alcohol

[titchjd]

Hi everyone hope u r all doing well .
I have a problem and wonder if any 1 else understands .....i suffer sever anxiety and agoraphobia came 2 a head 2 weeks ago when i thought i was crackin up and had emergency doc and mom round x

i saw my councellor 3days after and i mentioned I drank quie a lot well a bottle a night (of wine ) or just under she told me i must stop drinking I did 4 3 nyts then have gradually gone bak 2 having a drink every nyt ..WHY do i do it when I know It afects my anxiety ......has any 1 got any advice on what 2 drink instead i dont like pop and dont drink either tea or coffee only drink fruit tea and green tea but fed up of that by night .....i do it out of habit as sit here on my own child in bed and just turn 2 the wine even though i know its bad xxxxxx

any advice please thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[marie1974]

hi titch i did this for a while cos i relaxed me and made me feel nice and also helped me sleep, but next morning i felt crap and it lasted days after and my anxiety went though the roof so i now have stopped. i just have glass or 2 every now and again. i think the drinking helps block stuff out and makes us forget and feel relaxed but its not really doing us any good and its the worst thing for us sufferers so if i was u i would cut down to just a glass mayb or now and again.

[nomorepanic]

What do you drink?

wine - get alcohol free

Lager - get alcohol free

You could try mixed fruit drinks as well or alcohol free sparkling wine

[watertheatre]

Hi,I found that by having cranberry juice,apple juice of sparkaling apple juice in a wine glass helped my alcohol craving as Ifelt the placebo effect.I was drinking a bottle or two bottles of wine to curb my anxiety but haven't 4-3 mnths nearly and feel great.Well good luck.




Hi everyone hope u r all doing well .

I have a problem and wonder if any 1 else understands .....i suffer sever anxiety and agoraphobia came 2 a head 2 weeks ago when i thought i was crackin up and had emergency doc and mom round x

i saw my councellor 3days after and i mentioned I drank quie a lot well a bottle a night (of wine ) or just under she told me i must stop drinking I did 4 3 nyts then have gradually gone bak 2 having a drink every nyt ..WHY do i do it when I know It afects my anxiety ......has any 1 got any advice on what 2 drink instead i dont like pop and dont drink either tea or coffee only drink fruit tea and green tea but fed up of that by night .....i do it out of habit as sit here on my own child in bed and just turn 2 the wine even though i know its bad xxxxxx

any advice please thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Captain America]

i always found it odd that my psych told me to stop drinking so he could give me xanax, which acts on the same nerves and lasts about as long. that sounds like a drunkard's argument, doesn't it? i suppose i(t) was!

in the end, i quit both and my baseline anxiety is better for it.

substitution didn't work for me. i just went to bed earlier for a while until i could do without it. boring, but effective.

[titchjd]

Thanx so much every1 4 messages I am def gna stop but worry that just stopping will make my anxiety worse but I know in the long run It will b 4 the best ......think i will try sparkling apple juice or alcohol free wine instead but it just wont be the same haha x

Take care every 1 xxxx

[sarah peacock]

I know exactly how u feel. I suffer with anxiety, agoraphobia, social anxiety etc... and i find that having a drink gives me that bit of confidence sometimes. I drink about a bottle of wine a nite 2. i can stop drinkindg for a week ere and there and then i let myself down by stating again. I kept a diary of how i was feeling while i wasn't drinking and i feel so much better without it. I can't understand why i keep turning bk 2 it tho? I don't think i'm an alcoholic because i can go so long without it but as soon as i start feeling bad i'm bk 2 square 1?

[kendo59]

Instead of buying wine, buy Schloer or Amé from the supermarket (non-alcohol fruit based drinks that look like wine).

[titchjd]

Thanx 4 replys bought sum appletiser 2 nyt but ended up bying small botle of wine aswell arghhhhhh def gna start 2moz with not drinking as i know ill b better 4 it and gna keep a diary 2 record how i feel xxxx

hope every1s well xxxxxx
Titch xxx

[watertheatre]

you are heading in the right direction a diary is a good idea I did that when I first stopped drinking and you only bought a small bottle of wine think of the positives of not drinking and stay focused on that be careful with alcohol free wine as many are 0.o5 % alcohol.Also try and write down when you drink and the reasons why.take care

[nikita]

I can totally identify with everything you said. I also got into the habit of drinking a few glasses of wine a night when i was alone, kids in bed etc. that went to finishing the bottle, to now that I am trying not to have a drink I am finding it really difficult. I am trying to not drink when im alone, only when im out or in company. HOwever, I am missing my wine tonight. By now I would have opened a bottle and had a few drinks while watching tv then would go to sleep really easily. However, I would wake during the night to go to toilet and be thirsty, then i wouldnt be able to get back to sleep. In the morning also the wine would give me a headache (particularly as I only smoke while drinking wine) so that would make the headache worse. It also heightened my anxiety and make me feel guilty for drinking again. I know tomorrow when I wake up I will feel healthier, not as tired (Hopefully) and proud for not having a drink. Hard though. Good luck. Let me know how you get on.

[titchjd]

Hi everyone ..unfortunately Im still drinking ARGHhhh ddi a few nights then had a bad day and has gone down hill again.....I get so annoyed as I really want 2 stop but each night I think oh last 1 2nyt then drink next day .

Thanx 4 all your replies and hopefully I will posting soon saying I havnt drank xx

Titch x

[pooh]

Hi Titch

I guess alcohol is a really common (unhealthy) coping mechanism for anxiety. Apart from the health risks associated with long term alcohol consumption and the fact it makes any anxiety, depression etc worse in the long run, lots of people do use it as an immediate sedative to the symptoms they are experiencing. You do seriously have to look at alternative coping mechanisms. There have been some good suggestions on alternative things to try to drink, perhaps you can also look at you general patterns of behaviour in the evening for example, children in bed at 8 watch tv programme, get bottle of wine sit at pc for two hours go to bed type thing and think about changing all of this pattern.

Wish you good luck

Pooh xxxx

[titchjd]

Hiya folks ....

I need help..Im still drinking bottle wine a night but have decided now i am DEFINATELY going 2 sort this problem out ..However there are withdrawal symptoms and they scare me soooooooo much as they are anxiety increases panic attacks ..everything Ive been working so hard 2 get rid of .

I am back at work so cant take time off while I go through withdrawal ...(if I have them ).

Has any1 else successfully stopped drinking .....Please any advice welcome xxx