peace of mind

[akp11]

I am not quite sure how to use this, I just wrote a post, but can't seem to find it now. Anyhow I will try again. I have been researching anxiety all day, its a slow day at work. I came across this site, and it turns out, I'm not alone!

My issue is anxiety, I think. I've not been to a doctor. It happens the day after a night out. My chest is tight, my shoulders get very tense, and my heart races. My thoughts are the worst part about it though, the wosrt thoughts run through my head, my brain convinces me that I am going to have a heart attack, or not wake up, horrible things like that. I can't argue with the thoughts, either. I wake up in the middle of the night and my heart just pounds, making the thought process that much worse. I will lay awake for hours, my mind racing with thoughts of death and doom. I hate this. I am a happy person! The bad part is that I will have a drink to shut up the panic, however, it will just show up during the night or the next day, strong as ever. I am a social person, and not ready to completely give up drinking. Anyone out there experience anything like this? Any help is GREATLY appreciated, I want my life and peace of mind back. I miss enjoying myself.

Thanks, Amanda

[northstar]

hi amanda, sorry to see you having a tough time! i hope it begins to get better for you.

i'm afraid though that you're not going to like what i'm going to say here, but i'll just offer the advice and you can make of it what you will :) you mention that the anxiety usually happens after a night out, well that suggests to me that the alcohol you're drinking on your nights out could possibly be a part of the reason for your anxiety.

alcohol can cause anxiety in two ways:

1) alcohol drains our bodies of vital nutrients, thats why you get hangovers. it can also cause anxiety. a healthy nervous system needs a balance of nutrients to work properly, but if it's being drained of those then it can be thrown out of kilter and make you feel really awful, anxious and panicky. you might like to take a multi vitamin for a while until you feel a bit better? just make sure if you do that it's compatible with any medication you might be taking.

2) alcohol also messes with your blood sugars. it acts like liquid sugar in your body, burning up really quickly and making your blood sugars soar. a couple of hours later when you've stopped drinking your blood sugar then begins to dip and fall again in the middle of the night or the next morning. you might notice you wake up in the night really cold after you've been drinking, thats your low blood sugar. when this happens to compensate your body then releases a host of chemicals including adrenaline. the adrenaline can send your body into "fight or flight" mode and rushes around your body causing those heart palpitations, sweats, free floating anxiety, shaking, depression, breathing problems, panic attacks and all sorts of things. if you don't know that this is what is happening to your body then it can cause even more stress, all you know is that out of the blue you're feeling really super stressed and you begin to panic about it.

if you're then having a drink to try to feel better you're just adding to the problem. a better idea is to drink water and to eat some good wholesome food to bring your blood sugars back up slowly to a happier level.

the same symptoms happen to me when i drink alcohol, heart palpitations and sweats, my ears ring too and i feel so anxious. so my answer is just not to drink too much of it. i don't really drink a lot anyway, but when i do i try to be aware of how bad it will make me feel and so i take it easy, drink a glass of water in between each drink and make sure i keep topped up with some good food too. i always have a snack before i sleep too, some brown bread toasted or a banana (something that will top your blood sugars up slowly, not something like chips that will just burn up quickly and add to the problem).

sugary foods/processed foods/coffee/tea/sodas can all have the same effect.

this may not be the answer for you, but it sounds pretty fishy if you find yourself panicking only when you've been drinking. and don't freak out too much, it doesn't mean you have to give up alcohol altogether! it just means you have to be aware of how it's going to make you feel and take it all in moderation.

i hope this has been helpful in some way, you might like to think about talking to your doctor about it if it will help you feel better. please let us know how you're doing :)

[Carla]

Hi Amanda
I just joined the site last night, like you, I had spent a day researching anxiety and I am sure I have spent the past few months reading anxiety articles on the net and looking at every anxiety forum there is! I came across this forum and it does seem so far very good compared to a lot of others.
As regards drinking, since I became very unwell with anxiety, I have had to give up drinking alcohol because ven a small amount plays havoc with my anxiety, makes it spiral and usually the next day is when I feel the effects even if I drink just a couple of drinks. It increases my anxiety lots and I feel dreadful with panic. I get hot and sweaty and feel more sick than usual and I get palpitations.I didnt have a drink for a couple of weeks, and then had a couple glasses of wine and it made my anxiety spiral, and every time now that I have a drink, the next day I feel absolutely terrible, so I figured this was too coincidental, and I have given alcohol up altogether whilst I am suffering with anxiety. It just isnt worth the added anxiety feelings.I have read many times, when reading different peoples experiences about anxiety that alchohol increases anxiety the following day. I dont miss drinking to be honest anymore and there are a lot of really nice drinks out there that dont involve alcohol.

[akp11]

Thanks so much for the imput! I had a feeling it would go something like this anyhow. I know that it's alcohol that triggers it, but at least I can tell myself that I'm not going to die, and that it is just anxiety. I will also keep an eye on my diet and what I eat the next day. I think I need to just change a few bad habits, and start some better ones to get a handle on this! What a great site, and I am so glad to not be alone in this! Getting educated about what I am dealing with is helping as well, and having people to talk to like you all is even better.

[elgrande]

Sometimes when I'm crossing over from a conscious state to sleep I will suddenly experience what I can only describe as some sort of intense panic attack. Basically I feel like a bolt of electricity is shooting through my head and as I wake up in terror my arms and legs kick out and I gasp for air. I know this sounds bizarre but I actually feel like I'm on the verge of dying! For a second I'm utterly convinced my numbers up. I then experience a huge spike of adrenaline followed by a loud buzzing in my ears. My forehead is usually covered in sweat and for a few seconds my heart feels like its pounding beyond anything I've ever experienced. It settles fairly quickly and I'm left feeling a bit confused and drained. After about 15 minutes I usually fall asleep again. The most common day of the week this tends to happen is on a Sunday and I've been thinking lately it might be linked to the binge of alcohol I have on a Saturday night!