where i’m asknig myself “is it worth it”? We all know the answer is no, but its hard to take that “full week” of not drinking step.
Ruth,
I just came across your article, that you for letting me know I’m not alone. I’ve being fighting the fact I’m an alcoholic for 3 years most by not drinking. But each time I have 4 times my anxiety comes back full swing. I’m in an anxious state right now & am coping with the Ativan my doctor gave me so I can go to work & struggle through the day. I’ve given myself every reason why I’ll be ok if I drink & I’ve just run out of them. I’m curious do you go to AA?
Thanks
E
Ruth/Minnie – Glad to hear things are improving for you both. I feel fortunate that I am able to avoid daily medication (other than Lorazapam, but even that I wean myself off of slowly after a couple weeks if the benders have been bad). My sleeping patterns have returned to normal which is HUGE! I exercise daily which is a major factor in overall health and being able to sleep at night so I highly recommend everyone to do something, anything that involves getting up, getting out, and moving.
J- YEP! It IS alcohol withdrawal! A “regular hangover” is the next day where you don’t feel all that hot. True withdrawal has a dormant effect. Which day it comes out and kicks your tail varies from person to person but the average “peak days of panic” due to moderate withdrawal are between 2 and 5 days. For me between day 3 and 5 is the worst. Once I’m past the 5th day I start to feel normal again.
For years I thought I was dying. During each week I felt so weird, so bad, so sick (dizziness, detached, aches and pains, heart palpitations, thoughts of death, horrific anxiety, etc, etc) I was 100 percent convinced I had a terminal illness. So I would drink a lot on the weekends because it was the only time those feelings would go away. Little did I realize IT WAS THE BINGE DRINKING ON THE WEEKENDS CAUSING MY SYMPTOMS DURING THE WEEK!
I can’t underscore that last sentence enough. Caps are not big enough, really.
Although it’s still taking me forever and a day to get off of that ride, I now intimately realize the impact it has on my life and I am taking measures to reduce my drinking.
Try drinking a little less each week. Really do your best. You will see for yourself and do yourself a great healing service in the process.
Well said Todd. I have been taking it easy ( not drinking anything ) for 10 days now. I feel like a million bucks. I am humbled that it has taken me this long to realize the problem ( 4 years ). I believe the key is awareness ( this read is a great reminder in the inbox almost daily . I have taken the approach to be kind and forgiving to myself and just be aware of the results. I don’t drink a lot compared to others. 2 glasses of wine about 5 days a week. I believe the results are cumulative.
Here’s a tip I learned from Byron Katie https://www.thework.com :
Before you drink notice the thoughts you are believing just prior to drinking. Get very quiet and just observe the thoughts. Observe the feelings in your body.
This awareness has been huge for me.
Has anyone read Allen Carr’s ‘Easyway to control alcohol’? I’ve been reading it myself, and it’s been useful. Whilst I don’t have a dependency, I binge at weekends and am keen to break the cycle, especially after last weekend’s attack of the horrors the day after. There are a number of favourable reviews out there (a few negative ones too, let’s not sugar coat it too much!). It addresses the need to drink from an unusual angle, one that’s very difficult to explain here. For the relatively low price I thought I’d give it a go and see if it helps – I’ll try to remember to let you know how it goes when I’ve finished it!
I’m off the beer this weekend, having a deliberately dry spell. I find myself wanting to drink to fit in with others as much as anything else- being sober in amongst others who aren’t makes me feel socially awkward, though it shouldn’t. Off to a boozy barbecue this afternoon, though no intention whatsover to have a drink.
I’d love to become teetotal. I’ve begun to see booze as the pointless money-draining venture it really is. It doesn’t really help me chill and relax in social situations – whilst I become very talkative after a few drinks, I unfortunately talk bollocks.
