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.
“But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.” -Desiderata
Whenever I am anxious, I remember this poem. I am usually feeling very tired, or alone.
John,
I would look into vitamin depletion and possibly alcohol allergy. You may have been seriously depleted in a vitamin(s) and that binge did you in by robbing vital vitamins. Do you eat well? Clean up your diet. Do you take vitamins? Look into vitamin depletion. Eat really well for the next weeks, lots of water.
I drank so f*cking much last night…today was the worst anxiety ever short of the panic attack. Like my memory was gone. Like brain damage.
I think today is “Day One” of sobriety. Todd, my motivation is health as well.
PLEASE keep posting about your sobriety and the less anxieity symptoms. You really have no idea how inspiring.
anonymous, was it you who drank so f’ing much last night? It was hard to tell from the post.
This is three weeks and a day for me today. Things get better every day. Today I had absolutely no morning blahs and didn’t need the Reeses Pieces to get going. I have been toying with the idea of having a beer, but when I go to reach for it, I think, “I worked hard to get to three weeks, I can wait one more day.” Maybe that’s what they mean at AA by “One Day At A Time.” I still can’t believe they push coffee and cigarettes, though. That’s nuts.
Ok, thanks. I am feeling a beer call me. I have to fight it off. So that if I choose to drink in the future, I can do it in moderation.
First post in a long time. No alcohol in months. Eating well. Doctor has taken me off Xanax. Hostage in my own mind. Afraid to sleep… Drive… Live. I fear daily I will die and leave my child without me. This has ruined my marriage and consume my everything. I called the dr and begged for relief. He said my anxiety is to a lecel wgere I should consider committing myself for an extended period of time. Fel like everyone has given up on me. Daily pain is unbearable. Testa show I am,fine. Giving up. Sorry for the spelling I am doing this on my phone and the keyboard is difficult while shaking…. Ha ha ha.
I just went for a run. WOW. Feel better. Still want that beer(s)!
DON’T GIVE UP! Can you go for a light jog? It does clear the head. It’s just probably withdrawal. You can do it.
I really think that all this is a mineral/herb/vitamin deficiency we all have. I just read that alcholics who have anxiety might feel better taking chromium picolate. I’ll post better tomorrow.
I am afraid to work out. I have been feeling a pulsating sensation in my abdomen and back. I am convinced I have a dilated aorta. I have severe abdominal and back pain that wakes me in the night and scares me into a panic attack. On Lortab now for pain. Does nothing for me. Dont think its withdrawl. My doc was afraid of addiction so I only got a script for 15 every two months. Only took it when I felt panic coming. Anxiety is turning into very disabling panic disorder. I hate living like this.
Jessica,
I do not understand at all why, when you are feeling these symptoms, that your Dr took you off Xanax. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I would seriously consider changing your Dr. You should not have to resort to ending up committing yourself. Perhaps you need new psychological tests and a Dr who can be sympathetic that you need some decent medication. I am not about medication at all, but in severe circumstances, it does appear for some people, to balance the mind. And we need peace of mind. Consider getting some good help asap. I really hope you feel better very soon, as opposed to thinking you will just have to suffer through and hate living. There are alternatives. This group can be supportive. Good luck.
Jessica, do you have somebody who can help you? As in, help you get to a doctor, or can you go by yourself? Don’t let this consume you. I am convinced that 99%+ people can be helped.
Jessica, i can help you…..Please email me at nepaguy0000@aol.com…Your not alone buddy.
anonymoustoo,,
Thanks for your words…it makes me feel i am not alone
i am drinking water, sport drinks, taking Vitamin B6,12,Complex, Q10, Advil,whatever you could imagine to keep my head straight over my shoulder, i became more used to dizziness and sleepiness, my real pain is that no one believes me, everyone is saying i am Anxious but i am sure Alcohol did all that to me, my head is shaking so i preferred avoiding people, have you ever heard about a Hangover which lasted for 2 weeks (so far)? i went out today but i felt that my head is isolated, like it is foggy, i got an appointment with a Neurologist on the 24th of this month however i don’t trust Doctors anymore, i want at least to go for a CAT scan to see what is going on…i can see the veins on my head jumping up and down…
Interesting you use the word “foggy” since I have been using that word to describe what I have been going through for years. Before I knew what was wrong with me I always described that I felt like I had “foggy brain” or that I was somehow just “off”. It is extremely difficult to describe unless you are going through it. Dizziness is another main symptom. I was convinced I had a terminal illness and since my physicals would always come back normal, I would simply drink more on the weekends to escape how I was feeling during the week.
