Alcohol and anxiety.

[UnhappyWorrier]

Is it just me or does alcohol help kill anxiety? I suffer from anxiety and OCD day to day, but after I have a few drinks I feel normal. Like, I think that after getting buzzed I feel like a regular person should feel like. I want to do stuff. I want to go places. I enjoy the things around me more. I smile and laugh and want relationships. I don't worry about things anymore.

How do I feel the same things when sober?

[SLA]

It depends.

A few drinks won't hurt you, and can help.

If you rely on it, ultimately you are fueling the problem, and you become dependent on it.

[viking111]

Oh wow, another person from my country.
Alcohol does temporarily help with anxiety, but it won't in any way cure it. It is better to try to find different and more natural ways to cope with it and try to understand how past trauma has caused this most likely.

[Fishmanpa]

Keep in mind that doing so on a regular basis as SLA inferred can be detrimental and many have increased anxiety due to hangovers when consuming a few too many. Besides, it's just a short term solution to a chronic issue. Benzos can help but can be addictive and shouldn't be mixed with alcohol. A far better long term solution is to treat the anxiety with therapy and/or meds.

Positive thoughts

[crystal17]

It does until the next day. In my experience, it pretty much goes away while drinking and then returns twice as aggressive the following day.

Because of this I only drink 2-3 times a year now.

[GlassPinata]

Alcohol helps with my inhibitions and helps me forget my anxiety, but ultimately it comes roaring back ten times worse the next day.
I avoid it.

[poppadr3w]

Is it just me or does alcohol help kill anxiety? I suffer from anxiety and OCD day to day, but after I have a few drinks I feel normal. Like, I think that after getting buzzed I feel like a regular person should feel like. I want to do stuff. I want to go places. I enjoy the things around me more. I smile and laugh and want relationships. I don't worry about things anymore.

How do I feel the same things when sober?

Alcohol inhibits you, so while you may feel good for the duration of your buzz/being drunk, it's an unhealthy band-aid. This is especially true when mixed with anti-depressants and other psychiatric medications.

I truly understand where you're coming from, though. When I have a few drinks and am out, I feel more social, I feel more like "me." My anxiety melts away, I smile more, I engage more in total. I am on medication and know that this isn't exactly healthy, but I've never had any huge adverse side effects. My medications (Deplin and Trintellix), from what I know, have no big contraindications other than the general warnings for alcohol consumption.

What my downfall is the next day or even days (yes, plural). I feel horrendous, and it's not even like a general hangover! I'll have some symptoms of a general hangover like maybe a headache, dehydrated, feeling like crap overall, but my anxiety and all related symptons are amplified as well. I generally end up sleeping the majority of the next day and then deal with the anxiety symptoms as they come along. If I have to, I take a low dose of Klonopin to stave off such symptoms to the best of my ability. It's stupid, because I know that these symptoms are due to the anxiety, but anxiety is irrational and I feel helpless.

Be safe. Don't drink and drive. Test your limits at home before going out in public to see where your threshold lies.