Bad anxiety and struggling for breath
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,414
Hey BABM
yeah by the end, my 'have to drink cos...' list got pretty big.
Right at the top of this link are some ideas for anxiety - any one of them is better than drinking, man.
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...f-respite.html (Relief and Respite)
yeah by the end, my 'have to drink cos...' list got pretty big.
Right at the top of this link are some ideas for anxiety - any one of them is better than drinking, man.
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...f-respite.html (Relief and Respite)
Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,279
Sorry to hear that BABM. My anxiety was off the charts when I first quit...it got gradually better (with exercise, work, therapy and mindfulness) and by week ten I could say: 'I don't feel anxious any more'
I'm sure that seems like cold comfort for you now but if you need to see a doc to get you through the first bit then maybe that would help? You seem really committed to sobriety and I reckon you deserve as much help as is available to match your incredible drive, perseverance and personality.
(My number one top tip for anxiety (which may not feel of much use now!) - eat PORRIDGE. Seriously. Try it for a week and tell me I'm wrong...
I'm sure that seems like cold comfort for you now but if you need to see a doc to get you through the first bit then maybe that would help? You seem really committed to sobriety and I reckon you deserve as much help as is available to match your incredible drive, perseverance and personality.
(My number one top tip for anxiety (which may not feel of much use now!) - eat PORRIDGE. Seriously. Try it for a week and tell me I'm wrong...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 1,598
Originally Posted by Be123 
Sorry to hear that BABM. My anxiety was off the charts when I first quit...it got gradually better (with exercise, work, therapy and mindfulness) and by week ten I could say: 'I don't feel anxious any more'
I'm sure that seems like cold comfort for you now but if you need to see a doc to get you through the first bit then maybe that would help? You seem really committed to sobriety and I reckon you deserve as much help as is available to match your incredible drive, perseverance and personality.
(My number one top tip for anxiety (which may not feel of much use now!) - eat PORRIDGE. Seriously. Try it for a week and tell me I'm wrong...
I'm sure that seems like cold comfort for you now but if you need to see a doc to get you through the first bit then maybe that would help? You seem really committed to sobriety and I reckon you deserve as much help as is available to match your incredible drive, perseverance and personality.
(My number one top tip for anxiety (which may not feel of much use now!) - eat PORRIDGE. Seriously. Try it for a week and tell me I'm wrong...
Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,279
I love you too BABM ♥️. Your perseverance is a key trait that makes me confident you'll nail this at some point.
How about asking for help from the GP? Your will isn't the problem, any practical help you can get may be the difference between last time and ongoing sobriety?!
#bouncebackability
How about asking for help from the GP? Your will isn't the problem, any practical help you can get may be the difference between last time and ongoing sobriety?!
#bouncebackability
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 774
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Scotland
Posts: 3,837
Stick with it BABM. Anxiety is hellish....I struggle all the time with it but there are really healthy ways to deal with it. My top 3 are
Walking
Baths
Breathing exercises
Keep working on finding a few things that help you calm down. Breathing exercises/meditation can be a total game changer.
Be123 - porridge? Really? I love porridge and eat it all winter but not in the summer. Do you think it really helps?
Walking
Baths
Breathing exercises
Keep working on finding a few things that help you calm down. Breathing exercises/meditation can be a total game changer.
Be123 - porridge? Really? I love porridge and eat it all winter but not in the summer. Do you think it really helps?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
Sigh, sorry bud. I know that exact place you're stuck in - I can call up the anxiety, fear, nausea and shortness of breath which were my companion in the last days of my drinking. I say this only to be able to tell you that you can get out, you can get free.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: England
Posts: 315
I think it is important not to catastrophize your feelings too. If you build something up in your mind as "unbearable" or "hellish" or "insurmountable" it will become those things to you.
It's uncomfortable, to be sure. Sometimes very uncomfortable. But as Gabe and others have said can be brought into line with the right actions taken on your part. Nothing soothes my mind and anxious thoughts as much as writing them down. Gets them from playing like a broken record in my head.
And remember, the AV is not just thoughts, it's also any feelings that may lead to using. If anxiety is suddenly ramped up, restlessness, boredom, irritability, lethargy, feeling down. These are all AV.
It's uncomfortable, to be sure. Sometimes very uncomfortable. But as Gabe and others have said can be brought into line with the right actions taken on your part. Nothing soothes my mind and anxious thoughts as much as writing them down. Gets them from playing like a broken record in my head.
And remember, the AV is not just thoughts, it's also any feelings that may lead to using. If anxiety is suddenly ramped up, restlessness, boredom, irritability, lethargy, feeling down. These are all AV.
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,964
Urge Surfing: https://motivationandchange.com/urge...s...%20More%20
4-7-8 Breathing Technique: https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing#1
4-7-8 Breathing Technique: https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing#1
Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,279
Originally Posted by Gabe1980
Stick with it BABM. Anxiety is hellish....I struggle all the time with it but there are really healthy ways to deal with it. My top 3 are
Walking
Baths
Breathing exercises
Keep working on finding a few things that help you calm down. Breathing exercises/meditation can be a total game changer.
Be123 - porridge? Really? I love porridge and eat it all winter but not in the summer. Do you think it really helps?
Walking
Baths
Breathing exercises
Keep working on finding a few things that help you calm down. Breathing exercises/meditation can be a total game changer.
Be123 - porridge? Really? I love porridge and eat it all winter but not in the summer. Do you think it really helps?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,772
By drinking, you have set yourself back. The anxiety will come back along with all the other unpleasant aspects of withdrawal. 
If it's really bad, go to the ER and get treated. You've got to get thru the first few days for the anxiety to finally lessen. Whatever you do - DON'T DRINK!!
If it's really bad, go to the ER and get treated. You've got to get thru the first few days for the anxiety to finally lessen. Whatever you do - DON'T DRINK!!
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,491
The breathing technique SugarBear mentioned can really help. And, there are other breathing techniques that help with anxiety and panic attacks. You can google or look on youtube for lots of suggestions.
I'm glad you're back.
I'm glad you're back.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
I'm not sure you understand what the AV is.
It doesn't make decisions. It makes suggestions based on made-up scenarios to get what it wants.
YOU make the decision to drink. You have to move your hand to Your Mouth. The AV is just a thought process that can be interrupted at any time with the answer, "I don't drink." The AV is simply a maladaptive part of your brain that YOU can control by just not acting on it.
It doesn't make decisions. It makes suggestions based on made-up scenarios to get what it wants.
YOU make the decision to drink. You have to move your hand to Your Mouth. The AV is just a thought process that can be interrupted at any time with the answer, "I don't drink." The AV is simply a maladaptive part of your brain that YOU can control by just not acting on it.
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