Originally Posted by
Newpathway 
Hi. I read that you have experience with anxiety after stopping drinking. Can you share with me your experience? I am 6 weeks sober and the first 4 weeks were frequent, daily panic and anxiety. Now less intense I'm still having anxiety attacks 3 or more times a day. I would appreciate any feedback you can give me! I'm in disbelief that this is really how it's supposed to be....This bad. Thank you.
Well, I am starting my 5th month sober now. I think the anxiety is slowly going away. I've had anxiety all my life though, so I don't think it will ever go away completely. I believe it is normal to have anxiety in certain situations and its ok to just be anxious sometimes. You just have to ride it out. As someone with anxiety and panic attacks, you have to learn how to manage them and not put yourself in situations that cause those things to happen. I try not to drink too much caffeine and if I start feeling panicky about something, I try to stop and take a break and do something good for myself. You have to listen to your gut. If something is giving you a bad feeling, take a step away from it or remove that thing from your life. Whether it be a person or an addiction. I quit smoking and don't associate with people who bring me down. I also try not to be so hard on myself and put so much pressure on myself about things.
Taking better care of myself and listening to my needs and wants has helped my anxiety a lot too. This may sound silly, but if I am getting really anxious about something, I will go shopping and it makes me feel better. Doing nothing helps too. The world is so fast paced, its nice to just take a break and sit outside and be with nature. It will get better, just don't give up. I still have bad days, but then, the next day I will come to my senses and realize that things aren't that bad. I hope that helps!
