Mentium

My particular pattern of drinking saw me getting pretty hammered every night to the point of sleeping/passing out, but I never drank in the day. It was a bit of a miracle to be honest, but somehow I managed it.

However one result was a constant state of semi-withdrawal I am beginning to realise and if I had been drinking for several months at that level I would get quiet severe anxiety and even irrational or slightly obsessional fears. These would all more or less evaporate half way through a bottle in the evening.

I am wondering if I am unusual in this or if others have experienced the something similar.

5paz

I could have word for word wrote this post myself .. felt the exact same way .

Johnston

My experience also. I think for me a lot of it had to do with not getting a healthy sleep and having to deal with a sick body and a foggy mind the next day. Even now in my third year of sobriety I can be pretty cranky if I don't get 7+ a night.

biminiblue

Yes, that is the misery of it.

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. As it wears off your nervous system is ramped up and it feels like anxiety. Well, it is anxiety. Rapid heartrate, sweating, nervousness, fear, intrusive negative thoughts.

least

I used to wake up in the middle of the night with the shakes and anxiety so bad I couldn't stand it. I'm glad I don't have to go thru that anymore.

karate

I got to the point of having anxiety while half drunk .

Arbor

Yes. Get what your feeling all the time. Its terrible. You can't ever sleep proper. Never get the rest your body and mind deserves. Wake up the next day feeling so lethargic you end up picking up the bottle again to feel better only repeating the same cycle.

Joe Nerv

I started drinking basically because I was shy and insecure. Alcohol gave me confidence, helped me to feel like "everyone else" on the planet. Grew me some roots on my feet.

A year into my drinking I started experiencing exactly what you describe.

4 years later I was a non functioning, agoraphobic, suicidal mess. And alcohol and valium stopped working to fix me.

The disease of alcoholism is sometimes paralleled with an elevator heading down. Mine went to the basement, and then I got out. People say you can get off any floor you like.

It doesn't get better. It gets worse. Trust me, and all the others here. Alcohol is poison for some, like me. It lies and acts like it fixes you, while it destroys you.

edit: I thought this was a newcomer thread.... you been around a while. You know this stuff .

Ndallas

Hi. I have been drinking a lot, every day for the last 20 years. I haven't had a drink since Friday afternoon and here it is Monday night. I get weird anxiety attacks, I have been through a whole bottle of pepto bismol because I'm uncomfortable and scared an I don't know what of. I'm also not sleeping well. Tired in the middle of the day, keep waking myself up with uncomfortable dreams.

I think it's just my body trying to trick me into thinking I can't live without my mind being altered. So to what you're asking? I'm no expert on sober, but I can tell you I've been sober for almost 3 days, and I feel similar to what you do.

I have had success sitting with my dogs and napping with the television on. I don't know why that helps. But it makes my stomache feel better for a while.

Mentium

Sometimes it is good to get some sort of confirmation that what one has experienced is 'normal' in the circumstances and that one hasn't gone totally bonkers! Thanks!

Persys

Mine was terrible. After about 3 months of sobriety I noticed my anxiety was less than half of what it used to be. It slowly kept going away as more time passed. Anxiety was the top reason I drank to begin with. Used to think I was going to have a heart attack because of it.

Bazerington

Hi Mentium,
I'm suffering from anxiety as well. I am just over 10 months sober and some days it is crippling me. I get back from work and just collapse. As soon as the door is shut I feel safe, but it's a constant niggling. I've been told fear is lack of faith. I'll have to think on that one :-)!!
All I know is that the anxieties do pass after a while and things DO get better.
Good to see you shared my pattern of drinking. Although the last year I was basically hammered 24/7 just to escape the fear and horror.
Good luck :-)
It will pass

karate

I think the same idea you have is correct ,I noticed as well emotions I had suppressed came back ,Happiness was one .

A little anxiety is normal ,id go get your blood pressure checked ,make sure its ok , can do that at CVS for free .

Is it correct to assume you are in Tx ?

flutter

You just described the last year or two of my drinking life. That is not uncommon.. and it is fixable, I promise! The longer I went without drinking, the better it got until it all but disappeared completely. I mean sure, I get situationally anxious about things, like a 'normal' person does, but I know it's something I can handle with new tools I've learned that have nothing to do with drinking.

Nonsensical

This sums it up for many of us.

http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/8/2/107.full

karate

Agree ,The receptors in our brains regenerate/ repair themselves .

The longer the time with out assault ,from alcohol . The more the repair occurs .

I think the repair is exponential as well , It seems the longer the process is in action ,the larger the repair per day .

karate

Now that's a great chart

PublicImageLtd

Mentium, you described to the tee my drinking pattern and anxiety/depression that followed. It gets much better when you get sober. Now that I'm 73 days clean and sober, my anxiety and depression have disappeared, I'm much more alert and productive, I'm happy, and I can look myself in the mirror and smile now. My AA sponsor, step work and God have a lot to do with that. Good luck to you.

karate

Mine is not gone with respect to anxiety ,But the reduction is 80% I guess .

The reduction in depression is close to 100%

Mentium

A very encouraging response! I am getting on in years and I only hope that the particular receptors in my brain have the wherewithal to repair themselves!