Why Alcohol Causes Anxiety

1,088 Comments

There are basically 6 reasons why alcohol consumption and hangovers make many people anxious and I’m going tell you what they are. I want to share this with you so that you can be more informed and avoid becoming alcohol’s punching bag.

Ever since I became sick with nervous illness I’ve heard a lot of people say that anxiety sufferers should not drink alcohol because it makes you more nervous than you already are.

I’ve always found this to be ironic because there are so many anxiety sufferers that drink alcohol to cope with their anxiety, but true it is.

Now, the fact that alcohol can cause anxiety is just that, a fact. It is a scientifically based understanding, so this is not simple conjecture on my part.

Will alcohol affect all people this way? Probably not, but as an anxiety sufferer you should be aware of the possible pitfalls of alcohol consumption, so pay close attention.

Scientists believe that alcohol causes or at least increases anxiety in  6 basic ways and here they are.

1. Mood

Alcohol can affect our mood because it can affect the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a feel good brain chemical that when in short supply can cause feelings of anxiety and depression.

2. Drop in blood sugar

A drop in blood sugar can cause dizziness, confusion, weakness, nervousness, shaking and numbness. These symptoms can most certainly trigger a bout of anxiety.

3. Dehydration

This has been known to cause nausea, dizziness, fatigue, light-headedness and muscle weakness. These symptoms wouldn’t cause anxiety per say but they add to a sense of illness which fosters anxiety.

4. Nervous System

The nervous system is affected because in order for the body to fight off the sedative effects of alcohol it puts the body into a state of hyperactivity in order to counteract this effect. This hyperactivity can lead to shaking, light/sound sensitivity and sleep deprivation.

5. Heart Rate

Your heart rate can become elevated as a result of consuming alcohol which can cause a palpitation false alarm and put you into a state of anxious anticipation. Is it a heart attack or isn’t it you might ask. This “what if” questioning can increase your general state of anxiety.

6. Concentration

A hard night of drinking can also make you hazy, bring on headaches and create a sense of disorientation.

So if you’re going to have a glass of wine with dinner I don’t think you should be concerned. On the other hand, if you’re a heavy drinker, or binge drinker, then this might cause a real problem for you.

According to The Times Online, scientists don’t know exactly why all this happens but they do suggest that you eat before drinking, drink water in between drinks, and stay in bed if you are hung over to avoid all the problems I outlined above.

Some would say that maybe you shouldn’t drink at all if you have an anxiety disorder – that’s debatable. Do you think that alcohol should be avoided at all cost when someone has an anxiety disorder?

I don’t think that alcohol should be avoided if drinking is part of your social repertoire, however, I also know that moderation and good sense should be your guide.

In addition, although alcohol does have a sedative effect it should not be used as a coping tool. This type of behavior can lead to alcoholism and worse yet, more anxiety.

So if you know that you’re a light weight, or if you already know that alcohol makes you anxious, don’t bother. Maybe I don’t need to say it, but really some people just don’t know when to say no.

Note: I want to hear your opinions. Let me know what you think about this issue – comment below.

Update

After waiting forever I finally completed a podcast for this article. Press play to listen now.

anxiety symptoms

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  • Todd

    I have a problem!!! I’ve been drinking for a while now. It’s gotten really bad and I’m not sure where or what to do. I try and try to totally quit but it never fails. Some time will pass and I always end up going back. I live alone, I have no bf.. Family is out of state.. I have very few friends becuase I usually flake or don’t show up.. Unless it’s a going out thing.. Then i’m sure to show and i’m always the life of the party… I hate the place that I am in. I quit again today. I hope I can do it this time. . .

  • Laurie

    Hi Kelley and Todd, first Kelley, I too suffer from insomnia and I am a “good red wine” drinker as well, initially after I drink the whole bottle (yes I do that sometimes nightly) I fall asleep but wake up in a couple of hours, dry mouthed and anxious, I just can’t seem to have just one glass, I just love the taste of it too much, I also take lots of herbal supplements to offset the anxiety and the abuse to my system from drinking, I always feel like shit these days, For Todd, I am also without family where I live and I have friends but they are all drinking buddies, and I am always the life of the damn party and that is pretty hard to live up to all the time “BEING ON” and funny, I too hate the place I am in, and I am so conscientious of it yet continue to do nothing to stop myself from my own personal abuse. Every day I say tonight I will not drink, and then the night comes and I drink a bottle of wine, or like last night two nice size glasses of Patron on ice, I pray you can do it Todd, I pray every day I can, we are all in some sort of shit storm on this page so feel free to say anything, we do not judge, and I find lots of good advice here to get me on the right road, just need to put my left foot in front of my right, damn foot won’t move,,,, lol,,, God Bless.

  • Laurie

    Hi “D”, just saw your post, yes you are not alone and I too feel like that the next day after 4 glasses of wine. We are dehydrated by then severely and since we are prone to anxiety we start to think at least I do that I have cancer, or heart problems, brain tumor, yup been there, done that too, my problem is then I just pop a magic little pill to ward off those thoughts as well, one evil vs the other but they both make me feel better, till the next day as well I never sleep enough either, that’s the alcohol depriving us of a good nights sleep,,,, having known all this I still pop a bottle when I walk in the door after a long day at work, I wish I could give you some great advice, I wish I could take some myself, we need to minimize drinking, take up exercise, eat foods that induce calmness, and I don’t know, have love, make love, feel loved, be human,,,, God Bless ya, Laurie

