Hi. I'm a teacher as well. And yes, the increase in anxiety is very common. I found that AA and working the 12-step program of recovery when I finally got desperate enough to try it. Unfortunately I let 6 months slide by where I somehow stayed sober, but didn't work on my recovery, so I'd got into quite a negative spiral by then. My boss / Head referred me for counselling in the end, as the doctor wasn't very helpful and she was getting very worried about me and my mental health. To be honest the counselling wasn't massively useful either, apart from as an illustration of how adept I was at avoiding painful or embarrassing truths. But at least that brought me to the place of willingness that meant I finally engaged in my recovery work at AA.
Please reach out for some support from people who understand alcoholism. There's plenty of help out there. Dee has an excellent thread about making a sobriety plan which is busting at the seams with useful information. ...
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...y-plans-1.html
Wishing you all the best for your sobriety and recovery. BB