Dizziness, foggy or disconnected feeling in the head, lethargy (even acute bouts which I have had as well), aches and pains, jolts, muscle twitches, vertigo…I could go on and on and on.
John, it’s anxiety. It took me years to figure it out. No need for you to wait that long. It can be managed with a healthy lifestyle. My feeling is that your alcohol binge (by your standards since you said before that you rarely drank) triggered this episode of anxiety. Alcohol – if you read all the posts here – clearly has a profound trigger effect towards anxiety/panic disorder. Nobody knows why exactly or when it will strike or how badly or for how long…I now know the main anxiety triggers for me:
Alcohol (notice it is at the top of the list for good reason)
MSG
Caffeine
Sodium overload
Nicotine (when I do have that rare cigar)
Chocolate/Sugar
Whenever I overindulge in any of these it triggers various anxiety symptoms. If I indulge in most or all of these things over a weekend, I know I am in for The Perfect Storm. It is when I do that, I experience the next week feeling like I am dying. Now that I know what my main triggers are, I can dramatically decrease the anxiety in my life.
Interesting story. For several years I always noticed I would have my worst “feeling like I was dying” phase in November/December. Well, November is a huge month in our household as it is my birthday, my wife and my anniversary, my child’s birthday plus NFL football season (I’m a big fan and season ticket holder). Add in the holidays and there’s my Perfect Storm.
Last year, I started feeling horrific symptoms the week after my birthday/anniversary weekend (they are close together so we tend to celebrate them at the same time). Well let’s take a look at my typical weekend menu keeping my above triggers in mind:
Ribeye steak
King Crab/Shellfish
Red wine and LOTS of it
Cigar
Chocolate Mousse (my fav)
BAM.
Foggy brain, heart palpitations/arrhythmias, thoughts of dying, dizziness, nervousness, panic attacks, anxiety…
Now you need to figure out what your triggers are (besides alcohol which I believe we have established as a very well known one).
I found your podcast and also comments by other anxiety suffers very informative. I’m 48 and just in the last 12 months I’ve started to suffer from intermittent numbness in my hands, feet and lips/face. I first thought I had MS and ran off to have an MRI but the doctor said it was anxiety. I also get occasional heart palpitations and atrial fibrillation which I have some mediation for and only have to take occasionally. It’s a beta blocker and this also has a nice calming effect on any anxiety as it blocks or limits adrenaline absorption (so I believe) and I found it much more effective that standard medication like SSRI’s etc and also no side effects in small doses.
But I wanted to comment on triggers especially alcohol consumption. I find I can drink one or two cups of coffee a day and have no problems yet a small amount of alcohol for more than a couple of days in a row causes problems. Nobody has given actual amounts that I can see so I’ll mention mine.
I am a very light drinker by most standards and love red wine. I will only ever drink 1 – 2 standard drinks per night with dinner. A standard drink is 190ml or a quarter of a bottle of wine (13.5% alcohol)
I also find as in the podcast that if I’m feeling mildly anxious, a single glass of wine cures me immediately and I’m usually fine the next day. The other benefit to mild alcohol consumption is that it is a vasodialator but moderate to high consumption can have the opposite effect apparently. So having numbness cause by constricted blood vessels from anxiety, a small drink has a noticeable effect on getting the circulation going. By contrast, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, so if you have numbness in your extremities from anxiety, both caffeine and too much alcohol may aggravate that.
So if I have a drink with dinner once I’m fine the next day, but 2 or 3 days straight then I start to wake up at about 4am like I’m wide awake and on high alert. This can be accompanied with palpitations or skipped/irregular heartbeats and finally some anxious feelings if I persist with the alcohol every night.
So i’m having one glass per week now – two at max and it doesn’t cause anxiety symptoms the next day or days later. So that’s my limit, others may be able to cope with more – or none at all but it’s about finding out your tolerance.
