ForMe

So, again I am at 48 hours since I drank...and I feel so anxious. I know that my head is playing tricks on me. I am so trying to tell my mind to relax... but I just can't. Can years of drinking to escape anxiety be causing this now or is this just how I will be sober?

Dee74

I think nearly everyone suffers some early recovery anxiety For Me.
2 days is still very early..I know it's not very pleasant...but you're not alone

If you find it unbearable you can always make an appointment with your Dr?

Most of us find it gets better tho - try to b patient and give it a chance.

D

Dollyangel17

Congrats on two days! I had/have anxiety too, and also drank to ease it. The key is to find a new tool to deal with it, a not so destructive tool as booze. Perhaps talk to your doctor about options.

For me, drinking eased my anxiety for a while, but then got to the point it was adding too it instead of easing it. Adding to it because I knew it was destroying me in the long run.

Hang in there, with the proper support, it can get so much better!

Ornithology

I've seen others on this forum suggest that at 2 days you are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Give it more time, it does get better.

ForMe

I would love to see a list of symptoms and how they leave the longer you've been sober. I have seen lists like that for smoking but never for drinking... I feel that it would be empowering to know that in 3 days, it makes already a big difference on your body.

abwvu1

First post. Habital social drinker trying for the 7th and final time to Stay Sober for good.

I never felt this constant anxiousless after drinking a couple nights ago.

But this one is different because I was arrested for 2nd Offense DUI early Saturday morning. Even after I swore I'd never d n d ever again. First time driving drunk behind the wheel since my 1st DUI. Boom.

I am worried about losing my job I worked so hard to acquire. I'm worried about the prosecutors and mag. courts throwing the book at me even though my 1st was dismissed just last week due to completing the required DUI defferal program just barely.

That's a different kind of anxiety. Expecting the worst possible outcome no matter how hard I tried to Stay Sober.

I've been sober for 4-6 months at a time only for the cravings to get louder to the point I finally gave in.

So where I'm getting at is that if you haven't got in trouble due to your drinking be very thankful and STOP. NOW.

If I have stay sober for 5 years now my life for me and my closest family would be drama free. But due to my selfishness its gonna endure a constant hell.

Hope everything works out.

ForMe

abwfu1
I am so sorry for what you are going through... I have been drunk behind the wheel so many times and I am amazed that I was never stopped. One time, a cop came to the door after be driving back home drunk. By the time he knocked on the door, it was a good 90 min later and I had sobered up quite a bit. He said that he had received a complaint about my driving. But here I was, with two kids, big house, etc... He actually left appologizing. I felt that this was very close but sure enough I did the driving an drinking again.
Were you thinking of stopping before this happened?

Bubovski

ABWVU1
Perhaps you have a problem distinct from alcoholism and are using alcohol to try and alleviate it. An anti depressant might help; they work for anxiety too you know.
Drinking to alleviate poor mood and anxiety is not a good option, in fact it's a rotten option.
Perhaps you could talk things over with a good doctor.
All is not lost after 7 attempts. ForMe.....I agree with Dee, time is a great healer.

Nighthawk8820

Its normal. Its a terrible feeling, but its the gateway we all must go through to get to the good side of life. You said the hangover anxiety wasnt as bad, but it would get worse and worse as you continued to use. Before you know it, you would be having panic attacks over and over after a night out. It always gets worse, so stick with what you are doing and stay on the right path.

13unluckyforsom

Drinking absolutely rocketed my anxiety level to the point I couldn't function properly it's such a bad combination - but I was addicted and I couldn't stop even though I wanted to and knew it was causing me sooooo many mental and physical problems.

If your feeling extremely bad go see you gp they can help you - good luck with this

lorelei

Very early part of your journey, don't let the anxiety push you back to the drink, its about relearning ways to cope, but for now deal with one thing at a time x

Mentium

Being prone to anxiety was one reason alcohol was so attractive to me whan I began to drink and in sobriety I know I am going to have to try to find ways of dealing with it without alcohol. The more I read the more I realise that for many of us just quitting isn't enough. There's often other work to be done!

However I would not confuse what you are experiencing necessarily with a long term problem. The first few days - in my case the first four - were pretty unpleasant and I had all sorts of uncomfortable symptoms. Happily now subsiding!

All the best to you. Hope you feel better soon!

13unluckyforsom

Yeah anxiety may just be a symptom of withdrawl for you / you may not have it as an actual condition once your over this stage.

I had the anxiety even before I was drinking and it was one if the main reasons for me drinking to try and calm that. Ultimately it made everything worse

abwvu1

To be honest I was waiting for something bad to happen before I forced myself to quit drinking. In hindsight, things could've been a lot worse. At least no one was hurt.

Fact of the matter is this town has a cultural problem when it comes to alcohol. I feel into it on the tail end of my college days. I thought I could handle myself but it turns out I didn't.

My best friend from college has 4 DUIs. I'm halfway. I'm embarassed to show my face now.