Long-term Anxiety, Made Worse with Alcohol

[JTG_in_RTX]

Hello everyone,

I've been coming to this site for a few months now after my panic went into overdrive...been really nice to see all the support and help for one another.

I'm a 41 year old guy that has suffered from varying levels of anxiety and panic attacks since I was 13 or 14 years old. It seems like a life event kicks it into gear periodically and lasts for several months or more. This go around I was drinking a bit too much every night for close to a year when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Went to the ER and was treated for dehydration (thought I had a stroke because of weak legs) and they said I was having anxiety attacks from alcohol withdrawals. Good news is I haven't had a drop to drink in almost 2 months, but now dealing with anxiety that was being "drank" away previously.

Recently my GP put me on Lexapro and it seems to be taking the edge off. I'm only at 5mg, so just starting off with the med, but it seems to be really helping...after the initial increase in anxiety...boy did that suck! I still wake up with fairly bad anxiety in the morning and after naps, but it's much more manageable.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi and look forward to learning more about our shared condition and how people get through it. Thanks for reading. :)

[superchick22684]

Welcome to the forum JTG_in_RTX!

[gypsylee]

Hey, welcome to the forum :)

Good job staying off the booze. I was a heavy drinker for many years and it ruined me mentally and physically. In the long-run being sober is a lot easier than the nightmare of alcoholism.

Hope you find some support here - it's awesome having people to talk to who understand anxiety.

All the best,
Gypsy x

[JTG_in_RTX]

Thanks so much Superchick and Gypsy, I'm already feeling a connection with the group here and the private struggle we share!

[danielhermanson]

Hello and welcome to the forum JTG_in_RTX! Here you will find the support you need because people are caring and really nice. Many times anxiety is accompanied by alcoholism and this means there are at least two big problems to deal with and that my friend make things a lot harder. Try and quit drinking and you are on the right track.

Here are some tips to help prevent alcohol affecting your mood:

1. Use exercise and relaxation to tackle stress instead of alcohol.

2. Learn breathing techniques to try when you feel anxious.

3. Talk to someone about your worries. Don’t try and mask them with alcohol.

4. Always be aware of why you’re drinking. Don’t assume it will make a bad feeling go away, it’s more likely to exaggerate it.

Take care and be safe!

[JTG_in_RTX]

Thank you danielhermanson, I can tell this is a great group. I also very much appreciate your recommendations and will look to incorporate same into my daily grind. I've turned into a teetotaler and don't expect that to change, especially since I've been using it to mask my anxiety...and poorly at that!