E,
Regarding AA. Yes, I have. I tried 4-5 groups where I live but they didn’t work for me. I was still in denial I am an alcoholic. It wasn’t until I took a trip abroad that a friend noticed my drinking. He has been in AA for 10 yrs and was a BLAZING alcoholic back in the day. Found laughing in a busy street alone, smashed out of his head type. I went to his group for a month and found it easy to be sober. Back home, it didn’t work for me. Didn’t like the groups, plus I got to Step 4 and could not get past it. You have to make pages of lists of how your drinking has negatively impacted other people’s lives and then contact every one of those people and ask them for forgiveness so that you can continue to make your sobriety #1 priority. I just couldn’t do it. And I was on occasional Xanax and got told by AA that I could not say I was sober as I was on another drug. I found this annoying as I was then put into the ‘dry drunk’ category. Yet AA allow tobacco and most all of AAer’s I met were caffeine addicts, saying it does not change your state of mind. If I drink caffeine, since it is an ‘upper’, I get awful anxiety! That affects the mind! That said, try AA if you think it will help. It does have a large success rate. If you decide to go, try different groups and go for those with long term sobriety members.
I’m on Day 8 now. I usually get real urges around the 2 week abstinence phase. I know the old story: you get all up on your high horse about how good you have been. This time around I feel a whole lot different. The anxiety was the worst I’ve ever known and I just hope I am able to remember that when the urges start. I should know better, knowing that I’ve made such poor relationship choices, making mountains out of molehills, affecting my health and judgements, made me argumentative when I am not like that normally… but it is a VERY powerful drug. Good luck, and no, you’re not alone.
Ruth,
I did not like A.A. either. There were some people in A.A. that were not nice at all.
One man even suggested that I should start talking to the group soon, as it would help me to stop my binge drinking.
This was only my second meeting and at meetings you talk only when you want to.
I’ve also seen a women flip out because someone cross talked, I have many other examples of behavior that really turned me away from A.A.
I’m not good at following certain doctrines and A.A. has many. If you don’t do it exactly like they say you’re a pariah. I’ve been to tons of meetings over the years and never really felt like I fit in. They truly have a political and a religious agenda.
Don’t get me wrong, A.A. is great for many people, and has helped thousands, it’s just not for me.
Like Groucho Marx said, “I don’t want to belong to any group that would have me as a member.”
Anyway, there is another program called the Smart Recovery Program, I’ve read what they’re all about and I like the sound of this better. I may attend a meeting, I may not, only time will tell. You can google it online on read about it if so inclined.
Todd as I mentioned previously, if you have trouble weaning yourself off Ativan try the Valium method, it lets you down so much more gently.
I have a question, I took Lorazapam the other night to help me sleep and it actually made me feel anxious. Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks,
Minnie
Minnie – Yes, there have been a couple of times I’ve taken Lorazapam and it has increased my anxiety. Although it’s a rare response, it does occur. I would say for me, if I take .5 mgs 30 times, maybe 2 or 3 of those times it may increase my anxiety. I’m not sure why.
All-in-all, it has been quite effective for me and now that I know how to properly taper, it’s no big deal. I haven’t taken any in nearly a month.
Thanks Todd, I have read somewhere that this could happen, it has never happened to me with Valium. I’ve only taken Lorazapam a few times, I guess I’ll stay away from it.
I’m glad you wrote that bit on AA. Been wanting to go, but I would totally get frustrated with that doctrine stuff. Then I would have walked away feeling shitty about myself.
anonymoustoo,
I certainly had no intention of discouraging anyone from attending A.A.
What I wrote was a personal view of mine. Thousands upon thousands of people that have recovered from attending A.A. meetings and many have had their lives saved by attending meetings.
Who, knows, I may even try it myself again…but at this point I rarely drink.
I personally know many people that would never have stopped drinking without the help of A.A. or would be laying dead somewhere from a drunken binge!
Many people like and even love A.A.
If you want to try a meeting go, sometimes the first one can be a little scary, or you may think, this sucks, but you should try more than one meeting before coming to any conclusions.
I’m a very stubborn person and I don’t like to follow the rules…never did…that’s one of the reasons I had such a problem with A.A., you have to want to play the game.
