How to start????
 

I don't know how or where to begin. I have been battling an anxiety/panic disorder for the past 10 yrs and because of it have become dependent on alcohol to control it. Now I think I've created a bigger problem. Anyone else have the same situation? How can you stop drinking when you are in fear all the time of panic attacks. I don't drink a lot. Everyday but only 2-3 beers whenI get home from work but getting through the day is a constant battle to control panic/anxiety. The alcohol is my escape.
I feel like I'm drowning.

"LOOK AT THE PAST.......Learn from it~and then Move on!!!!"

Hi HE23-
I like what you have written in your signature line--
I know for me, I wasn't able to truly "move on" until
I put the drink down---and sometimes I still feel stuck-
but I know the only chance I really have is is to not drink,
No Matter What.
Keep coming back and keep posting.
:)

Are you taking any meds for your attacks? Some SSRI are highly effective in combating anxiety/panic disorders. Alcohol will only make your symptoms worse. Believe me, I've been there. I would suggest you stop drinking immediately and go to your doctor for help with your attacks. I was on anti-depressants when I drank, and they just didn't work. I stopped drinking and I'm not depressed anymore.

HTH, Catch

When I stopped drinking I immediately started having anxiety and panic attacks, almost non-stop.

There is a solution. Staying sober, daily AA meetings, a program of recovery, therapy, anti-anxiety meds, and faith in a higher power have given me a peaceful and purposeful life. It is possible, but only you can do the work with the help of others in AA.

I know you can do this, nobody ever dies from not taking another drink.

I had the same problem. I've been having panic/anxiety attacks for years and became dependent on Valium and alcohol to treat them. I was worried when I decided to get clean how i was going to manage them. Lexapro has worked wonders for me. My attacks are under control with no self medication needed.

I would strongly suggest seeing a doctor and tell him whats going on. Medicating with alcohol is making it way worse. You might start drinking more to control the attacks and before you know it, you don't know if your having withdrawals from the alcohol or a legitimate attack .... it happened to me.

Not on meds....
 

First thank you all for your replies. It's comforting to know others are out there who can relate.
I am not on meds for my anxiety/panic problem because I hide it from the world which makes i worse too I think. There are only 3 people who know I suffer from this. I also don't take any medication for anything due to the side effects they have. A lot of side effects of medication are similar to panic attack symptoms and it freaks me out so I avoid everything that will trigger it. It sounds crazy but I am at wits end w/the whole thing.
I wouldn't know where to begin to explain to the doctor. I'm not comfortable telling anyone about my problem. It's been so long, I've learned to live w/it but it's getting the best of me.
I joined soberrecovery last year trying to get help in dealing w/my son's father who is a severe heroin/crack addict but he is no longer in our lives BUT, that stressful situation didn't help my problem the past few years.
What kind of doctor would I call for treatment if I can get the strenghth to actual do it.

maybe a psychiatrist could give you some good advice? keep posting, it's great that you are reaching out and being so honest. blessings, k

First of all, start by seeing your family doctor or general practicioner. If he/she cannot help they will refer you to someone who can, just remember to be honest about your drinking. Yes, meds can have side effects and it takes time for them to be effective, but if you're honest and open with the prescriber they'll determine the med and dosage that'll work best for you.

I hid my alcoholism from the world for 27 years, in that time I became dead to life. When I stopped hiding and reached out for help, the world opened up to me. But I had to be willing to accept help from others, and to do whatever it took to have a healthy life.

yes, your general practioner will help you, but you'll have to open up (I know, it's difficult) and tell him/her the whole story. A good history is important for prescribing the appropriate meds. You'll get use to the side effects, they are not that bad. Be honest with your doc and specially with yourself and you will get all the necessary help.

I disagree ... general practitioners are not qualified to diagnose/treat psychiatric disorders. Skip the middle man and go to a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction. Learn from my mistakes ... i started with my general practitioner who knew nothing about anxiety ... then i went to a general psychiatrist who just threw narcotics at me (which landed me in the position i was in) ... and now im with a psyhc doc whos area of expertise is addiction. He's got me on the right meds and really understands my concerns and needs.

In order to really help yourself you have to get over the stigma attached to psych disorders ... more people have them than you think.

