Hi, I posted in this group a few years ago and the response was overwhelming, it really helped with the anxiety from the night before. The problem is it just keeps happening. I have too much to drink without realising and I woke up this morning with just vivid memories. My girlfriend slept in the spare bedroom and I had no idea why. This seems to happen nearly every time I go out - but I just can't help myself. The anxiety and lack of confidence just makes me want to drink so fast, and then before I know it I wake up with no idea what happened and I feel like a nervous wreck. I feel so down and guilty and I can't cope. I feel so worthless and when I feel like this I literally feel like it's the end. Does anybody else feel like this after a messy night ? I'very tried limiting my drinks but I just can't do it.
It's just awful, isn't it, the morning after the night before for all sorts of reasons. Bad enough if you just have the physical hangout over symptoms and the self learning that goes with it. But if you don't know what you did, or if you do and what you did was awful, well that's even worse. And then there's the negative effects on your health, if not now, than eventually. And the risk of your girlfriend sleeping in the spare room permanently.
I expect you've been asked before, but what help have you have with your anxiety? Because you're just piling extra anxiety and feeling bad about yourself on top of what you've already got. There's medication that can help you to drink less, about which or there are people on this site far more knowledgeable than me.
But my sense is that you need help dealing with your anxiety in a healthier way. Please talk honestly with your doctor if you really want this to change. It might not be easy but it will be worth it. I wishe you well.
It's just awful, isn't it, the morning after the night before for all sorts of reasons. Bad enough if you just have the physical hangout over symptoms and the self learning that goes with it. But if you don't know what you did, or if you do and what you did was awful, well that's even worse. And then there's the negative effects on your health, if not now, than eventually. And the risk of your girlfriend sleeping in the spare room permanently.
I expect you've been asked before, but what help have you have with your anxiety? Because you're just piling extra anxiety and feeling bad about yourself on top of what you've already got. There's medication that can help you to drink less, about which or there are people on this site far more knowledgeable than me.
But my sense is that you need help dealing with your anxiety in a healthier way. Please talk honestly with your doctor if you really want this to change. It might not be easy but it will be worth it. I wishe you well.
Also I notice you say "it just keeps happening" and not "I keep on doing this". Thinks about the difference, please.
Hi RedMick, This is the nature of the Game I'm afraid. The Drink is causing you more problems than the Temporary Anxiety that it frees you from. When you go out in the Evening to a pub, what else is there to do apart from Drink? If you look at all the affects that you get from the Drink, all the Pro's are Short Term and the Cons are all long term. The dopamine that is released whilst Drinking makes your Body think that booze is what it needs (Dopamine is what makes basic human needs enjoyable, like Eating, Reproduction and any Motivation) It takes time to rewire the Brain to a stage where this chemical is released naturally, not with the aid of drink. Stopping this cycle is not easy, and very hard to do on your own. If you could snap your fingers and be in you ideal situation, what would it be? Do you want to to cut down drinking or stop totally? You can change your lifestyle, it's hard but 100% possible. Blacking out and waking up with no recollection is not fun, and it's not helping you in any aspect of your life (apart from the first Hour when your on a Night out). You will more than likely have medical issues regarding your Anxiety and Depression, but you can't tackle these whilst your on the Booze, you know that the Alcohol is making things worse. I would often have blackouts and wake with nothing but fear filling my Body, it's not a good place to be. I don't know how well you get on with your Girlfriend, but sitting down with her and having a frank discussion about this situation and talking about what could change to make things better would be a great place to start things moving forward. Are you Alcohol dependant, or a Binge Drinker? I hope you are feeling a little better, chat soon,AL
Alcohol works like benzos, it slows part of the brain down, the side that starts to worry (anxiety). If your body is not used to so much alcohol and you overload it, then your brain/body will shutdown to protect itself. That is why young people/students are the ones that tend to black out because their bodies are not used to it.
How much did you drink? Any idea?
