Anxiety about alcohol

[Sarah228]

I have been noticing more and more recently that drinking even at very moderate amounts or even minimal amounts, I feel
Anxiety. Now, even imagining drinking or being any sort of hung over gives
Me massive anxiety. I've cut down so much that if I do have a drink it's one or two, once or twice a week. My boyfriend drinks much more and my friends really enjoy going out. I'm worried about losing friends over this and of course that's make my anxiety even worse! Any advice or similar experiences helpful. Thank you

[Fishmanpa]

There's a plethora of threads echoing what you said. I also understand the social pressure in consuming alcohol. The bottom line is if you don't want to drink then don't! That's your decision and a true friend would respect and encourage that. Besides, what's wrong with drinking a non-alcoholic beer or soda while your out? If your friends give you a hard time, stand up for yourself and if they continue, I would question the sincerity of their friendship.

Positive thoughts

[Noivous]

I have been noticing more and more recently that drinking even at. very moderate amounts or even minimal amounts, I feel
Anxiety. Now, even imagining drinking or being any sort of hung over gives
Me massive anxiety. I've cut down so much that if I do have a drink it's one or two, once or twice a week. My boyfriend drinks much more and my friends really enjoy going out. I'm worried about losing friends over this and of course that's make my anxiety even worse! Any advice or similar experiences helpful. Thank you

If you lose friends over you not drinking they weren't really great friends to begin with. If it doesn't bother you to be around them when there drinking it shouldn't bother them if you don't drink.

N.

[dale12345]

I agree, I don't really drink for a variety of reasons, it's better to not drink if you have anxiety.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Now, even imagining drinking or being any sort of hung over gives Me massive anxiety. I've cut down so much that if I do have a drink it's one or two, once or twice a week.

That's certainly an irrational fear that will need some work. Permanent abstinence in the case of fear is avoidance and no non anxiety disorder sufferer would stop on that basis.

But cutting back when you are at a stage where it causes such problems is a good adaptive behaviour to apply.

The issue of alcohol is more complex than it seems. Taking alcohol causes Serotonin to spike, so the more you drink the more you drain your available Serotonin levels. That makes for a great mood when drinking but the next day the body is going to need to rebuild that balance and I think this may be partly why so many anxiety sufferers suffer because they may already be having problems in that area hence why we get prescribed meds like SSRI's.

The detox with the liver will be an issue too because if you flood your liver with more than it can deal with at the time, that build up of toxins can make you feel very rough. People who go through things like candida diets have that exact same issue for this reason, so perhaps with alcohol it is hitting us several fronts?

[AthenaFaeyrn]

I'm in a similar position, but I feel caught between wanting to drink to actually HELP my anxiety, and anxious, because drinking alcohol is NOT what I truly want to be doing.

I'm in a relationship with someone who likes to drink regularly. Prior to being with him, I barely drank at all and was happy with it that way. My father died earlier this year and he was an alcoholic, so I'm not exactly endeared to it as a lifestyle. I'm aware of the way it impacts health, but my boyfriend, I think, likes to live in blissful ignorance while at the same time actually touting that drinking is "part of our culture", and other alcoholism-justifying catchphrases I generally think are generally very stupid, ignorant, and dangerous.

It's so intertwined with my life now that I end up seeing people as deeply boring: only able to function with others if they're drinking. The ironic thing is that I can only bear socializing with most of them if I'm drunk, therefore the desire to drink to just get by becomes more desirable than anything else.

There is so much more to this than just "oh, you don't like drinking? Well then it's easy: JUST DON'T!" It isn't as easy as that at all. If you are on a night out with other people, all of whom are drinking and you're sat there, sober as a stone, sipping water, or some other non-alcoholic drink, you DO feel SO excluded. It feels just like you're completely removed from what is going on, because you are: everyone else is doing and enjoying something that you aren't. That's like the whole point of "a night out", especially in the UK. Over here, "socializing" is almost like just a codeword for getting drunk with people.

Oftentimes, the entire night will circulate AROUND DRINKING ALCOHOL. It becomes about who is getting drinks in, enjoying getting drunk together, and going to places which serve the best drinks for everyone, etc. It's an incredibly difficult thing to get past if you're someone who doesn't want to drink, surrounded by people who do.

Part of me just wants to ditch this entire group and find people who don't drink, but tbh that feels like a lost cause. Everyone here drinks. Those who don't are likely just as I was before, friendless recluses. Either that, or former alcoholics who don't drink anymore, but enjoy reminiscing about their "glory days" and secretly itching to go back to it.

Yeah this is probably a huge reason as to why I've found it difficult fitting in anywhere.

Also, probably due to my own health anxiety issues and family history regarding alcohol, I'm ultra aware of it's dangers, there are more and more reports and studies now which dictate that alcohol can damage a LOT more than just your liver, and causes a tonload of different cancers, so for that reason too I'd like to avoid it.