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Anxiety/panic attacks the day after drinking
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
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
hey everyone....
im so glad I found this site and got to read all of your comments and experiences on this issue. (new to this site)
I am a 30 y/o male who has been suffering with panic attack for little over 10 years now and IT *****!... the feeling of anxiousness and confusion makes me go crazy... I feel like I am going nuts and it feels like my immune system is about to shut down. Its pretty sad because I get these panic attacks wherever I go and no matter if im watching tv, in a meeting, or even shopping at the mall or grocery store it triggers me out of nowhere... way back in my teen years I did experiment with stupid drugs as most of us did for a year or two but marijuana has stuck with me for years and years until on day I got rushed to the ER because I smoked and got extra paranoid and felt like I was going to die-- it took that one time for me to stop smoking. WHAT CAME NEXT?... alcohol....at first I was totally fine.. I could drink day in and day out with just a little hangover but nothing to severe... I know as we get older our body cant take it like how it used to but --- my panic/anxiety attacks got uncontrollable. No matter if I have one or 15 drinks I still get them the next day.... not to lie, I still drink once or twice a week with buddies of mine and just accept the fact that I wont be able to move the next day and will need to do lots of different deep breathing techniques to keep a steady heart rate--
a couple weeks ago I woke up feeling just fine after a night of drinking and decided to head to work.... and BOOM! it hit me while I was driving... I lost all control of my driving and could not stop shaking and felt like my heart was going to stop--- I quickly pull off the road and had my roommate pick me up and I left my car there... whats weird is that only day after drinking I cant drive AT ALL.... when before I was perfectly fine driving the day after drinking. It happened 2 more times after that first time-- and now I refuse to drive at all.... on top of that my body starts to ache at night really bad and it gets really hot ontop of the attacks... days start off totally fine then as the hours go by it just keeps getting worst. I just started yoga/meditation class and it seems like its helping a little.... ill keep it up and see how it goes.
-- I just need to get out of this city where alcohol is everywhere 24/7... I guess im not that strong after all to say NO. -- I just need to remember positive thoughts, and stay stress free..... and hopefully this yoga thing works =).... Namaste.
im so glad I found this site and got to read all of your comments and experiences on this issue. (new to this site)
I am a 30 y/o male who has been suffering with panic attack for little over 10 years now and IT *****!... the feeling of anxiousness and confusion makes me go crazy... I feel like I am going nuts and it feels like my immune system is about to shut down. Its pretty sad because I get these panic attacks wherever I go and no matter if im watching tv, in a meeting, or even shopping at the mall or grocery store it triggers me out of nowhere... way back in my teen years I did experiment with stupid drugs as most of us did for a year or two but marijuana has stuck with me for years and years until on day I got rushed to the ER because I smoked and got extra paranoid and felt like I was going to die-- it took that one time for me to stop smoking. WHAT CAME NEXT?... alcohol....at first I was totally fine.. I could drink day in and day out with just a little hangover but nothing to severe... I know as we get older our body cant take it like how it used to but --- my panic/anxiety attacks got uncontrollable. No matter if I have one or 15 drinks I still get them the next day.... not to lie, I still drink once or twice a week with buddies of mine and just accept the fact that I wont be able to move the next day and will need to do lots of different deep breathing techniques to keep a steady heart rate--
a couple weeks ago I woke up feeling just fine after a night of drinking and decided to head to work.... and BOOM! it hit me while I was driving... I lost all control of my driving and could not stop shaking and felt like my heart was going to stop--- I quickly pull off the road and had my roommate pick me up and I left my car there... whats weird is that only day after drinking I cant drive AT ALL.... when before I was perfectly fine driving the day after drinking. It happened 2 more times after that first time-- and now I refuse to drive at all.... on top of that my body starts to ache at night really bad and it gets really hot ontop of the attacks... days start off totally fine then as the hours go by it just keeps getting worst. I just started yoga/meditation class and it seems like its helping a little.... ill keep it up and see how it goes.
-- I just need to get out of this city where alcohol is everywhere 24/7... I guess im not that strong after all to say NO. -- I just need to remember positive thoughts, and stay stress free..... and hopefully this yoga thing works =).... Namaste.
Hello there!
In case you didn't notice (most people don't), but this thread is very old. Please start your own new thread if you'd like to talk about your anxiety concerns. We'd love to help you and support you.
Use this link to start a new thread in the anxiety community:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/new_with_new_subject?forum_id=71
Thanks, hope you stick around! This is a great site and a great community!
In case you didn't notice (most people don't), but this thread is very old. Please start your own new thread if you'd like to talk about your anxiety concerns. We'd love to help you and support you.
Use this link to start a new thread in the anxiety community:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/new_with_new_subject?forum_id=71
Thanks, hope you stick around! This is a great site and a great community!
That is so me, it's really scary. I fidget a lot when I feel it coming and know what it is and it's embarrassing.
yes I agree with the one every now and then, defo not more than that, I know that I will never be drunk in my life ever again! ive accepted that!
As you said its just not worth it, I would just like to be able to have one at a wedding like you said, I suppose I would just like the option really.
thanks for your advise : ) .
As you said its just not worth it, I would just like to be able to have one at a wedding like you said, I suppose I would just like the option really.
thanks for your advise : ) .
Yeah, if you can really just keep it to literally 1 or 2, once a week max, then that's probably fine if it works for you. From my experience, most people with these issues, me included, simply can't keep it to that. If we could, we probably wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.
This thread is very old, you'd be better off starting a new one.
In MY experience with alcohol and anxiety, the worst symptoms occur after overindulging, usually to the point of intoxication. For the most part, ONE glass of wine or beer here or there won't bother too many people, although it's impossible to predict what will happen with you. Sometimes just that "warm fuzzy" feeling alcohol creates will trigger anxiety in some people.
Personally, I've all but gave it up completely, with the exception of a glass of wine at a wedding, or something very minimal and occasional like that. I have recognized that it's just not worth it to me, I want my life to be with as little anxiety as possible, being that it's a lifelong struggle for me. I'm certainly not going to add anything to the mix that may trigger more anxiety.
Good luck whatever you decide....MY advice to you would be to continue on like you have, you're truly not missing anything. Honestly.
In MY experience with alcohol and anxiety, the worst symptoms occur after overindulging, usually to the point of intoxication. For the most part, ONE glass of wine or beer here or there won't bother too many people, although it's impossible to predict what will happen with you. Sometimes just that "warm fuzzy" feeling alcohol creates will trigger anxiety in some people.
Personally, I've all but gave it up completely, with the exception of a glass of wine at a wedding, or something very minimal and occasional like that. I have recognized that it's just not worth it to me, I want my life to be with as little anxiety as possible, being that it's a lifelong struggle for me. I'm certainly not going to add anything to the mix that may trigger more anxiety.
Good luck whatever you decide....MY advice to you would be to continue on like you have, you're truly not missing anything. Honestly.
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