Mental Health & Crutch's
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Posts: 4
Mental Health & Crutch's
I have found that my mental health got so bad that even since I was at High School I used alcohol and in the early day drugs as crutches. Now I am dependant of alcohol to get rid of the spooks in my head. I can't even leave the house anymore. A prisoner within my own 4 walls!
Can anyone else relate?
Can anyone else relate?
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NY
Posts: 190
I know the feeling. I drank for all sorts of reasons. Whether it was to cope with social anxiety or to unwind at home when I was done with work. As of recently, I find that, if I binge drink, the next day, I can be sure that anxiety and panic attacks await . It seems to be getting worse...progressively worse.
The last time I drank was 2 days ago. I could barely bring myself to go out in public today. I just wanted to isolate in my bedroom all day and watch Netflix alone. I forced myself out to an AA meeting, Starbucks, out to eat, etc. I used some tricks to help me cope while I was out. Mainly, I tried to focus on external things to get out of my own head. Focus on menus, literature, on things people were saying in the meetings, etc. Just let go of my own anxiety producing thoughts.
From my experience, even a few days of sobriety, my anxiety has improved. I am sick of what this disease has done to me physically and mentally, and I am finally committed to getting involved with programs and people to beat this thing. I am also a hypochondriac, and self diagnose liver problems, even though my doctor recently reassured me that severe liver issues are not anything I should be worried about at this point, but my anxiety says thats not sufficient enough. So that is something I need to learn tricks to deal with too.
Check out some posts on here, though. A lot of useful information and helpful people. I hope your anxiety improves. I know it is hell to deal with and I myself am sick of it, and am pretty sure booze has messed up my brain chemistry, and is not the way to go or deal with it.
The last time I drank was 2 days ago. I could barely bring myself to go out in public today. I just wanted to isolate in my bedroom all day and watch Netflix alone. I forced myself out to an AA meeting, Starbucks, out to eat, etc. I used some tricks to help me cope while I was out. Mainly, I tried to focus on external things to get out of my own head. Focus on menus, literature, on things people were saying in the meetings, etc. Just let go of my own anxiety producing thoughts.
From my experience, even a few days of sobriety, my anxiety has improved. I am sick of what this disease has done to me physically and mentally, and I am finally committed to getting involved with programs and people to beat this thing. I am also a hypochondriac, and self diagnose liver problems, even though my doctor recently reassured me that severe liver issues are not anything I should be worried about at this point, but my anxiety says thats not sufficient enough. So that is something I need to learn tricks to deal with too.
Check out some posts on here, though. A lot of useful information and helpful people. I hope your anxiety improves. I know it is hell to deal with and I myself am sick of it, and am pretty sure booze has messed up my brain chemistry, and is not the way to go or deal with it.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bklyn. NY
Posts: 1,859
I became completely agoraphobic due to alcohol and other self prescribed medications. Only problem was I believed for the entire time that the panic/anxiety/agoraphobia was me, and that alcohol was my solution. I was soooooo wrong.
I was a really introverted troubled soul, until I discovered alcohol. It cured me of just about every insecurity, and made me feel for the first time a part of the human race. It worked so excellently I immediatly embraced and accepted that I most likely would become an alcholic. It didn't matter, because the medicine worked so well that I was fine with it. It took about a year of my medicinal drinking before fears and phobias like I'd never known before to start kicking in. I considered it part of just who I was, my mental problems, beginning to just start up in spite of the alcohol. It got worse, and worse, until I was obsessed with killing myself for years and finally got the nerve to tie and extension cord around my neck and hang myself. Thankfully, I never got up the nerve for the last move with that, and wound up the next day on a path to recovery. Detox, rehab, AA, lots of counseling, and lots of changes. It was scary, and my phobias and fears didn't leave immediately, but I learned at first to deal with and accept them, and within a couple of years I was completely free. Of the insanity in my mind, and the obsession with alcohol. My particular sober story had no medication in it either... people held my hand and walked me through a newer way of living and thinking.
Alcohol is a liar. It's not helping. It's adding to your problem, and of this I'm certain. There are lots of avenues for help, and tons of hope. I was completely hopeless my last day of drinking, it's the only reason I wound up on the path I did. I have an awesome life now, I've traveled all over the world (when for years I couldn't walk to the corner store), accomplished many things I never dreamed I would... and yeah, well, I've said more than enough. I wish you the best. Get help. And don't believe that alcohol is a solution. It's a 2 faced demon that will only bring you further down.
I was a really introverted troubled soul, until I discovered alcohol. It cured me of just about every insecurity, and made me feel for the first time a part of the human race. It worked so excellently I immediatly embraced and accepted that I most likely would become an alcholic. It didn't matter, because the medicine worked so well that I was fine with it. It took about a year of my medicinal drinking before fears and phobias like I'd never known before to start kicking in. I considered it part of just who I was, my mental problems, beginning to just start up in spite of the alcohol. It got worse, and worse, until I was obsessed with killing myself for years and finally got the nerve to tie and extension cord around my neck and hang myself. Thankfully, I never got up the nerve for the last move with that, and wound up the next day on a path to recovery. Detox, rehab, AA, lots of counseling, and lots of changes. It was scary, and my phobias and fears didn't leave immediately, but I learned at first to deal with and accept them, and within a couple of years I was completely free. Of the insanity in my mind, and the obsession with alcohol. My particular sober story had no medication in it either... people held my hand and walked me through a newer way of living and thinking.
Alcohol is a liar. It's not helping. It's adding to your problem, and of this I'm certain. There are lots of avenues for help, and tons of hope. I was completely hopeless my last day of drinking, it's the only reason I wound up on the path I did. I have an awesome life now, I've traveled all over the world (when for years I couldn't walk to the corner store), accomplished many things I never dreamed I would... and yeah, well, I've said more than enough. I wish you the best. Get help. And don't believe that alcohol is a solution. It's a 2 faced demon that will only bring you further down.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 31
This is exactly like my story.... After a weekend of drinking, I spend the next 4-5 days sober but convincing myself there's 100 different things wrong with me.... I've been to ER because I thought my liver hurt.... Turns out just withdraw symptoms but I was convinced there was something more.... It's all the terrible anxiety playing games! I usually start to feel better after 5 -7 days but that's about the same time I decide it's ok to drink again.... Terrible cycle
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