Feeling like your losing it/going insane?!

[Danno Shaw]

Hi All,

First of all, I'm new to this so bear with me.

I have suffered from anxiety for about 3 years, starting off when I was half way through uni. I have seen many people about it..doctors/counsellors ect and have been taking Sertraline for just over a year.

I went out on saturday and had my works christmas do with a free bar - of course we took advantage. I know your supposed to drink moderately whilst on Sertraline but I really over did it this time, throwing up for the whole of the next day! Although I know now that all the alcohol would be out of my system, I cant help but find that whole experience very scary and felt like i was going to die.

What I must add is the fact that when i was 13 years old, my father died suddenly - leaving me, my brother and mum. This of course was an horrific experience in itself, but I cant help feeling that the anxiety feelings of thinking im going to die when im ill or simply hungover have stemmed from this young age experience.

Any thoughts guys - I would love to hear from anyone who understands.

Regards,

Dan

[SarahH]

Hi Dan,
Welcome to NMP.
Firstly, it is very common to have extreme anxiety after a "night on the lash"...alcohol is a stimulant so if you are an anxiety sufferer anyway it is not surprising that you felt so bad.
Secondly, from your past tragic experiences when you suffer from an anxiety attack it will trigger memories about other times when you have been anxious. This is perfectly normal if you have experienced the sudden death of a loved one.

I hope this helps and you get lots of benefit from this forum.

Sarah

[teej]

Hi Dan,

I've been a problem drinker for the last decade.

When you've drunk a lot, the next day you get rebound anxiety. This is because your brain tries to overcome the calming effect of the alcohol by producing an excess of adrenaline and other stimulating neurotransmitters. So once the alcohol is gone - your GABA receptors return to normal but your body is still over-compensating for the booze.

If you're already anxious - the added post booze anxiety makes your extra anxious, screws up your sleep, raises your blood pressure, raises pulse rate ... i.e. the perfect storm for a panic attack!

But - your system will calm itself back down. Stay away from the booze and stimulants (no coffee or energy drinks) and you'll be back on form in no time.

Your sertraline is going to have a hard time over-coming all those problems the next day!

Unfortunately the anxiety that comes back (as I've found) is all the same old cobblers that's lurking around in my subconcious. I'm hoping counselling will deal with that.

Cheers

T