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The power of the internet compels me.

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    The power of the internet compels me.

    Me posting on this forum is a big deal. For me anyway. I spend a lot of time on the internet, and usually keep away from forums. Not through anything wrong with them, I've just never felt the need to share my opinion. And thus through the internet, I can be myself.

    I've come here because I feel that i have a drinking problem. This is the first time I've even considered admitting it - but it makes sense. And I'm tired of it. I don't even know how to tell you - even protected by the anonymity of the internet - i feel disgusted, embarrassed and ashamed of myself.
    For years I've had General Anxiety Order (GAD) and I've only ever drank to quell the thoughts that I have. When I start to panic, I have a drink. And once I've had one drink, I have another, and another, and so on until I pass out. (Just typing this now - I have no idea how I've lied to myself over the years). I need to stop.
    Both my housemates drink - and smoke - and one of the reasons that I am comfortable drinking is that we all drink together. We can generally drink through and entire carton - between 3 of us - every night. I hide it from my girlfriend, I routinely wake up and have a beer - sometimes 2 - before work (I fortunately don't live with my girlfriend), but the real problem is I cant sleep without it. If I start to fall asleep; I panic. For anyone who has anxiety attacks, I panic about dieing, or "Impending Doom". Now the anxiety during the day I can control, But at night it comes in troves. I cannot sleep, my anxiety is so bad i sometimes hallucinate bats flying around the room which is dimly lit by a streetlight. Looking into the back of my eyelids i visualise strange enactments (Not dreaming; I'm still awake, its grey and black dots that come together) the enactments which are of horrifying scenes.

    My fear of the anxiety and panic is why ive always told myself is why i drink. I'm praying theres someone on this forum that has been there and can help me. I'm tired of not being able to pay bills because of how much money I spend on alcohol. I'm tired of feeling like crap until I have another beer. I'm tired of drinking just that little too much the night before and waking up in a puddle of my own piss. I'm just done - I don't care what it takes, I want it out of my life.

    #2
    The power of the internet compels me.

    also - been reading up on this delerium tremens. I well and truly fit the ticket for the most common cases, is there any way i can stop that from happening to me? Will slowly weining myself off it slow down and mitigate that problem?

    Comment


      #3
      The power of the internet compels me.

      :welcome: noknok

      Just wanted to say my hellos and glad you found us.I'm not going to overwhelm you with advice at the moment, but these two threads will be of great interest to you. Just click on the links and settle back and have a read through.


      https://www.mywayout.org/community/f9...ggy-34156.html


      https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html


      J x
      :l
      It could be worse, I could be filing.
      AF since 7/7/2009

      Comment


        #4
        The power of the internet compels me.

        welcome noknok. u have come to the best place with lots of lovely ppl. i am over my drinking and today is day 1 again but im determined to get there just like u can too. i suffer from panic attacks and after a few days of not drinking i dont panic as much as i feel the alcohol brings them on more. the next day after a session, i feel i am going to die and then work myself up that i have liver cancer, blood disorders, anything really. anxiety cds are great and i went to a psychologist and got hypnotised which worked for me. i still have the attacks but not as frequently. good luck and keep posting
        AF free 1st December 2013 - 1st December 2022 - 9 years of freedom

        Comment


          #5
          The power of the internet compels me.

          Your story and mine!

