I had really bad anxiety and i literally worry myself sick. Has anyone resorted to alcohol to help your anxiousness? Have you stopped eating as much because you didnt have an appetite? I dont want to take medicine but I dont think there is any other way I can cope with this. Its absolutely awful!
Actually, alcohol will intensify your anxiety. At first it will feel good, but when it wears off you may feel more anxious. Alcohol changes the levels of serotonin, which is a feel-good hormone, in the brain. It reduces the level.
Alcohol induced anxiety can last for several hours or even for an entire day after drinking. It is also a depressant which is one of the worst things for the anxiety. .
sometimes people get to the point where they actually need medication for this. I have not taken it because
I find great relief in listening to audio meditations for anxiety on YouTube. They completely relax my mind and body and my symptoms greatly reduce or go away. I do this a couple times a day and it has been proven that mindful meditation actually makes positive changes in the brain. You have to do them consistently but it's better than alcohol or, in my case medication.
do an experiment and see whether these meditations help calm you down. It's natural, it's safe and it works.
I have told many people on this site to listen to them and they answered me back saying thank you so much , The meditations are great and lessen my anxiety!
Start with searching for "Mindfulness Meditation Guided 10 Minutes "
also search for "mindfulness meditation for relaxation "
these are great meditations to completely calm you down and there are many many others for stress, anxiety, depression, sleeping etc. I like to use earbuds and lay down to listen especially when I'm getting ready to sleep.
another thing is trying to get some type of exercise because that will increase the serotonin level in your brain which makes you feel good.
Stay Active and social. The worst thing you can do is sit around and think about the anxiety. It will then get worse.
even if you eat less, try to eat healthy foods. And stay hydrated with water. Stay away from refined sugar because that can increase anxiety because it's a natural inflammatory product which will affect the brain.
be good to yourself this is not your fault and don't forget to smile and laugh even when it's difficult. Do things you enjoy.
if your having a real difficult time I highly recommend visiting a counselor. It helped me a lot and sometimes this is difficult to overcome on our own. They see this on a daily basis and have the tools to help you and it really feels good to vent to someone in person.
you can do this! I suffered for over 20 years until I found some things that help to me. There is a book called mindfulness that teaches you all of this. It's a great book that help you regain your peace of mine from worry, fear, anxiety, depression. It has a white cover with a ball of string on it. Mindfulness is a concept that is being taught all around the world. So try the meditations I think they could really help you. Feel better
One more thing, please don't do what I did which was worry myself sick for over 20 years. Nothing bad ever happened! I wasted all those years when I could've been enjoying life.
negative thinking leads to fear and once fear has us, our peace of mind is robbed.
fear is worry about the future which isn't even here yet and doesn't exist yet. All the what if thinking is a complete waste of time and not based on fact it's only based on fleeting thoughts in our mind that come and go. Those thoughts can be controlled .
it's all in that book I mentioned called mindfulness. It's in my first message.
I finally realize that when I worry my day away that day is gone forever. I can never get it back. And that's how I wasted 20 years. ☹️
Hi megan when my anxiety kicks in I can eat at all and when I drink alcohol it's great at the time but next day anxiety levels go so high
Please don't go down the alchol route it'll make you more anxious the next day! In my 20s I drank every day for about 4 years and my anxiety was horrendous, I'd wake up and start drinking just to take the anxiety away it was a vicious circle! Eat healthy and drink plenty of water, meditate and exercise and if you think you need help don't feel ashamed if you need antidepressants x take care x
Hi Meagan,
Jans reply on here is fantastic! Lots of good advice. I agree and alcohol has previously made the anxiety worse and I feel even more on edge.
I completely lose my appetite with anxiety and I actually only really eat because I know I have to and my partner makes sure I do! Even though I don't feel hungry at all.
