feel like I am stuck in a vicious cycle.

[cjames]

I have put myself in a situation where I am choosing to cope with my anxiety in unhealthy ways....I recognize this is an issue but I feel stuck. Whenever my anxiety peaks and i can't deal with it, I know that the only 100% sure ways to make myself feel better are 1. go to sleep or 2. have a couple drinks. I cant seem to pull myself away from the second option because its such a quick and easy fix when I am feeling miserable, but in the long run, it always makes me feel worse, especially the next day. I don't want to use alcohol as my crutch anymore.

[lior]

Welcome to the forum. And well done for reaching out! You're taking good action here to look after yourself. Keep posting if it helps you. You should be proud of yourself :)

So many people in the world struggle in the same way as you. You are not alone. What other support do you have? Who knows about this problem? If you're in a constructive mood, write down all the actions you could possibly take to help yourself. There is no one short term fix - but lots of things combined over time can help. What healthy ways of coping can you build?

If you're based in London, check out Club Soda if you want to cut down on drinking.
http://www.meetup.com/club-soda-drinks/

Sleep is a good way of getting rid of those horrible feelings - and your asleep mind can help you solve problems, so it can be a healthy way of dealing with it. Maybe it's healthier than drinking? What other ways could you try out, as ways of making yourself feel better?

I used to sleep to feel better, though alcohol has never made me feel better, even in the moment, so I'm not exactly the same as you. Over time, I have started to watch more comedy, talk to friends more (not about how I'm feeling necessarily - just to talk about other stuff), go out for coffee and read the news, give myself little treats... the more I do these things to make myself feel better, the more effectively they work.

[specialagent1366]

Yes I agree that alcohol does seem like a quick fix and I have used it for many years to "help" me with anxiety. However my drinking gradually got out of hand and the more I consumed the more anxious I felt after the alcohol wore off. Not to mention the cost, trying to hide the drinking from family members etc. For the first time recently I decided that things were getting out of hand and went "cold turkey" a couple of months ago. My Doctor prescribed Beta Blockers which really helped replace alcohol by reducing heart beat and adrenalin. More excercise and better diet also helped as it is very difficult to drink alcohol to excess and exercise. Still working on my anxiety but not using alcohol and experiencing the depressive lows next day. Best of luck :-)