Froglet

Hi All,

I found this site through googling and hope to seek help. Yes a Friday! How meaningful and challenging.

A bit about my habits:I am a binge drinker, & would only binge drink on weekends, drinking 2-40oz bottles, red wine shots, beer, etc. till I pass out. I would hammer myself on Fridays and wouldn't feel an extreme hang over unless I had a lot. I've gone through Saturdays drinking early in the morning till I pass out at night. Sundays I would have some in the morning but would not let myself get too buzzed because I work the typical Monday-Friday.

The drinking habit has gotten worst this year, in that I would get hammered a bit on a 'weekday'. That's how bad it has gotten.

Symptoms/Signs/Effects I noticed:
I grew up having over-active nerves, possibly general anxiety like my father. But my anxiety stems from an uncontrollable nervous system that prompts me to 'SWEAT'. I understand that being nervous can cause me to sweat, but it shouldn't be that sensitive. I notice this happening especially in social situations. So I thought I had social anxiety. I am a bit shy, but having sweat trigger that fast has hurt me as well. At work, I've gotten more comfortable and had some medication to help me, but after researching, I think a lot has to be attributed to drinking and how it damages my nervous system and ruined my brain.


I was wondering if there is any help in this, in that if I become sober, will my anxiety lessen? I hope so. More so, will I not sweat as much? I do exercise 2-3 times a week. I hope I am not too late.

Believe it or not, I have gotten an A in speech, but my anxiety would just be really bad. Now days, I don't think I can do a speech w/o taking medication.

Please help. This weekend I plan to be clean. (yeah, said this too many times).

Crow3000

This described me to a T in my early twenties. I would have terrible anxiety around other people especially at parties with lots of people. What made things worse is that I would start to sweat. Then I would get self conscious and so I'd get even sweatier and it would be like this viscous cycle until I couldn't talk to anyone. It was horrible!! I even tried purchasing this high intensity antipersperant that didn't do sh*t because I would have had to swab it all over my face, hands, everything. Nothing worked, and I mean nothing. Forget exercise, diet, outlook on life, whatever.

Then...

I bottomed out with the drinking in my late twenties and had to quit completely (I have one year). Of course one of my detox symptoms was excessive perspiration but I was like ... "so what else is new." Then, after about three or four months total and complete abstinence I began to stop sweating!!! This was a shock. I didn't think I would since I had always been like this, but I did. Along with drinking I exercised regularly so I think that helps as well. I believe that my excess perspiration had just about everything to do with my drinking and I think it shows what a powerful effect alcohol has on some peoples bodies. For me, and maybe you, constant clamminess was a everyday occurance that only cleared up after I quit completely and for a good period of time, again, like four months or so. If I had known this was the case I might have stopped drinking before I hit my bottom. Oh ... and the anxiety gets a lot better as well, maybe not completely cleared up but why would it, your human.

Please take this as a sign that your body and alcohol just might be completely incomparable. At the very least give total abstinence a shot (at least four months), I wish I did. PM me if you have an specific questions.

CarolD

The very best suggestion I have for you is to consult with your doctor..
the one who is treating you with whatever meds..
However...you must be totally honest about your drinking habits in order
to get to the bottom of your problem.

Welcome to SR.....

Crow3000

Yes, and talk to your doc.

Reset

I was going to tell you my long-winded story but I was in a similar boat. Drinking to suppress the anxiety is a bad way to manage it in the long run.

If you really want to quit drinking, quit first and then talk to your doctor about some things to help you with the anxiety. It can be treated the right way.

Froglet

@ Carol
-Thanks. I have been honest but the doctor was targeting specifically the sweating aspect, which concluded w/ benzos. -.- I'm trying to be 'clean'!

@ Reset
-Thanks for the support. I am reaching out, signing up on forums and realize I do need help, so I am here. But I will definitely help if I need further assistance.

@CrowT,

Thanks for sticking around and helping people out like myself. Your post is very similar to what and if not EXACTLY what I feel. I avoid social parties because of this, but I am more concerned about 'work' as it is ultimately about income and survival. I am naturally more shy than usual, but once I'm comfortable, it's not bad. When I get embarassed at work or put on the spot of criticism, I have very quick triggers that lead to the sweating. The first thought that comes to my mind is, 'dont' sweat'! When it's lunch hour, I avoid walking far because I know I will trigger a spigot and drench my shirt.

I have had some challenging projects at work that requires me to study and so I have decided to make it a focal point for myself and avoid drinking at the same time. It's literally about 3 months, and I hope to use this as a motivator to get clean on weekends and study.

I never realized how long alcohol can stay and affect the body. But I now realize how long the body is, and how fragile it can become. It's been about 2 weeks since my benzo intake and I don't know if I'm fighting the alcoholic withdrawals, benzos or both.

My anxiety isn't bad at home or away from work. I once in a while manage to join up w/ friends and hang out. (no females though) =(

I will PM you later.

