Great expectations
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 5
Great expectations
Hi all, just getting started on the forum now and looking forward to being a regular in the community.
I've been sober a day now, though days of sobriety have never really been the issue. I'm a classic binge drinker, and in recent years the binges have become progressively longer. Whereas in my early 20s I only needed a drink the next day to recover, it can now take between three and five days of drinking to come out of a binge (I'm now 30). This causes havoc in managing work, social occasions and the like. I am now at a point where I simply cannot do this anymore. I think it may be better to just give up all together.
Anyway, looking forward to being a part of the community and hopefully getting some good tips on managing underlying drinking related issues. In my case, this includes managing work-related stress and anxiety, as well as a fear of public speaking in a job that requires it.
I've been sober a day now, though days of sobriety have never really been the issue. I'm a classic binge drinker, and in recent years the binges have become progressively longer. Whereas in my early 20s I only needed a drink the next day to recover, it can now take between three and five days of drinking to come out of a binge (I'm now 30). This causes havoc in managing work, social occasions and the like. I am now at a point where I simply cannot do this anymore. I think it may be better to just give up all together.
Anyway, looking forward to being a part of the community and hopefully getting some good tips on managing underlying drinking related issues. In my case, this includes managing work-related stress and anxiety, as well as a fear of public speaking in a job that requires it.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 379
Hi sober life now! Welcome to SR and Im so glad you found this wonderful forum. You will get TONS of support and help. Stick around and post often, read alot, settle in and reap the benefits.
One thing that jumped out in your OP is that you have anxiety around public speaking and use alcohol to help cope with that? I also do alot of public speaking and although I dont think I had any phobias about speaking per se, the anxiety caused by drinking was definitely making it almost impossible for me to speak in public. My voice and hands shook, I couldnt keep my mind on track, I was in a fog, off balance ( I dont use a podium) and couldnt lift a bottle of water to my mouth without it almost shaking out of my hands.
The alcohol was causing ALL of those things to happen. Now that I have rid my body of the poison, my 'performance' is much much better. A tad bit of anxiety but much much less.
Refrain from the alcohol and you will ' never let em see you sweat' again!
Best to you!
One thing that jumped out in your OP is that you have anxiety around public speaking and use alcohol to help cope with that? I also do alot of public speaking and although I dont think I had any phobias about speaking per se, the anxiety caused by drinking was definitely making it almost impossible for me to speak in public. My voice and hands shook, I couldnt keep my mind on track, I was in a fog, off balance ( I dont use a podium) and couldnt lift a bottle of water to my mouth without it almost shaking out of my hands.
The alcohol was causing ALL of those things to happen. Now that I have rid my body of the poison, my 'performance' is much much better. A tad bit of anxiety but much much less.
Refrain from the alcohol and you will ' never let em see you sweat' again!
Best to you!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 5
Thanks Oona sounds terrible - glad to hear you beat it! Yeah, for me it's extremely frustrating, and the self medication part makes me despair on really ending my alcohol troubles totally. My reasoning for using alcohol before public speaking at present is a cost-benefit analysis: displaying nerves publicly would diminish my standing/reputation. Obviously, though, if found to be using alcohol that would also be extremely negative.
For me, as a result of these and a few other issues, it's very difficult getting alcohol out of my life entirely. I desperately want to though.
For me, as a result of these and a few other issues, it's very difficult getting alcohol out of my life entirely. I desperately want to though.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,632
Welcome sln,
I also used alcohol to self medicate against stress and anxiety. Turns out that I was actually increasing it because my body was chemically counteracting against the depressant of alcohol!
It took a few months for my body to normalize (during which time I felt a bit off at times), but I did notice a big reduction in anxiety in addition to learning better stress management behaviors.
But it was a big surprise to me how much alcohol was directly causing the stress and anxiety. It's one of alcohol's big lies that it helps with stress, when it actually makes it worse.
I also used alcohol to self medicate against stress and anxiety. Turns out that I was actually increasing it because my body was chemically counteracting against the depressant of alcohol!
It took a few months for my body to normalize (during which time I felt a bit off at times), but I did notice a big reduction in anxiety in addition to learning better stress management behaviors.
But it was a big surprise to me how much alcohol was directly causing the stress and anxiety. It's one of alcohol's big lies that it helps with stress, when it actually makes it worse.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,476
Welcome!
Many of us used alcohol to self-medicate and deal with anxiety and depression. It seems to work initially, and then it doesn't and you realize you now have two problems to deal with. I'm so glad you found us and posted.
There are healthy ways to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. A couple of books that helped me are:
From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett
When Panic Attacks by David Burns MD
Many of us used alcohol to self-medicate and deal with anxiety and depression. It seems to work initially, and then it doesn't and you realize you now have two problems to deal with. I'm so glad you found us and posted.
There are healthy ways to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. A couple of books that helped me are:
From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett
When Panic Attacks by David Burns MD
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,380
Welcome soberlife 
Like others mentioned, drinking actually added to my anxiety - I know only had the pre existing anxiety but the added anxiety of wanting to drink.
I've had better results with breathing techniques and exercise for stress and anxiety
D
Like others mentioned, drinking actually added to my anxiety - I know only had the pre existing anxiety but the added anxiety of wanting to drink.
I've had better results with breathing techniques and exercise for stress and anxiety
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 5
Thanks all, just found the mental health section. It looks very helpful! Nice to know there are loads of others with a very similar set of issues they are overcoming/have overcome. This will be the biggest one for me....right now it's easy to see myself as being condemned to keep self medicating, but it seems others have successfully taken a different path. Would be incredible to have tools to manage these things better!
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