I do miss my drink every night but going without is preferable to anxiety, numbness and heart medication.
Hi there!!
I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder and I agree with the above 100%. While in the moment, going out with friends and having cocktails may be so much fun and you dont have a worry in the world. The next day can prove to be very dibilitating…I get rapid heart rate, shaky hands and feeling for fogginess…NOT GOOD for someone who suffers from anxiety and panic. In some cases this has caused me to go into full blown panic. Although I still have a few drinks when I go out I have learned to drink water inbetween and keep my consumption to a minimum… Good luck all… Just for the record… It sucks being the lucky one to suffer from anxiety and panic………………..
This article clarifies that anxiety is a side effect of alcohol for a number of reasons. I am an alcoholic and have anxiety or whatever but if you drink in moderation, there is a small chance you will feel like dying the next day.
Todd…what is Anxiety really like?? i read a lot about Anxiety but it seems to me like a ghost, honestly, i don’t believe that Anxiety decided to come and settle in me, the symptoms are very close to other different sickness, have i told you that the Doctor said that what i have is Anxiety?? but i refused to take any medications insisting it is Alcohol not Anxiety, maybe while drinking that way my brain was damaged or shrinked, maybe my nerves were disturbed, you know what, i think that if i believed it is Anxiety i will then give the chance to Anxiety to come and attack me, i wish there was a blood test to show the percentage of Anxiety in the blood, or maybe Ghost Busters can deal with it, well, according to your words i have no other choice, i will go again to the Doctor, say sorry, and ask him to write Xanax for me, Todd, are you telling me that 2 shots of Vodka + 2 shots of Whisky + 2 shots of Red wine is not considered a heavy drinking episode? by the way, that night i was not drunk, i went home and was reading a nice book…i have to go back to work, should i take my Anxiety with me?
Anxiety IS a ghost. That’s the bitch of it John.
It’s not a bacteria you can get antibiotics for. It’s a complex, but very real, syndrome. The why’s, when’s, where’s, how’s and who’s is as varied as there are humans on the planet. There is no specific set of symptoms that are the same from person-to-person. I cannot and will not tell you with 100 percent certainty that you have anxiety but everything you describe has the ol’ magic eight ball saying “All signs point to YES”.
When you hear the word anxiety, you think “Oh, feeling anxious.” That’s what I used to think. In no literature did I ever come across where descriptors like “Anxiety will convince you that you have months, perhaps only weeks to live.” Say what?? It’s crippling on every level if it is allowed to grow. If you feed it, it grows. Alcohol is FOOD FOR ANXIETY.
Like I said before, I’m not a doctor. I would suggest a therapist. M.D.’s will probably tell you to do the same thing. I would still consider a CAT scan just to rule out something more serious in the immediate sense. Don’t take my advice blindly. Do some more research and by all means consider the evidence that is presented in the forums in regards to how alcohol and anxiety go hand-in-hand.
Todd…my symptoms are now worse…have you ever had the feeling of Ants crawling all over your body?? it is now happening to me, i was searching for that feeling on the internet and it has a scientific name ”Formication”….
John are you coming off any prescripton drugs?
Minnie, no i am not, but i can see that Formication is one of the symptoms of Alcohol withdrawal…
Yes it is but it didn’t sound like you were drinking enough to have the DT’S.
I am listening to you right now, I am having a panic attack, I drank earlier tonight because I felt the panic attack coming, I drank some whiskey and some beer, and yes I have a problem with alcohol and I feel that it is making my anxiety attacks so much worse. I am so tired of drinking but I am surrounded by people that do drink and I love the taste of it and how it makes me stop worrying about everything which I do I am a worrier will I ever get a good nights sleep, the panic attack is ending I am getting extremely tired now, that is my first sign it is coming to an end, I wish these damn attacks would go away, I want my life back.
Well…there is nothing called ”Anxiety”, it is a Ghost that we created and believed in, i visited 6 Doctors in 2 weeks and they all said that i am Anxious, i would tell them i am not Anxious and you Doctors need to study more and more, i feel sad for all of you guys, there is no panic…no anxiety…there is nothing to fear and no one can scare you….don’t waste your life worrying about panic and anxiety…i told you…all Doctors are pointing at me ”Anxious” and i don’t believe that, i believe in Virus, Bacteria, Infections, Tumour…i believe that Ghosts are there but i believe that we have the power over them…have a good day
huh?? anyone else out there confused?
