[wilzy123]

So... for a while now, whenever something (negative) flares up in my life, i've often found comfort in drinking alcohol to smooth the edges. Which works well! Except for the negative bits... i.e. i tend to feel unhealthy inside on a daily basis... i tend to get less sleep... i tend to do less things after work. For someone like me that wants to do a lot of things outside of work, the effect that alcohol was having on me was making me unhappy a lot of the time. I would compensate for this by drinking more coffee to make me more alert.. more productive.. but i found myself becoming increasingly more anxious about things, which only heightened the feelings i had during the negative periods. I've started to really look at myself in detail (the things i do, the things i eat and drink) and have become obsessed almost with how each of them impact on my wellbeing - i guess that's a healthy obsession. The reason i do it is because it helps me see a direct link between my actions and the way i feel, which helps me make decisions that i can feel positive about... i.e. "one less drink tonight... think about how you will feel tomorrow". I've found that all the little 'micro wins' like this have really helped me a lot more than having a chat to a psychologist alone. Having said that though, the psychologist was completely necessary alongside the other things I have been trying to improve my state. Has anyone else here tried this and had any success? Did you bring anything else into your life to help lower your anxiety?

[arachnophobia.kid]

I'm not sure entirely what you are asking. But here:

I'm familiar with the "micro-wins" type scenario you described. It is a good feeling having those small victories. But ultimately, having small victories never made me feel okay about what I was doing in the first place. It became "I'm doing something I shouldn't do, I know that, but at least I'm not doing it as much anymore". And that just doesn't hold a lot of weight in terms of actually fixing a problem, at least not for me. In some cases it even made me start to believe I could manage and that the problem wasn't so bad.

In terms of dealing with anxiety, the only thing that seems to help me is just facing the thing head on. It's brutal but it's the only way I've learnt over the years. I have a ridiculous amount of social anxiety and I still struggle with it regularly, but at least now I've learned to accept that about myself, so when I fail I don't hate myself anymore (at least not as much), and by facing it head on I have become more comfortable with things I could just barely cope with before. And don't worry, even if you don't have the courage to face it right now, life is just going to happen. Every time you are faced with anxiety you are also learning a little more about how to cope with similar situations in the future.

I think your alcohol intake and caffeine intake is ultimately making your anxiety worse. If you're looking for practical things to do to help your anxiety I'm sure you already know what they are. Stop with the alcohol, the coffee and the running away from the problem. Instead start doing anything that's considered universally good for you. Eat healthy, exercise, sleep, seek help from professionals, and invest in meaningful relationships with people. Things like that always work wonders with any problem.

[Altered Moment]

All things in moderation is a good philosophy. If you can do it.

Self medicating for anxiety with alcohol....not such a good idea.

I am not sure what you are looking for here either. This is an addiction forum. We don't know how to do things in moderation. The small victories were great but short lived.

[MarkNoo11]

Originally Posted by wilzy123

So... for a while now, whenever something (negative) flares up in my life, i've often found comfort in drinking alcohol to smooth the edges. Which works well! Except for the negative bits... i.e. i tend to feel unhealthy inside on a daily basis... i tend to get less sleep... i tend to do less things after work. For someone like me that wants to do a lot of things outside of work, the effect that alcohol was having on me was making me unhappy a lot of the time. I would compensate for this by drinking more coffee to make me more alert.. more productive.. but i found myself becoming increasingly more anxious about things, which only heightened the feelings i had during the negative periods. I've started to really look at myself in detail (the things i do, the things i eat and drink) and have become obsessed almost with how each of them impact on my wellbeing - i guess that's a healthy obsession. The reason i do it is because it helps me see a direct link between my actions and the way i feel, which helps me make decisions that i can feel positive about... i.e. "one less drink tonight... think about how you will feel tomorrow". I've found that all the little 'micro wins' like this have really helped me a lot more than having a chat to a psychologist alone. Having said that though, the psychologist was completely necessary alongside the other things I have been trying to improve my state. Has anyone else here tried this and had any success? Did you bring anything else into your life to help lower your anxiety?

Micro wins are great. You don't think about this but, a single cell is the building blocks of the body, then you get organs, etc and finally you have a body that functions quite well. All because of a tiny little cell.
Your right to respect micro wins.
You should talk to a therapist. Read some of the blogs and see one that strikes a chord with you. If they are in your area, wonderful. If not, try to look at where they trained. Maybe you can find someone who has the same background.
Check out the resources section on the top horizontal menu bar. Pyschology Today is very similar to this site; in terms of blogs and referrals, give them a shot if you can't find it here.

You may even find out there is nothing wrong with you. Then you can stop worrying on this and go do whatever it is you want to do.

Most people are not crazy. We just don't know what is and is not normal. We work too much and don't form real and lasting friendships. How could we know. Television and the radio are so far from what is normal; they are the worst standard to use as a comparison.

Call the info line for your city. Ask the operator if there is a walk in mental health clinic that you do not have to be in crisis to use.

[jo8339]

yeah, I brought in alcohol to self medicate. In the beginning it was great, I thought I'd found the cure. In the end however it ended up destroying my life. You have to be very careful when the decision to play Dr is made. I've made mistakes I cannot take back. Also, created a physical dependence I had to break when I quit drinking. The dt's the shakes, ugh stuff I don't want to remember.

[la4est]

I went to AA chat, got a lecture, and was "booted" because I wasn't "ready"... It was creepy...I'm trying to stop drinking...

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by la4est

I went to AA chat, got a lecture, and was "booted" because I wasn't "ready"... It was creepy...I'm trying to stop drinking...

No one can boot you from AA. The only requirement for membership is a desire to quit drinking. Even if you don't have a desire to quit drinking no one can boot you. If some ***** hole told you you are not ready ignore them and go anyway or find another meeting.

[madisgram]

Originally Posted by la4est

I went to AA chat, got a lecture, and was "booted" because I wasn't "ready"... It was creepy...I'm trying to stop drinking...

Consider going to a real life meeting. U got some incorrect info. Some of us are sicker than others. Sounds like you found one. Don't let that discourage you. Try an aa meeting.it can change your life! Best wishes.

[madisgram]

I had a lot of anxiety in my life and "discovered" alcohol helped. As time went by using alcohol to sooth my nerves I became an alcoholic. No need to create a new challenge. I'd suggest you speak to your doctor about your anxiety.