Cross87

I am zero days sober but desperately want to quit drinking. This is my first attempt at reaching out for help in any way or writing in a forum. I hope I am in the right place.
I have had anxiety for my whole life, but the panic attacks and social anxiety started about 4 yrs ago. Doctors have tried pushing SSRI's on me, but they only intensified my anxiety symptoms. I was finally given a once daily Xanax prescription and it's been working very well for about a year now.
Here's where I'm having trouble. I'm terrified that if I seek help or treatment, I'll loose my anxiety meds. I know how people get "red flagged" when they are thought be abusing their prescription and I can't see how admitting to alcohol abuse could be any different. That being said, I wasn't exactly honest when my doctor asked about my alcohol use. I absolutely NEVER abuse my medication, nor mix it with alcohol.
I want to, need to stop drinking, but I'm scared to get treatment or be labeled as an alcoholic (addict) by my doctors for the rest of my life. I'm sorry if this is too long, there's so much more but I'm trying to just start with this. Thank you for reading. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated

caretaker88

Maybe if you shared your fears with your doctor and came completely clean about your alcohol use, maybe he/she would be willing to refer you to a treatment facility and collaborate with the doctors of the facility regarding your care and need for medication.

I do have a question though... what time of the day do you take your Xanax and when do you usually start drinking? I would like to PM you regarding this, but I am pretty sure if this is your first post that you will not be able to read my PM.

Dee74

I have no real relevant experience to share but welcome aboard Cross

D

Cross87

I take my anxiety medication first thing in the morning, and I drink every night after work. It's supposed to be a 24 hr pill, but it's long gone by the end of my shift.
I'm pretty nervous about admitting to this stuff "publicly", but I feel the more people know (to an extent), the more they can potentially help. thank you very much for responding, and your advice.

Cross87

Thank you Dee

caretaker88

My XABF had the worst anxiety I have ever seen when he was drinking... well, not when he was drinking, but the next morning until he would be able to drink again. He was sober for 67 days and did make the comment that once he was about 21 days into treatment that his anxiety lessened to the point that he could manage it without medications.

I have terrible anxiety, panic attacks, depression and PTSD. I also take Xanax as needed, but I know that you should never mix benzos with alcohol. If you think about it, you are taking a 24 hour Xanax, so it is still very much in your system when you take your first drink. Maybe the anxiety you are feeling later in the day is related to your body craving alcohol? I am just saying that maybe if you were to remove alcohol from your life, you may not absolutely need the Xanax. After you post for a bit, I can PM you regarding this.

Liebe

You say you want to quit drinking- do you plan on rehab? Why not try calling some local treatment centers and explaining this issue? Maybe they can offer some guidance. Of course, your doctor should be involved too- but you can see what some treatment centers have to offer as far as this is concerned.
You never know- the drinking could be causing some of the anxiety. I too deal with heavy anxiety- and have used different drugs over the years to try and cope. Sometimes the things we think are making us feel better are doing more negative things to us than we realize.
Its not been easy, its not instant. It doesn't always feel good. Its a lot of work, but it can be done.
I think I will always deal with some level of anxiety- Im just trying to learn to manage it differently. Sorry- not about me- Just telling you a bit of my personal experience- and my new clean time is still pretty new.
Hang in there- know there is help out there. Honesty is key, and you have support here.

Soberwolf

Hi Cross

graced333

Hi - I drank and took xanax and then klonopin for over 30 years. Had suffered from OCD and anxiety since I was a child. For many years took the benzos at night as prescribed, at a very low dose. As the years went by, I literally swilled straight vodka after work and continued with the klonopin at night. I was also scared to go to rehab because I knew the benzo would no longer be prescribed for me and I told myself I could not live without it. Well, after losing the job I loved, driving blackout drunk and losing my license, along with making a public joke of myself, I went to rehab and it was the absolute best move I have ever made. Seven months later, I am still completely sober from the both the booze and pills after learning and practicing buddhist teachings in rehab. My life is at times difficult, but I am present for those I love and for myself. YOU can do this!

dirk41

Hi Cross,

I too suffer from anxiety and alcohol abuse was a massive by product of it.

It took me a while, but I was honest with my doctor and I eventually found a treatment center that didn't interrupt my medication ( a lot don't in Australia, not sure what country you're in), and was right for me. I also found that after a conversation with my doctor and a phone call with myself I could tell pretty easily which places were going to work and which weren't.

silentstorm

Hi Cross, I'm just concerned about the time frame between taking your medication and later on, drinking I also suffer from anxiety. It started in my last year of nursing school as a panic attack while I was sleeping, I would wake up and think I was dying or having a heart attack. Eventually I started taking medication like Xanax however, my anxiety issues worsened up to today. At the beginning of this year, I was taking one Klonopin in the morning and two at night. If I knew I was going to drink, I would skip my morning and nighttime medication because I know that medications like Xanax and Klonapin have an average half life of approximately 11 hours, which means after 11 hours, there is still half of the medication in your bloodstream, even if you don't feel the effects. Drinking with even half the medication in your system increases it's effects, which is not a good thing. Personally, I damaged my liver before I became an alcoholic, and drinking slowed the healing process. Because my liver is a bit damaged, it takes even longer for the medication to be eliminated from my system. For myself, I have found that skipping my Klonopin increases my anxiety, and drinking doesn't affect my anxiety at all, I thought it would decrease it. I've just started recovery, and I know how it feels when it comes to "should I tell my doctor, my family, etc". It's embarrassing, but I really want to quit drinking too and I know that I cannot quit on my own. Once I told my healthcare provider, the doors opened to a whole bunch of support in the community. It also helped me to really accept that I have an addiction because of the encouragement and support I received after I came clean. Now my family is another hurdle, lol, but one day at a time! I wish you the best of luck and am crossing my fingers that you make a decision that will benefit your overall health.

SoberCAH

Welcome, amigo, we're glad you're here.

For me, I had to get help for the alcohol and give up the benzo's.

I take other meds prescribed by my psychiatrist which effectively treat my GAD.

They aren't benzo's or SSRI's.

But they sure work.

grimm10

if you can share or be honest with your doctor find a new one, and if this is a general physician not a therapist, i would get a therapist to deal with that aspect of your life and let the doctor deal with the physical

if you feel you need to be on a anti anxiety then xxanxx IMO is for extreme or last resorts, not for a daily medication, there are a ton of everydays, zoloft, welbutrin, cymbalta that can take care of what a xxanxx can do without the side effects or being "labeled"... i have xxanxx as well and went through what you did, just be honest and if they dont trust you im sure then can put a hold on the medication not competly take it away, so you can only fill it with a XX amount of time, not early or later

BUT booze first my friend, cant stress that enough, the booze is just poison to the body and mind, so even if your not taking WITH it, its still effecting it...

you need to get a few months under your belt, how ever you need to, stay way play more video games, what ever it is, spend more time with our family, (sometimes i know that can be bad here but suggestion) and get your mind not just off of it but far away from it

i hope that helped its tough every post in this fourm you see the same ppl struggling but thats what i is a struggle and you need to be strong and slap that booze in the face