Tobiano
Very CONFUSED…WTF is John talking about? I certainly know that anxiety is very prevalent in my life…and it’s no ghost. John I’m not trying to be mean or critical but maybe you don’t want to admit that you have anxiety?!
Just my opinion.
Minnie
Might be a fake. Making fun of us.
anonymoustoo, Minnie
I am not in the mood to make fun of anyone, i am about to lose my job and no one could help me, today i visited Doctor no. 7, and he said: what you have is only stress, he has smart eyes that he can send them to check my blood and come back to him saying ”STRESS”, i started being tough to my friends and parents, they cannot understand that i wake up everyday expecting to be better but it is not happening, my CAT scan and blood pictures were all normal, if anyone here could confirm that what i have is ”Anxiety” i would appreciate but even the Doctor is afraid to write any prescriptions because he is not sure about anything, he just doesn’t know what is going on so simply he can play with the ”Anxiety”, ”Stress” words…
I used the term “Ghost” in the context that it is not like a bacteria you can take antibiotics for and after a week you are completely healed. It is completely organic and evanescent in nature. What may be a primary symptom in one person may not exist in another, yet it’s still defined as “Anxiety”.
Who knows, maybe in a hundred years they will know precisely the process in the brain and how to directly treat it (not just numb and manage the symptoms) and “cure” it but for now it’s a wide paint brush being used in explaining what anxiety is and how it impacts our lives (and how it is made worse by alcohol and other substances we ingest).
John, I think you are looking for us to provide you answers and we cannot do that. You’ve taken measures to ensure it’s not some kind of brain or body illness so now your next step is to see a therapist and/or psychiatrist to help better assess what you are going through.
We can be a support system but we are not medical professionals. It still seems to me that you are suffering from anxiety in some form but again, I’m not a doctor so it’s merely an opinion based on my own experience.
This little community of ours is a wonderful tool to help but only you can take the action necessary to heal. I can find great solace in here reading other’s words but nobody but me can control whether I am going to crack open that bottle of wine or not.
Amen to that todd!!
Todd, i don’t have any other option, seems Anxiety has chosen to be my friend, aside from our great Doctors, could we exchnge experiences about what helps to fight Anxiety whether it is a medication or a natural remedy, i saw some people talking about how Alcohol could be a remedy for Anxiety, and one more thing, being an Anxious person does it mean that i won’t be able to work again? should i start the process of applying for social assisstance?
a month ago if someone told me that he feels Ants crawling all over his body i would ask him to find a Magician to help him, now i can feel the pain of everyone…
John, I’m not really sure what more I can say at this point that I haven’t already said. Good luck to you and I hope you find the help and healing you require.
For John:
I can completely empathize with your frustration. I was right there with the “I believe Virus, Bacteria, Infections, Tumour…” for a really long time, and I was raised and grew up with a mother that has PTSD, agoraphobia and extreme anxiety. Yet I still didn’t accept that what I was going through was my own anxiety, no matter how many times she would tell me that’s what it was. Can’t tell you how many times I thought I was having a heart attack, even after my doctor ran many tests, including an MRI, of my healthy 39 year old heart.
For many years I have watched someone I love very much deal with anxiety, always without judgment and always with as much support as I could give, but it wasn’t until my own band stretched too far that I actually, fully GOT IT. My mother is a smoker, but does not abuse anything else at all, and from my perspective I think that it may or may not matter what you do, it’s going to happen because that’s how we were made. Maybe when certain humans do self medicate with *pick your poison here*, it just exasperates the problem or speeds up the process. That’s kinda where I think I am, and since I have stopped some of my bad habits (cigs/beer) and slowed another (wine), it has helped remove, almost completely, the anxiety I had been growing.
Perhaps, John, your band just stretched beyond your ability to pull it back that one night you overindulged. If your doctor(s) have made sure you are really not suffering from a physical ailment, maybe the next logical step would be to accept this for what it is, and get help from a physician that has the knowledge to get you back on track. And keep talking to others that are there or have been there. It’s a HUGE relief….trust me.
