J50

I quit for over a year and half back in 17/18, which is how I found this board. The anxiety in the first few weeks and months was brutal marked with panic attacks, insomnia, and loss of appetite. After that I was well and felt calmer as the months passed. Of course I got the thought that I could regulate my drinking after resetting, but it didn't last tong. I didn't drink as much as some (I was drinking 2-3 bottles a week), but I realized that drinking helped me self medicate my anxiety, which I have suffered from my whole life.

I am now coming up on six months. The panic attacks settled in after the first few weeks and had settled down around a month or so ago. Last night, however, I woke up with my heart pounding out of my chest, and with the sweats. It took me over an hour to settle down. I had this happen a few times over the last couple months but thought they had passed. It has taken me by surprise and I am still anxious today.

know it's part of the process but was looking for some assurance. Anyone else experience the anxiety rollercoaster several months after quitting?

Health wise I am.good and have had recent doctor visits and blood work but I was want to feel calm!

novips

Two reactions:

(1) Did you describe your panic attack symptoms to your doctor? If not, that might be worth doing.

(2) I have come to conclude that there is a type of alcoholic for whom only a full commitment to the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous will work. If you are that type and aren't active in A.A. then that might explain at least some of your dis-ease. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat more about that.

RecklessDrunk

It happens from time to time. I think to some extent some anxiety is normal.

Alcohol only ratchets this up in the long run. The ratchet only turns in one direction, worse.

Physically anxiety is increasing the heart rate and brain waves but to some extent we have some control over this. Meditation, controlled breathing, take back control of your breathing, your heart, your brain will follow. Exercise, diet, prayer. Its easier said then done but trust in God, seems to be the opposite of anxiety.

Dee74

Hi J50

I always suffered from anxiety so quitting drinking helped but didn't stop my problem completely.
over 15 years later, I am as good with my anxiety as I think I'm going to get.

so Time does help, but I also got prescribed a beta blocker in the last ten years for something else so I guess that helps too.

D

Anna

J50, I had anxiety and panic attacks long before I started drinking. Of course, my attempt at self-medicating with alcohol made things much worse. I've been sober for a long time now and I still deal with generalized anxiety and sometimes with panic attacks. Believe that you will be able to deal with this, and it's likely that things will improve.

There are lots of good youtube videos on meditating and using mindfulness to manage. Jon Kabat-Zinn's are some of the best. Belly Breathing is very simple but very effective:

Sit or lie in a comfortable place.
Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen.
Inhale through your nose for about 4 seconds, feeling your abdomen expand.
Hold your breath for 2 seconds.
Exhale very slowly and steadily through your mouth for about 6 seconds.

There are also some great books that have helped me:

Bassett, Lucinda 'From Panic to Power'
Burns, David MD 'When Panic Attacks'

Tetrax

I'd see your doctor regarding mental health.

J50

I appreciate all of the replies and advice! I didn't sleep that great last night, but feel much calmer today. I did some breathing work last night and prayed. I also think just typing the post made me feel better.

I never developed healthy long term strategies to deal with my anxiety, but will look into the suggestions mentioned moving forward.

This board is truly a great resource and I am grateful to have found it and be a part of it.

Robbie64

Like Anna, I had anxiety and panic attacks long before I started drinking. At first the drink helped my anxiety but in the end my drinking made it so much worse. I've not drank for almost 3 months and I still get anxiety. In general, it's not as bad as it was when I was drinking / recovering from drinking but it still causes problems sometimes. Like with yourself it can suddenly hit me out of the blue and it can be debilitating. I do have experience of previous quits where I did sometimes manage to deal with anxiety by things such as relaxation and breathing techniques and mindfulness and I try to do a mixture of these when I'm feeling quite anxious and panicky. If all else fails, I just go and lie on the bed for a while until I feel calmer and more relaxed.

LazaB

I don't have panic attacks ( so far ) but anxiety is often 7-8/10 for no reason and i am almost at 3 months sober now , what keeps me strong is that i read the entire PAWS thread on this website and i can see that many other people have been through that , all of them say that they got much better as the time went on , so i am counting on that.
You yourself said that you got better after a few months passed last time , so just keep going.

joe801

I didn't have anxiety & panic attacks until the last few years before I fully quit drinking. If I had not found my way out of the spiral a mental institution or worse would have been my fate, I was unstable and out of touch with reality.

Thankfully whatever changed in my brain chemistry reverted and all issues went away and it's terrifying, truly terrifying to think about drinking again.

With pre-existing anxiety perhaps talk with a doctor, but I also believe the common anxiety feelings some people have (not all) is trying to live outside the current moment and having no control over future events.

Farrier

Everyone's body and experience with anxiety is so interesting to me. Some drank to mask or calm anxiety, while others like me, drinking caused my anxiety. I didn't know that until I had quit drinking for several months.

I still get anxious and sorta kinda panicky from time to time. It's a normal feeling though. I don't drink or use to make it go away. I acknowledge it, accept it, allow it to be there, and before I know, I forgot that that feeling was there to begin with.

Sasha4

I used to get hideous anxiety every morning.
Drinking the night before made me anxious.
I would wake up in a blind panic after blacking out most nights instead of falling asleep.

When I stopped drinking, this anxiety continued for a few months.
I think my body was so conditioned to wake up anxious every morning, it was like that was my normal.

Like Dee I took a beta blocker as soon as I woke up.
I would force myself to get up, shower, wake my daughter up, make breakfast and after 20 to 30 mins the tablet had kicked in and I felt so much better.

Now I don't get any morning anxiety.
It's gone away.
However, if I have to take a mild sleeping tablet, cough medicine or night time cold medication, the anxiety comes back.
I think the reason for this is that my mind goes back to not falling asleep naturally and the reminder from my drinking days.
Also some cough mixtures contain alcohol and that sets off the anxious feelings.
I stay away from any medication with alcohol in it and sleeping aids now.

I wish you the best.