To all panic and anxiety ridden people

[cke123]

Hi all!

So like many of you I constantly worry about what I may have said or done while drinking. The morning after a happy hour with friends was no different. After a quick panic attack, I quickly realized that I was fine, and that I didn't say anything. Then come Monday, I realized that I was indicated in the smack talking of another friend.

Hmmm....this is what I have been waiting for right? I mean, this very thought consumes me most day after drinking. Well you know what? It wasn't really that bad. I quickly apoligized to my friend, and told her I meant no harm, and that was that.

I am not making excuses for myself or saying that you should just expect forgiveness when you say something you shouldn't, but it felt good to face something when it was real, and it be ok, instead creating 100 different scenerios that always end up worse.

Whats the lesson here? I don't know, but maybe it can help some fellow panic prone people! This isnt about not drinking or anything, just a way to look at things when we do worry after drinking.

[Mags]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

The panic expert (me) speaks

cke123

Boy, did you hit the nail on the head for me. If Lushy is the Queen of the bitches, than I am certainly the Queen of panic. Drinking always made it much worse, but even without any alcohol, I can have anxiety attacks that last for days and make my hands shake, make me unable to eat or sleep - the whole 9 yards. Mostly these are over pretty much nothing. I can actually wake up in the morning and have a panic attack over whether I should clean the kitchen first or take a shower first. I may sit there for a half hour with my heart racing.:hitme:

What you said about facing the problem is SO SO IMPORTANT. It is so hard for someone like me to do, but thanks to my therapist, I am getting much better at it. 99% of the time, as soon as I face the problem (which can be as simple as getting into the shower ), the panic resolves itself. It's even more important with life's bigger problems and especially with difficult problems at work. 90% of my drinking was to self-medicate for the anxiety - and then of course drinking just made everything 10 times worse.

You've brought up a really important lesson here - face whatever is giving you the anxiety - that is never nearly as bad as panicking over it and even worse drinking to relieve the panic.

Maybe other folks don't have this problem, but I can totally relate to what you just wrote.
Thanks for the great post.

:thanks: :l

[cke123]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

Thanks Mags! I'm glad I'm not the only wack job on here! ( i mean that in a loving way! )

:l

[Mags]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

This place definitely has no shortage of whack cases!! That's what makes it so special - and we all love each other too!!!!!!! What an asylum!:H

[I Like Brandy]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

cke123;

I know exactly what you mean! I've been there as recent as this past Friday. But I'm
4 days abs right now because of it and I'm trying for 30 days...

Brandy:l

[lushy]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

While very proud to be the Queen of Bitches (thank you for the acknowlegdement Mags! ), I think a lot of our panic attacks/anxiety comes from the "not knowing" exactly every word that took place in a conversation when we have been drinking which then leads to the anxiety. If we were in our completely sober mind, remembered every detail and knew that every word we said was really what we meant we would not have anxiety. It is such a self-induced disorder, at least in my world.

[morrison]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

This is exactly why you shouldn't raise your kids Catholic. Haha. Sorry if I offend. Guilt is dumb. Don't ever feel bad for what you do. If you truly do something wrong, you'll know it. Just the booze messing with your head. I will bet on that.

[rottrod]

To all panic and anxiety ridden people

Lushy I hope you are feeling better. How is it you went from 6th to 4th to least annoying member in a manner of 2 days? did you get special dispensation from the MWO god for being under the weather? hmmmm you know I'm just kidding I love your posts.

Will I wake up tomorrow and ask myself did I make a smart a** remark to Lushy last night? and the answer will be yes and I remember it because I am AF today. Yippiee!

I used to call the bar where I was a regular (this was 15 years ago) and ask the bartender if I tipped him/herthe night before because I couldn't remember. Sometimes they would play terrible tricks on me and tell me that I left with someone...blah blah blah I was so sleepy and hungover that it took me awhile to realize I was in my own house alone. I'm glad those days are long gone, but the worst part was I drove home. God was good to me and the world, I never hurt myself or anyone else (with my car anyway.)

Melissa