  • Erin

    Laurie– I have been reading your posts on here recently and just love how much I can relate to you. I googled anxiety and alcohol the other night after I woke up at 2am “dry mouthed and anxious”, as you said so perfectly. I was also WIDE awake and even though I felt hungover and tired and awful I couldn’t fall asleep. I spent the entire next day depressed, guilty and tired. I have gone thought a lot in my personal life lately and was forced to move back in with my mom with my two kids. There are too many of us squeezed in a small house and the anxiety is too much for me to bear. Every day I say I am not going to drink, and I’m ok during the day…. But by the time my mother and sister get off of work, my daughter gets out of school, and the chaos starts I find myself heading for the vodka…or whiskey… Or wine…. I like it all. I love how it relaxes me and I feel like my life has done sort of meaning… Until the morning. I feel guilty as soon as I open my eyes. Thoughts like “did I remember to give my kids a bath last night” and “do I really have to get out of bed and make school lunch?” plague me with guilt. I know I can be a better mother, but when I do go a day or two without drinking I become so depressed and anxious and I just go right back to it. I wish I had the strength to quit, and start exercising. I wish I didn’t depend so heavily on this poison as a crutch, it’s tearing me apart.

  • Daisy

    I think one of the problems (for me, anyway) is the loss of control, once you’re drunk enough and the alcohol is in your system you can’t just sober up immediately, a lot of anxiety sufferers find if they have an escape from a particular situation that makes them anxious then they can cope, then if they get anxious they just leave the situation. You can’t do this when you’re drunk, you’re stuck like that until you sober up. I’ve had the worst panic attacks in my life when really drunk, I literally want to die when enduring them. Nowadays I only get tipsy or a little buzzed then stop, because even then I can feel a little panic rising, it’s also horrid when I get home house later completely sober and as I begin to fall asleep, that grinding nauseating sense of dread appears for no reason at all. It’s such a shame to me because it has made me more introverted and sorely impacted my social life, though I go out probably twice a month. It probably doesn’t help that I’m a natural introvert mostly as well. I wish I could be like others my age and get hammered, have a laugh and even endure a hangover without panic, I so desperately envy people who don’t have to deal with anxiety, they have so much more fun, I can’t even imagine how it would feel to be able to go out drinking without any anxiety.

  • audrey

    Hello to all. Ive been looking everywhere online for ways to ‘taper off’ my drinking, and i found this site that has a program called HAMS. It basically shows how to quit or just decrease your drinking, on your own, without meds. I was wondering if anyone here had heard of it? It has some really interesting easy to read info on withdrawals, and how to taper based on what you currently drink (amount wise) and a graph to guess your odds of withdrawals.
    I think this is the route i have to go for myself and was just curious if anyone here had heard of it, tried it, or knew anything about it. It’s pretty anti-AA methods though. The reason it appeals to me is that if I go to a doctor/therapist or rehab I will then permanently have ‘alcoholism’ written on my medical records…which nevermind what that does to my insurance, it could possibly be cause for the state I live in to revoke the business licenses I hold. So yeah, that’s not an option!

  • JP

    Wow, I was just cathing up a lot, wow, Frank P. good to see you. I had been doing well until last night. I was with my gf and we were at a place she frequents a lot and we had to put on the charade of being just friends. Make a long story short, it got me Really, Really depressed and had me drinking way too much red wine from a bartender that likes to pour heavy. I feel like crap today…a combo of too much wine and of course depression. We were supposed to have dinner tonight, which I don’t feel like doing, she might not either, I could see she was starting to get annoyed because I was obviously in a mood. NYC marathon got canceeled so I am doing a different one this weekend in another state…. I honestly just feel like dying… this sucks… I feel like a failure…I did everything to wrong to ensure this mood would happen.

  • Laurie

    Hi Erin and everyone out there in anxiety land, hope you are all safe from this crazy weather, and have lights and heat, (depending on where you live ) I am in PA so we are back up and running, went to the Doctor yesterday for an earache haven’t had one of those in like 30 years, and while I was there got another extension on the Xanax thank goodness for that. I am going to do an interview today at my job and I will be assessed by HR on how well I performed the interview and I am anxious already, so an hour before I am popping a Xanny and hopefully will come across confident like I used to be so many years ago when I worked in NYC in the corporate world and by the way still drank like a fish,,, I think drinking after work has been part of my life since I was 17 years old, crazy but that is how I end my day. Last night was Patron only two small glasses lots of rocks, it worked I slept well and before I was cleaning my dining room and eying up the wine rack for tonight at 1am when I come home from work, the cycle continues, I just popped so many supplements to make up for the tequila, I am off to work I wish you all well, God BLess,,,

  • Kelley Embleton

    Hi Everyone ,This site was a bit of a revelation for me linking anxiety ,insomnia with alcohol ,ive been seeing a homeopath the last yr an it has helped me greatly ,but i relasped back into insomnia recently ,then realised i drink more as it helps me sleep ,but then i wake up 5 6 in the morning anxious an yes guilty kids school etc etc …..So i just said ok you really need to take more control of this situation !!! I had two glasses red wine with dinner sunday ,thankfully it was all gone and i live in the counrty so popping to the shop is not really an option ,I then slept really soundly that night no xanax either ,just piece of mind im going to take more control of the situation I woke the nx morning feeling happy and fresh :)
    I also worry about my health i drink lots of water ,take a B complex a mag calcium complex ….I also started taking Ashwaganda Two wks ago worth researching ,It helps with anxiety an insomnia gives you more energy through the day but promoting good sleep through the night ,Helps regulate hormones an thyroid for all those women out there ,thinking its poss hormonal ? has array of other benefits, but interesting enough its really good for withdrawls from drugs an alcohol!!!
    Im going out tonight friends birthday i will be drinking red wine my fave ,but im going to be a lot more aware of my consumption….As i have had no anxiety or insomnia since sunday ,i had a few glasses wednesday but stopped early drank tea then ashwaganda tea before bed stopping early really helps i think …..Good luck everyone

