easterntime1

Hi - just wanted to see if this sounds familiar? Pretty much a binge drinker since college (mid thirties)... Am at the point where I can't deal with the hangovers due to the incredible anxiety it provokes. Nor do I seem to be a social drinker (i.e. always plan to not get drunk, but if I drink more times than not i do get drunk - have been fooling myself recently as I can go a couple of weekends being social, but sooner or later it ends in getting wasted drunk.....) I think I know the answer here, but want to see if anyone else could relate. Guess I realize that my drinking days need to be over. Luckily I haven't screwed things up too bad yet, but that just may be a function of the fact that I really don't have anyone (no wife, no kids, work from home) that depends on me. When I look at my family history with alcoholism it does occur to me that I am definitely playing with fire (both from a genetic perspective and dysfunctional up bringing). Last straw was yesterday when I went to watch a few games with my friends - was going to try and not have a hangover, but here I am with debilitating anxiety.... Honestly don't know if I would be here if weren't for the anxiety.

dwtbd

welcome to the forum

I found this site while researching alcohol withdrawl and aniexty, so I would assume we have had similar experiences. I found this site and that lead to some new terms to reseach AVRT, RR, addiction ambivalence , reading through material in that vein resonated with me.

Check in here often, ask , read, post alot of people here with similar experience. Very welcoming bunch

Hope to see you around and wish you well

I decided to quit (and stay quit) because , I could not see continuing to drink as a way to make things 'better', anxiety or life wise , I really started to understand the progressiveness of alcohol abuse/addiction

silentrun

Toward the end I was starting to get some pretty bad anxiety. I've been quit for awhile now and it's all gone. It was all alcohol related it turns out. Getting drunk once a week was years ago for me. It was 2 days then 3 and kept adding them as the years went by. I was up to 5 or 6 when I quit and there was no one thing anyone could pin on me to say that I had to quit. The damage was internal.
When I realized I was being tricked by my own brain that was a turning point for me.

pulltight

Sure does..... Stick around here to read and participate, it's been a tremendous help to me and I'll bet it'll help you too!

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum!

Yeap very familiar story, you can turn this around and write a new chapter!!

ScottFromWI

Absolutely, my anxiety was casing me major problems in the late stages of my drinking. Quitting made a very big improvement, although it did take several months for it to really come back down to a manageable level.

Climber122

You're barking up the right tree when you said "I think I know the answer." Consider working with someone to help you determine how you want to get started. If you're like me the drinking was connected to most everything we did - and was part of a lot of good times. But this drug is highly toxic and inevitably turns on us, and believe it or not many of us just go right on drinking to the premature end. You on the other hand are thinking about it - good for you - not everyone, not even most do. You may one day be grateful for the anxiety that made you stop and think about making a very, very positive change in your life. If you need ideas for help don't hesitate to ask.

Willdoit

Sounds familiar, you are in right place this forum is terrific .

Soberpotamus

Welcome! I started in college and mostly binged. I finally quit at age 36. Yes, the anxiety and depression are nearly debilitating at times. Hope you stick around the forum, and read some posts - an amazing group of people here in recovery

zjw

I prayed to be free of this addiction for a long time. Prayed that i'd loose my taste for booze or something. what did i get? anxiety and panic attacks. It may seem debilitating and it is believe me its horrible. But it pushed me to quit it gave me the kick in the butt i needed and I'm greatful that it happened as such. I'm not sure I would have sobered up any other way.

the longer you stay sober the more it eases up. the min you pickup again the more it goes into high gear again and gets worse again. its as simple as that.

Use your anxiety issues to your advantage and quit 1 day at a time you can win the battle.

Dee74

Welcome to SR

My anxiety definitely worsened with years of drinking.
It won't get better overnight but you should see improvement if you stop drinking

D

whalebelow2

Alcohol messes with many different parts of our bodies.

Including the central nervous system.

Time is a great healer.

Lots of good advice above already.

Take care