Waking up knowing, dreading, feeling the shame of knowing I did something dreadful to my husband is the absolute worst feeling in the world. I would say the most hateful things to him and rarely remembered. It would start with me "going over" that point of control and judgement and him saying something derogatory about it. Then I would light into him about every little resentment from the last 30 years. Believe me, I heard about this every morning after. I have said things that hurt him deeply. That's not who I am when not drinking.
I agree to discuss anxiety with with your doctor and be very candid about your blackout drinking. I have been on Naltrexone for almost a month now and I think I'm seeing a difference in my drinking behavior. It's not always prescribed correctly. According to the Sinclair Method, you don't take one pill every day, you only take it one hour before you have your first drink of the day. It blocks the pleasure receptors in the brain and over time it's purpose is to help you to become ambivalent about alcohol because it brings no pleasure. You'll still get drunk, you'll still be hungover, but it is a treatment plan that works in 80% of people who use it religiously.
The Sinclair Method can take three months for some, but the average is between six and eight months, very few over one year. Some people only drink twice a year now, but still always take the pill one hour before drinking.
Im praying it will work for me. Thankfully, my husband is supportive of this new plan of attack even though I'm still drinking.
Please continue to to let us know how you're doing.
Sheryl
Genuine question, Sheryl, how do you still get drunk and have hangovers on naltrexone? Doesn't it curb your desire to drink enough not to get drunk?
It takes a while to work, in the beginning if you cut down on alcohol your brain goes into overdrive wanting more. Read my last post again and read everything you can find on the Sinclair Method.
Thank you, I will book an appointment with the docotors. In the past I have been offered anti-depressants but I declined them. I tend to self help myself. I can normally control it to a certain degree, but after nights I don't remember I literally go in to serious panick for days and I feel so guilty and depressed.
Hi Pistal666, it makes a lot of sense. I don't really drink apart from weekends. I don't feel like I need to cut down, but when I go on nights out, I always wake up with no recollection of the night before. It happens nearly every time I go out. I keep saying I don't want to stop drinking, but sometimes I wonder whether its worth it, as I will probably have really bad anxiety for days now and feel so low
Hi, from what I can remember I would say around 6 pints and I had a couple of glasses of wine before I went out. I didn't eat much yesterday either
Hi sherly, I will have a look in to that. I will have a look into the methods you have mentioned. Glad to hear you have a supportive husband. Apparently I snapped at my girlfriend which is the reason she stayed in the spare bed. That's really not like me at all, the only positive is we are now speaking again now and she admitted she over reacted.
Thanks, it was just you saying "you'll still get shrunk, you'll still be hung over" that confused me.
Slightly better situation if she over reacted. Still a good time to plan forward. The Sinclair Method is essential.
You sound like my son he also says I try but the anxiety gets the best of him so it's much easier to just drink and not deal with it that day. My son lives on a daily basis it's easier that way doesn't think about getting a job or making he's life better he puts it off. It's sickening addiction is a powerful thing but it can be overcome if u truly want to quit. But it takes commitment and a lot of people just don't want to put in the work because they are to busy blaming everyone else!
When alcohol is leaving your body...it provokes so much anxiety...especially with a person that is already suffering from anxiety
Alcohol absolutely works for anxiety but just temporarily..This is where I get myself into trouble. At least 1x every 2-3 months...my anxiety is no longer controlled by my medication...and I feel it happening .....and I know that the drink is coming....because I get to a point where I feel like I am going to have a stroke....and I feel like I HAVE to drink...
Then I drink...knowing that when I am done drinking my anxiety is going to be worse than it was before I started drinking.. (and the drink only takes away the anxiety for the time I AM drinking and I do this repeatedly over and over anyway.
So instead of considering not drinking when I get like that....and taking a supplement such as Magnesium Citrate for my anxiety and one of my anxiety pills....I still chose to drink.
But, on the days of my last binges...if it comes near the end of the month and i am on my last amount of benzos...I will not drink because I know I will be in a living hell for a couple days after drinking with anxiety.