  • Brad

    I’m new to this site. I found it when I did a Google search pertaining to alcohol’s affect on anxiety. I consider myself a pretty anxious person. Uncomfortable around people mainly. Social phobic. But also just generally tense and anxious. I’m 42 and have been drinking regularly since high school days. My acquaintances all drink and I don’t hang out with any nondrinkers. Drinking is so central to my life I don’t see myself hanging out with people and not drinking. That would just be uncomfortable. I’ve tried to abstain in the past quite a few times. Even during a few drinking parties. I even thought I had as good of a time and probably an even better time than when I drink. You would think that would make it easy to quit. But of course nothing is that easy when it comes to alcohol. It’s an insidious drug. It creeps back into your life with the promise to make you healthier if you don’t have more than a couple drinks a day. Then at a party it’s OK to get a little drunk because, well, it’s a party. The consumption ramps back up and you don’t feel as well and you don’t sleep as well. Then the worst you feel the better a drink or two or five makes you feel. I’m by no means a down and out drunk, but I do think drinking has affected my life adversely.

    So anyway I’m on my 19th day without a drink. I read an article that had said it takes about two weeks for your brain to adjust to not drinking, and then the cravings would be a lot weaker after that. It’s true. I feel a lot less anxious and my chronic insomnia has disappeared for now. I haven’t taken a Xanax in over a weak. It took longer than you would think to start feeling really good. You just have to hang in there. Yeah alcohol is out of your system within 24 hrs but it changes your brain, so in spirit it is still with you even though it can’t be detected in your blood. Demon Alcohol. I could always identify with that Ozzy song.

  • Anna

    Hey Brad, congrats on the 19 days! I quit drinking on Oct. 6 and trust me it just gets better and better. I still need to do some serious self-work with the help of my therapist for my many anxiety issues, but they all seem so much more manageable now.

    I’m amazed at how many of us have social phobias…well, I guess it makes sense. I used to think that drinking made me feel more *alive*, lively and clever at parties, when in truth it was not the real me. Getting to know myself sober has been very empowering.

    My best to all, especially as the holidays loom and all that that entails!

    Hugs,
    Anna

  • J

    brad—-wonderful, insightful, enlightening post…..I too am 42 (seems like about 3/4′s of the people here are almost the same age–weird)…I’ve also been drinking SINCE high school, and never really went more than a few days without drinking(mainly i only stop for a day or two, after really being hungover or tying one on)…What ‘d like to get more in depth from you is your own words on how you really “feel’ after two weeks or so of not drinking? I always thought alcohol was out of your system in 24 to 48 hours, so why do some say it takes two weeks to feel different?? I can honestly say i dont have strong “cravings’ for alcohol at this point, i more or less drink to “try” to make myself feel better or in a better mood, as i’m always depressed and jus tfeel “anxious”, espeically around people or situations at times.. I definitely without a doubt have at least come to understand those are the main reasons i drink almost daily, and not because of the a ‘craving’ for alcohol itself……….Hope everyone is doing good .

  • Erin

    Quitting certainly is the key to happiness, it’s just so damn hard. I’ve had a lust for alcohol for a long time now, and I’ve been someone who drinks at least three times a week for a while. In July I got pneumonia, was horribly ill for three whole weeks, I could barely drink water let alone alcohol. It’s the longest I’ve been without a drink in probably ten years. And yes, guys, it *does* take that long! I remember when I finally was able to get out of bed and out of the house, after the third week of sobriety… I felt so GOOD. I took my kids to the playground and had such a great time with them, not feeling bored, not wishing I could go home and have a drink, I just felt happy. Of course, I’ve gone back to drinking after hitting another rough patch in my life, and I’m depressed all over again. I considered trying to get on Xanax for my anxiety but I know that can be addicting as well, and I feel like I’ll be trading one vice for another…. I wish I had more strength and willpower :-/

  • Anna

    J: One reason that it takes a bit longer than simply getting the alcohol out of your system is that alcohol messes with the GABA system in your brain cells; specifically affecting dopamine levels. I talked with my doc about going on Wellbutrin, which works on the dopamine receptors. She thinks it’s a promising angle. (FYI also why wellbutrin works with nicotine cravings; it’s not the exact same effect but similar to alcohol’s).

    Good luck to everyone!
    Anna

  • Brad

    Anna:
    Yeah experiencing the holidays being sober would be a trip. I hope we can do it. How long do you plan on not drinking? I’m not thinking I’m going to quit forever, but I was thinking I would try to make it till at least 2013. I was going to try to do it without telling anyone that I was quitting. There’s just kind of a weird stigma about non drinkers. I don’t want people to think I’m judging them for drinking. I was thinking I would just try to come up with excuses for why I wasn’t drinking on that particular night. Like “I had way too much to drink last night” or “ my stomach’s bothering me.” I just don’t want to be like “oh I’m such an alcoholic that I have to stop completely.”

    I’m glad it continues to get better. I’m sure one tends to be more proactive when they aren’t wasting all that time drinking and feeling less than optimal. I know I’m getting a lot more things accomplished these days.

