Originally Posted by
Dee74 Rev
I was very anxious in the years before I started drinking, despite drinking bars dry and smoking vast quantities of dope, it stayed around, flaring up occasionally...so it was kinda a no brainer it returned with a vengeance on me when I got sober.
I think you're right it may often be connected to a desire to escape. God knows we fed that beast enough.
I'm glad you're handling it - I did much the same as you're doing....recognising it's a feeling, looking at it from a distance...trying not to let it overwhelm me.
Carol makes a great point tho - I did have the great benefit of seeing a counsellor too
D
I remember telling my shrink that the only thing that really turned my anxiety off was a few beers. He gave me a script for clonezapam, which was great if I was SO anxious, that I needed to be unconscious. LOL. Otherwise, I stuck to drinking. I'm sure what happened with you is the same with me, tho: without alcohol, it's hitting back with a vengeance. Maybe now I'll learn how to actually COPE with it, rather than drowning it in beer.
Rev