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

[Jenna2335]

I am so happy for your story. Lately, if I drink A LOT, I have been having spells where I feel I will pass out the next day. Happens while driving, and particularly, if I've had caffeine. It is a crazy feeling and, thank GOD, haven't actually ever passed out. The feeling comes over me so strongly, my left hand goes numb, and I immediately recognize I need to be NOT DRIVING. Scary, to say the least. I am an alcoholic and I pray to god this experience makes me stop.

[albert1979]

It is nice to see that I am not the only person in the world battling this terrible problem.  I am 32 and have battled with anxiety since I have been about 20.  I like to go out with friends and have a good time but I cannot handle the day after drinking in excess, and it seems to be getting worse every year. (I know not good news for some of the younger contributors)  

I am able to go out and have a decent amount of drinks in a night (5-8) and feel ok the next day.  However, if I go out and decide to get blackout drunk then I can have a hangover for 4-5 days.  It is not a typical hangover either.  I cannot function, I have been in the hospital numerous time.  I try my best to understand the anxiety going on in my head.  I try to calm myself but sometimes I just do on thane the strength to battle.  I just can't calm myself.  

As I have become older I try not to get out of control drunk anymore but a few times a year I allow myself to get caught up in the night and get out of control drunk.  However Saturday night I allowed myself to do it again and here I am on Tuesday and still battling to get my life back on track.  I am trying to get through the work day by finding different excuses to leave the office and taking fake phone calls on my cell to be able to walk outside.  

We just have to come to the realization that we are not built like other people that have the ability to handle alcohol and function as normal members of society.  At least there is an answer to our problem, we just need the strength to either quit drinking or only have a couple drinks.  

It feels good to share and I hope that my post helps at least one person through these tough times that feel like they will never end.  

[gmzkyd]

It is good to read these posts! i have to admit i am always wondering the internet even though i know what is wrong with me. It's still so hard to fully believe it is only anxiety. I had tried weed a few times and the last time i did it i had a panic attack, in the morning i felt normal and it left my mind. about 6 months later after a hard night of drinking and bumping into my ex it all starting. Impending doom. the full panic attack experience feeling i was going to die. and it has not stopped since, its been nearly 2 years, i do have moments that i feel better but as soon as the thoughts are there again it felt like no time has passed since i last thought about it. Vicious cycle! i do believe it's the alcohol. But it's so hard to think that my friends are fine and this stuff doesn't bother them, yet i have to deal with it. It's just an awful experience and i really hope it stops soon. i haven't been having panic attacks but weird thoughts are still lingering. I wish everyone the best of luck. Been watching a fair bit of charles linden on youtube. That seems to help, should get around to ordering the real deal.Im just skeptical! but i do have hope that i will one day no longer have these awful feelings!

[topher280]

I just want to comment one one thing the last post mentioned: "Just remember that there is no real danger!"  I agree with this in terms of the anxiety and panic attacks - you are not dying or going crazy!  But I commented years ago on this thread, and will again now after making a little progress.

Since we are talking about alcohol's involvement, I believe in the long term there is danger if we with these issues continue to drink.  I am quite convinced that the anxiety after drinking most of us are experiencing is a physiological withdrawal response.  Even if we wouldn't call ourselves alcoholics, only drink on the weekends, etc., when we drink or binge our brains get all out of whack when the alcohol is out of our system the next day.  

It has taken weeks of not drinking for me to feel a sense of peace, to let the tension inside me fade away.  I still can get anxious if there's a legitimate reason, but I am able to function so much better.  I have realized that the alcohol-induced anxiety was horrendous the day after bingeing, but that it takes literally weeks to fade completely.  So even though I was only drinking on the weekends, I was putting my body through a cycle of binge/withdrawal every week, and it was destroying me through anxiety.

My point is just that I hope some of you take this anxiety as a serious warning, and I challenge anyone who wants to get rid of it to not drink for an entire month, and maybe keep a journal about how you feel.  It couldn't hurt.

[Happygoluckyme]

I can tell from what and how you've wrote where you are at with dealing with your anxiety. I was once there. I never had anxiety growing up but my Mom did. I didn't even understand what she was going through and was less than sympathetic to say the least. One night after drinking and cocaine and very little sleep my bf picked me up. I felt uber disgusting so decided a Starbucks frap with an extra shot should do the trick. It didn't help so bf rolled a joint and just as the effects of the weed stress so did a feeling of doom and fear that I had never experienced innmy life! I also had an extreme pain in my head that made me unable to put my head down even on a pillow. As the effects of the weed wore off I started to feel a little more normal but the uncertainty stayed with me until it started to disipate, prob about a week. Then one year later after partying I had a crazy panic attack without the coffee or booze. It started just because a tiny thought entered my brain about the first time. It's interesting because our bodies are protecting us. We get a surge of adrenaline to protect us from harm but because we are just hungover there is nothing to fight or flee from. Its been a tough and confusing, mind-battling venture but it does get better!!! The effects of alcohol are def the culprit but we doubt ourselves when we feel like we are going crazy. The problem is that after experiencing anxiety you can feel anxious just thinking about it. Something your mind never even knew existed before. The key is to either cut out alcohol, or learn to not binge drink. Or have something for the next day. It is def a band-aid but it's realistic if you get enjoyment out of having a couple or few glasses of wine/beer. I take an Ativan day after sometimes but don't even need to anymore some days. Everything helps, restoring your water levels, vitamin b, exercise, positive thinking, distractions, etc. Just remember that there is no real danger!! I  

[Happygoluckyme]

I can tell from what and how you've wrote where you are at with dealing with your anxiety. I was once there. I never had anxiety growing up but my Mom did. I didn't even understand what she was going through and was less than sympathetic to say the least. One night after drinking and cocaine and very little sleep my bf picked me up. I felt uber disgusting so decided a Starbucks frap with an extra shot should do the trick. It didn't help so bf rolled a joint and just as the effects of the weed stress so did a feeling of doom and fear that I had never experienced innmy life! I also had an extreme pain in my head that made me unable to put my head down even on a pillow. As the effects of the weed wore off I started to feel a little more normal but the uncertainty stayed with me until it started to disipate, prob about a week. Then one year later after partying I had a crazy panic attack without the coffee or booze. It started just because a tiny thought entered my brain about the first time. It's interesting because our bodies are protecting us. We get a surge of adrenaline to protect us from harm but because we are just hungover there is nothing to fight or flee from. Its been a tough and confusing, mind-battling venture but it does get better!!! The effects of alcohol are def the culprit but we doubt ourselves when we feel like we are going crazy. The problem is that after experiencing anxiety you can feel anxious just thinking about it. Something your mind never even knew existed before. The key is to either cut out alcohol, or learn to not binge drink. Or have something for the next day. It is def a band-aid but it's realistic if you get enjoyment out of having a couple or few glasses of wine/beer. I take an Ativan day after sometimes but don't even need to anymore some days. Everything helps, restoring your water levels, vitamin b, exercise, positive thinking, distractions, etc. Just remember that there is no real danger!! I