    Good luck with the anxiety. Do you smoke or drink coffee? Coffee really messes with my anxiety level. I find that drinking green tea instead helps a lot. Anyway, good luck with everything.

  • Anna

    Brad,

    I don’t really have a plan for now I am just taking it day to day. I would love to be able to enjoy a glass of wine out at a restaurant or at a party, but for now I need to stay far away. My family know what I am going through so I am not too worried about the holidays coming up; although they all do drink so there will be temptation there. As for friends/social occasions I think I will also just say I am on medication that I can’t drink with. I hear you about the social stigma and I am also kind of worried that if I tell everyone, and then start again, I will look doubly bad. I don’t have any kind of posse of fellow drinkers that I used to go out with though; just a very occasional social situation where it might come up.

    I have been cleaning and organizing my house, working on therapy, and yes motivation for stuff like that is much higher than when I was numbing, for sure! I have down days where I feel like I have ‘nothing to look forward to’…but I work through it by spending time really *being* with my son, talking and playing with him. I was always only half there for my family when drinking!

    My very best to you too, navigating these waters. I hope we can make it stick :)
    cheers,
    Anna

  • Brad

    J:
    Tomorrow will be three weeks without a drink. It’s been pretty easy so far. The craving would be like you are talking about. Just the desire to feel different and better. The craving for mind alteration. Not like the craving for ice cream. I would have a couple drinks per night and probably binge five or six drinks once or twice a week. I generally drink on a fairly empty stomach and I’m only 155 lbs so I could get a pretty good buzz off a couple of drinks. It didn’t really seem that excessive, but now looking back I can see how it could probably mess with my brain.

    Just repairing my insomnia should be enough motivation to stay away from the bottle. I’ve had some nightmarish times with waking around two or three in the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep for two or three hours or sometimes the rest of the night. I would just wake feeling stressed and anxious, but not really worried about anything other than not being able to fall back to sleep. I still wake once or twice a night but I fall back to sleep within ten minutes. I use to take 5mg of melatonin, L-tryptophan, Gaba, Niacin, Calcium, and a vitamin B multi every night before bed as part of my insomnia fight. I stopped taking any pills before bed about a week ago. I guess if the pills did work it was only as placebos.

    Another big benefit to not drinking has been getting some of my brain power back. My memory has improved a lot. Even if I could remember things, I couldn’t really trust the memories to be accurate. I had to write everything down. I can just think a lot clearer now. My wife swears I have ADD, but maybe I’m just a drunk.

    I feel a lot less anxious. I feel like I want to hang out with people again, but every one I want to hang out with drinks. I’ve thought about going to an AA meeting just to find some people that don’t drink. To see what the sober people do for fun. I would probably find a bunch of chain smoking coffee addicts that just like to hear themselves talk about their alcoholism. Does anyone have any experience with AA. I had to go to a few meetings as part of my diversion about 20 yrs ago. The people seemed a little strange, but maybe they would have been fun to hang out with.

  • Ruth

    Hi Brad,
    I’ve been lurking lately but reading posts.
    You mentioned AA. I’ve been to about 10 groups in Europe and the USA. My sobriety at best was one month with a really hard core group: no ‘sharing’ till you are past the 4th step and you are not encouraged to have friendships with anyone of the opposite sex in groups and mixing with anyone who drinks is frowned upon.

    If your life exists around drinkers and party folks, even if they are not alcoholics, you won’t stand a chance with AA. Also, you are not considered sober if you take anything like Ativan/Xanax and must start once more on Day 1 of sobriety. This also includes taking a sleeping pill. It is more about friendships in coffee houses, you must make 2 calls a day to people and call your sponsor daily, some groups require daily gratitude lists and all require you to read the Big Book daily.

    An old friend of mine has remained sober with AA for 10 years, but he lives and breathes it and does extra stuff… it’s sort of pyramid-like… you work your way up to different roles. It saved his life. He was a blundering idiot talking to himself and it’s amazing he didn’t kill himself or anyone else when plastered, so he found his rock bottom and kept sober once he found AA. But he is a menace with coffee and cigarettes to the extreme all day everyday, both of which make me very queasy and have altered the state of my mind, which AA say they do not do. I can’t handle one cup of java or a sniff of tobacco near me and I feel like I’m going to pass out.

    While cigs and caffeine won’t kill you like, say, a bottle of vodka a day might and will, you may want to listen to what other people have to say on this forum… or, on the other hand, go and find a group… they are in fairness all different and are known as ‘automomous’. Good luck.. Ruth

  • Paula

    Hi there,

    I ALWAYS experience anxiety the day after anytime I drink more than two glasses of alcohol. I had anxiety disorder for many years, recovered wonderfully but the dreaded anxiety and panic attacks still rear their ugly head on hangover day…and it doesn’t take much alcohol to give me a hangover. As my Dad is an alcoholic a lot of shame comes along with having a hangover as well as feeling sick etc which increases the anxiety. I so should not drink at all I guess but I enjoy the fun that often goes with it! I used to binge drink in a totally emotional and crazy way every weekend to rid myself of depression and anxiety after losing my twin sister to cancer. I then gave up alcohol completely for 3 years to prove I wasn’t an alcoholic but now drink just for fun with friends.
    The whole anxiety thing really sucks and I don’t know anyone else who suffers from it because of a hangover. Whilst I wouldn’t wish anxiety on my worst enemy it is comforting to know I am not the only one with this issue.
    Thanks for listening. Well…actually reading

