An alternative to Alchohol?

[thedude]

Hey folks before I begin please note I don't drink a lot - and I never rely on alcohol in social situations. This is purly a thought that jumped out of my head last night. I had a fair bit to drink and my confidence level was immense - I was so happy! It got me thinking what is it that causes such an effect?? Is there any medication that has the ability to increase confidence like alcohol does? I just felt so much more comfortable in social surroundings last night and I felt like I could talk to anyone which is pretty rare for me :blush:

Btw, I have just started taking Seroxat so pehaps this will do something. I was on regular prozac before for depression which made me feel a bit more positive but did nothing for my social anxiety.

[pete69]

hey dude,
obviously alcohol has been used for centuries to reduce inhibitions,when its working ok for them few hours you can feel on top of the world yeah?,but i bet your reading this with the most awful hangover and shakes?

it could be the seroxat has kicked in more than usual,alcohol will make ssris more effective,but its not recommended to drink reg on them.

valium and other benzos will also have the effect of alcohol,i.e very relaxed and confident. but use wisely!

take care

[Anxious_gal]

Alcohol just stops you from caring about what other people think of you.
it slows your brain down so you don't over analyze everything.
for an alternative, a confidence building class?
im workin on my confidence in therapy, i went out last night n had the best time ever! i didnt even have one drink!
bad side though of being drunk is that drunk people seem really bad at reading body language, they can be insulting or making a fool of themselves with out realizing,
ya i have been that drunk person now and again!

[Ross]

I know its different for everyone, but a personal word of warning.

Seroxat and Alcohol were a nearly lethal combination for me (I was drinking quite heavily though). After quite a lot of research, many users of Seroxat found that when drinking alcohol, they suffered Blackouts, Mood Swings and out of character temper problems amongst other things.

Drinking in moderation should reduce the effects but just be extra careful.

[Jay21]

There is no doubting that alcohol can be a quick fix to getting through social occasions. Unfortunately it's only a temporary measure and your stuck the next day with a stinking hangover, feelings twice as bad.
Up until this year it was my answer to every possible difficult social situation, except work. The sense of escapism it gives you, that feeling of normality. It felt so good to converse on the same level as everyone else. The only way i could feel comfortable in my relationship, was to be drunk.
Honestly, i even thought to myself, maybe life will be easier if i become an alcoholic, like it was a choice. Unfortunately i only like spirits with a mixer and couldn't really get into the drinking, in advance of a hectic situation. My life was just to busy. When u think of a alcoholic, whisky on cornflakes comes to mind, not some bloke gagging whilst downing vody and oranges.

[Lotte]

I was given Diazepam in the Netherlands although I had to make an agreement not to touch any alchohol. It did help enormously, in fact my agoraphobia completely dissapeared.
I was on 5mg 3 times daily for 7 months and could do all the things I loved and had missed, like going shopping and even enjoyed going shopping! I went from one extreme to the other, my confidence came back and I felt great.

When I registered in the UK with the GP she immediately reduced my Diazepam and I have now resorted back to being completely agoraphobic and cannot sleep.

Saying that, I have had no withdrawal symptoms from the diazepam, only my old fears and phobias returning. I had terrible withdrawal symptoms from anti depressants. The psychotherapist told me in the Netherlands that if anti depressants are given to a person who is not depressed then the effects can be the oposite to what they want. This was what happened with me unfortunately.

They say that Diazepam is very addictive, but I guess it affects all people differently, luckily I was fine. Like I say I had a much harder time coming off anti depressants.