BlackHawk96

I'm currently 18. I suffer from extreme anxiety and often face issues with depression. I've tried medications, self-help, meditation, but none of those help as much as alcohol. I feel so good when I'm in a good mood and can just drink without having to worry about anything.

Lately, however; I've been having these strange symptoms when drinking. I picked up a can of beer, began drinking it, and about half way through I got a pretty serious stomach ache. So I thought, "Ok, I've been drinking beer for a while, maybe my body can't handle too much of it at a time", so I switched to vodka-based drinks. In one night, I can easily handle about 2 and a half litres of 7.0% drinks without getting too wasted. I usually drink that amount within the span of an hour or two. After drinking about that much, the day after the next, I felt like I couldn't handle anything. I was craving the feeling of the vodka feeling as opposed to the beer feeling, so I drank it anyway. I sat there feeling sick to my stomach, just about to throw up, but kept it back so I could drink more. It sounds awful, but I can't help it.

Can someone explain to me why I'm feeling this way, or what I can do?
Please help,

Thank you,

Sean

ESD907

Quit. its all I can say. I actualy wrote an entire page for you, but realized it was too long. YOU will be better of quitting now. IF iyou want to read what I"d actualy written just send me a message.

Soberwolf

Its a very wise intelligent to eliminate alcohol from your life

Good luck

Db1105

Let us know if you want to stop drinking.

SoberLeigh

Eliminating alcohol would be a good first step.

Giving medical advice is against the rules of this site. I would suggest a visit to your doctor.

Do you want to stop drinking; this is a great place for information, support, encouragement and understanding.

Welcome, Sean.

Hope4Life

Hi Sean,

If you are feeling this way at 18, imagine what you will feel like at 30 or 40?

In my case, my anxiety and panic attacks STOPPED when I gave up the booze and pot.

You are very young and I guarantee that if you stop drinking now, your life will be much better than if you continue drinking.

BlackHawk96

Thanks for the advice guys. I know the best decision is to quit, but the feeling I get from it just takes away the pain. Are there any strategies I can use to stop temptation?

BlackHawk96

I can't send you a message, because I don't have enough posts yet, so I'm leaving a reply for you here. Please send me what you had to say, as I'm interested in reading it.

Thanks.

PurpleKnight

Alcohol can cause damage to the body and the body is not invincible, something has to give eventually!!

Alcohol was a large part of my life, but I realised it doesn't actually fix or help anything, it simply numbs life away for a bit, but the problems still exist in the morning, so I continued to drink, and the never ending cycle spiralled.

We need to instead learn to cope with life in other ways, because alcohol is not a sustainable way forward!!

ESD907

I sent you a message.

BackToSquareOne

Alcohol does relieve anxiety and depression but only for a few hours. As soon as it wears off you feel even worse than you did before, then you need even more alcohol to get back to square one again. It's a cycle that sucks you in and keeps you comming back to recapture those feelings. It's short term relief but a long term nightmare.

ESD907

BTSO, I think you hit the nail on the head. where were you a few decades ago?

BackToSquareOne

I think we all fall for that trap because it does instantly change the way we feel. Too bad the good feelings wear off and we end up even worse than before we drank.

Hawks

I can only provide what has worked for me

Good spirit (a God of my own understanding) has conquered bad spirit (alcohol)

Ever wondered why the strongest alcoholic beverages fall under the group label "spirits "

alcohol provides a temporary spiritual experience, it allowed me to function as a normal person.

Ultimately though, it further wrecked me, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Hope that helps

Gottalife

I suggest you talk to your doctor about your stomach symptoms, and your anxiety. 18 is young to be having alcohol related physical problems. If you are knocking back rtds, that fizzy stuf isn't good for you either. Perhaps if you find an effective treatment for your anxiety, the other problems will dissapear. Btw, alcohol is a depressant, it doesn't relieve depression, it causes it.

It is however effective in treating that internal discomfort about life and the world around us. That is why I liked its effect so much. It helped me feel part of the world, only more so, until it didn't.

BlackHawk96

Really interested way of putting it. I never thought about it. I believe in God, and have been a somewhat active Christian my entire life. Sometimes I feel as though he doesn't help me in the way I want to, but instead guides me. The only issue is that guidance sometimes isn't enough for me.

BlackHawk96

It's really unnerving that I'm getting stomach issues. It's like after I try a different alcoholic drink for a few days, I'll almost get repulsed by it, and it gives me awful stomach aches.

Only issue is, feeling of alcohol > stomach aches.

Hawks

I can't connect all the dots for you Blackhawk, but hopefully you now understand that you've been looking for spirituality in a bottle, you can take steps to find what it is you've been looking for all along, just in the wrong place.

God bless mate

fotographia

Either quit drinking, or get help to quit drinking as you are drinking way too much alcohol. Good luck.

sugarbear1

see a doctor to find out if you've damaged your stomach.

look up Urge Surfing for those cravings.

like Hawk said, those steps might help you