But it may be just the thing for you or anyone else on this site.
Minnie
I drink because it’s the only thing that works. I never drink to get drunk, and even if I was stopped at a road block, I would be under the limit. I only drink a beer every couple of hours to steady my nerves. I did try going to many doctors, and was diagnosed as bi-polar by one, the rest were at a loss as to what was wrong with me. I tried many medications, none worked, and the side-effects of the drugs I was given wasn’t worth it. I continue to self-medicate.
I’ve been suffering from anxiety for the last 8 years, medicated for most of it…also self medicated with alcohol, alot of it. I drank 6-8 beers or more a night, and my anxiety was spiraling out of control. I went to see a pyschiatrist for more help, and he told me he wouldn’t help me until i was 30 days sober! I’d not been sober for more than a day in the past 8 years, at least. I got scared when he explained to me that the alcohol was not only negating my medication, rendering it almost useless, but it was also making my anxiety worse! I had at this point his rock bottom, having rolling panic attacks every day, triggers were everything and anything. I was really tired of living this way. So I heeded his advice. I have kept a blog of my experience and its been really great to read back on. I am currently 44 days sober (still on 20mg Celexa as Dr recommends). Its been tough, ups and downs for sure, the little voice to want a beer can definitely still be loud. But i’m trying to keep the list of positives (i sleep!!!! finally!!!). I would love to have a group of people to discuss this with, if anyone is interested in chatting, please let me know! My husband does not suffer from anxiety, nor does he really drink. Its very hard to get him to understand me. Good luck to you all!
Hi Tobiano
I’d be interested in chatting about this. I’m pretty new to this group and have suffered anxiety for about 5 years. The first time occurred when I dated a man who was a really heavy drinker and my drinking went up. During one sleepless night I could not understand why I felt so strange and after he left to go home after days of boozing with him from morning till night, I had a full on panic attack that was absolutely horrendous. I didn’t know back then that alcohol was one of the contributing factors. I used to drink constantly…wine… thinking/believing that it would help reduce stress, to help me chill out and not worry so much. Two years ago I went for a month without drinking and logged each day with notes. I went back to drinking though and have had short episodes on and off. I’m sober 11 days now, not much, but enough for me to not have anything but some sleeping problems lingering. Most all my anxiety and the accompanying other horrors are gone. The anxiety was so bad just before I gave up that I am more adamant than ever in the knowledge that I just CAN’T drink. My bf suffers from anxiety, but not enough to take meds. He is a non-drinker but has had relationships before with alcoholics and understands it and is sympathetic. My anxiety was bad enough to put me on occasional Xanax, which I am almost done with now. I could deal with hangovers and some guilt when I was drinking way better than anxiety which put a halt on anything positive in my life and rendered me useless and feeling hopeless. I hope I can make for a happier life sober and Xanax-free with no more anxiety or panic on the horizon.
Thanks to everyone who has posted here. It’s great to get almost daily reminders. Something very comforting about not being alone with this anxiety issue.
Awareness is the key to success in my opinion. Just being very conscious of how alcohol affects me is huge. With awareness comes honesty, integrity, self-love.
heres what confuses me the most though, and i dont see where it was addressed by anyone here.. Well, we all admit we either are or were pretty heavy drinkers, but my question is this: WHY were we able to drink moderately or heavy for many many years WITHOUT any form of stupid “panic” or anxiety after drinking, and then all the sudden one day we got hit like a brick with this panic?? Why was the worse symptom we’d ever get a bad hangover from heavy partying, and now we have looming feelings of death and anxiety a day or two after heavy drinking….Is it a cumulative effect of years of heavy drinking that “all the sudden” brings on panic attacks?? Is it just having ONE bad panic attack that causes a chain reaction that makes your mind prepare (and thus bring on) that feeling or anxiety after heaving drinking?? Was it an event in our lifes that brought it on?? Any ideas ???