  • Susan

    Wow, I can relate to most of the posts on this site and never realized until I found this today about how closely linked alcohol and anxiety are. I have had general anxiety disorder for most of my life with periods of up and down. I am on cypralex and wellbutrin. I have always been a ‘drinker’ although up until the last 5 years or so I only drank on weekends or when I went out. At the moment I drink every night and usually 4 or 5 drinks, more on weekends. I do suffer from increased anxiety after drinking heavily and today I went to work and then came right back home again as I was having an ‘out of body’ anxiety experience. Today I was deliberating on which came first the anxiety or the alcohol? One causes the other and vice versa. I do believe that the alcohol only hurts but I like many of you have found it difficult to cut down. I do believe it is habit. I know I am not physically addicted as I can go days without drinking (although don’t often) and have no withdrawal. I feel a great deal of shame about drinking. I know that if my parents and family knew how much I was drinking they would be very concerned. My dad is a functioning alcoholic and always has been a heavy drinker. My mom passed on the anxiety, lucky me…best of both worlds. Thing is I am a successful woman – great job, great kids, great family, beautiful home which I take good care of. I am successful on many fronts in my life and people would never guess that I have anxiety never mind a drinking problem. Likely they would be shocked. I am very confident and extraverted. Perhaps hiding the real me? Anyhow I do find it really helpful to read other peoples similar stories. I am trying not to feel like a horrible person and I know that basically I am a good person and the person I am hurting the most is me. I read Allen Carrs book on controling alcohol a few years back and it worked for me then – I stopped for several months (started again when I went on a trip to Vegas!) I started reading it again today. The concept is that we think we are giving something up when stopping drinking and will power can never really work over the long haul. So he believes in undoing the brainwashing that society has us all under – ie drinking is fun and social and is all good until you get hooked then you are a bad person. He believes that the reality is that alcohol is a poison and it has just been promoted as socially acceptable and ‘normal’ in our society for so long that nobody can avoid it. Once you start, it takes over. All makes sense. I am hoping that by the end of the book i will be ready to stop. I am not sure what my rock bottom will be. It scares me. I avoid dating or relationships as I don’t want people discovering ‘the real me’. I too watch intervention and hoarders religiously. Another favourite is Two and half men – charlie the drunk is pretty cool right? Makes me feel better as I am not that bad and also just knowing there are other people out there with problems. Feels better to get all of that out. Anyone got any advice for me…good books or other please let me know. Thanks for reading. Take care everyone…

  • Rob

    I came accross this site today. I am really glad I found it. I have noticed for about a year or so that I have anxiety at certain times of the week more than others. I really started to keep track of these times mentally and they always were at the first of the week. Monday was the worst and as the week went on I found that I didn’t have any anxiety to speak of at all by Thursday and Friday. When I looked at the over 100 symptoms I had 85% of them Monday and almost none by Friday. I also noticed that some of my most stressful days could pop up late in the week and they would not create that feeling of anxiety that I had early in the week when I had no reason to feel that way in the first place. Today it hit me like a ton of bricks or for you metric people out there (tonne). I have been married for over 13 years, my wife and I have always enjoyed our social drinks with friends family and so on. The one thing that we have never allowed ourselves in all those years to do, is drink during the week. We always enjoyed our drinks on the weekends only ,kind of like a reward for the weeks work. This made it easy for me to see where the anxiety may be coming from because it is the only variable in my lifestyle. If I was a daily drinker, I may never have figured out that I had a problem. I am going to lay off the booze for a couple of weekends now to see if Mondays Tuesdays and Wednesdays can come and go without that paranoid feeling that usually haunts me. And just a note to people that may be reading this and wondering how much I consume when I am drinking. I by no means feel that I am a heavy drinker, Friday night I may have 3-4 drinks over a 5 hour period, Saturday maybe 2-3 over a 4 hour period and Sunday 3-4 over a six hour period. I drink rum and coke and never even get the feeling that I have been drinking, maybe a bit relaxed but thats all. I think that drinking has a much greater effect on me afterwards than what it actually does at the time of consuming it. Time will tell, and I am interested to see if thats the case. Thanks to all who have shared, as it has perhaps helped me pin point where my anxiety stems from.

  • Laurie

    Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I just got over the worst anxiety attack ever, I work in food retail so I got home after 1am last night legs stinging and wide awake, I had a few Patrons and fell asleep in the chair I was drinking in Dog Tired by then. Today I woke up wished my husband of 26 years a Happy Thanksgiving and started to cook, mind you it is just he and I now, my Tom is still an inmate in State Prison and my son Stephen has a child and a fiance he lives with and her side of the family gets this holiday and my daughter is among the missing again, 34 hooked on drugs in Staten Island somewhere, (ok typing that just made me realize why I am anxious) seriously!!!! anyway I make this 6 lb turkey breast, stuffing ya know the whole nine yards, it comes out perfect (I am one of those perfectionst cooks)(it sucks) and when the King and I sit down to eat (oh everyone calls my husband the King) I took about 3 bites of food and had a full blown anxiety attack, I pushed my plate away jumped up and got like 1,000 degrees in my head, my stomach wanted to vomit but couldn’t the room became the size of a pea, and I just wanted to run but couldn’t move… Damn that was a bad one, I almost went for the Valium or Xanax but knew better since I had a bloody Mary and a Mimosa earlier, I don’t mix the pills with the booze. So I did what my polish girlfriend (from Poland really ) told me to do and I drank a shot of Kettle One Vodka with Black Pepper in it and followed it up with #2 and guess what it worked, the pepper is a bit uncomfortable but it does something with the vodka that immediately settled my stomach and my head lol….I then was able to walk outside my front door and get some air, that made me feel better, then I came in and cleaned the bird made a huge tray of food and wrapped it well for the homeless downtown and now I am talking to you kind folks,,, what a night, funny when I am working I am fine when I am off I panic like there is no tomorrow, got to look into that, maybe I need to not be in this house or with this King anymore, or maybe just maybe I am going stark ravin mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you all had a warm meal, a kind conversation with someone and a roof over your head this holiday, so many have not had that this day, God Bless all,,,,, Laurie

