in pain until i drink
 

Hi im in the process of getting rehab, i keep having to see the alcohol team who review me then make appointments to see the week after for another review which is absolute torture as iv been told i cant stop drinking until they send me to rehab which is weeks away yet i cant take another day of this crap. since yesterday i have had chest and back pain and pains under my rib.
iv also had a cold feeling inside my chest
i hopedit would go away after 1 daybut i had it allday today so i wnet to my local walk in centre and when the doctor checked me over he said it was either reflux or anxiety related. i thought reflux was bringing body acids up but i dont feel that happening so the only other option is anxiety so has anyone else had physical pain through their anxiety? can i add as i feel so ill and weak at the moment i jsut sit or lie on the couch allday which im sure is doing no good for my back but im that weak i cant even go to the toilet unless im on the verge of pissing myself. the last 2 nights of having the pain i have drank and the pain seems to subside once iv had a drink. i feel so down as im 27 yet i am walkinaround like a 60 yearold with arthiritis.

Anxiety can certainly bring pain with it...

and it's easy to think that drinking helps...but it doesn't - each time we drink, and then withdraw, the anxiety actually gets worse...so we feel the need to drink again...

it's a very vicious cycle.

Did your Dr recommend you see anyone or do anything about your anxiety?

D

he tried to prscribe me something for my stomach but i said i wasnt havnt stomach pain it was in my chest and back, so he said that if things dont improve speak to my doctor. im hoping its down to the fact i dont really move out of the couch curled up in a ball so it cant be helping my back. another thing i forgot to mention is that im so infused in what is going on with my body that im totally disconnected from what is going on around me so im disconnected from the outside world and when i snap back to reality it feels strange, cant explain properly its so weird

i have an appointment on wednesday with a dr that has been extremely helpful. if it was down to him i believe he would hve put me in rehab in an instant but im having to deal with an alcohol team who are having me jump through bloody hoops before they send me to rehab and i dont think they realise the torture i am feeling as i keep begging them for help but theykeep telling me i have to wait and have me waiting week after week for reviews

Wow, I'm sorry to hear this, is there any way you can go to an ER so you can get help right away? It doesn't seem right to me that they would tell you to keep drinking for weeks when you are already having physical symptoms from drinking.

Hi Sharp.
I know its hard. Anxiety can cause many different and distressing symptoms. Derealisation is very scary, I have had it in the past as you know.
Try calling NHS Direct again, explaining your symptoms.
You see, we are not doctors here and are not allowed to give med advice.

Probably the reason they want you to keep drinking is to prevent you from going through withdrawls and possibly experiencing DTs and a seizure which can be fatal. When i was first looking into rehab and the first place i checked out didn't have any openings i was actually told to keep drinking moderately until a bed came free. Instead, i checked myself into an ER, ate the medical bill over time and got the safe medical detox my body needed. It was worth it.

grits, I would have done the same thing. Sharp, is this an option? Such a sad state of affairs when people can't get the medical help they need when they need it. Prolonging something that makes you so sick must be awful sharp, and I am sorry you are going through it.

any chance you can get detoxed through an A&E or ER as grits did? A cleaned out body would help your anxiety immensely.

sounds VERY familiar
 

I had those EXACT same issues when I quit drinking. I had actually tried quitting before but went back because of the pain issues (have/had a lot of shoulder pain too ugh). I now have 2 weeks and I have to say, the pain issues have started to get better, but I will occasionally have other anxiety related symptoms that seem to come out of nowhere but magically disappear when I say to myself, 'oh yeah I have anxiety again bah!'. I once described it to my therapist as my body trying to "trick" me into taking a drink because that's EXACTLY how it feels! I'm not 100 percent better yet obviously, but I've definitely noticed some improvement so please please please don't drink! What helped me was doing lots of "easy" things like baking cookies, cooking simple meals, watching funny tv shows on netflix and youtube. Also, try practicing good posture and take vitamins. I notice that taking a magnesium, calcium, vitamin D supplement helps me- may work for you too. Good luck and stay sober!!!!

Sounds normal to me for a newbie. I know I can identify with your statement.

I remember Jack Bradshaw talking one time about Out-of-body experiences. He said one of his students asked if he had ever had one and Jack said: "Why, yes, ... for about 35 years"

Have you called your local AA hotline and talked to one of the members?? I think if you went to a meeting you would find that you were in a roomful of folks who were a lot like you.

I feel what you are going through alone.. in your head. I did the same thing until I surrendered. I wish you the best.

Bob R

thanks everyone iv tried going to a + e, iv begged to get help as soon as possible but nothing. im in the UK and i believe that im being made to wait because of the fact its government funded and they need to be certain i need the help as they will obviously have to budget the money they have and theyll not want to waste money on people they dont feel need it.i understand that but the waiting and waiting is horrendous and the feelings im having are a nightmare that i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy. there doesnt seem to be anything else i can do except suffer at home until they finally give me the go ahead.

Uuummmmm.... you could call Alcoholics Anonymous.

Good luck and i believe its anxiety. It could also be reflux without the "reflux" bc when I drink too much, coffee, soda, or when it was beer I would get the same pain feelings which are gas. I pray you get into a rehab soon.