I am curious…….what part of the world do you live in?
Nice post hillyhils. I couldn’t agree more.
hillyhils, i agree with your opinion, by the way i am living in Canada, yes, what i did that night was nothing if you are talking about normal people, those who drink and get drunk and the second day they are fine, well, my life history shows that i am a weak person,yes, this is the truth, i am afraid of everything, my dad tried to teach me how to ride a Bycicle but i was afraid so i ended up afraid of Bycicles, horses, flights, hills, mice, insects (i had a Bat last night in my room, i think i ran out of heart beats…lol), i am not the Hero in anything, i failed to know how to swim, i was always afraid…scared…i am good at things which has no risk, i was always good at school, university, work…those kind of activities do not require a brave man they just need someone who is like a train, you put him on the start point and give him a push, i would like to mention that my father was admitted to the Hospital due to a ghost whom i knew in the future that this Ghost was ”Anxiety”, ya, i was still a child and i was watching my father crying and biting his pillow and my mother trying to take me away, i didn’t know what is going on with him, i can remember him screaming ”Jesus..save me” and i was always wondering why Jesus would see someone in all that pain without helping him, i remember that my father went to all Therapists whom we use to hear about them in the media, piles of medications, for 3 years with no improvement until he lost his job. i agree with you that what i did was behind my strength…..without thinking i opened the cage for the lion and now there is no back…..thanks for sharing your experiences….honestly you are doing what no Physician can do…
Todd….thank you. Everyone single post I have read on here has benefited me in some way, shape or form, especially yours.
John…..I had an episode of insomnia during the night and I sat quiety and thought of what you had written. I also thought of a couple of things I would like to tell you.
I’ll bet you are more brave that you give yourself credit for. You most likely hold the answers, you just haven’t been asked the right questions. There’s a saying that goes something like “I can stand what I know. It’s what I don’t know that frightens me.” For me, the beginning of the anxiety episodes were extremely scary because I was feeling the effects but didn’t know the cause. I am extremely lucky because I have an excellent relationship with my mother, who is an old pro at all of this crap. She went through this at a much younger age than me, with NO help. I’m not exaggerating either….she actually had negative help. Nowadays there is so much more information, and access (thanks internet), so hopefully you can get back on your path and get well again sooner than later (like Todd mentioned).
There is this mental exercise I do often. Can’t do it while I’m in the throes of an attack, but I try to always go back to it…..you’ll have to forgive the Harry Potter references (I have an 8 year old child):
Harry Potter’s problem: Dementors
Reason for problem: Because Voldemort took them off their shift at Azkaban to scare the bejeezus and suck the souls out of the good wizards
Solution to problem: Cast a patronus and eat some chocolate
Hilary’s problem: Anxiety
Reason for problem: Because it was loaded onto my harddrive when I was built
Solution to problem: So far, it’s been a bunch of talk therapy, CBT therapy and chilling out on the poisons. Sometimes xanax if the anxiety gets to the debilitating point And sometimes chocolate even works a little for me too (wouldn’t work for Todd though)
Yeah, it’s silly, but hey….works for me. I hope that it at least made you laugh, because that’s important too.
Hilary
hillyhils@yahoo.com
I was a heavy drinker up until 3 days ago, and I’m here to say I feel changes. Already I have lost 2 lbs, I’m not shaking as much, and I’m not feeling the muscle weakness on my right side that would add onto my anxiety. I had no idea what was going on and I prayed for answers. I’m so glad I’m taking a break on drinking it felt like it was literally destroying my life. I am hoping for more positive changes. Good luck to all those who are slowing down or quitting alcohol.
This site has been quiet for a few days, how is everyone doing? I can still report that I am sober, and am panic attack free. My doctor lowered my dosage from 20mg to 10mg of Celexa and i am finally not sleepy (horrible side affect)… I have been crying alot and have been sad lately though, and I dont know if that is because of the medication change, or because I am finally feeling all the things I was hiding with alcohol. Therapy is feeling pretty useless to me, as I just tell the same story over and over, without a resolution. I hope everyone else is doing okay, and is “staying strong” whatever that means. I joined a women for sobriety group in my local area and tonight will be my second meeting.
