Could alcohol be the trigger?

[johnnicholls]

Hi

I have always enjoyed a drink and have never had any problems getting over hang-overs etc...Since my anxiety and pas have started I've found that drinking makes things much much worse! For example I didn't have a drink at all from last weekend and I've been on top of the world, back to my old self really, until today. Last night I had a bottle of red wine and finished of my wifes white wine dregs. Today has been hell again, not had much of an hang-over, but severe anxiety and panic attacks coming in waves. Symptoms have come back, such as tingly hands and feet, shooting pains across my body, cotton wool head etc. I even panicked this afternoon about being stuck on the M6 in traffic because an ambulance would have trouble getting to me.
Has anyone else had similar problems caused by alcohol, and is it worth knocking on the head? Will I ever be able to enjoy a drink again? I would sooner become tea-total than go through days like this.
Still waiting after 6 weeks to see a phsyciatrist, but worried that they won't be able to help me.

Boo...

Thanks for listening, so glad I found this website.

John.
:huh:

[honeybee3939]

Hi John

Alcohol is definatley a trigger for anxiety, i am very careful what i drink now as it used to make my anxiety 10 times worse the next day.:ohmy:

I wont say i have stopped all togeather i do enjoy a couple of glasses of wine and have no problems with that.



I would sooner become tea-total than go through days like this.


I think you hit the nail on the head there hun.

Hugs
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxx

[Rachy]

Hi John

To me there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes I can have loads to dring and be absolutely fine and other times I feel dreadful.

Generally though, I think the consensus is that alcohol affects anxiety.

Look forward to the next good day, it will comex

[kazzie]

Hi There:D

Drinking always makes me worse the next day!!!

Having said that just a bit is ok but too much and the panics are back with a vengance

Luv Kaz

[happyone]

alcohol doesn't make my anx worse but it does my friend, BIG style. It makes my depression worse though.
My friend has had to stop al together.

happyone
xx

[nbs1]

john im only 20 and like you i like a drink at the weekends. i now find that being 'drunk' is now the only time i ever feel 100% ok. ive put this purely down to the fact that i am not permanently sitting thinking 'what is wrong with me', i just relax forget about my anxiety and enjoy myself-lower inhibitions i guess! i think my anxiety is made a lot worse by the subconcious thoughts i have, so even when i dont think im concentratin on how im feeling part of me really is.

however the down side---> the day after drinking i always feel like hell. never suffered prev from much of a hangover, but now i get severe hangovers and my anxiety is awful. spend the whole day thinking i am having a heart attack and am on edge all day. it was actually after a bit of a bender at xmas 2006 i suffered my 1st ever attack. i used to only suffer anxiety/panic the day after drinking, but its warped into an everyday occurence, i guess down to the 'learned thoughts' your brain can have.

is going tea-total the answer--> possibly for you. for me i think its got to the stage wher my anxiety is everyday and not just after drinking and that going out drinking with my g/f or mates is one of the few completely normal things i can do. its almost like a release, so going tea-total in the very near future is not something im planning!

[Lindalou64]

Hi John,
I use to be drinker (loved to party)....when i first got this I drank to feel what we think is normal,but the hangovers made my anxiety 3x worse,I had such a bad hangover i just wanted to die,so I havent had a drink in 14 yrs yes a drink sounds good sometimes alot latley even but i think of the hangovers changes my mind real quick...........Linda

[bottleblond]

Hi John

Alcohol is a big time trigger mate! I like a drink too but know the next day no-matter how much or little i have, i'm sure going to suffer. I had to cut down loads and since i have, my anx/pa's have reduced.

Get yourself a little diary and record when you feel at your worst, if you find it ties in with your drinking then for sure this is your trigger.

Good luck John
Lisa
xx

[anxious]

Definately a trigger, but i never learn :ohmy: A glass or two early evening and im fine the next day but anymore and im just all of a dither.

anx x

[orangesky]

I'M not sure if anybody else mentioned this but in particular Red Wine apparently is a very big cause of being a trigger because of something called tannin in it? Not sure if that is spelt correctly or not......

I have the same worry about drinking now, worrying that my hangover will give me attacks it's awful :( xxx

[Debs8a]

Depending on my frame of mind, alcohol can have an effect. I love the feeling of relaxing you get when you have a drink and sometime im fine the next day, but if i have something on my mind or am feeling anxious about something then i tend to have my more extreme panic attacks the day after drinking.
So i really watch when and what i drink now. Its a shame really because me and Jack Daniels used to be the best of friends and i aint seen him in a while now. x

[MissChampers]

When I go out socialising I need a few drinks to make me feel normal otherwise i'd be very anxious, but the next day I feel so depressed and panicky I can't go out of the door. My sister went to an alcohol counseller last week and he actually said alcohol causes panic attacks and depression if drunk in excess for many months and years.