Alcohol, is it really worth it?

[Fearflower]

Hi all

The last few weeks I've been especially anxious, really low and depressed, disconnected from life and living in fear.
On sat night I went out for a friends birthday and whilst I felt anxious up until I drank my first drink, after that first one, all this fear and all the dispair I'd been suffering from just lifted off my shoulders and suddenley I felt like me again. I had a good night up until the last 4 hours of it that I can't actually remember.

But the next day was like a living hell, I was freaking out, paranoid, shaking, jumpy, scared, thought I was loosing my mind, tormenting thoughts, etc.... ALLDAY AND NIGHT It actually reduced me to tears I was that frightened :( I managed to calm down with some tablets my pdoc gave me for anxiety but even today, I had anxious flushes through my body every 5 mins, I couldn't concentrate, I mean, is drinking really worth it?

Does anyone else get hangovers this bad? I'm also concerned that alcohol is damaging and could cause further mental health problems, added to the ones we've already got? Its hard to look at alcohol as bad because it is so socially acceptable :(

Love Fearflower xxxx ;)

[Meg]

Oooh , this is so common yet most of us have been there again and again..

Now I stop at number 3 or 4 at the most and that's enough for me and am totally fine the next day but when I was acute I stopped altogether for 4 months. It just wasn't worth it at all.




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Fearflower]

Hi Radar

Thanks for the speedy reply :D

I know, we've all been there and said "i'm never drinking again" I think the reason i've wanted to mention it today is because of yesterday's nightmare and reducing myself to tears. Also I've got this paranoia going on that alcohol can cause psychosis and that I might get it ( i read it somewhere ). Not sure how much alcohol can cause this though?

Fearflower ;)

[Meg]

Catagorically it cannot. Far too much alcohol can induce a true paranoia state ( unlike your current one which is more a concern unless you're writing from under the desk)which can be extreme and perhaps misunderstood.






Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[benoo5]

hi,

its a fact,that drinking that wee bit over the top,can and does affect your nervous system,the next day...as meg rightly says,find a happy medium..enjoy the evening,without the so called hangover the next day...a couple of drinks,in the evening will help to relax you...the problem starts,when you need three drinks,and then four...dehydration,is a major problem,so always remember to keep up the water level,

i went drink free for nearly a year,and found myself getting high on coke...but no hangover....bryan.

[natalie]

Hi there!

My panics went away last summer but came back in october. initially it was my mum who said that alcohol was a big trigger, she noticed my mood swings and when the anxiety and panics were at their strongest. turns out, always after alcohol! i would be exactly how u mentioned: shaky, anxious, tearful, depressed, panicky etc, for about 2 to 3 days!

i haven't drank any alcohol since xmas eve! and at 18 in 1st year of uni, thats pretty tough! but i can definately agree that alcohol isn't worth the pain the day after. u can still have a gd time without drinking AND remember what happened!



natty xxx

[Lottie32]

I've reduced my drinking limiting myself to 3 - 4 drinks. It;s enough to "relax" but not enough for me to feel a hangover the next day.

I don't like not drinking at all and this seems to be a happy medium that suits me. I've cut right down on drinking on any night other than Friday and Saturday too, so 3 - 4 drinks actually has more of an effect than it would. Cheaper night out too!

Charlie

[nomorepanic]

Hangovers definitely make panic/anxiety worse and my very first panic attack was following a very night drinking.

When I was at my worst I used to drink very heavily to relax me and make me sleep. I still drink now and yes some nights to excess (usually Friday's) but I am trying hard to cut down cos it is not good for my diet - lol

Nicola

[Fearflower]

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts with me :D

Well today has been just as bad as yesterday, i've felt so low and anxious, towards the end of the day I thought I was going to go over the edge. Intense fear sums it up. Everything just feels so dark and scary to me:(

Anyway, enough moaning for one day.

Take care, thanks for listening

Fearflower xxxxxxxxxx

[stimpy]

There is a plus side to not drinking - think of all that money you'll save! - lol

You can always try alcohol, soft drink, alcohol - that way you are don't feel as if you are sitting watching everyone drinking.
And if anyone asks you can always tell them it's vodka and coke (they won't know it isn't.)