-T
Ya, you are right Tobiano, it has been silent for a while, i guess everyone is busy with weekend, as for me i didn’t know what to do, i am so dizzy, tightness in my head which is increasing in a bad way, i wanted to go for a walk but i wasn’t strong enough to leave my bed, i was reading some topics on the internet but still i can’t know the difference between 3 terms: Light headed, heavy headed and dizziness, i will see a Neurologist after 2 days and wanted to be sure that i am using the exact words which describes my situation.
The most useful and comforting thing about reading this forum is knowing that I am not alone in how I feel. Even know very deep down I know that the previous days alcohol is making me anxious and ill, the forefront of my mind is still dominated by what terrible thing is wrong with me and how I must be dying of something. Does this ring true with people?
Also, how useful have people found talk-therapy? I want to get help but am reluctant to go to doctors because I don’t really want medication, particularly anti-depressants and the like.
Thank you!
Tobiano…I cant say for sure, but i had a friend that went cold turkey and believe it or not got “depressed” after a few weeks of not drinking to the point he went on anti depressents…I’m no Dr., but i think after drinking for so many years , alot of us would feel that “sad” feelings after quitting for weeks or months, but the upside is i think its goes away….My friend who went cold turkey, has been sober over a year now, and says he feels really good….I also “think” that maybe alot of us on here “drank ” so much, for so many years, because we are people who normally just feel “sad’ , and by drinking we felt that ‘woohoo” party mode? Just my opinion…..I drank more than i should have over the weekend…no “major” anxiety, but i did take a quarter of a xanax last nite when i felt a bout of a littel anxiety coming on….My main problem right now is agoraphobia, and i dont know if its due to my drinking or not…..I definitely have depression, and not on any meds, and doubt i would take any of that stuff due to the side affects (stroke, heart attack, possible death, etc), but has anyone here experienced the agoraphobia in conjunction with the anxiety?? I dont even go out with friends really much for years now, i cant drive in a car “with others”, but i’m fine if i’m driving by myself for hte most part…..I have a big problem being in crowds or social envirorments and feel panicy if so……I have panic attacks just getting a “haircut” at a salon sometimes…..it sucks……Has anyone else experienced this type of behavior, any advice? and/or does stopping drinking alleviate “these” particular symptoms??
J, all what you mentioned here is kinda my everyday life, honestly as if you are talking about me, but i never thought that it has anything to do with Anxiety, i just did one thing, i got used to it, it became my friend and that’s how i never got annoyed when it is happening, as one of my friends told me, don’t try to fight it….try to be a friend to it, when it there i am just saying Hi…
i’m really not sure what you just said??…how does one make “agoraphobia” your friend??
Anyone ever get the feeling that there are trained, licensed Psychologists “trolling” these boards and trying to make a “study project” out of us?? Hhhmm…only problem with that is, well , frankly i’m smarter than every one of them….