  • Nathan

    I have gotten drunk every night for 3 years straight. Gotten very sneaky about it too. BTW Vodka is my drink of choice. I have a bottle in my car. After work I fill my coffee mug, drive to the store around from my house and slug it down. 2 pieces of very strong gum and my wife knows nothing. I keep half gallon in my home office and when I an addition drink I simply head upstairs. I try to keep from slurring/stumbling drunk and most of time do.

    Needless to say my anxiety is off the charts. In recent weeks I have had two world class panic attacks. Daily anxiety is spiking too. Stupid did not correlate drinking affecting anxiety.

    The way my anxiety is I’m dumping the drinking. I now I have done it a long time ago but the way anxiety is that very motivating. It won’t be easy but I know I can do it. I have never dependent, but more of a habit. I think I’ll get some Tylenol PM to help me sleep tonight. I will post an update.

  • seamushan

    I’ve been a heavy drinker since my middle teens and have been trying hopelessly to reduce my intake only to give into the craving of the drug and start the vicious cycle all over again, but lately I’ve been given some gladly needed hope in the form of a drug called “naltrexeone.” This drug basically blocks many of the feel good chemicals of alcohol that our brains become addicted to.

    If you really want to eliminate alcohol you should try the “sinclair method” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Method. I’ve been on the program 3 weeks and I’ve seen a drastic reduction in my alcohol consumption and alcohol cravings.

    I’d seriously recommend this drug to anyone out there who wants to regain control of their lives.

  • Grant

    Hello all. I must say I cannot believe how I can relate to each and everyone of you. Everything I have read I have felt and thensome. I too get anxiety attacks much after a weekend of consuming! I find Mondays I am so tired full of anxiety,irranility and I feel I can just jump out of my skin. I am 42 years old and have drank on and off since my teen years. Now I was at the point of drinking every day when I got home and feel like taking a drink to calm my nerves. I did go to my dr and he had suggested after much blood work I do generate anxiety after drinking. I have been off coffee and even coke and I have switched to decalf coffee and decfinated pop.I am on day one starting to stop my drinking in an effort to move fwd with my life. It is not a very easy road. I can wait for the clear thoughts and getting a good sleep as many as you have said you get after 2-3 weeks. The clearity when I go outside for a walk will be great. I will be taking diazepam for a few days to keep the jitters away. I hope one day to be a moderate social drinker again… Time will tell. Right now I am tired of the ride of anxiety! I want to be in a healthier place again!

  • Gforce27

    Hey there–weird, I just found this site by google-ing “anxiety and alcohol abuse.” I am also 42!!! While I am not a “dependent alcoholic” my pattern of alcohol abuse, i.e, binge drinking has had major consequences in my life–outside of the SEVERE anxiety it causes me the next day. I am a binge drinker, generally confined to one night of partying. However, I often smoke a lot when I drink as well, which I don’t do at any other time. I’ve been a party girl since I was 16, and it’s always been the way I’ve fit in with others. I’m just realizing over the last few years that despite my extrovert nature, I have sever social anxiety. I usually need a drink before a party to just get myself in the door. I already knew that I had generalized anxiety and panic attacks. I’ve suffered from these since I was a young adult. However, even one night of excessive drinking brings on the most intense anxiety. I feel practically suicidal. No one around me can understand it–they say,”well, you’re fine, you didn’t drive or dance naked on a table, what are you so worried about?” Well for one thing, I’m in a new place, trying to make new friends, and so far most of the people I’ve met have been while drinking and partying–and I say things and talk about things that I might not ordinarily, so I wind up feeling really exposed in a way that I don’t want to be with people I hardly know. Anyway–nice to know that others experience this nightmare and it’s not just me. I’m attempting for the 15th time to stay away from alcohol. It’s harder than I thought–it’s been my social crutch for a long time. Anyhoo, nice to have found this website.

  • Shawn T

    Hi Everyone,

    I’ve been following this blog for over a year. It has helped me tremendously, to know that others also have the same challenges as me, and that they are able to overcome them. Please keep the good posts flowing! And big thanks to Paul Dooley for hosting this blog!

    I am posting my recent experiences, hopefully this will be helpful to some of you. I never drink on weekdays, only taking to the booze on weekend evenings. Usually it’s only on Saturday nights, sometimes it’s both Friday and Saturday nights. The problem is that when I drink, I almost always binge. It’s the same old slippery slope that all of us are all too familiar with…once I get that first buzz and feeling of euphoria, all my self control goes to heck and I just want to keep chasing that feeling.

    It’s been this way for me since college (I’m 30 now). In my early 20′s, I could handle it without too much trouble. But starting age 27, my brain had adapted to the alcohol so I needed to drink more to get the same effect. It wasn’t uncommon at all for me to drink 10-12 glasses of hard liquor within a single weekend evening, over a period of 7 hours. Basically drinking till I was too tired or till the sun was up, usually both. Naturally, the hangovers were bad and always accompanied with the dreaded anxiety and feelings of doom/despair. Yet a couple of sober days later, I’d be back to normal, and repeat the same cycle the next weekend.

