Anxiety & Depression post Drinking - I'm an Alcoholic, right?!
Question: Anxiety & Depression post Drinking - I'm an Alcoholic, right!?
I drink on the weekends, I used to drink more frequently!. I started when I was 14, and save a 6 month period when I was sober, I have been drinking ever since!. I am 19 now!. I almost never just have a couple drinks, I cant barely stop myself from drinking so much that I blackout!. I almost always black out, and have quite frequently wet the bed!. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and I dont think I have given enough credit to Alcohol and my drinking habits for making me feel this way!. I did not know that this was a common after affect from drinking until I researched today on the internet I do no want to feel like this,itis unbearable - I cant focus on anything that matters!. I am scared of going to work, I am worried that something is terribly wrong and I dont know what it is!. I am worried I can not stopdrinking, I LOVE being drunk, and I want to continue to drink!.butIcantlivewiththis anxiety and depression, am I right about this fear coming from drinkig!? any1 else relate!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I know how unbearable it is!. It's just like you say!. I remember when I too could not focus, when I was scared of going to work, driving!.!.!.like you say I couldn't do anything that mattered!.
I did not want to think the problem could be related to alcohol, because it seemed to me that alcohol helped!. When I was drinking, I felt good, at least for that beautiful five minute period before I was too drunk to know what I was doing and on the way to the next day's hangover and anxiety attack!.
I was like this when I was 19!. I was like this when I was 29!. I hung on until I was 38!. By that time!.!.!.well, try imagining the next 19 years living the way you are now!.!.!.needless to say life was a struggle!.
So I quit drinking (although first I tried taking antidepressants and drinking while taking them!.!.!.BAD IDEA)!. Life without alcohol was difficult at first, but it got better, WAY better!. My anxiety and depression did not disappear, but it is easily treatable with low doses of an SSRI!. I have not had a panic attack in many years, but I still shudder when I remember what it was like to have them on a nearly daily basis!.
My suggestion to you would be that you do two things: (1) seek medical care; and (2) get therapy!. Join a support group if you think it might help you; others will suggest AA but after many years of going there myself I cannot recommend it to others!. One reason (among many) I don't recommend it is that there is a significant anti-medication element in the program, i!.e!. people who insist you aren't "really sober" if you take medications such as SSRIs!. Other groups you can try include SMART Recovery and LifeRing (google them)!.
I urge you to do something about your situation as soon as possible!. One thing I can assure you of is that things will not change unless you change them!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I did not want to think the problem could be related to alcohol, because it seemed to me that alcohol helped!. When I was drinking, I felt good, at least for that beautiful five minute period before I was too drunk to know what I was doing and on the way to the next day's hangover and anxiety attack!.
I was like this when I was 19!. I was like this when I was 29!. I hung on until I was 38!. By that time!.!.!.well, try imagining the next 19 years living the way you are now!.!.!.needless to say life was a struggle!.
So I quit drinking (although first I tried taking antidepressants and drinking while taking them!.!.!.BAD IDEA)!. Life without alcohol was difficult at first, but it got better, WAY better!. My anxiety and depression did not disappear, but it is easily treatable with low doses of an SSRI!. I have not had a panic attack in many years, but I still shudder when I remember what it was like to have them on a nearly daily basis!.
My suggestion to you would be that you do two things: (1) seek medical care; and (2) get therapy!. Join a support group if you think it might help you; others will suggest AA but after many years of going there myself I cannot recommend it to others!. One reason (among many) I don't recommend it is that there is a significant anti-medication element in the program, i!.e!. people who insist you aren't "really sober" if you take medications such as SSRIs!. Other groups you can try include SMART Recovery and LifeRing (google them)!.
I urge you to do something about your situation as soon as possible!. One thing I can assure you of is that things will not change unless you change them!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
My ex of 10 years drank himself to death at the young age of 36!. Don't get help and you can look up to him!.
He died of cirrhosis of the liver!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
He died of cirrhosis of the liver!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
It could either be that or you've been medicating yourself to kill those feelings of anxiety!. I would lay off the alcohol ASAP!. Check out AA!. And see a dr!. about getting some proper medication for anxiety and depression!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You need REHAB! If you are self medicating, rehab can help you with healthy coping strategies!. They could also help you or refer you to support that deals with dual diagnoses!.!.!.substance abuse and depression/anxiety!. It is important for you to know even if this is self medicating , it is still alcoholism!. To be frank, it scares me that you drink so often to the point of blacking out!. That is not going out for a few drinks with friends, that is harming yourself, and my friend, you are on a road to death!. Please seek help today!. You cannot afford to wait, and I think you want the help!. best wishes to you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Being an alcoholic is not about how much you drink, but in how it affects your life!. Doctors often use the CAGE as an initial screening tool:
Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking!?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking!?
Have you ever felt Guilty or bad about drinking!?
Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady
your nerves or to get rid of a hangover!?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you might have a drinking problem!.
I feel the best thing you could do right now is to talk to someone and get everything that has been bothering you out of your chest!. AA is an excellent way, but if you're apprehensive about doing that, you can look up therapists or counselors in your area!. Or even talk to your regular/family doctor!.
Seek help!. This is an extremely tough situation you are in and it's very difficult to go at it alone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking!?
Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking!?
Have you ever felt Guilty or bad about drinking!?
Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady
your nerves or to get rid of a hangover!?
If you answer yes to any of these questions, you might have a drinking problem!.
I feel the best thing you could do right now is to talk to someone and get everything that has been bothering you out of your chest!. AA is an excellent way, but if you're apprehensive about doing that, you can look up therapists or counselors in your area!. Or even talk to your regular/family doctor!.
Seek help!. This is an extremely tough situation you are in and it's very difficult to go at it alone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I have just been through the same thing except I was stupid and let it continue for 17 years (now 33), I would drink to excess and pass out then wet the bed, this would happen anywhere from 3 -5 times a week!. Alot of my life mistakes and broken relationships were due to my binge and excessive drinking!. I put myself in many dangerous positions sexually and emotionally because of my alcohol addiction!. Believe me you will keep making the same mistakes over and over again until you get a hold on it, you either need to cut down to a few drinks or stop all together ( this is what I had to do with medication as I ended up an alcoholic)!. Yes alcohol does make you depressed the next day and even for a few days after, it has many side effects the following day including anxiety (don't want to see anyone or go outside), shaking, hearing things, seeing things, guilt and just a total feeling of deep depression!. Most people who just have a few drinks don't usually suffer from these symptom's because the alcohol level in their system is not enough to cause this, but drinking to excess actually poisons your body and this is the after effects as your body tries to get rid of this poison!. I am on medication to stop the cravings of alcohol, and it is working for me, I keep myself out of the night life as much as possible until I know I can cope with saying no, Just a word of advice!.!.!.!.!. when I was 19 it was fun to be drunk and out with friends drinking, i felt like the life of the party, I felt confident and excited about life, but one thing I have learnt in the last few weeks is life is SO MUCH CLEARER and SO MUCH MORE FUN without it!. Being drunk is fun, but being hungover is the worst feeling in the world!.Www@Answer-Health@Com