@J, thats a really good point, I started drinking in my teens and not until my later twenties did I start having the “anxiety hangovers”, however my anxiety attacks didn’t start until I was 19. If you have one bad panic attack, and are not medicated, it can take MONTHS to come down from it. Even on medication now, which prohibits my body from going into full on flight mode, if i have a minor attack, i will feel a knot in my stomach for days. I blame genetics that I have anxiety at all, both my parents suffered from it in the past, my mother had pretty severe agoraphobia when i was a kid, and my dad has anxiety as well, but chooses not to use medication unless he’s in a really stressful situation. I have it worse than both.
@John, I agree, its so nice to have a support group, knowing there are people out there who are struggling the same as you, and are in differnt stages of the struggle, who maybe can help you, or you can help them. (i know i’m the queen of using commas)
@Ruth, good for you! Day 11 or Day 44, you’re making a conscious effort to get better and get control of your life. my email is tobiano2222@hotmail.com, email me anytime. that goes for anyone else out there too!
Also,
@Todd, your posting:
” I really am enjoying this freedom from the physical/emotional/mental drain that is alcohol/panic/anxiety.”
“Oh, she’s calling my name at every corner…Promising me more good times ahead. I admit, it’s hard. Even feeling great right now, and knowing what binging means for my health, I still crave the buzz.”
could NOT have hit the nail on the head better. I can comiserate with both these statements. Good luck to all of us!!
@J. I have asked myself ( and other professionals ) the same questions. I drank for years with only a hangover. Looking back my anxiety started slowly with panic attacks in airplanes and NYC tunnel traffic in my mid-thirties. I believe it could be generational. My mother is now in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s and Xanax keeps her from anxiety ( she never drank )
My father has always been a worrier( He never drank ) So I could have learned this behavior from them. But at this point, I “own” the problem and it really doesn’t matter where it came from or why. The way I look at it is almost everyone has to alter their diet or life style in some way as they age. So it’s time for me to face reality and at 53 years old accept my bodies limitations.
I Agree with Tobiano, I think the majority of us have a preexisting anxiety problem.
Mine is also genetic and I’ve had anxiety pretty much all my life. I’m not talking panic attacks but just general anxiety.
Then when I was 22 I had my first panic attack, I have not had one in a long time now but I still carry the anxiety with me most of the time.
Sometimes it’s very subtle and sometimes it’s more pronounced, and then of course that leads to more anxiety.
Alcohol is notorious for causing depression and anxiety, I’m sure everyone on this site is well aware of that by now.
Also, anxiety usually shows up in your twenties, as I mentioned before I had it most of my life.
I can remember not wanting to go to school because I didn’t feel like I fit in there, I used to pretend that I was sick so I could stay home with my mother.
Then as a teenager I turned to drugs and alcohol to make me feel more comfortable around people, and as I mentioned previously, the full blown panic attack.
After one of those attacks I would slip into a seriously deep depression, and the panic would turn into major anxiety.
Then I had two problems to try and deal with, depression and anxiety, it got so bad that I couldn’t function.
This has probably happened to me ten or so times in my life, very scary!
It is not uncommon to have co-morbid disorders such as depression, anxiety, add, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc.
Todd….i’m very glad to hear how well you are doing.. I myself havent gone 10-20 days or more in a LONGGG time without a drop…….I’d like to ask you though, do you TRULY and completely definitely feel much better after not drinking for a couple weeks?? Do you TRULY not feel the anxiety?? Or is it just in our minds that you feel so much better because you know yoru not drinking? I’m just asking because i question it myself if i would really feel “so much better” if i stopped drinking, and maybe if i hear from someone like you who hasnt had a drop in weeks the positive effects, it would help me to abstain much longer?? Whats your honest take on how you personally “feeL” after not drinkign a drop for weeks?
