Cornishman

Hello. I wonder if anyone has any tips about how to deal with withdrawal anxiety - not the panic attack kind; the constant revisiting of negative thoughts... small incidents or non-incidents from the past, snowballing into major ones in your mind and refusing to go away / running on a loop. I know this is withdrawal related (for me) because after about 4-5 days, it's all but gone every time, and only happens during withdrawal. I'm assuming that it's not just me? Anything OTC or natural which helps with this? I've tried valerian and similar herbal things, nothing seems to help. The stage I'm at now (day 5) it's nearly passed, but days 1-3 I feel the guy in the Edvard Munch painting.

Dee74

I’d resist the urge to throw meds or OTC stuff at it on Day 5, simply because while it sucks, it’s part of withdrawal.
It should get better with time. If not obviously then it might be time for the Dr.

I found breathing exercises helped me, also exercise.
https://www.healthline.com/health/br...es-for-anxiety

D

Grateful09

Cornishman, this is no area of expertise for me, only personal experience. It has taken me some time to understand that around day 3-4, the anxiety kicks in and it is pure hell. My rational side knows that it's the anxiety, that symptom x, y or z probably doesn't mean that I'm about to die, but my emotional side can't let it go. Like a self-imposed prison. Having others on here remind that alcohol is a depressant, and that all kinds of things start firing up in your brain and neuro system on overdrive when you quit (including things you don't want), is helpful, but there it is all the same.

In the past, I would have "just one" (yeah, right!) to take the edge off the anxiety. We know where that went. Now (going on four months sober), I have at least a little time to see that ACTION is the best remedy for me. When any anxiety comes up, doing doing doing is helpful for me. Particularly physical exercise, cardio kind. Right before bed, I play alpha-wave music (tons of it on YouTube) - I don't know if the research on this is legit, but it's supposed to be calming, and do I ever konk out for the night! In short, anything to short-circuit the "loop." And it seems to be getting better - I haven't had an anxiety loop happen for a couple weeks now. But, I'm more ready for it, if it does come, than I used to be.

Cornishman

Thanks. Throwing things at it doesn't seem to make much difference, vitamins, magnesium, bananas and other dietary stuff. The worst is over this time and I'd obviously like this to be the last time as well, but experience tells me that's far from guaranteed.

doggonecarl

My tip? Make this your last withdrawal and you'll never have to deal with it again. I'm not trying to be factious, but asking us how to best deal with withdrawal anxiety makes it sound like you want something in place for the next time you relapse. Don't. It's within your power to make this you last quit.

Cornishman

You're partially right, but this is probably my 6 or 7th relapse in the last 3 years. I'm just being realistic and thinking how bad the last week has been, and that if it did happen again, I'd like to have better ways of dealing with it.

D122y

I had horrid anxiety for several months, but it seemed to get better a bit at a time.

The best answer is see a Dr. My experience might not help you and it might even hurt you.

In turn...

I have said that my anxiety didn't get better as much as I got used to it.

I refer to this as my PAWS/PTSD. It comes from the brain damage, permanent, from drinking.

I believe that most drinkers have it. It is caused and quelled by booze. Rx meds quell it too. That is why once a person starts taking RX meds, they are stuck on them for life. The half life of meds is often much longer than booze.

I am still messed up, but I am 99% gtg. Heavy exercise gave me adrenaline/dopamine/endorphins.

I was having some serious stress yest. I only got about 4 hours of sleep and didn't eat for about 18 hours. I was light headed and had a coldish sweat. It might have been related to me getting my 2nd covid shot 2 weeks ago, but I am not sure.

I heard some folks are blaming the shot for not feeling well or whatever. Today I feel amazing.

Getting ready to work out. I also worked out yest and felt ok.

Hope this helps.

Thanks.

Cornishman

Thanks for that. I'm usually OK after 4-5 days of giving up in terms of the anxiety; I don't seem to have the PAWS (yet!). I see what you're saying about the anxiety meds - they seem to do the same job as the alcohol in terms of suppressing the anxiety rather than curing it, but I guess they don't do you as much harm as booze. The last time I went to see a Dr, when the anxiety was really crippling, he handed me a bunch of leaflets about help with addiction and refused to prescribe anything. If I had the withdrawal level of anxiety for months after, I'm not sure how I'd cope with it.

