Anyone else here drink EVERY day to calm their anxiety? (possible trigger!)

Hi

For the last few months, I have taken up drinking about 3 gin and tonics starting at about 3:00 every the afternoon. Sometimes I'll have 3-4 beers instead but I usually just stick with the gin. The next morning I usually wake up with all kinds of hangover/panic/anxiety issues and have weird dreams, etc so I know I need to stop and I DO plan on asking my doctor for some Naltrexone or something next time I see her but until then, the gin just helps me feel "normal" and gets rid of the horrible anxiety. Please don't judge me because I already know that I have a problem and plan to get help soon.

Anyway, I guess I was just wondering if any other anxiety/panic/hypochondria/depression sufferers here drink on a daily basis or if one in a million.

- Regards, GreyGoose

no, i don't. i easily could as alcoholism runs high in my family. i stay away from it.

gl, gg. let us know what dr says.

kd

I drink daily. Or nearly daily. I don't feel I have to have a glass of wine at the end of the day, but I enjoy it. That usually develops into a couple of glasses, but from time to time I stop drinking in the week. I've talked quite extensively to my GP and he doesn't feel the amount I am drinking (and I am honest about that) is a problem.But my first drink is after I get home, usually about 6pm and as I am preparing the evening meal. I think more than stopping the anxiety it has become associated for me with not being at work, the end of the working day. When I get to the gym striaght from work that puts off the desire for a glass of wine.

No judgements.

Caroline

I drink every day pretty much. I don't get drunk every day, but I generally have a few glasses of wine or a few beers. I don't care for hard alcohol and rarely drink it; sometimes I will have mixed drinks though.

I don't see it as a huge problem for me, but you know yourself best.

No judgements here either. Good luck with the doctor.

I just want to say THANK YOU so much for letting me know that I'm not alone and for not judging me. I posted this same message on another major board and got a lot of support as well so it looks like a lot of people turn to the bottle in order to calm their nerves. anyway, thank you all so much! . There is a brand new FDA-approved med on the market called "Campral". It is the first new drug to treat alcoholism in a decade and it gets to the biological root of the problem, eliminates withdawl, cravins, anxiety and a host of other stuff associate with dependancy. I am really excited about trying it!.

PS: I just wanted to ad-lib something here. An hour ago I was racked with anxiety and now, with only one gin and tonic in me, I feel NORMAL and have been buzzing around getting all kinds of things done around the house, etc. I'm not using this as an excuse or saying that people with anxiety should drink. I just know it works for me - as long as I drink in MODERATION.

Thank's again!!!

Hi.

My mother "self-medicated" herself with gin and tonic everyday from the time of menopause to approximately the age of 60. She stopped as she began having abnormal test results on her liver. I do not know how many drinks she drank each day ..but I do know it was several EVERY DAY.

I worried about it & when I would bring up the issue...she became very angry with me.

I do know that after quitting for awhile her lab reports came out much better.

Take good care!

~Dottie

Alcohol backfires for me, ends up making me more anxious, unable to sleep well, and sicker all around. The half hour or so of relaxed buzz feeling isn't worth it.

My father is an alcoholic, as was his father. Alcoholism seriously screwed us over. My mother actively abused me, I wonder if the fact that my father was always intoxicated was why he did not stop the abuse. And/or he drank cause he felt hopeless. I do know that my father has a bad case of PTSD from war service and that he is self medicating.

Alcoholism runs in my family, as does depression. Not a good combo. I am so fortunate in that I personally have not struggled with that addiction in myself, bad enough to be the child of an alcoholic.

Truly, I don't think alcohol calms anxiety, only numbs us out some. Alcohol is a jealous lover, keeps demanding more and more of us.

Sarah

hi tim.....its your guardian angel checking in with you.....good to see you posting.....take care sweetie...love julia

Hi Grey,

I have a few glasses of wine, maybe every third day, and sometimes a night cap of whisky. The units don't add up to much.

I don't obsess about the alcohol. I used to, but now I don't. By keeping a journal for the last year, and going on the wagon a couple of times, I've established that my anxiety symptoms are the main issue, and not booze. The anxiety comes up in it's own way, whatever I do.

It's the same with the IBS I suffer from. I used to obsess about diet, and have all sorts of medications etc. Gradually I realised that the IBS just has it's own rhythm and nothing affects it much. I can eat whatever I like, and it will be the same. The only thing that reduces the IBS is not thinking about it!

The one thing that did make a difference was giving up smoking. I had some periodontal disease and that has actually cleared up - to my amazement. I was quite prepared to lose my teeth, and still am, which is a great antidote to the phobias dentists try to instill into us.

I know I've said this before, but I believe it's the anxious mind that is hurting us, and not anything else that the anxious mind locks onto. That's no judgement on you, Grey, cos I'm in the same boat as you, fighting the rotten old anxiety day by day.

Peaceful thoughts, M

PS - My father had this same anxiety illness, and he never took a drink in his life. The only time he really loosened up was when he was dying of cancer. The morphine actually broke through his anxiety, and I saw another side of him for a little while.

I have also got home from extremely stressful days at work and popped open a few cold ones to help calm my nerves. I ocassionaly would feel a strong urge to slam one during my lunch break but I have managed to always fight that one off. But I do on a couple of ocassions during the week slam a beer or take a shot to try and ease my nerves just enough to clam my racing mind.
I used to smoke pot for the same reasons the calming effect.

DL, what you are doing is self-medicating. Please see a doctor about this before it escalates.

TGC!!!

Hi folks,

It's true, self medicating with alcohol has some pretty big downsides.

I believe that people with anxiety and/or depression are on a loser with any mood altering drugs. If you are feeling rotten, it's obvious that a quick pick me up is tempting. If you are feeling OK, then why do it?

I think that this might be why so many people became addicted to the old types of tranquiliser and to some painkillers, because of the immediate relief we can get.

I believe that an important strategy in dealing with these illnesses is training ourselves to cope with feeling bad. It's a bum deal but we have to do it; there is no alternative.

Cheers, M

i think dealing with this problem with professionals is appropriate. i don't remember when you first posted about this, GG, but it was months and months ago. i hope you do see someone and perhaps attend some AA meetings. deal with the anxiety with a Pdoc also, instead of gin.