@J, i’m going to answer your question too..I have kept my blog going since i quit and honestly since stopping drinking my anxiety has been loads better. I quit drinking on a monday, and by friday i was feeling better, no shakes, no nervousness. I started sleeping better about 5 days in as well. I found i was exhausted earlier as well. I was skeptical at first as to how much affect the alcohol i was consuming was having on my anxiety, and the answer is TONS. I would drink alot, and the next day I was bound to have a panic attack. The last one i had was so major that I got violently ill, i couldn’t go through a tunnel in the car with my parents, ended up having a massive attack, getting sick and having to take almost two ativans just to get through a freaking tunnel!
if you’re at all contemplating it, just try to think “what is alcohol doing FOR me, that i dont want to give it up?” The answers’s probably pretty lame, if you can think of one at all. Your sanity is worth more than that.
J,
Only 12 days in on sobriety and I’m on only ONE Xanax a day, compared to 3 before I quit drinking. I still can’t sleep well yet, but that is nothing compared to how awful I felt before. Unlike before I don’t wake up and think of drinking, nor do I think about it many times during the day, which I used to all the time. How much do I have left, when do I need to go and get more? Might there be a bottle I forgot about under the sink, I should really cut down… those thoughts are all gone. I know that as soon as I drink a ton, the next day I’ll be okay, drained of course, but then as the week progresses, the anxiety will start looming around the edges of my brain and if I continue drinking, it WILL lead to a full blown attack. I hope to be able to write more about this once I have weeks rather than days in on not drinking.
About your other post on anxiety. I agrees with others and do think that some of us, drinkers or not, are predisposed to anxiety through genetics. My mother used to get so nervous that she took several driving lessons as an adult and failed them. My father lived a life of fear, mainly the fear of pain and dying (when he passed, he dropped dead instantly, ironically), and as kids we were not allowed to do ‘scary’ or ‘adventurous’ things, such as learn how to swim, ride bikes, play in the street, etc. I also think anxiety affects introspective types and more sensitive human beings more too. My bf suffers anxiety a lot. His father suffered from anxiety too and had post traumatic stress disorder from being in the war and could never leave the house due to major agoraphobia.
My belief is that anxiety, fear and depression are all interlinked. All of these factors stop us living a full and happy, carefree life. One of the reasons (there are many) I carried on drinking KNOWING that alcohol would make me anxious was because I could not bear the thought of the DT’s, which are hell. But they will pass in a matter of days (2 weeks at most if you have hit it hard), whereas to continue to drink will not provide the peace of mind we all seek.
Ruth, congrats on the great work of staying away from alochol! Please keep posting as your emails are truly inspirational to me.. I have not cut down that much myself and i usually go two days on, two days off, and only drink light beers, but to be honest i do some nites drink 10 at a time..I have noticed though that the more powerful the alcohol, the WORSE the anxiety, without a doubt….If i drink 10 light beers, i feel like crap the next day and have some anxiety, panic issues, but if i drink HARD liquor im’ truly anxious , depressed, and panicky the next couple days…
I also wonder, does anyone use nicotene here?? I dont smoke, but i chew tobacco, and have noticed WITHOUT A DOUBT that when i’m hungover, and feeling “anxious” using nicotene that day (which is always) makes me ALOT more anxious…..Its a proven fact that nicotene constricts blood vessels, and raises your heart rate and blood pressue, so it makes sense, but has anyone else who is a tobacco user noticed increased anxiety, or panic when using nicotene after drinking?
Hi J-
I truly and completely and definitely feel A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER having simply removed the routine of weekly binging. Just by skipping one weekend, I could absolutely, unequivocally tell that the binging of alcohol was creating my most severe anxiety and panic disorders. Any anxiety I did feel was within what I would consider normal levels…Barely even register. A fleeting, familiar pang would vanish almost as quickly as it came.
The difference is unbelievable. My thinking is that my panic/anxiety is about 90 percent alcohol withdrawal during the weekday, with maybe 10 percent being what I would consider genetic or from deep-rooted emotional trauma from my past.
That 10 percent is completely manageable and barely even noticeable in my day-to-day, but when I maintain this weekend warrior cycle of binging, that’s when I constantly battle the horrific side effects of withdrawal. I smoked some pot a few months ago because I was told it would greatly reduce my anxiety. NOT TRUE! It actually kicked it right up to the surface. Needless to say that was the end of that experiment. (Besides, that’s all I need is another chemical to abuse).