    Over time, the amount of alcohol I was consuming kept increasing, and the anxiety next day kept getting worse. Also I noticed myself getting progressively sluggish and apathetic, with poor memory and slower thinking. I could literally feel the years of binging taking it’s toll on my brain, feeling like my brain was covered with some kind of alchohol created goop which kept getting thicker and stickier over the years, making my brain processes slower and my memory worse.

    My first step towards fixing this abuse was to avoid hard alcohol and stick to beer as much as possible. This was a very helpful start. My hangovers and anxiety were not nearly as bad with beer as they were with hard liquor. However, over time I started drinking a huge amount of beer to get to the same level of buzz that I got with hard liquor. So that gain was basically leveled out.

    I reached a turning point of sorts this new years day. I started drinking with friends over lunch on new years eve. I had around 5-6 beers, but I accompanied it with lunch, so it gave me a strong yet healthy buzz. However when I reached home in the evening, I wanted to chase that feeling like I always do. Since I was with family and it was a festive occassion, I knocked back 4-5 pegs of scotch, followed by dinner, and then another 4-5 pegs of rum. All told, I was well drunk by the time I went to bed around 3AM.

    Waking up next morning after 6 hours of sleep, naturally I was severely hung over. Yet another weekend, yet another hangover, yet another Sunday lost to an anxiety slump. This time, something different happened…I experienced a panic attack. It crept up on me very gradually. I started having terrible and morbid thoughts which I found extremely difficult to control. It took all my strength and will power to try and contain them somehow, to prevent myself from completely losing it. The attacks came in waves…they would peak for a period of around ten minutes, then reduce somewhat for another ten minutes, then peak again…lasting over a total period of a few hours until I ate lunch and was able to use the afternoon to take a long nap. I have never felt anxiety this bad before, and it was truly terrifying. It felt like I had come within an inch of insanity. Right then I vowed that I was never going to let myself feel that way ever again, no matter what the cost. Perhaps it’s a fortunate thing, because this was the very rude awakening that I needed to jolt me out of years of doing the same abuse cycle over and over.

    It took days before the effects fully wore off. I used the time to reflect on how serious this experience was. I asked myself if I wanted to be a responsible person, to have a family, to have a future, to be a contributing member of society, and to truly deserve all those thing…or if I was going to continue down this spiral of self-destructiveness, all because I couldn’t muster the will power, just the damn will power to stop when I’m supposed to. The answer was infinitely clear to me.

    I also realized that the problem for me is deeper than just alcohol. The problem is that I can’t stop from ‘chasing the purple dragon’. Whether this be with food, or music, or anything that makes me feel real good…I find it extremely hard to stop, I just keep chasing that feeling obsessively. Now with other things, the effects aren’t as bad and are easier to control. But with alcohol, the self control becomes exponentially harder and the effects are literally poisonous. So I realized that in order to stop abusing alcohol, I have to change my mindset. I have to be extremely wary of ‘chasing the dragon’ in whatever I do. I have to realize that keeping up with the chase is the very definition of abuse. I have to make sure that I drink not to get drunk, but only to relax a little or supplement a fun event.

    Yes, I am not quitting drinking altogether. It’s the right step for many people, but I don’t feel it’s the right step for me. It scares me to think that something might be so powerful over me, that completely avoiding it is the only way for me to deal with it. It scares me to think what might happen if I were to give it up completely, and lose control one day and binge. Furthermore, given my lifestyle and friend circle, it is simply impractical. But most of all, I still believe that I have the strength deep down to M.O.D.E.R.A.T.E. To strike a balance, to enjoy responsibly, to know when to stop and actually show my weak side who’s boss. I’m going to stop drinking simply because its the weekend. I refuse to drink alone or during the day time. I plan to completely cut out hard liquor, to have a hard limit of 3-4 beers max, and to always supplement with water and food. But my main strategy is going to be very, VERY aware of my mental state to make sure the alarm bells start ringing as soon as my mind starts the ‘chase’. That is when I immediately slow down or stop.

    I first completely abstained for about 10 days, and started working out. After just around one week, I could already feel my thoughts become much clearer and my memory far sharper. Then, I decided to see if I could drink responsibly. Over the weekend, I had beers over dinner with a friend. After the 3rd beer, I felt that strong ‘urge’ to chase the feeling. I immediately knew that was the alarm bell. At the point, I was slighlty buzzed and as expected the urge was very hard to control. I ended up having a 4th beer while telling myself one more wouldn’t do much. Luckily, the combination of dinner and beer made me very full. Combined with the realization and guilt that I had already succumbed to the ‘chase’, I was able to put my foot down and just stopped. There was a bottle of vodka staring at me from the cabinet, and the football games were on. But the thought of completely giving in to the chase like a helpless junkie disgusted me, and I’m so glad that I refrained from drinking any more. Now drinking a 4th beer spiked me buzz and got me close to being ‘drunk’, and even in that state I wasn’t happe about it. The next morning I did get some anxiety. But altogether, this was much MUCH better than the countless binges that I have so nonchallantly indulged in over years.

    All I have to say it, it’s a start, and I am hopeful. I fully realize that this will be a struggle, that will last a lifetime. But having seen the truly ugly side of what abuse can lead to, and realizing that my very life future and sanity lie in the balance, I am determined not to fail. I will succeed, and I truly hope you all do too.

  • JP

    it has been a long time people, wow, it’s been long. I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I haven’t had any anxiety/alcohol related issues in some time. I had one which was a result of a blow-up with a gf, but that’s a long story not worth getting into and it’s both past us.

