cusper

After 9 months of sobriety I still get anxiety attacks. Well I had one tonight. I was eating dinner with my son and my husband and all of a sudden I felt an attack coming on. It doesn't feel like a mental thing at first but then it becomes one because my mind goes a bit crazy wondering where it's coming from. I guess I just assumed that this wouldn't happen when I was sober this long. It's awful. This one was pretty severe. Does anyone else experience this?

ScottFromWI

Anxiety can absolutely stick around for quite some time after quitting. It's really a completely separate issue from alcoholism should be treated as,such. Mine got a lot better after several months but it's definitely something I still deal with.

cusper

Thanks Scott, Yeah I guess it might be time to find a therapist. For the most part I am ok and I just ride it out. However tonight was different, I felt like my heart was racing. I have just had a physical and basically have had every possible work up since giving up alcohol so I know it is mental.

whalebelow

My anxiety can over ride when I got a lot in my head.

if you got lots & lots of stuff whizzing round your head, write it down.

Doesn't matter what it is, work, relationship, emotions, whatever.

Once the brain sees stuff written down, it goes ... "oh, well its written down, I can shut up now"

cusper

WB you are funny! Yes I haven't been writing for a while now. It does make a great difference. And yes you are also right, there is a ton of things stressing me out at the moment. It's been pretty rough. I will have to sit down and write a bit. Love your reply. Thank you!

JustCrusade

I can definitely relate to anxiety attacks experienced after getting and being sober for months/years and also during early sobriety.

I think it comes with the territory to a degree, of course there is the possibility that the anxiety was there before the drinking. Then again the drinking alone may have been the cause of all of this.

Have you noticed the attacks to gradually decrease since you have been sober? in time between attacks or in severity. Have you had anxiety/attacks before your drinking career or did they develop during or after it?

I know every person and situation is different. I just wanted to let you know myself and a lot of us here are no stranger to anxiety - and you truly have to have experienced it to know how bad it can really feel at the time.

jezza

Oh yes.... I'm only just over a month clean but I seem to also get it when I'm eating mainly physical, feels like my heart is skipping in the centre of my chest & also when dozing off in bed.. I wake up with a severe jerk!! Quite scary but I always had this on the first days of withdrawal.. I find that deep breathing in through the nose tends to halt it..

Tic127

I get really weirded out when I eat too, my heart starts going and I get sweaty.. The as soon as I know I'm sweating I start to think people can see me sweating and I sweat more and my heart goes faster... I end up going to the bathroom to calm down. I've been known just to get up and leave because I can't handle it!

That's happened to me for years, on or off drink!?
I avoid dinning out like the plague.

Soberwolf

Sometimes

Anna

Cusper, I am wondering if you ever had anxiety issues before you began drinking? I did and so I still have anxiety attacks years later.

There are some great books that have helped me deal with the issues on my own:

"When Panic Attacks" by David Burns MD
"From Panic to Power" by Lucinda Bassett

zeldachan

I had severe anxiety for years and finally dragged myself to a therapist in August 13. Best decision I ever made. I am so free now. I can live my life. You will be able to as well.

cusper

Actually I had pretty bad anxiety at around 20 but I was drinking then too. I ended up seeing a therapist for a long time and it went away. I really think it comes down to fixing more things that are not working in my life. Lately there have just been a few things that I have issues coping with and I get panicky. It's time to find a good therapist. I would love to be in therapy 3 times a week if I could. Thank you for the book suggestions Anna I am going to get them.

HenryKrinkle

I do. I had really bad anxiety the first 3 months after quitting. The next 4 months (Spring/early summer) were awesome. I felt pretty normal and thought I had the anxiety beat. In July and August the anxiety and (even more so) the depression returned. Just now starting to feel a little uptick.

JaylaaKent

I am coming up on six months and have had a few periods (a couple days to couple weeks) where I felt like I was 2-3 days sober (anxiety, paranoia, depression) ugh - horrible. Everyone tells me that sounds about right. The anxiety attacks may never go away, but I know I can work through it and come out on the other end alive and well. The waves of anxiety are getting shorter and less intense. Hopefully they will all but disappear at come point. Congrats on 9 months.