The medication route isn't for everyone, but equally I look at it like this - if someone goes to the doctors with a broken leg, they don't think twice about accepting painkillers to help them and others don't either. Sometimes we need a little help and if medication works then I fully support it. Like I said, it isn't for everyone and if you do find methods that help you without it then that's great ☺️
Keep going, there are ways through this whichever route you choose x
Hi Megan. Can't stress enough the dangers of alcohol. My anxiety was so bad when I was younger and then I found alcohol relaxed me. Eventually I drank every day. I could get out, talknto people, haughba laugh and get a good nights sleep. Soon I was dependant on alcohol. Every morning I would shake like a leaf, throw up, and my racing thoughts and anxiety was worse. Alcohol is a depressant. It makes you feel good for a few hours then the bad stuff. Soon I drank every day just to stop the shakes, stop feeling anything and drank until I passed out. I put my family through hell, sneaking drink, it gets that bad your brain tells you you need more and more, as anxiety tells us everything is ten times worse. Anyway ask gp about short term meds and take people's advice here on self help. I can't remember days out of my life due to the amount I drank and ended up in hospital , I couldn't walk or do simple tasks. Anxiety is bad and I live with it, sometimes drives me mad but it passes. Anxiety won't kill you, alcohol will, almost killed me, it's poison. ( so no , please don't use alcohol with anxiety)❤️
Sorry Meagan spelled your name wrong❤️
That's my problem right now... I'm so sick of it. I don't want to be dependent on it anymore but these shakes and stuff makes me want a beer.
Just try think positive megan a lot of ppl have been at ur stage well I certainly have it's easier days than done but it will pass 😀
If I reach for that beer it won't have much effect so you'll have another and another until you feel relaxed enough, it gets harder to get that feeling. Then your dependant. If you think anxiety is bad, when you have to drink daily because you shake , your body is in agony, and you can't think straight, it's just hell. I tried several times to get off alcohol, almost killed me the last time , I can't even put it into words. If you are sitting now still convinced alcohol will help please see your gp , tell them you are self medicating because of anxiety and ask for counciling, anything that's available. Alcohol will double your problems if you feel you( need it) to calm you. Talk anytime.❤️
I do admit I have taken a couple of drinks, to ease my anxiety before a flight..it helped me get through security ,and stay calm..I just had 2, so I wasan't drunk.just calm...I also have no appitite when my anxiety is high..thoughts of food just makes me have nausea..I have GAD and panic disorder,so my life is very very bad ..and I have this for over 20 years..x
Along time to have it same as my self lived with it nearly 30 years x
Lots of us seem to have had anxiety for years. I'm in my 40s remember asking my brother when I was about 12 if he thought about stuff constantly and worried and couldn't stop thinking about things in the future like family dying etc , he just looked at me like I was crazy. Looking back I had anxiety then, people just thought I was shy and a clingy child not wanting to join in or go out. Glad younger people are noticing symptoms and asking for support and advice, didn't really do this years ago, think I was scared what people would think, and I honestly thought nobody was like me❤️
What do you mean it almost killed you?
Hey Meagan
I'm desperate too I'm going to start drinking I've heard it helps people but it can also make our Anxiety worst. The good thing is I will do it with my family. They will take care of me. Drink with people you trust if you do it. I lose my appetite too I think it must be the depression or the Anxiety.
Take care👍
I started to drink more and more as like anything i started to need more and more to get that relaxed feeling, soon itvgot out of control, never saw it coming, never thought it would happen to me, just couldn't get through a day or sleep or function without alcohol. Then after several attempts to stop drinking I was so bad the withdrawals were so severe my liver was damaged , my asophagus was burned, I had stomach problems and my blood wasnt clotting properly, I could go on . Sounds dramatic but I started out just having couple of beers to chill out a bit , got out of control as anything that we think is giving us some relief we try, have heard my story hundreds of times and nobody ever thought it would get that bad. Haven't drank for years now and manage my anxiety a lot better, it's amazing what we can do with determination, help and support. Going from total desperation to life today I would tell anyone there is hope and help❤️
Ashley, where have you heard drink helps people with anxiety, ask your gp? If your family read about anxiety they won't be looking after you if you drink with them? Hope you get some more replies and different opinions , ❤️
Hey Meagan
Never mind don't do it I've heard stories online. Alcohol will make it worse. It's not the solution. Try Therapy and medication, hypnotherapy, vitamins, Omega 3 pills. I've heard about the Omega 3 supplement they say it helps. 👍Try everything but not the bad stuff. It will only hurt you more and add more problems. I have nothing to lose I will do it. I've been homebound for 7 years I have to do this. I've wasted so many years. Years I won't get back. I'm 24 now. Anyways I know how you feel Anxiety is horrible. I get panic attacks too.
Good Luck🙌
I've read it online some people with our Anxiety problem use alcohol to relax and cope. My family will be there for me while I drink. I'm thinking about vodka just one. I'm tired I'm stuck in my house have been for 7 years. I need to do this. I don't have a GP I don't go out at all. But thanks for the reply I do know it's bad but I'm desperate too.