Anxiety/panic attacks the day after drinking

[bvjens31]

This isn't really a question, it's more or less a walkthrough of what I am going through with anxiety problems and alcoholism in hopes that it might help someone out there. Had I read online about how common anxiety attacks after a night of drinking are, maybe I could have started my road to recovery sooner, and maybe some of you can.

Anyways, I am a 25-year old college student (receiving my 2nd BA tomorrow actually :D) who had never experienced anything related to anxiety or panic attacks ever in my life. I've always been a laid back, easy-going individual. Last May, after a weekend of beer pong and partying, I woke up on the following Monday and instantly felt dizzy and out of breath, like I was going to pass out or fall over. I didn't know what it was. I thought maybe I had hit my head during the previous weekend's festivities. A couple days later I still had a dizzy feeling so I had my ladyfriend drive me to the ER for fear of having post-concussion syndrome or something. They gave me something for my nerves (Loreazapam maybe?) and did a catscan and everything was A-OK. I had no idea why I was feeling like this, but I finally told my mom about it and she googled it and thought maybe I was having some panic attacks. Over the next couple of months during the Summer, my roommates and I's drinking continued, and so did my anxiety issues (always the day after going out). At first I tried blaming them on stress or my girl or anything else besides drinking. I didn't want to think for ONE SECOND that my favorite past-time (drinking and being social with the wonderful people in my life) was actually the crux of my least favorite past-time (anxiety attacks.)  

Before I had my first one last May, I had heard of people having anxiety problems (my ex-girlfriends mom took meds for them) but just scoffed at people actually having to take medications to control their thoughts. What pish-posh I thought to myself. Well, after 1 year of having these #$%^$@ panic attacks, it's not pish-posh anymore. I have finally come to terms with the fact that it IS my drinking that is causing these (and smoking a pack of marlboro lights on the weekends in the bars does not help!!!!)  I don't even really get typical hangovers anymore like I used to, well maybe I do, but they are being over-shadowed by the PURE AGONY of the anxiety attacks. Sometimes they go on for the whole day. There are several different reasons about why people have panic attacks, hypoglycemia is one, but I have finally realized that it is my drinking style. Thank God I'm getting out of college so I won't feel the need to go out and get belligerent drunk with my buddies anymore. I know that being in college is no excuse, but hey, it's fun!!!

All this being said, I am working on curing myself. I have always been a type of person who needs to be in control of my own life/mind/health and this anxiety **** has got to stop!!!! I am going to start taking daily doses of St. John's Wort and B complex, to see if that helps. I am also going to get back into my workout routine once my job starts in a couple of weeks. I know that an active lifestyle will help me on the road to recovery, as well as those supplements. But I am starting to realize the #1 thing that will cure these attacks is to stop drinking. Every time I have one of these day-long attacks, I swear to myself that I'm done drinking. But the truth of the matter, is that after a few days, I feel my equilibrium has returned to a pretty awesome level, and I forget about how the major anxiety attack I just had a few days ago made my life complete hell. That's how **** works. Out of sight, out of mind. If I don't have one for a few days, I start thinking I'm invincible again, and we go party. I need to grow up and realize that there is a cure to feeling this PURE AGONY! And it's in the form of alcohol abstinence. It's going to suck and I'm sure I'm gonna miss the bars. But I will not miss these anxiety attacks.

I will keep my progress updated on this forum, because I now know that there are TONS of people out there who are suffering through the same problems that I am currently faced with. We all know the cure, deep down, we just don't want to accept it. To those reading this, hopefully I have calmed you down a little. I know it's hard. It sucks. It's hell on earth, in your brain, and it feels like there is no way out. There is. I think. So I'm going to try the B complex and the SJW and try to keep the drinking and smoking under extreme control.

Peace and love and freedom of YOUR MIND.
Take care,
C

[Aborigini]

I suffer from binge drinking and axiety. This weekend was the last straw for my spouse when he called my dad to pick me up and take me to the ER because I binged on a 5th of vodka for three days. I was just hung over and didn't want to go to the ER. My dad talked me into going over their house to spend the night for a change of scenerie. The next morning I called my spouse and he told me NEVER to come home. He also told me to keep my distance from our 11 year old son. I felt a panic comming on and took some ativan. All day I have felt on the verge of panic with a low grade headache. I wore out my welcome in our beautiful house that he owns. I'm devestated. My binges were several months apart for a year, but this has cost me my son. I was a stay at home and he controled all the money. I will never drink again

[Jayboy14]

Thanks for posting. I've had a bit of a problem for a while. I'm 25 and have been drinking socially- ravenously since I was 16. Mainly just weekends. Social anxiety & just an overall terrible feeling is what I experience after a night of hard drinking. It's usually not the day after I go out though. It's usually the day after that when I'm not still drunk from the day before. I drink to be able to socialize and go to parties now. But the days after that are miserable. Thanks for the info. I guess somehow I'm gonna have to cut alcohol out of the equation.

[fkailer]

i get these panic attackes the next day after a night of drinking also the feeling is unbearable the whole day. have a feeling inside that the something is going to happen.   I am thinking this anxiety panic after a night of drinking is brought on more to me because when i fall asleep i can only sleep for about 3-6 hours after that i will be fully awake and i cannot go back to sleep no matter how hard i try? anyone else that cant stay asleep for long after a night of drinking? thanks

[sozzleduk]

Found that really helpful thankyou. I thought i was the only person experiencing this dreadful feeling in the morning. Trouble is, all i need to do to make it go away is stop drinking.......but i just can't do it. i'm so weak. I've tried AA a few times but is wasn't for me. I dont want to feel like this anymore!

[barbarablueblack272]

I look at the posts and see how many people are having problems with drink.
I have for over 23 years tried to cope with my son who as a drinking problem and some drugs.
It seems to me that at one time we feel nervous and the nerves feel better after a drink and we feel confident and happy , as our feeling go with the drink .
I did myself notice this myself when I was a young girl however for myself i had a good doctor and was sent to group to talk about my problems and over 3 years  later I left the group with the information to help me through my life .
I was told by the consultant when I left that I was one of the lucky ones as lots of people do not get the luck to have a g p who noticed the problem and to advise you of the help we can give to people.
That now is why I know more about the problems people do have with drink and drugs.
I tried my very best to get my son into rehab but you can not force a person and now he drinks and so does his girlfriend .
To the people who are suffering with this problem I say t o you go and get into rehab if possible, and remember the pain of withdraw will go and you do get a chance to recover , and build you life , I wish my son would have done what I did and get the help that is out there.
Its important in a lot of cases to remember being a sensitive person you feel deeper and feeling get hurt easier than others.
One thing for sure when I went to group I wanted to be without my valium and antidepressants I suffered in my cash from panic attacks , but even though my problem ended up with prescription drugs it could have been like yourselves drink it comes to the same , do something that makes us feel comfortable because we feel bad about  something , maybe how we look , not tall enough , too small, too thin , to fat , its the same for us all .
I hope this helps in some way , and I wish you all the best , and to win this illness , and begin to believe in yourselves .

[sincerity82]

I still go back to the dehydration thing.  I think that's where 90% of my panicky anxiety behavior post drinking comes from.  sparkling water, pedialyte, regular water, gatorade etc. mixed in while drinking most certainly helps.  The problem is in the morning, most likely will feel horrible because of the dehydration and not be able to drink a lot...so best to chug some down before sleeping...that way you wake up and have to **** like race horse and process has already begun.  It's absolutely crucial.  I'd say this works about 85% of the time for me in lessening the day after jitters.  The other 15%, well....I don't know but soemthing is different because it's utter hell.