Vicki31

Hello SR's

Just wondered if other people are getting any anxiety issues?

I'm day 36 and feeling really positive about my new sober life, just got through my 5th weekend and am really happy.

The problem is just this last week I am getting really really anxious feelings (heart racing, short of breath, feelings of panic and dizziness), this morning it is particularly bad. There is no particular external reason for this, life is no more difficult than it should be.

Is this a normal response to recovery or is it me? Will it pass in time?

Thank you for reading

Best wishes Vicki

hypochondriac

It may be a normal response to sobriety... anxiety is a totally normal condition which we have often avoided by drinking, but ironically alcohol makes it worse physiologically. It can help if you can pin point what is causing it, sometimes it is something really small that we need not be anxious over and we can rationalise it and move on. If it continues to be a problem there are some CBT techniques which work well with anxiety, or you could talk to your doctor about it x

ImperfectlyMe

Hey Vicki congrats on 36 days. For me yes free floating anxiety was a huge issue in the beginning. It took me just to the edge of full blown panic attack. For myself I've worked through it by thinking it through. Recognizing my feeling letting them be and make any changes nessasry to alliviate the panic. Like hypo said it may be part of why you chose alcohol in the first place. Get a good physical and keep up the good work!

Tang

I would say there are a myriad of causes of anxiety and add a couple more to someone recovering from alcohol. If the symptoms are prolonged over the course of multiple days, see a doctor.

I suffer from anxiety, but being newly clean and sober, I can't separate out symptoms of PAWS from some other underlying health issue. For now I'm holding tough.

Vicki31

Hi and thank you all for your replies

Hypochondriac and ImperfectlyMe - you are both right I did use alcohol to some extent if I was anxious the old self medicating reason I suppose, lame reason but there is no good reason in honesty for drinking how I was doing.

ImperfectlyMe I haven't heard that expression before "free floating anxiety" but that pretty much sums up the feeling, there is nothing in particular just all these feeling of impending doom with no cause that I can pinpoint.

And Tang, symptoms come and go not constant for days on end (thank goodness for small mercies) - I will just try and stick it out as you are doing and hopefully its just a part of the process of healing that needs to be gone through.

Thanks guys Vicki

ImperfectlyMe

Vickie there are many non medical ways to deal with free floating anxiety ( it's actually a clinical term) google some bio feedback techniques. It's helped me tremendously. The point I'm at in sobriety the anxiety has eased and most likely yours will too
Be well