Fishbowl

Hi all, first time poster here.

I'm just over 6 months sober from alcohol. I was a fairly heavy drinker for the better part of a decade, through out my 20's (I'm 31 now). Before that it was a couple years of prescription opiates which I was fortunate enough to pry myself away from. I was never really an every day drinker until the very end of my addiction but definitely did my fair share of boozing. It was predominately beer drinking and the last year it was coupled with shots of whiskey. Usually, two or three 24 oz. beers and a few shots four to five times a week at night after work. I quit twice in the past for a few months each only to start back up slowly until it became a problem again.

I've actually been a member here since June and have been a board-lurker this entire time. I've come here a lot searching for some sort of relief from what I've experienced in sobriety and many posts here have given me hope and eased my troubled mind. Since about month 2 I've dealt with some rough bouts of anxiety and other health issues which may or may not be related. I've been seeing a doctor since week one and the diagnoses as of yet is just plain anxiety which is attributed to alcohol recovery. They seem to think I'm fine, nothing glaringly wrong with my health. I'm prescribed .25mg doses of Xanax to use as needed and have used them very sparingly (still have 4 out of 20 since early June). I've had blood work done, urine, chest X-rays and an EKG. Also, I am currently under the care of a cardiologist who has done an echo and given me a 24hr holder monitor. I go in this Thursday to get the results from that.

Some days my anxiety is through the roof, some days not, but it seems I always have some sort of symptom each day. The week before last I went a whole week with hardly a symptom at all, then it all came back kicking ass. Chest pains, tingling sensations, difficulty breathing, random thumps and twitches in my heart-area. It's very concerning and I want to believe that a major problem would have already jumped out and bit one of these professionals but my mind continues to worry. It's exhausting and at this point I just want some answers and SO DOES MY WIFE haha.

Thanks for reading. Take Care.

~Fishbowl

Anna

Hi Fishbowl,

Congratulations on your 6 months of recovery.

I'm sorry that you're struggling with anxiety. It seems to be a fairly common issue on these boards and I am one of those who do my best to deal with anxiety and occasional panic attacks.

You might find that meditation, along with breathing exercises, will help quite a lot. Also, there are many great books on how to manage anxiety without medication. Some of them are listed on our book list:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ependence.html

stephengb

My anxiety has turned right down since I stopped and depression vanished. Previously I did some CBT work and that really helped.

Fishbowl

Thank you, I appreciate that. I've heard a lot about meditation and need to be more proactive in that area. Aside from changing my diet to eat healthier and trying to ride it out, I haven't done much else in the way of trying to rid myself of the anxiety. I'm not very fond of pharmaceuticals.

least

Welcome to the family and congrats on six months sober! Keep going, it gets better.

tomls

Do you use caffeine?

Fishbowl

No but I'm a smoker.

oakleaf82

First of all, congratulations on 6 months sober! That is awesome.
I wholeheartedly agree with looking into meditation and breathing exercises. The key is to practice daily (doesnt need to be long, a few minutes is fine). Not only will this help keep your anxiety at bay, it will also ensure you are familiar with the techniques and can pull out the tool when you feel your anxiety increasing. I also think that a good diet, regular exercise, and good sleep will help. If food or sleep is off it can really affect things. Good luck!

Linners820

I hear ya, I also have a xanax rx but really prefer not to use it, and have had the same bottle for months. It's nice to know it's there for a real emergency, but I don't like to rely on that stuff either.
You should check with your doctor first to make sure theres no issues but sometimes herbal remedies help, like Passion flower...I know there's others.
Really breaking a sweat and getting my heart rate up sometimes makes me feel better too.
Anxiety blows 👎

Dee74

I'm not a doctor but I've had issues in the heart area that I thought meant death was imminent but were panic attacks and anxiety - like Anna, breathing exercises have helped me a lot.

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...echniques.html (Breathing Techniques)

ps welcome to the posting side of SR fishbowl

D

Fishbowl

Thank you all for the welcomes, congratulations and advice. I really appreciate it.