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

[brown2013]

Thanks for that, I take it you think its the wrong idea then? I thought I would be ready for Christmas but after all I just wasn't! im scared to even put it in my mouth but ive read its a phobia and its all in the way you think about it!? I know drink isn't for everyone, and doesn't agree with everyone but Im just hoping after 10 years of drinking and then it clearly not agreeing and giving me panic attacks until the last couple of years I could let it back into my life just a little. but I will never ever drink the way I ever did! I never realised how many people have the same symptoms and have to deal with similar problems!

[topher280]

Do not drink, not now or after a "little longer" - It is not all in your head!  There is a reason you stopped for so long and are doing so much better.  Those of us who are hard-wired genetically to drink more and more alter our brain further with each drinking episode.  These brain chemistry changes present as anxiety, and weekend binge drinking can bring on these changes even faster than drinking moderately every day.  For most of us, I guess there is often some anxiety that made us drink in the first place, but at this stage, most of the anxiety comes directly from the way alcohol has rewired our brains.  There is no risk to you in NOT drinking, so I hope you are able to stay strong. However, it sounds like you may ignore this advice sooner or later. If so, please come back and let us know how that goes...

[brown2013]

ssoooo many people with the same issue, its horrible!!
I had the most hurrendus experience with alcohol too.
I have always been a big drinker at the weekends never during the week, and I would never know when to stop, my dad is exactly the same and ive had to grow up with it for years.
It started of with heart palpations on a sunday night after drinking the night before, and speaking to the doctor they said to slow down on the drink, but that lasted only a few months, then after a while one sunday I suffered enormous panic attacks all day!!! like if I zoned out and thought about stuff everything went a little weird and I panicked and had to keep breathing big breaths, and I thought I was going to die, I also thought I was going to go insane and feared what my mind was going to make me do. it was the worst day of my life, I couldn't even manage work for most of the week as I still wasn't right, I couldn't be alone, I had to be around people for comfort it was just insane. At some points the world was so different I experienced depersonalisation!! So the doctor said DO NOT DRINK! I went away on a holiday that was already booked and it was so hard to handle not drinking but if I wanted to get better that was the only way.
when I came back I had to go to a mental health place to learn about anxiety which I knew nothing about and it opened my eyes to a whole new world! I met people who had way worse symptoms than me and who you would never think had any problems at all!
So discovering about anxiety and alcohol do not work!! I realised I had anxiety in which I never even knew, and so after those sessions I decided to take a self confidence class too! "hence the reason I drank so much"
I knew I was never as confident when I was sober to when I was drunk but I never knew that was probably the only reason I drank that and the stress of a horrible job and total ***** of a boss!
But after all that I never touched alcohol as it clearly doesn't agree with me but now after a year and 4 months I kind of miss a wine or 2? but I am now scared of it? im scared to take a sip and itll all come flooding back to me!!!
I know its all in my head but ive come so far ive left my horrible job opened my own business and have more confidence than ever and im extremely proud that I done all this!
But what to do now? do I give in or do I wait a little longer and not pressure myself?
Your stories have helped me so I just wanted to let you know mine! : )

[Leahher88]

I'm glad to have read this. I've only had a handful of panic attacks in my life and they ALL occurred when hungover. It's the worst feeling. I went to the ER twice and today went to American Family Care. I do have PVCs, so my heart doing somersaults just makes everything worse. I want to be the kind of person who can talk herself out of panicking. I'm never anxious about anything and all of a sudden, I have panic disorder? It's so hard to believe and cope with. I was prescribed Xanax but don't want to be medicated. I guess I just wanted to comment and say thank you! And to everyone else out there reading this, panic attacks are awful, even when you know that's what's happening. Even when you logically know that you're having a panic attack, you still feel like you'll surely die. I get that! I KNEW and I went to the doctor and made him draw bloodworm and do an EKG... All to make sure I wasn't actually dying. All of this even through I KNEW I was having a panic attack! It's awful but you'll get through it. It ends eventually. I've decided to keep my drinking to a minimum from now on. I know I can have enough to enjoy myself and be fine. I don't have to go overboard. It was just so hard since Auburn won last night and I had to celebrate.. ;) anyway, I'm rambling at this point. But to everyone experiencing these symptoms: you are not alone!

[powerlift83]

Several people have already stated what I'm about to say, but I'll tell my story anyway. I think it's very help to know you're not alone.

About a year ago I started having seemingly random bouts with anxiety and very dark thoughts. The worst part of the issue was is feeling of almost losing my mind just as I would drift off to sleep. I'm far from an alcoholics, but I did go out on the weekends with my friends and we definitely enjoy our drinks. It took a few weeks to realize this was happening after drinking. The weird part was that it wasn't the night I would drink, but the following night. I got to a point where if I'd had a glass of wine the day before I'd start freaking before I'd get into bed just anticipating the sleep anxiety I was about to have (obviously making a rough situation even worse).

I saw my doctor about it and she couldn't understand it. If it were happening the night I drank it would make some sense she said, but since it was happening the following night when all the alcohol should be out of my system she felt that my problem was mental. So, I went to a psychologist. My psychologist of course wanted to talk about my childhood blah blah blah... But she did say something that really struck me about the nature of anxiety and unresolved issues. She was absolutely right that half of my problem was anticipating the problem. I was freaking myself out. Although, that was somewhat helpful it didn't solve the root of the problem. Somehow, some way, alcohol was really messing me up.

I went back to my doctor and explained that I was still having the issue. She prescribed me xanax to only use when I needed it. I've had it for about 8 months and I've used it 4 times. I've pretty much realized the only thing that has helped me is not drinking. Fortunately I really am just a social drinker so it has saved me a ton of money not going out and drinking with my friends on the weekends. However, I do still have the occasional night out or a glass of wine with dinner, etc and I typically don't have an issue. Even following a heavy night of drinking the effect is a lot less severe as it use to be (and it use to be BAD). I'm 30 y/o and that feeling of losing my mind was horrible.

Three pieces of advice:
1) Take a few months away from drinking and then slowly introduce it back into your system.
2) Most importantly, don't anticipate having a problem. Whatever this is that is causing this issue in us is made significantly worse by the fear we have before the issue even happens.
3) This one we probably already know, but it bears repeating. Do not freak out if you have an anxiety attack. Turn on your favorite television show, listen to something calming, call your best friend (but don't tell them what's happening because if they worry it'll make it worse).

I've also found that staying away from caffeine helps too, but I rarely having caffeine so it probably affects me much differently than a regular drinker. Also, prayer/meditation is very good, if that's something you get into.

Good luck and stay calm. You're not alone.

[nursegirl6572]

I encourage you to start a new thread as this one is very old.

Alcohol exacerbates anxiety something terrible.  Your approach to fixing this issue is backwards.  You've now found another substance to self medicate away your post drinking anxiety.  That's not a good idea.  You're traveling down a slippery slope.

"hell knows how im going to stop drinking,especially at events like music gigs or birthday dos,i cant do things like that sober because of the anxiety."

Sounds very much like you need to address the anxiety, and not with alcohol.  You're self medicating.  Alcohol needs to be taken out of the equation or you're just going to end up having to deal with both the anxiety AND an addiction (if you don't already have to).

Get yourself to a professional and start addressing the anxiety the right way.  You're on a merry go round that is going to lead you nowhere good my friend.

Good luck to you.