alchohol

[derek123]

ive been dealing with this for about 4 months now it was like a shock wave i had a panic attack at work and now i can barely leave the house unless i drink then im social agian normal agian i know its not a solution but it seems to be the only thing that works since im scared of my xanex i guess my only question is has anyone else done this and beat both problems (anxiety, alchoholism)

[luvu4u2003]

I did have this problem. I started drinking before I would go out and after 6 months my panic attacks came back while I was intoxicated adn they were 10 fold. Do not be scared of xanax. Just dont abuse it. Only take it when you absolutly need it. I cant express enough how important it is to write your thoughts in a journal. Excercise helps alot too. Take short jogs early in the morning when the morning dew is still out. This worked for me.

[derek123]

thanks for the advise i will try my hardest to put it to use its good to know i wasnt the only one curing a problem with another problem and in my seat it sounded impossible to quit but since u did maybe i can to thx

[luvu4u2003]

You most certainly can! If people beat cancer (a uncontrolable discomfort) we can beat our vises/disorders (a controlable discomfort). Its not easy but its worth the fight

[racheldayb]

I'm going to be the nurse again and tell you alcohol will only make your anxiety worse. I know it helps it while you're drinking but your anxiety will be exacerbated with withdrawals. I took xanax for quite some time and it worked wonders. I actually used to kid around and say that I could be the spokesperson for the drug bc i felt like i could do anything on it! It never got me 'high', just made me feel normal, anxiety free. Only problem was, I got to where I was taking it everyday just to prevent any anxiety and that eventually made me dependent on it. The other problem with any kind of drug, xanax or alcohol, is that you build a tolerance and over time it takes a higher dose, or an additional drink, to achieve the same effect. So, my advice to you is stick with the program. Quit drinking. Use the xanax only as needed, such as dealing with the anxiety from alcohol withdrawal and for a panic attack until you get farther into the program and are better at dealing with the anxiety so that it doesn't lead to panic. hope you are feeling better soon

[derek123]

this is the hardest thing ive ever had to do

[Ottoman]

Hi Derek - I can relate - the last 5 months have been the hardest time in my life - I started a new job and was so anxious that I just couldnt bear to goto work. I dont have an office (I used to) and I sit whith a bunch of really outgoing salesguys.... I feel like I'm going crazy most of the time. On Fridays some of us have a beer or drink in the afternoon; I found out pretty quick that I was quite chatty and relaxed after a couple of doubles. This freaked me out as I now realize how easy it would be to become an alcoholic.

Since I started the course and also have been visitng a psychologist and my pastor, things have been getting better. I quit drinking caffien altogether and I excercise for 30 min every morning. Its still tough but I can say bareable now. I found the six steps in week 2 particulary helpful. Especially not to hide from the anxiety, to experience it and dont run. Its true, that seems to take the fuel away from it most times.

Gook luck man - you're not alone
James