*The scariest moment was when I blacked out in the tub a few months back. I was unconscious and didn't know till the next day what had happened (literally drowned in the tub). You'd figure something like this would make me stop, but nope, I continued to drink and get hammered on weekends.

Froglet

I can't seem to PM. But can I get an explanation as to the relationship w/ the binging and sweating/anxiety? I tried to google but a lot of the results were very broad based.

Could it be an over time deterioration of ability to contain nervousness?

least

I've had anxiety for many years but it got a lot better when I was sober for a while.


You can send and receive PMs after you have five posts.

TheTinMan

You won't be able to PM until after you have posted 5 times on SR.

Welcome to SR!

newwings

I'm not generally an anxious person - but I do have a serious freeway driving phobia. Going on the freeway leaves me a mess and I will do pretty much everything I can to avoid it. I haven't been on the freeway for nearly a year.

I've been sober for 17 days now...and yesterday managed to do a long and complicated drive on the freeway for the first time in 11 months. And it was my choice to do it. I can't even begin to tell you how much quitting drinking has helped with this problem. Yes, it was unpleasant but I didn't fall apart at the seams like I used to!! Good luck with this!!

artsoul

I had lots of anxiety and sweat a lot more when I drank, too. Here's some info that may be relevant: Welcome to the forum - glad you're here!!!!

Crow3000

I did a little research a while ago as well Frog and didn't find information on any sort of direct link between binging and sweating. I also talked to my DR about it years ago and he just said that thats just the way some people are and that I should relax. Of course as you well know by the time you feel the attack coming on it is already too late and that the initial sweating perpetuates more anxiety, cue Niagara Falls. Another thought is that every time you binge and then stop you are going through a kind of mini withdrawal. I think that this is what happened to me ... it would also explain my anxiety.

That aside though ... If you are blacking out in the bathtub you really need to put the breaks on your drinking. Blacking out is a powerful sign that your brain chemistry is seriously short-circuited by alcohol. I STRONGLY urge you to stop drinking, moderating really doesn't seem to work in this case. You will have to stay completely drink free for a few months before the anxiety / physical issues start to abate.

I really hope, that after experiencing the kind of positive improvements I did, you will decide to remain sober. Please do this now, today, it gets sooo much worse and the remedy is so clear and simple.

checkmate1

I've been suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and social phobia for most of my life. I'm not giving medical advice but other than benzos anti-depressants were the thing that has helped me the most. As I was told anxiety and depression usually go hand in hand in regards to treatment. Wished I had got onto them sooner. See your doctor about it. I'm also 15 days sober which has helped with anxiety also.

When I binged drank the next few days were horrible with anxiety. If your drinking all weekend when Monday comes for work no wonder your anxious and sweating because that's what was happening to me until I stopped. It's taken me a long time to realize that the drink was the enemy especially in regards to anxiety.

In regards to speeches etc. I haven't done one since I was 15 and I'm cool with that. I think that as I recover more and not drinking that I will become more confident and will hopefully be able to do it again one day.

Zebra1275

When I was younger I often drank to help with anxiety. I've reached a point in life where drinking causes anxiety. If I don't drink I don't have much anxiety, and when it does come up I've learned tools to deal with it sober.

Froglet

Thanks. I'm going to update and grow in this thread and quit drinking. Not even one glass. I just hope to feel better mentally and have my system heal itself. I'll be needing support here, but I know a lot depends on my own.

I'll try change my attention and focus on something else. I'm really glad to read how others are in similar boat and taking the changes needed. Thanks for supporting each other.

Thanks.

Froglet

I don't know if the drinking/and or benzo caused me to react and feel such way, but I suppose it is a tipping point.

My sweating comes from just a simple conversation sometimes at work w/ someone. My over active nerves just throw me into a cluster and I begin to drip. Once it happens, the niagra falls thing takes place and I have to make an excuse to go to the Bathroom to wipe myself down. I'm working on trying to stay clean.

MrDavid

Amen...Carol. Welcome... to SR.

ImReadyToQuit

That was me too.. Busy freeways.. I was always fine until the last 3 years of my drinking.. I could absolutly not drive any freeways.. And even heavy traffic in town would get me in a panic... Had to pull over many times...

It was the alcohol of course.. Mainly a withdrawal added with normal driving stress...

I'm fine now...

milwaukeeguy85

you also may want to consider that drinking has a lot to do with these panic attacks. A lot of the time the guilt, and terrible feelings inside just drag you down and cause anxiety.

It personally got so bad that I got in to a car accident because I passed out due to a combination of withdrawal/anxiety. When I dont drink I dont have anxiety.

krug

Very similar: in my 20's I grew very self conscious and would panic and sweat in college classes, or interviews, or even on dates because I was so nervous. I never got better, only worse. SO I went on Benzo's which helped a bit. But 11 years later and many many benzos and alcohol I finally LOST it, and got clean.

I'm in AA, prayer, serenity, and work steps. I'm still nervous a bit, but I'm doing better.

DONT START ON BENZOS, you'll regret it.