for me its always the horrible sweats i feel after the weekends, usually last till wednesday night if i quit on saturday night/sunday morning….and it feels awful..its like everything that you feel is heightened to a state thats too unbearable. m y family drives me crazy and when im in the room with all them i just start pouring sweat everywhere and they notice, and dont get it. its so frustrating…my brothers wedding is coming in 3 weeks, and bachelor party in 2 weeks…so those are two times im going to have to drink like a maniac, otherwise i will be in a hell like no other. this stuff really sucks…been dealing with this garbage for 8 years now, and when am i going to do something about this….ive felt horrible anxiety even before i drank tho though…im probably bi polar or something and dont even know it. i should probably fine a way to scrounge up some money or get some gov assistance and go see a doctor and try out some meds. im tired of living like this. i can remember back to kindergarden, teacher calling me on me to do something, and i couldnt talk and would just sweat like a maniac….something isnt right huh? its definetely a chemical imbalance…
oh, an also i am never able to handle relationships and cant manage them, and they make me feel absolutely awful about myself, and just straight up impending doom like constantly telling myself “this is never going to work because of how im feeling inside and out” i feel doomed
What i meant is, imagine you are facing different symptoms of Anxiety, if you focus your day on fighting them it means you will lose your day fighting, you will end up exhausted and defeated, what i do that i try to accept that no one is perfect and everyone has pain which differs in shape and volume from one person to another, i will ignore that pain as long as i can take it, i used to experience a feeling while driving that while keeping the driving wheel straight the car is floating to the right and i was almost going crazy thinking that i have a ghost in the car but later i found a way when i feel that i just open the windows and make the speakers louder and i just pass this, last time i went to the hospital because of dizziness they took me to a room, asked me to lay in bed and they gave me an IV, and i asked the nurse, how long do i have to wait here and she said ”sorry, i don’t know”, i went crazy, i wanted to tell her let me go i don’t want your help, i felt that this room is a jail, how bad it is when someone decide for me when can i go home, i was there for 3 hours and during those hours i was thinking to take out this IV and just leave then i saw a kid in the opposite room who came because of Appendix, she was almost 6 years old, so calm and her mother was trying to explain for her what is going on, actually i felt ashamed of myself, pain is part of life, even kids taste it, this kid didn’t complain or cry, she just accepted what she has, she got an IV and she knows in the morning she will have a surgery but she was ok, instead of fighting with her hard luck she just accepted it and then she will not suffer fighting…let me tell you, the last Doctor who saw me at the Emergency told me ”you have variety of non-related symptoms that really make it hard for any Doctor to help you so you have to help yourself”, guys, no one is suffering less or more, everyone is just suffering what he/she can bear…i hope everyone will be fine…
Hey my name is Kyle and in March of this year I started trying Cocaine. Some thigns to know is that before I was like every other kid playing hockey,and active my whole life, im 20 now. I have a very strong and smart head on my shoulders and have never had a problem with anxiety panic or stress. Ive always felt like nothing like that could happen to me cause im the most level headed person I know. After using cocaine which I told myself would only be a couple times I had my first “Anxiety or Panic Attack”. A couple nights before it I went out with some friends and got drunk and started using cocaine. I used to much by acciedent and my heart went into over drive. I litreally thought that I was going to die. Seeing as my friends were all on it they didnt take me to the hospital and in the morning I was fine.
I was at home and in the shower when the panic attack hit. It felt like I was dying and that everything was closing in on me. I felt week and dizzy and couldnt concentrate on anything. I went for water but couldnt drink it. So I had to tell my mom. She took me to the hospital and I was hooked up to ECG machine and had a bunch of blood work done on me everything coming back normal so my mom took me home. I went to atleast 6 doctors appointments since then with 2 diffrent doctors. For headaches and stomaches almost always happening at night or evening. Theyve done more blood work and heart tests all coming back fine and everytime say its Anxiety. But I dont feel like it is. Cause im not anxious when it happens. I can be doing the same thing all day then all of a sudden without thinking about it I get a head ache and stomache ache. It just dosent make sense to me. Im freaking out.
It started to come down so I went and worked the rigs for a week. While I was working I didnt notice any of the things I was feeling at home. And when I got back I wasnt as bad as I was before I had left although still not great. about a month went by now of drinking steadily and partying always feeling somewhat fine. Untill now. A week ago it was my friends 20th and I got hammered to where I couldnt remember anything. I supposibly did coke again. but this time a tiny tiny bit before my firend stopped me. Everything was fine for about a week minus some depression I had on myself for doing something I swore I wouldnt do again. Now it seems like every night I dont drink I get these headaches and stomache pains and feelings like something is actually wrong in my brain or body and its making it imposbile to fall asleep. I dont know what to do..
Im worrying it could be a stroke or some problem I caused to my brain or heart. I want to ask for a CAT or MRI but Im feeling so much pressure to go back to work with debts piling up that I dont think I can wait around to get these tests. All this which I cant tell to people because they hear that and write me off as anxiety before giving it a proper look.
Any advice?