    I had a stint, recently, where I didn’t drink for a month to get in shape for my big ski trip. When I got there, I did drink with the group, even every day, but only moderately, it was vacation. I am back now and still feel great.

    There was a lot to catch up with, but it appears that most are doing well.

    JP

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  • Anxious Cammy

    Yes .Alcohol take the edge off…anymore than a few makes it worse though.
    http://www.AnxietySolutionsCenter.com/alcohol-and-anxiety-what-to-know/
    makes a good point about the irrational guilt sometimes experienced after drinking alcohol and how its connected with anxiety.

    We should be very careful self medicating with alcohol..

  • mickey

    Reading these posts just make me chuckle with delight that theres me thinking its just me iv really gone to far this time
    Im having anxiety wright now and iv been fighting off a panic attack all day,well most days infact,I drink pretty much every day and have dun for years im 28 now and the anxiety instead of a good old hangover has been goin on for about a year now and its just getting worse iv treid not drinking for a few weeks but its still there,not as bad but its there
    Iv been doin what it seems most have and that drink to have a night off from anxiety but as always I have nooooo self control lol
    O havnt decided how to deal with this yet but I no I cant go on like this I actully have four fosters in my fridge from last night and iv promised myself one all day but. …I dunno il c how it gose

    Ps just typing this post has really calmed me down,I look forward to more posts reading on here has really helped thnx

  • carlie

    Your blog has helped me more than u know. I can relate in so many ways. thank u for sharing your story.

  • Chadwick

    I always had a strange feeling the day(s) following a crazy night out partying. It’s sort of hard to explain how I felt, just a little detached I guess.

    A month or two ago, I started getting pretty severe panic attacks, and I noticed they would always occur on Sunday or Monday following a night of binge drinking at the club on Friday.

    I’ve probably been rushed to the ER 7 times now thinking I “couldn’t breathe”, or was “choking”, experiencing tingling in my hands/fingers, sweaty palms, shaking, etc., only to feel fine once I was in the room talking to the Dr.

    All of the doctors told me that I’m having anxiety attacks and that there’s nothing physically wrong with me (I’ve had a throat x-ray, a chest x-ray, blood work, etc.)

    As much as I love the club scene, I realize that one night out isn’t worth the 3-5 following days having such anxiety/panic attacks. I’m really happy to see that I’m not actually going crazy, and that so many others share very similar experiences.

    Thanks to everyone who shares their experiences =]

  • RL

    i’m 45 years old and have been fighting with booze off and on for 20 years. i’m very familiar with the debilitating anxiety and depression of which all of you speak. i have had success in not drinking over the last 15 months by taking antabuse. it works if you take it. the problem is that i don’t always take it on the weekends. i recently had a four day weekend during which i didnt take the antabuse. followng these four days a perfect storm of spontaneous temptation hit at a horrible time. Had my system been full of antabuse, i could have resisted as i have done several times since starting the meds. i knew however, that after four days, i could probably tolerate the booze. after all, i was only going to have one beer. twelve hours and 200 dollars later i finally made it home. i barely remember being kicked out of the last bar and told never to return. by this time, i was drinking by myself. my drinking buddies had long since gone home as i assured them i was also doing. the next morning was like a horrible movie I’ve seen a thousand times. i called in sick to work and spent the entire day in bed feeling suicidal and hopeless. i was able to drag myself into work the following day but was completely unproductive. i have promised myself that i wont miss any more dates with my antabuse. it really does work, but i must take it everyday without fail. i have a Dr’s appointment next week. i hope to get a prescription for something for depression and anxiety. not drinking is not enough. i have to deal with the underlying issues which i’ve always known about but have hoped would go away if i ignored them. i don’t know which came first, my mental health issues or my alcohol issues. i’m now convinced that i have to deal with them both.

  • http://www.facebook.com/matt.banville.9 Matt Banville

    Wow I’ve had this same experience, it was traumatizing

  • Guest

    Shawn, thank you! I totally relate!

  • Duffy S.

    I’m 48 and I’ve had anxiety issues since my early teens, and this is coincidently when I started to drink beer. I developed social anxiety at that time and have had it ever since and I’m just now putting the pieces together and realizing it was the alcohol that was the catalyst for all of these inherited issues (my maternal grandmother had terrible anxiety issues her whole life). Anyway, it seems the older I get the less I can drink, which is a good thing, however just a few drinks the night before leaves me with anxiety for the next day or two.

    Fortunately I’ve become a real lightweight drinker and I’m going to stop for a month and see if my anxiety improves. It’s just too bad alcohol is such a big part of our social life.

  • Nick

    Hi guys,

    I have been a heavy drinker since I was 16 years old (34 now) and for the past couple of years the hangovers have been getting progressively worse and suffer severe anxiety for days afterwards. Although I now only drink once or twice a month I go on 12-14 hour binges and feel absolutely wasted for days on end. The following morning/afternoon usually consists of a headache and upset stomach but as the day goes on my heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest and I worry like mad about really silly things. The only upside is that I seem get the raging horn!
    The next 3 days I have a really bad foggy head where I am unable to concentrate on anything and feel like I am unable to cope with the pressures of life. I have been to see my doctor who explained how alcohol is a depressant and suggested that I get help for my drinking binges. I think I have always tended to drink to overcome shyness and it gives me the confidence to get on and meet new people and be one of the lads. I have tried 5-htp, re-hydration sachets, St John’s Wort etc and nothing has made me any better. I really am going to try give up the booze completely but am scared as socializing with my friends always revolves around drinking.

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