How do YOU deal with anxiety

[nancy]

I keep reading more and more about anxiety on this forum. It seems like a lot of people at least feel that they are self-medicating for psychological illnesses like depression, anxiety OCD. Of course, then the alcohol itself creates anxiety because it wrecks your psychological state.

It's interesting that baclofen was successful as an anti-anxiety cure.

So I guess the questions it raises for me are:

How much of alcoholism is related to anxiety?
If your drinking is not related to anxiety will drugs like baclofen help?
For those who are now abstinent and not taking anti-anxiety drugs, how did you deal with your anxiety?

I wrote a lot before about dealing with anxiety naturally and it's eased some but I never found a total solution. Some of the natural solutions are hard to do when you are feeling anxious (meditation).

[sunnydaz]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

I struggle with this too....I was diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder(PTSD) I know I self-medicated and this has been tough finding something that I won't become addicted to since I've stopped drinking and smoking. I will be interested in what others have to say that have helped them....I was hoping all these new supplements will help along with the All One.... just day one for me so I don't know yet.

Sunnydaz

[beatle]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

I was just popping in, and saw a post from Nancy, so couldn't resist reading it. (Has it been a while, Nancy, or is it just me who has been relatively absent?)

Anyway, you raise very good and important questions, as always, to which I cannot pretend to have answers.

However, I can respond:

I do believe alcoholism is often related to anxiety, but then the same factors that cause anxiety could be responsible for the alcohol-related problems, both in terms of brain chemistry and personal situational and experience... I'm not sure I am explaining this well... it just seems to me that it is not so much "cause and effect" as it is relational: they may originate from the same source.

I don't have any experience with Balcofen, but it may be that it is most applicable to those alcoholics who have anxiety-related conditions.

I can't respond to the last question since I don't fit into that category... but I do understand about the problem with meditation and how it can be more of an anxiety instigator than a reliever. I've had that experience both with meditation and deep-breathing techniques. My therapist told me to just stop trying if it makes you more anxious, and try again later. (Expensive advice, but it helped!)

[Doggygirl]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

Hi again Beatle and hi Nancy. I always love reading what you guys have to say on these types of topics - and you are both in a different league than me with your knowledge!

I'm sure there are a number of different scenarios that vary by individual - our biochemistry is so complex. For me, I think alcohol may have caused a lot of my feelings of anxiety and depression. It's been a bit over a year now AF and no kidding - I was suicidal at times during the last few years of the downhill slide, and I can't even believe today that I ever had those thoughts, much less a stash of pills on hand.

I have never been an exercise nut until now either and when I heard ad nauseum over the years that exercise raises endorphin levels which naturally fight off depression blah blah blah I rolled my eyes and poured another drink. I really started exercising because of the MWO recommendation and know I'm wondering just how much power those endorphins actually might have.

Anyway, I have never been formally diagnosed with anxiety or depression and never been on any meds for such. So I'm not sure this post is even relevant here and if not, please just disregard.

DG

[Boss.man]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

nancy;656872 wrote: How much of alcoholism is related to anxiety?

I think a better question is; How much of anxiety is related to Alcohol use.

Most people think the effects of alcohol dissipate after 7-15 hours. This is enough time for the buzz to fade, and the hangover to come and go. I feel from my own experience, and some studies I've read, that the chemicals like acetaldehyde can be maintained by the liver as an energy source for several days. Try exercising 2 days after a binge to feel what I mean. The "buzz" from alcohol comes from overloading or denying a host of brain chemicals including GABA, Dopamine and Serotonin. The sugar in your drink affects your glucose levels, at times lowering and raising them like a diabetic. Withdrawal from alcohol affects your adrenal system, stimulating the "fight or fight" syndrome which drives anxiety.

I think the full effects of 3 drinks last for 7 days. If you have more drinks during this 7 day period, you begin to maintain your body in a state of imbalance. As you naturally try to compensate for the imbalance by diet, lifestyle changes and more alchol, you end up increasing your dependency, and also your anxiety.

A lot of people on this forum say they are taking drugs for Depression, commonly SSRIs. I'm often dismayed at this, since in my own case I think the Alcohol created the Depression, not the other way around. In my own case, ceasing Alcohol abuse has virtually eliminated my unnatural anxiety, and my tendency for depression.

nancy;656872 wrote: I wrote a lot before about dealing with anxiety naturally and it's eased some but I never found a total solution. Some of the natural solutions are hard to do when you are feeling anxious (meditation).

I think you should continue to write about meditation, breathing, and mindfulness. I'm a business owner, and the last person in the world to sit still and meditate. On the advice of a therapist I have endured it, just as I now endure daily exercise. It works. Through daily meditation, five minutes in morning and five minutes in evening, hourly breathing exercise, and a bit of mental work at bedtime, I finally can achieve the peace of mind that I sought but never achieved from years of drinking to the point of passing out for sleep.

I see little point of exotic and expensive drugs when it takes so little time to change your brain using simple techniques. It's a good message.

[The New Me]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

Nancy,

I agree with both posts - I suffered from anxiety before I started drinking, and I found that whilst AL makes it better at night, the beast comes back the next morning, with reinforcements!!!
So, here we are in catch 22, which is like most of the AL solutions - it creates more problems than it solves.
It has easied out for me, I do not know, just started worrying less... I used to be petrified that my car will break down, and it has not so far. I could get a new car and put myself under a new stress of car payments. Now I say, I will deal with my problems when they happen.
I am sure you may be dealing with the fear of damage to your health caused by drinking and the relief comes from drinking more. You cannot win every game in town ...

[Lavande]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

Hi Nancy and everyone!

For me the anxiety came first, followed by depression then the alcohol abuse!!
Of course, the more I tried to medicate myself with wine, the worse the anxiety/depression became.

I tried a few stints on Lexapro and disliked it very much. It did not give me much relief, just left me feeling kind of numb and certainly never decreased my desire to drink. I put the Lexapro away and found an herbal product called Amoryn for anxiety/depression. It really did the trick for me with no side effects whatsoever. Once the anxiety was under control I was able to quit drinking with little problem. I am very happy now, AF and have little to no anxiety for the first time in 15 years!
Check out the website: AMORYN Mood Booster | Natural Antidepressant | Supplement for Depression & Anxiety

It's worth a look

[The New Me]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

Lavande,

I was also put on antidepressant, with very little investigation on the part of the doctor. I hated every minute of it and drank like a fish on it. I put it away and never wanted to go back. The doc are sooo quick to give you something. We are better of with the supplements and desire to get better.

[louise]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

I have had one period of severe anxiety in my life that lasted for over a year. I was having difficulty even working. Exercise helped, but only for a brief time during and after I did it. What really helped was intensive cognitive therapy. And a new job where I felt appreciated.

[startingover]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

I often wondered what came first, my depression/anxiety or my drinking/drugging.
A little over a year ago I was put on SSRIs then I gave up drinking. My depression and anxiety completely went away. In april of this year, I decided to start tapering my SSRIs. My depression and anxiety started to return, despite the fact I was exercising, leading a healthy life and had no major issues going on.
I am now left wondering if I have a pre-disposition to depression or and imbalance of chemicals in my brain. The effects of it returning had me very close to returning to my old ways. It wasnt that I was craving a drink, it was a desperate need to change my feelings.

[The New Me]

How do YOU deal with anxiety

You may look into a book called something like "seven weeks to sobriety" the author divides the drinkers into a few categories, based on their drinking experience. I am not one of you, for I am more depressed when I drink, compared to when I am not. But, she had a whole chapter on people like you, who have mood imbalances prior to drinking, The whole nutrition advice follows. Worth checking.