Alcohol anxiety

[mufc1982]

this should be the happiest time of the year for me and my new family but instead its absoloute hell.i drank way to much round the in laws yesterday a litre of brandy and god knows how many beers. i was drunk before lunch time i didnt think twice about ruining today.my girlfriend said i was very drunk but i didnt offend anyone i was just funny. i cant remember much or even getting home.i started drinking before we went round my girlfriends family's to mask my anxiety but i didnt stop once i started.my head is in absoloute bits now ill be lied in bed now for at least two days panicing about anything and everything.i should be spending christmas with my girlfriend and 1 year old son but i cant get up.i even drank two beers when i woke up because it was so bad even though i know hair of the dog only makes me worse in the long run.ive been battling with this for years now i need to stop drinking but i cant lose my only crutch against this anxiety.i cant imagine sitting round the christmas table yesterday with everyone without having a drink first.its the only thing that quashes my anxiety but once ive started i dont think about the consequences for the following day.ive allready had to make excuses to two different friends why i couldnt go out with them my girlfriend has planned a party at home for nye and i know i will get in a mess again this circle isnt ever going to end ive tried countless different medications im currently on fluoxitine but none of them helped me at all im only carrying on with them for my girlfriends peace of mind.ive been up since 4am my head is banging but the physical effects arent anything compared to how i am mentally.Is this how the rest of my life is going to be Report this

[Dave1]

My doc told me a story about how difficult it is to give up drinking but one of his patients did it successfully because he wanted to enjoy bringing up his young family more than anything else.

[Fishmanpa]

There's a quote that sums this up nicely...

"First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

In situations like yours (please review OP's post history) where you self medicate to cope with social situations, it's best not to even have "just one". Besides, drinking while on meds can be very problematic. And in the case of Prozac, it can be potentially dangerous.

From Drugs.com:
Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of Fluoxetine (Prozac ) such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with Fluoxetine (Prozac).

From Healthline.com:
Many people tolerate SSRIs like Prozac well without having many side effects. ... However for example, mixing Prozac with brain-altering substances like alcohol can be harmful. In fact, it's recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol while you're on this medication.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

That's incorrect. A drug manufacturer wouldn't say "limit", which is essential "yes, you can", because if something happened they would get rightly sued and they would be forced to change the wording.

That being said, heavily use could always open up that possibility since "limit" covers them for that.

That same drug warning is on many on them. My GP have the advice "moderate is ok" when I asked. If it were potentially dangerous, I doubt GP's would condone it for the same reasons as above.

[alexbro]

I used to drink n drink and it would make me feel like I had nothing to fear. I'm 32 and I can't drink, took me a year to realize alcohol was causing my anxiety symptoms to get worse, I can't drink, miss it, but not the next day panic ,faint, shaky slow heart beat, disgusting feelings.

[CMax]

I'll tell you what worked for me. I stopped gradually, and added different interests to my life. I joined a gym, didnt go overboard, but started using a treadmill, and a few weight machines. It helped get my head straight. Then i started changing my diet, not eating take out all the time, adding some greenery into the meals! Again, it helped with the head thing!. Then i set a date to stop drinking. I changed my kitchen around so i didnt have an area and set of cupboards dedicated to wine, beer, vodka etc. I fell of the wagon a couple times, its part of the recovery. It also helped that i caught the flu, and was stuck in bed for 3 days when i had no cravings. Counselling has helped my friends, and detoxing by myself worked for me. Stick with it, try a few methods, see what works for you. Also, out the money aside that you normally spend on booze, and set a goal that in X months you'll have enough to do something or buy something.