my story part 1 (why I am here)

[andrew england 2]

Hi my name is andrew and I have reached the end of the road, yesterday I was released from hospital from an overnite stay due to alcohol shakes and I never want to experience that again. I stopped drinking at the start of dec and attended AA meetings and was prescribed valium on a low dose to help along with lustral as a long term medication. I was able to remain sober for over a month and wean myself off the valium but in all this time the anxiety I feel never fully subsided and I was left with the most awful feeling of being 'stoned' (I have never used illegal drugs) through taking the lustral. Slowly but surely the drinking resumed on a low level to begin with (as it is the only substance that has ever alleviated the anxiety and feelings of depersonaliation) culminating in a 3 day binge of 8 cans of normal strength lager on friday past and a visit to hospital on sat with extreme anxiety and release on sunday and waking today with exactly the same feelings I have experienced all my adult life.

[Lozzie]

Hi Andrew,

Welcome to the site x

You will find lots of useful information and make new friends here.

I suffer with anxiety and sometimes it can be unbearable but Im still here and eventually I will find a way to cope with it.

Take care,
Laura x

[molly15]

hi aqndrew welcome to no more panic.sorry your having a hard time anxiety is awfull but it can be overcome.there are many sucsess stories on here.sometimes we cant see a way of ever overcoming anxiety so we use ways of blocking it like you alchohol but as you now no it only makes it worse.have you tried going back to the aa and go to your doc and asking for some proper help.there is light at the end of this.ive had people close to me who have been chronic alcholics and they have came through it.but it not easy.please seek out as much help as you can you can do this.take care marcia

i have to do it for my kids if not for myself marciaxx

[Ma Larkin]

I should have replied to part 1 before part 2, sorry didn't see it. I was wondering if you drank, me too. I was a proper weekend binge-drinker. I'm a 39 yr old female, when my drinking was at its worst I weighed 7 stone (this was just before Xmas). I have cut down a lot & now weight 8.5 stone. Sundays affects me most, I just have to go out all day so the anxiety on a Monday is mainly hangover effects, not wise when suffering from panic & anxiety. However, it does calm me at the time. If I start getting panicky feelings I have a couple of cans of lager which seems to help me out, I only drink Carling (couldn't manage anything stronger). I don't see a problem with that, but I suppose it affects the units of alcohol I drink on a weekly basis and bumps them up to "unacceptable" mode. I know what is good for me, I just can't seem to manage without the things that are bad for me. Its frustrating to say the least.

Les

[Meg]

Andrew

Well done for seeing that this is not the way forward and for trying to help yourself.

Read 'first steps' and really try to implement some lifestyle changes that will help you.

Have you discussed some talking therapies with your GP at all to help along side the med line of help.

It is hard to stop drinking suddenly when you drink for anxiety relief so maybe try cutting down gently you feel better

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

amalgamated to

parts 1 to part 4 all together (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8027)

[wendy]

Hi Andrew
Welcome to the site!
Wendy x

[sal]

Replied to your other post. Thinking about you and will help all i can.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.


"Life is a distance and to travel that distance you were given the strength and guidance to do so".