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx

[:p] Panic Monster & Scatty Eccentric

[jonny]

Wow,

I was gonna start a thread just the same as this but i have been away to the lakes for a few days.
I had way too much to drink last friday night and i wasn't over it till monday morning! I am really cutting back now.

jon


I used to be extremely indecisive but now I am not so sure...

[bananarbabe]

I too went a good two months without drinking. My friends birthday was last week and I drank more than I was suppose to. The next day my anxiety symptoms bugged me! I now learned my lesson and will cut down my drinking to no more than three drinks.

[uryjm]

I'm more or less on top of anxiety - except when I'm really hungover. The thought of the horrors the morning after has curbed my drinking, which is probably a good thing, but I'd hate to give it up. And, on the other hand, I've still had panic attacks out of the blue when I've not been near booze for days. So it's finding the balance that's the trick.

Jim

[vengababe2003]

I also found that a few drinks helped to relax me, it got to the point 2 drinks gave me a hangover, the awful feeling of butterflies, shaking, sweating.
To stop the hangover I had a drink in the morning just to "settle my nerves" bad move.
This went on for a week or longer, drinking steadlily to help me sleep, to help the shaking etc, etc,.
I am now classed as a recovering alcoholic, the amount of times I wakened up in the hospital, not remembering how or why I was there.
To scary to even contemplate a drink now, I have not had a drink for over 4 years now, because I know 1 drink leads to you feeling relaxed, 2 drinks even more relaxed, 3 drinks happy etc.
Please anyone that does drink, beware of the horrors that can creep up on you without noticing it.
Donna XX

[Meg]

Why I don't drink anymore ( by Tom Edwards, no idea who he is/was )

I changed because I have the sickness of alcoholism, alcoholism doesn't come in bottles, it comes in people.

You should have seen me.

I drank for happiness and became unhappy.
I drank for joy and became miserable.
I drank to become outgoing and became self-centred.
I drank for sociability and became argumentative and lonely.
I drank for sophistication and became crude and obnoxious.
I drank for friendship and made enemies.
I drank to soften sorrow and wallowed in self-pity.
I drank for strength and felt weak.
I drank for masculinity and it sapped my potency.
I drank medicinally and became sick.
I drank because I thought my job called for it and lost my job.
I drank to stimulate and blacked out.
I drank to make conversation and got to where I couldn't talk at all.
I drank to forget and became haunted.
I drank for freedom and became a slave.
I drank for power and became powerless.
I drank to erase problems and saw them multiply.
I drank to cope with life, and invited death.

Keep it under control - please




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[jonny]

So for the last 2 weeks i have hardly drunk anything and i have been feeling really good. No panic and no anxiety. Do you really think the alcohol could be the trigger for me? I have drunk nearly every night ( about 3 cans ) for nearly ten years and my anxiety has been pretty much constant. Last night was my first beer for about a fortnight and today i fell naff, really tired and tearful. But i only had 2 cans, could it be just coincidence?



I used to be extremely indecisive but now I am not so sure...

[Meg]

Jonny,

I'm pleased that you've been better for this time.

Its probably not coincidence.

You could try to see if it's what form of alcohol you drink . Ie if you're usually lager , try wine . Sugar swings could be involved. It may be the alcohol though.


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Lottie32]

Dear Jonny

For the last god knows how many Saturday tea times/evenings I've lost the plot a bit. I always go out, cos that is what I've planned, but am usually ill for a couple of hours before I make it out the door. Sometimes it's gone ten o clock before I managed to "sort" these strange feelings out.

This Friday night I met a few mates and most of them were at work the next day. This basically meant that me and Matt were the only ones in the local. I tried to talk him into going up the road, but he couldn't be bothered to walk home. So I volunteered to drink squash all night, and take him home at the end of the evening.

I had two vodkas all night, in a long glass with lots of soda water and orange squash and soda water.

Apart from having to get up several times in the night to wee, I felt loads better on Saturday. I had planned to do something different in the evening - a normal guaranteed way to get me going.

This weekend I had two minor "wibbles" that were over before they really started.

I'm not going to try a scientific experiment and not drink (too much) this Friday too.

Charlie

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.