zjw

Good god this was me! its like my mine went in circles going over and over and over and over and over the same point and topics etc... I couldnt make it stop. All i did was worry and panic about everything and anything or nothing at all. The ONLY time i felt less paniced was when i was drunk. but as soon as the booze started to wear off the panic came back. In the end the panic would come even with drinking.

I couldnt take the panic anymore. I only quit because i thought maybe it would help with the panic. I figured if it didnt i'd just start drinking again. well sure enough it helped resolve my panic issues and of course a zillion other issues.

I thank god for that panic I dunno what else woulda sobered me up.

Maty

Really have given some good words there dan thankyou . i need to start being grateful for what i have got and stop whining.my girlfriend says i will be an amazing dad and i know i can be if i stay sober i want to give my lad everything i never had . this weekend has felt like a real turning point im going to see into getting myself a season ticket again so i dont even feel like watching football down the pub at weekends

PurpleDan

Sounds like a good plan. But what are you doing about your recovery today? Did you call the number I gave you? Have you found out about AA meetings in your area? I'm happy to answer any questions you have about AA...I can't speak for the organisation, but can give you my experience of how it saved my ass and how I work the programme. There are other recovery programmes...I don't believe AA is the only way, but it's the only way I know personally...but I do believe that a programme of some sorts is vital.

Maty

I only want to get bladdered if i go the pub with certain people i can happily do other things with the girlfriend and not give beer a second thought.ive explained through a few facebook messages whats been going on to a few mates and if they take it the wrong way so be it.booked me and the gf a weekend away in wales to try and make up for having to put up with my self pity yesterday.i wouldnt go to an aa meeting , this brain injury has left me with extreme anxiety and anger issues and they would only aggrevate it.ive seen a few different shrinks and tried different medications when i was going through my rehabilitation after hospital but it never did me any good.i know what ive got to do and Theres only me can do it ive just never took it serious before

PurpleDan

Then I wish you the very best with your recovery

Maty

Thanks i really appreciate your replies

LonelySausages

Anxiety is without doubt the worst part of being a drinker. That creeping feeling I'd get where I feared a panic attack or worse. In fact anxiety is what used to convince me to take the hair of the dog and once I found out that fixed it I was locked in a downward spiral it's been hard trying to recover from. In the end I don't think I was even chasing a drunk feeling but just trying to keep the anxiety at bay throughout the day then having an extra big one before bed in the hope it would knock me out for the night.
I've been a good boy these last 7 or 8 days though and feel much less anxious. I don't know why I tolerated that nightmare for so long.

Vinificent

Thank you for posting this. I came on here to ask if this anxiety will ever get better. I really want to stop drinking but I get so anxious and alcohol is such a quick fix that I can't resist it. I also have so much difficulty relaxing that I have been drinking until I pass out because I am afraid I will never go to sleep if I don't.

zjw

yeah that was me for years! if you quit drinking it takes time but it does get better.

PurpleDan

That's a large part of why I drank...to shut my mind up so that I could sleep. It's very rare that I have a sleepless night these days, as today I have tools for dealing with my fears.

Berrybean

I stopped drinking. That was when I couldn't hack my anxiety and anger any more. I went to AA to learn how to live sober. It's there that I'm learning HOW to overcome those things. Stopping drinking is only the first stage of your recovery.

There are some excellent books available that you can get online - 'Living Sober' and 'Monkey on my Shoulder' have both got me through some dark times.

Good luck.

Maty

I do enjoy going out drinking but this anxiety/panic has forced my hand i cant put myself through it anymore.i still feel an absoloute wreck from saturday my nerves are shot to pieces its never been this bad before.thats me done now its not worth getting rid of the anxiety for a couple hours to have it timed by 10 for days after

Soberwolf

Well said bud

PurpleDan

Just touching on this, Maty, from what you've posted since. Could it be that it's the alcohol and alcoholism that are causing the extreme anxiety and the anger? If it is, I'd bet my bottom dollar you'd find reprieve through working the 12 steps.

PurpleDan

Just to add to my previous message, to add that in order to work the 12 steps, I'd suggest finding a sponsor to take you through them, and that they should have worked through the steps themselves. And in order to find a sponsor, go to meetings. If the anxiety and anger are too much right now, maybe online meetings would be a better option.

As I mentioned above, I drank and used around fear & anxiety, and working through the steps means I don't have that same level of fear & anxiety, and when fear does come up, I now have tools to deal with it.

And to clarify, I'm not saying the anxiety and anger are due to the drink...I'm not a doctor and they may well be related to your brain injury. I do know, however, that anxiety and anger are common traits of alcoholics and that there is a solution to those problems through working the steps.

ScottFromWI

And it only gets worse from here unfortunately. I hope you can find the strength to seek help and stay sober to get through this. The anxiety will get better but as you mention, drinking again will bring it back as bad, probably even worse than you feel now.

Elizabeth333

I'm so grateful for this thread - today I am going through the horrid demoralization so well described here. It so helps that others are with me. I'm still reeling over losing the job I loved to Alcohol. But I have the present and that has to be enough right now!

Stang

Yep! No doctor here but the dehydration, and low blood sugar aggravates possibly even causing anxiety. Soaking your brain in beer probably screws up brain chemistry. That sure as hell doesnt help.

Maty

I had bad anxiety and anger problems after my brain injury and i was over the moon when i found that alcohol self medicated it.in the beggining the next day i would just have a few hours of being a bit edgy but years later now its actually made my anxiety far worse in the long run.ive read that it makes your brain forget its coping strategies.ill look up this 12 steps dan i feel a bit more upbeat today

Berrybean

Those 12 steps really helped me. I managed to put the drink down alone. But the anxiety and anger / resentments were still there. Isolating didn't work. Mixing with people was a minefield. I can't believe how much has changed in 17 months! If you prefer to listen than read (I did when I had early-sobriety washing-machine head) there are lots of recordings that explain it well. Youtube has a lot (try googling 'Youtube AA Speaker Resentment' or similar) and there are loads and loads on here... 5500+ AA Speaker Tapes - Organized & Mobile-Friendly!

I didn't write this (but I could have done!!!)... If Fear is the Question | February 2014 | SHARE Magazine | Fellowship Magazines | Members | Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd

Good luck.