My mother suffered through anxiety for most of her life. She never really talked about it to anyone either, it was just how she was. Last year she finally decided to talk to someone about it and her doctor put her on Lexapro. The effects have been completely amazing. Things that used to completely freak her out and she would avoid doing, now don't seem so bad. She'll even notice while doing them, "Wow, I should be really freaked out about this, but I'm not!!"

There are many meds out there and some do have side effects, but you have to weigh them against the harm drinking every night is doing to you. I will say that most of the anxiety meds I'm familiar don't have side effects of anxiety as that would be rather counterproductive. Now if you keep drinking while taking them, that's a different story.

I also suffer from anxiety and depression. I never really knew what the meaning of anxiety was, but I smoked pot heavily for 18 years trying to relieve myself of the symptoms. There were other reasons involved, but I see the anxiety being an issue more and more.

Meds may or may not be the answer for you, but I would recommend at least talking to a psychitrist and not a GP. Talking to a GP about these issues is kinda like taking your car to the quick lube place to have your engine rebuilt. They might be able to do it, but it definately isn't their speciality. Take care.

2nd what jbit said, good advice!!

Thanks jbit. Because of my insurance benefits I had to start with my GP, who then referred me to a therapist who prescribed my medication. Because of my budget I couldn't skip the middle man, it was just another small hurdle on the road to recovery.

same in England... you have to go through your GP first... unless you are prepared to go private, which is quite expensive.

I think alot of people have that problem.

If a GP tried to treat the problem and prescribe something i would respectfully decline and ask to be referred to a specialist.

2 or 3 drinks a day sounds like normal drinking to me. What's the point? I mean really, that was only enough to get my eyelids functioning properly. I agree with an above poster, that if you've been having anxiety, you should seek out a psychiatrist who can properly diagnose you and treat your disorder. Wheter you have a problem with alcohol or not, I cannot tell you. I can say this, that 2 or 3 drinks daily would not have gotten me into AA. On surveys and questionairres, I often put down 2 or 3 drinks daily or weekly. It was a ploy to throw them off, you know, keep the disease alive a little longer.

feel ur pain
 

yup i 2 suffer from the same crap, i have heart palpitations when my anxiety comes along but do not drink while i am on the road, doc has me on klonipin which helps with the panic attacks and the palps but it also can be addictive so good luck and be careful -- I take 1/2 mg twice a day so it is not very much..BUT A GOD SEND......

Oh the irony !!!! We all know what it means when an alcoholic cops to a couple of
drinks ;)

To the OP, all I know is alcohol exacerbated my anxiety and depression. A drank to calm myself, which would make me shaky and anxious when I came down, which led me to drink......All of these were drastically reduced or eliminated when I found recovery.

An undiagnosed alcoholic exhibits all sorts of symptoms that can be misdiagnosed. Anxiety, depression, Bi-polar, OCD, Borderline Personality Disorder......

I'm not saying you're an alcoholic. Nor am I saying people don't have these problems. I'm just trying to inform you, based on my experience.

Thankyou.
 

I really appreciate everyone taking the time out to reply and share their stories.. Although I haven't made any calls to see the doctor yet, all of your replies and advice are helping me tremendously. I know myself, and I know I needed a push w/this for years, and I wish I posted a thread for myself a long time ago because that's the push I needed. I'm going to try and cut back on the drinking to every other day at first and see how I do w/the anxiety/panic attacks. Maybe I can go 2 days or more. If I start feeling bad and unable to control the panic attacks, I will hopefully then, take the next step to calling the doctor. There is aplace right up the road from my job ironically enough. It's called Fair Lawn Counseling. Dealing w/depression, additions, etc.... Although I haven't taken any different steps yet, I feel like some weight has been lifted just talking to everyone here. THANK YOU!!!!

uh ... Had?

"Normies" ... don't wonder if they can cut back.
They don't wonder if they're drinking too much OR too often, and they don't get upset about it.

My advice - is get honest with a doctor.
Say it to them ... the way you said it here.
Even print this out and take it.
They're not out to get you.
They help ... when we let them.

Dont get hooked on anti-anxiety drugs! Alcohol can cause anxiety IMO. If you detox yourself (by stopping drinking) the anxiety will probably go away.