Alcohol & Panic Attacks

[fallingstar]

Is anyone else really affected by alcohol with their anxiety? What do you do to feel better?

I went out for a night out on Saturday with my nice next door neighbors - all 3 siblings and their father and met their extended family at a local Halloween party. The mom invited me out because I never leave my house. I literally have my daughter all week and sit indoors with Netflix on the weekend and may go to the food store or go take pictures on a hike on my own. So, she said I needed a fun night out with her kids. This family is so good to me - the mom watches my daughter when I attend classes at night and does my hair for me (for free), waters my plants, etc. Great family.

I haven't been out since I came home from staying with my boyfriend in England (I got back October 2nd). I also hadn't had a lot to drink since back in September when he and I flew back to England (we went out with the one daughter and the father to bowl and a friend before that). I've had a few beers here and there at home. Sometimes a few beers will make my anxiety soar. It didn't these past several times - so I thought I was safe having some drinks out the other night. As my boyfriend says, after a couple drinks, you start feeling better, which in turn can make you just have more. Exactly what happened - I started not feeling anxious and was having fun talking to the sisters I went out with and no sign of anxiety or shyness to be found.

I way over did it on the spirits prior to going out. When I was out I was drinking beers only but several of them. I got so sick that I puked at the 2nd place we were at that night. Apparently I puked all over my neighbor - and possibly all of them - but I'm not sure. They had to ship me home early and everyone stayed out after that and continued without me. My anxiety was so bad the next morning and I had the "I think I'm dying" symptoms and couldn't even get down water. I was so depressed and anxious all day - I wasted a whole Sunday - even though I wasn't going to go anywhere, with Sunday being my day off it is nice to feel okay and not awful on your day off. I've decided that I am not going to drink for a long time. If I do - it will be ONE beer to try a new one if I'm out. Even then, I think I just want to stick to lemonade. An event called Bacon Fest is coming up in my adjacent town, which I'm so excited to go to. However, I will not be drinking. The people I'll be going with, one won't drink (she's not a drinker/is the driver anyway) and the other will. So I'm going to join her side of not drinking. I'm so nervous of feeling like this again. I'm sitting at my work desk right now and having bad panic symptoms again. I think my body is in shock from the liquor. My stomach still aches so bad from all the vomiting. I just want to feel semi normal again.

I've been having a rough time of it lately. I'm going for full custody of my daughter (without a lawyer - filed all the papers on my own) - her father has a drinking problem he won't address. He also doesn't bath or feed her - his mom in another apartment of the same building does. He quit his job out of the blue two months ago which means child support could in theory stop at anytime - if it does this month I'm unprepared for that and things may be paid late this week for my bills (I'd be okay after this month and don't need his money - I'd rather just have my daughter full time) - he's a pathological liar - he keeps lying to me and is infuriated about the custody battle. He's not making it easy at all - lying about everything. I'm so nervous about going to court on my own - and hearing him lie lie lie in court - I also think he'll have gotten a lawyer - and I know it's completely irrational but I fear losing my daughter - I know that's irrational.... I have no records and am a good mom, with a good job and go to school. I'm not sure that they will honor my request of him having her every other weekend ONLY under his parent's supervision. Now his parents are backing him - well at least his mom.

My anxiety from the alcohol this weekend is making these feelings of nervousness even worse now. I feel like I've done myself a good job of feeling even worse now. I feel guilty for going out and drinking and trying to have a good time.... and I've come to the conclusion that I like sitting talking with a friend at their house vs. going out "partying" and that I enjoy my solo hikes and I enjoy my time at home watching Netflix relaxing. I wish I could go back to Saturday and drink way less or just have stayed home... the anxiety that follows drinking when you have anxiety is not worth it. It may take me days to feel normal again.

[skymaid]

I had to quit drinking for that very reason. I'd get epic panic attacks the whole next day when I drank.

That's kinda how my breakdown started... a spiral of panic attacks from booze then starting to worry about getting panic attacks when I was out (and inevitably getting them).

Not sure if that helps.

[SLA]

Alcohol is a double-edged sword.

There are times when a nice glass of wine, or enjoying a couple of drinks with friends is just what you need.

When you struggle with anxiety though, you HAVE to monitor it closely.

Last week for me was a great example. I was working hard all week, and in the evenings I would have a few glasses of wine, or a few ciders EVERY evening.

It all caught up with me. The lack of quality sleep, and the poor self-care led to my first anxious days in months.

SO

Focus on recovery. Plenty of fluids and rest.

In the future, you have to ignore that voice that says "just one more won't hurt"

Alcohol limits your inhibitions. Which is essentially your conscious thought.

[Bike Rider]

I drink most evenings, but you do have to be very careful with it. It helps calm me, without it I would lie awake thinking all night.

But too much and it can make you feel very low in the mornings.

[skymaid]

thats what I was doing. My psychiatrist said it has similar effect to having a valium/diazepam every night (except not as addictive) but over time it reduces your brain's ability to produce its own calming chemicals.

makes sense really. I was having 2 or 3 double vodkas most nights to calm down after work.

when it got to higher than that I started really getting anxiety.

I'm not being dramatic though. your brain heals again when you stop for a while

[Lissa101]

I had to stop drinking completely because even one glass of wine in the evening would worsen my morning anxiety. Can't say I miss it at all but then I'm my 30's and have lots of friends who either don't drink or drink very lightly. In my 20's it would have had a major impact on my social life.

[brucealmighty]

I had to stop some years back because the hangover anxiety was terrifying so nowadays I can have a few but have to curb it or I`m setting myself up for a fall
if you think how bad supposedly `normal` people feel with a hangover then add our mental issues it make sense to try to keep it minimal if you can.

and I hope things work out for you and your daughter, you sound very focussed and determined to do whats best for her with the self-done paperwork and everything else, that takes a huge effort. It will all be worth it and your daughter will realise how special her mum is one day.

best of luck and just go one day at a time whether it`s the alcohol or life in general.

[Saltlick]

I have to really watch it too. Too much and my anxiety the next day can be bad. Ive had panick attacks that last all day from being hung over if its bad enough. Ive learned i have a 3 drink maximum on a full stomach.

[Ronan23]

Alcohol is both the best anxiety cure on earth and the worst thing for it. When I have a few drinks, I feel like the person I want to be. Sociable, present, laid back. The next day is the problem. I turn into an anxious wreck who can't even look at people after too much booze. I try to limit it but god i love it.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Here's the thing, hangovers make everyone feel like crap but we are more sensitive to bodily sensations. Our subconscious tries to link similar sensations to those in our panic. This is why desensitisation and changing thoughts & beliefs as well as exposing ourselves to fears, is so important.

People on here are posting threads about bodily sensations or minor ailments that no non sufferer would care about. So, a hangover is going to only cause something like that for them. Just look at the threads about common colds.

Also, alcohol causes Serotonin to spike. The more you drink, the more that increases. But what happens the next day? In people already likely to have issues with reduced Serotonin, this can't be a good thing? How long does it take to rebalance that? And all through that our liver is removing the toxins from the hangover, and if the liver can't process the demand, you will feel like crap until it can - something people on certain diets talk about.

Serotonin production means food. Do we eat with Serotonin in mind?

So, I think this one is a complex issue, more complex than I tend to see it discussed on this forum. Some of these variables can be mitigated but unless we know about them we just end up with the old "anxiety and alcohol don't mix" argument, something which has not been able to disprove those who can drink with anxiety.