Alcoholic?

[goraza]

I was a heavy drinker (pint or pint and a half a night) for 10 years. I decided and researched that this was a problem....duh....and the main cause of my anxiety. I cut it down to about 2 to 3 drinks a night (which equals about a half pint) and for the past 2 years that has done me good. My problem is, my anxiety in the past 3 weeks has gotten worse, but my drinking has not increased. I want to make my drinking less. Any suggestions?

[keter]

I agree with markv, benzodiazepines are the pits, especially if you have a history of alcohol abuse. Have you tried Baclofen?
That's a muscle relaxant, but since it works on the GABA receptors (just like alcohol does) it takes away a lot of the craving and because it is (distantly) related to benzos, it also helps with anxiety.

[markv]

I would advice against anxiety meds. They're very addictive and even harder to detox from than alcohol (if you're taking high doses of benzos). That is just my personal experience. I would stick with regular exercise.

I used to drink about the same amount of alcohol as you. I did it for over 3 years. I started working out 4-5 days a week about 3 months ago and my cravings are almost nonexistent. When I feel really anxious I go to the gym and do some weight lifting. You feel great for the rest of the day.

I'm not an expert and there's people on this forum that knows a lot more than I do. I'm just telling you what worked for me to stay sober for the last several weeks.

[Cici_xo]

Good job on lessening how much you drink. Anxiety meds do me wonders. That's the best thing I can recommend. Or exercise, it releases endorphins which should help.