Hope1989

Hey there guys,

So, right now my anxiety has nothing to do with alcohol. Actually, it has no foundations. I just have general anxiety.

It is so hard to live with general anxiety. Honestly, this is the reason that I drank in the first place. It's crushing.

Alcohol use to numb these feelings (for like a couple of hours) and then my world turns upside down like for two-three weeks (yes, that is how long my moral hangover lasts). So, now I know better.

However, it is really frustrating that I know that anxiety is going to be there. Most of the time. Yes, I have a psychologist and also a psychiatrist.

I have been medicated since very young, but at some points may be the medications stopped working. Changing them could be an option (obviously supervised), however, if you have ever been medicated for these issues, you know how ugly the adjustments of these medications are.

Anyway, I am sorry for the rant. I am just currently at work and got so anxious I can barely do something.

Thanks for reading.

aasharon90

Hope.....

I am often searching for healthy foods to incorperate
in my every day life to help with stress or anxiety.

Here is one link i found if you'd like to read about it
or search for yourself to learn about other foods
to help you.

https://healthyhappysmart.com/foods-...anxiety-foods/

Ravel

Hey Hope,

wouldn't it be a good idea to discuss a rehabilitation facility (Kur) with your shrink? There're so many specialised facilities for anxiety disorders around. Once your doc approves of it, you'll be there for a minimum of three weeks (your insurance covers it). Mind you, it's no clinical rehab, it's more of a health resort run by doctors. You got to get out of your environment and its doom loops! A reset button, so to speak.

Is there a scenario with a happy end, if you continue your cycle of working and despairing? You got to break that cycle and exclusively care about yourself for a while. Nothing else, nobody else.

You are a gregarious and clever fellow, it hurts to see you isolated in pain. If you need any language support in researching facilities or other opportunities here, don't hesitate to pm me!

D122y

Nobody can understand what I feel.

When I quit drinking my anxiety was brutal. It was more than just being a little nervous, I was freaking out off and on all day.
But, throughout the day, even from day 1, I had moments of complete calm and serenity.

I was determined to not get meds. I made through.

I flew back from a big party yesterday. Anxiety here and there. Sort of felt a little crazy sometimes.

I craved. My wife and her sisters drank wine before bed. They think it helps them sleep. Wrong.

I don't preach. I take the Barbs. D122y can't drink, he will relapse. Blah blah. I saw them each drink a small glass of wine. It is good for you....right. Getting a little euphoric at the expense of altering my natural dopemin production does not make sense to this thinking man. Same thing for my immune system. It rocks and I plan to keep it that way.

Whatever. I simply hate booze.

I know if I drink I will have to come back here and admit it.

Everyone will be sad and tell me to adjust my plan. Don't want that.

Some folks will think...he is such a pompous fool. I saw that coming.

All of these thoughts blast through my clear mind. My fearless mind. Drug free and proud.

Thanks.

ThatWasTheOldMe

Anxiety is cruel. It's this sense of impending doom - and sadly, alcohol makes it better until one is in a full blown bender. Then it makes it worse.

I know the feeling all too well. I'm so sorry for your suffering.

totfit

For me exercise has been key to combating anxiety. Without proper exercise fighting anxiety is a loosing battle for myself. That combined with a proper diet that avoids added sugars and is a good mix of protein, complex carbs and vegetables has made any remaining anxiety manageable.

least

Exercise helps my anxiety a lot too. When I feel anxious, I take my dog for a walk and when we come home, the anxiety is a lot less severe than it was. Petting her helps too.

I hope you can find relief for your anxiety.

PinnacleOR

I’ve started a daily meditation practice that helps my anxiety. I just do 10-15 minutes using an app that has guided meditations.

I also have meds my psych gave me for situational anxiety. I don’t want to be on them long term, but for now, at 88 days sober, I’d rather take those than risk relapse. No side effects at all from them.

Dee74

Have you tried breathing exercises? they really help me.

https://www.healthline.com/health/br...xiety#takeaway

D

HeadEast

Make sure you tell your psychiatrist how bad it is. I suffer from the same thing.

Gottalife

Hi Hope, something to consider is that your anxiety is unlikely to be caused by alcohol, but (if it is not a stand alone disorder) it could be caused by alcoholism.

Depression and anxiety are common symptoms of untreated alcoholism, even among people that have been dry a very long time. It may explain why suicide rates are higher among alcoholics who are dry as opposed to those that are drinking.

A common theme among long timers relapsing and going to rehab is the person begins to feel bad, suffering (say) anxiety. They talk to the doctor but don't mention the alcoholism because the alcohol was many years in the past, so it can't be that, right? That seems reasonable and logical, so the doctor may prescribe something which triggers the craving which leads to the fatal first drink.

A horrifying scenario and something I, as someone with long term sobriety, pay attention to.

Hope1989

Thank you very much all of you for your responses.

I am trying to work a plan to keep my anxiety to a minimum.

DriGuy

Which is pretty much the definition of anxiety. If I remember the explanation, anxiety is usually defined as fear without foundations. If it had foundations, we would simply call it fear.

I did experience anxiety back in college. However, it did have foundations. It's just that the foundations were unidentified mysteries at the time of the anxiety. Eventually, I would identify the foundations and the anxiety would be replaced by some new item of self knowledge. But I don't think it works that way for everyone. Anxiety may simply be fear with nothing specific now or in the future to explain it.

I think that's where medications might be helpful. This assumes the cause would be a physical chemical imbalance, but I don't know enough to be sure. It's possible medications may have been helpful in the kind of anxiety I experienced.

Whatever it is, anxiety was one of the worst emotions I ever experienced. Of course, it comes in degrees, and my anxiety came as panic attacks. I can't think of anything worse.

I don't know if alcohol helps or hurts. I've never found personally that alcohol helped medicate anything for me other than to alleviate my cravings for alcohol. But I understand many self medicate with alcohol. It never made sense to me, because alcohol never seemed to help me in anyway I could notice other than to satisfy my desire for more alcohol.

I think the proper approach is the one you are on with your outside professional help.