Forwards

What doggonecarl said. The anxiety will get worse every time you go through withdrawals and the very real risk of seizures increases. Only you can make up your mind whether you are done yet or not but believe me, ending up unable to safely drink and unable to safely stop is a nightmare of the highest order.

The good news is given permanent alcohol free time (a few months) the anxiety considerably lessens and after a couple of years past worries seem much more manageable. Good luck!

Steely

Don't be misled by tales of sedatives being innocuous. I did, to my peril.

My tip: Don't use them if you can possibly avoid it.

JustJohn

My tip is go see your doctor. Chances are good your blood pressure is up from the booze and now the lack of it. It'd be a good idea to have bloodwork drawn and analyzed. It's good to talk to medical professionals at a time like this.

I have the running loop anxiety and my doctor put me on Buspirone - it helps me tremendously. My anxiety stuck with me into sobriety so far, but it was worse during the first weeks.

I was resistant to medical and mental health care for a long time. But I eventually realized us non-medical people are terrible at self-diagnosis and got some help.

Dee74

The past needn't dictate your future.

I relapsed at least once a week for 15 years...then I didn't

The difference I was I put all my energy into not drinking.,
Whatever I needed to change, I changed it...when I got wobbly I came here.

I refused to let 'I am an alcoholic' be a good enough reason to drink again.

I'm not saying it's easy but it is very possible.
I think you can realistically plan for trouble ahead and make sure this is your last relapse.

D

tornrealization

Well the obvious solution is time. It sucks, it's cliché, but it's true. Instead of OTC meds - why not try some exercise to help ease the stress. It can be as simple as a walk around neighborhood or maybe find a youtube video of other exercises, if you are limited in being able to walk. You could maybe find a goal oriented exercise routine and concentrate on that for a bit.

I really wish I could go back in time and tell myself, (drunk me - hungover me - early recovery me) - that all my anxiety and irrational thoughts and reactions to things were being totally amplified by booze or lack of booze. The best cure to it - was going to be time - sober time. Nothing has worked better. I still have emotions and anxiety but I have much better responses and thoughts to them.

D122y

This thread is so in line with what I believe.

We are products of SR.

The combined shared knowledge is magnified and magnificent.

Besides saving my rotten soul, others are being plucked from the depths of hell on earth because of this place.

Thanks.

Mizz

I suffered greatly from anxiety. I had a high level of anxiety all day everyday and then I would put alcohol into my system and it would create the perfect storm of panic episodes and mental health issues.

When I quit drinking the anxiety was at an all time high. It took me a very long time to stabilize.
Tips:
I drank a lot of tea. Chamomile, Tulsi and the Kava Tea (all from the store)
I took hot baths.
I exercised everyday to get my anxious state lowered
I ate food in small amounts all day to keep my body level.
I would tell myself to "STOP" when the cycling thinking started and I was in a worry state.
I reached out here when I was in an episode.
Box breathing
I structured my time in a way that did not allow for alcohol to be a part of my life. When I was anxious I had a "program" to follow and see through.

Eventually my brain started to cooperate. It took me months to level off.

DriGuy

As others have mentioned, exercise or doing something else will help, and there is always something else to do. But as alcoholics we got into a lazy habit. Opening a bottle was the fastest easiest way to find something to do. What could be easier that tipping a bottle? Most of all, factor in addiction itself. An alcohol counselor told me that her clients reported the "jitters" and irritability after going without alcohol for a couple of days. I experienced that, and I experienced it as very similar to anxiety, not exactly the same, but close enough to be misdiagnosed.

Take alcohol out of your system, and your body reacts. Anxiety or something like it is one way it reacts. Your body sends a signal to your brain saying, "I need alcohol or I'm going to throw a tantrum!" Of course, you don't want to drink because you recognize the dangers to yourself, and now your brain is screaming, "I need alcohol," while at the same time is pleading with you not to cave in. It should not be surprising that some kind of anxiety results.

But as in all cases, it will pass, not just for a moment, but for good as your body and brain will adjust. And better yet, when the cycle is finally broken, your body won't be demanding it, and the anxiety, conflict and torment will be gone.

Cornishman

Thanks to those who sent me messages with advice - I can't reply to them being new to the forum, but much appreciated.

Scd619x

Doc offered me diazepam for first 5 days if i wanted it but had been through the anxiety so many times before why not one more time lol.