I do want to make it clear that I did drink last weekend, after going nearly two weeks. Nothing crazy, but what I would consider a typical weekend. The next day, I could really feel the toxins in my system, not necessarily worse than usual, but because I skipped a weekend, the feelings were pronounced. The message my body was sending was clear: “You’re ingesting poison and I don’t like it.”
This weekend I head to the beach. I had planned to enjoy some drinks but because I drank last weekend, I am not going to drink this weekend. I am dead committed to the every OTHER weekend for now. Hopefully soon enough that will fall to once a month until it just is a rare thing in my life. I need to start building memories of fun places and good times that don’t involve a wine glass in my hand.
Everybody keep fighting the good fight!
Remember some good keys:
Exercise.
Hydrate! (WATER)
Take the proper multi-vitamins/supplements
Eat veggies and fruits.
Listen to your favorite music.
LAUGH!
But most importantly, LOVE and forgive yourself.
erm, hello, i don’t know you guys but i think i want to! 🙂 i found a thread like this one time but the last post was from 2007. i already feel less alone reading all these posts. you had me at “anxiety hangover”. i promise this will be my longest post ever…
so i’m 25 and have been drinking moderately-heavily since i was about 18, when i began university. i work in senior management for a fundraising agency. my two best friends own the company and my boyfriend runs it; we love it but it’s very stressful so we start drinking at 6 on the dot to take our minds off of it. also, the three of them are english guys so that could have something to do with it! my parents were self proclaimed alcoholics; they both died a few years ago. my dad never drank after finding AA at 25, my mom was in and out of AA. i always marveled that i wasn’t an alcoholic and i truly don’t think i am. if i’m alone, i would almost never drink and oftentimes i’d rather go to the gym after work and leave the drinking to the boys.
i’ve flirted- okay had a torrid affair with- eating disorders since i was 15. this tends to mean that my three-four (sometimes five…) glasses of wine a night are oftentimes most of my calories for the day so i get drunk quickly. i don’t really ever know when to stop, it’s not that i can’t, i don’t think, it’s just that who wants to sit around drinking apple juice when the bosses have a tab at the bar?!
i’ve always had moderate depression, even as a child, which is odd, i know. i never thought i had anxiety. i sure as hell do now…
i often black out after an amount of alcohol that wouldn’t cause black outs in most people. when this happens, i wake up terrified. my boyfriend assures me that everything was fine, i was nice to everyone but i can’t shake the feeling that everyone hates me or is mad at me or that i did terribly embarrassing things.
the next part is the weird part. hopefully not too weird that you won’t let me hang out with you guys because i feel really alone. boo hoo, i know.
after drinking, i get anxious, like you all. but i’ve been doing super weird involuntary things, maybe to “shut up” my anxiety like squeezing my eyes shut really hard, shaking my head back and forth, shaking my hands really hard, saying NO for seemingly no reason in my head and recently, a couple of times, i’ve said it out loud. it doesn’t happen often which is why my boyfriend says it’s no big deal. (typical man haha) but i mean, um, yeah, it is, i’m freaking talking to my self and shaking my hands like rain man.
i notice a lot of you mention being on anxiety medicine. i’m truly happy for any of you that are helped by that but i do not and will not take any chemical medication, even aspirin. sometimes i take valerian root and recently i bought some magnesium, took two today as i woke up with a HORRIBLE feeling of panic. i drank five glasses of wine last night and ended up quite drunk.
i am absolutely willing to cut down on my drinking but in truth, my boyfriend and my friends all drink and it would be impossible for me to avoid. and again, i don’t think i’m an alcoholic.
so, anyway, that’s me. thanks for reading my word vomit. i suppose i should get back to doing some work. i feel much better after getting this out to you guys instead of trying to explain it to my boyfriend who truly does not understand.