Andrew and J….Talk therapy is a wonderful tool to have when dealing about anxiety issues. These are therapists that have researched anxiety, panic disorder, depression, etc. Talk therapists these days wont prescribe you anything because they deal with the “dealing” part of the anxiety instead of the medication part of it. Psyciatrists these days dont do alot of talking. Basically they ask you a bunch of questions(usually on a questionaire) and consult with your talk therapist to see what the best approach is when dealing with your issues. Also, I have been on meds for about 9 years now and honestly I remember HATING doing it but it’ just so much better than having anxiety running through your body. Recently I have been having more anxiety issues and am going back to a psyciatrist to see what’s “going on”. Dont be turned off by certain side effects with certain drugs. You have to have an open mind. The drug company HAS to say those things even if a MILLION people take this drug and ONE person vomits. A side effect will now be vomitting. Drug companies have to save there asses so not every tom dick and harry can sue them. I remember seeing a high chair that said “warning: dont put on stairs” To me that pretty obvious but the story is someone put the high chair on their stairs and a baby tummbled over a died. The couple sued for like a hundred thousand dollars because there wasnt a warning on the high chair. Anyway, this forum is awesome and just hope everyones doing well.
Andrew and J….Talk therapy is a wonderful tool to have when dealing about anxiety issues. These are therapists that have researched anxiety, panic disorder, depression, etc. Talk therapists these days wont prescribe you anything because they deal with the “dealing” part of the anxiety instead of the medication part of it. Psyciatrists these days dont do alot of talking. Basically they ask you a bunch of questions(usually on a questionaire) and consult with your talk therapist to see what the best approach is when dealing with your issues. Also, I have been on meds for about 9 years now and honestly I remember HATING doing it but it’ just so much better than having anxiety running through your body. Recently I have been having more anxiety issues and am going back to a psyciatrist to see what’s “going on”. Dont be turned off by certain side effects with certain drugs. You have to have an open mind. The drug company HAS to say those things even if a MILLION people take this drug and ONE person vomits. A side effect will now be vomitting. Drug companies have to save there asses so not every tom dick and harry can sue them. I remember seeing a high chair that said “warning: dont put on stairs” To me that pretty obvious but the story is someone put the high chair on their stairs and a baby tummbled over and died. The couple sued for like a hundred thousand dollars because there wasnt a warning on the high chair. Anyway, this forum is awesome and just hope everyones doing well.
I drank/other stuff hardcore 10 years ago. I quit cold turkey. I then had horrible depression. Didn’t have health care couldn’t afford doc/meds. Didn’t really trust either anyway. I was walking by a health food store and walked in. They had the book “Nutritional Healing” by Balch. Changed my life. Became something of a health nut. It has in alphabetical order general health problems and vitamins and foods that address it. In about a month I felt so much better.
I recently read that flax seed oil is great for agoraphobia? Look into it? I get that. I hate that feeling. I’m opposite, though. Can’t be by myself. Need others around.
I really hope everyone feels better. I, too, feel so fortunate this forum exists.
Hi anonymoustoo,
The Nutritional healing book is great. I’ve owned it for years. I also am a huge fan of flax. Barleans Omega Swirl is the best and can actually be drank by the spoonful, though better in shakes or smoothies. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get this out of the fridge and consume it! I did read up the agoraphobia and flax relation, which I suffer from and had no idea about that. Thanks!
im going to get this book right now online. i hope its good. i rememebr i went into a health food store and he looked up some stuff about anxiety for me. and the book was like 500 pages? is this the one? i should find out what he had it was a monster.
The effects of quitting drinking can last years, I know. I get panic attacks after 10 years of clean and sober. If I drink even a teaspoon of beer, I get withdrawal 3 days later and it is not fun! I am so sensitive to alcohol that I cannot even drink a little bit, cause that 3 days later thing… I get dizzy and it feels like my Blood Pressure is high, which it is, and I get butterflies, like lightning bolts straight from my stomach to my chest, and I feel like I am having a stroke sometimes, cause when I am sitting down at a computer or something, this pressure shoots into my brain for split second and then it causes me to get frightened.
I actually had this happen when I had kidney cancer, but that was 10 times worse… it made my blood pressure shoot through the roof and my anxiety level was so bad my own thoughts were like a freight train through my head…. had to take Ativan…. I still take ativan even 2 years after the kidney surgery….anyways… so much to say so little time… hope it helps someone… Don’t smoke and don’t drink… that’s what I say… I am free from addiction now, but I suffer anxiety and dizziness and spouts of BP spikes that make me have to lie down….