          Hi, noknok. :welcome:
          Wow, I can identify with your story so much! Although I didn't suffer anxiety until the last year, when it started, I was overwhelmed. The only thing that seemed to help was drinking--more and more. I never had hallucinations, nor DTs, but couldn't sleep at night because of all the thoughts in my head, pounding heart and palpitations, etc. My drinking had escalated over the years, but I managed it and guess I was what we call a functioning alcoholic. Lost my job almost three years ago, not related to drinking, but it sent me into depression and a feeling of worthlessness. I had had a couple of couple of careers and was already in my mid-fifties, but I wanted to work for another ten years or so. Husband had retired early, but I enjoyed working and traveling for work. Anyway, the jobs I had after that were not great. I had what seemed to be my first anxiety/panic attack last May while driving in a neighboring state, and started drinking to help. Well, ended up with a DUI, and was convinced this was my bottom. I had a job near home, and my husband had to drive me. and I started getting up and drinking in the middle of the night, without my husband knowing it--for awhile. Also had shakes in the a.m. so had to have the morning drink. Then found that if I kept drinking just enough all day--not visibly impaired, but steady--I could avoid the anxiety. Well, got my second DUI in Nov--as I turned the corner to my street. That was it. I had been to a detox/rehab (just for a week) a year ago, then went to a ten day rehab last summer--obviously nothing worked. This time I had had it. A friend found a great 28 day rehab for me, and it was the best thing that I ever did. But I'd also been seeing a great therapist who had recommended Paxil, and I got a script for it before going to rehab. I also got a two day supply of Librium to get through withdrawals. I have not had anxiety since, and have not had a drink--it's now been 65 days. I know that the anxiety is made so much worse by alcohol, but the medication keeps me calm. I truly thought that I was hopeless and resigned myself to just dying. Husband had had it, we'd spent SO much on rehabs, legal fees, etc. (Now we have even more, but I am okay with that.) Empty bottles were hidden everywhere when I could no longer drive around town looking for trash cans where I could get tid of them. A nightmare.
          I come here every day, several times a day, and also go to AA almost every day. It isn't for everyone, and I used to go and not do the work, but now it is working for me. I haven't been to court yet, but will lose my license for probably a year, but I just have to focus on my sobriety.
          I didn't mean to go on and on, but if anything in my experience can be of help to you, I will be happy. I think you are pretty young--correct? If you can get this under control now, you can avoid so many bad things and have a full life without anxiety.
          Please let me know if I can help in any other way. And be sure to stick around here, no matter what. I made the mistake of just "lurking" after my first DUI, and that was a mistake.

          Stay strong, and know that you can do it!
          TDN
          "One day at a time."

          Comment


            #6
            The power of the internet compels me.

            I identify with your stories as well. I was in horrible shape. I truly thought I was losing my mind and wished myself dead. I was drinking at work and attending school functions while intoxicated. I was a mess.

            I entered rehab in November to detox then began going to an outpatient program. It has helped tremendously. My life changed the day I walked through those doors and I am grateful that I had the courage to do so. I have been AF for 60 days. I also attend AA meetings almost everyday. It is not for everyone, but it works for me.

            This site is also a great means of support. The comments here gave me the strength to take the first step as I also "lurked" for several months before taking the first step.

            Please see your Doctor prior to quitting cold turkey. It can be very dangerous to withdrawl from alcohol.

            Keep coming back! You will find strength here as well.

            Comment


              #7
              The power of the internet compels me.

              WOW -- i was not expecting the responses I got. TDN, any advice please, im itching for it. I feel pathetic right now, as even though I made my first post on here yesterday, I still went to the liquor store to pick up a carton last night.
              Im blatantly terrrified of DT, i read on wikipedia if its bad enough it can kill you. I am young, im only 21 (legal drinking age in Australia is 18). But ive been drinking heavily since I was 16. Walking down the street to the bottleshop, all i could think was "Why are you doing this? Your housemates know that you have a problem, your boss knows you have a problem, why are you still walking down the street to the liquor store.
              I have refused to get my license (1 for staying off the grid[terrified of the gov], and 2, because if i get behind the wheel of a car right now, im gonna kill someone or myself.) So fortunately I am not able to get a DUI. However, this severely limits my work capabilities. My boss wont promote me because I can't get to other stores easily or consistently on time.
              All I need to know right now - How do i stop opening that first beer? And if i stop that initial beer opening, how do i sleep? and moreso - how do i sleep after knowing about DT? I'm going to book in an apppointment with my doctor. I don't know any AA meetings around me but I'm sure Google does.
              And Thankyou to all that reply. It really means something to me. I don't know if I can commit to having no alcohol tonight, but I'll see how long I can go. And I WON't GET DRUNK.

              Comment


                #8
                The power of the internet compels me.

                OKAY! I think I've managed to map out my drinking problem. Now I'm using this as a basis to quit a lot of things. (Alcohol, Caffeine, Nicotine; my liver hates me)

                I've diagnosed the root of my problem as the drinking. I've wanted to quit smoking for ages, but when i drink i smoke.

                This is the way I'm looking at it.
                I drink at night to sleep. This means I smoke, because I'm drinking. I wake up hungover and need caffeine. The amount of caffeine I consume (3rd red bull XL can while writing this) just to get through work causes me to be panicky and far too awake by the end of work. Panicking makes me smoke, as it relaxes me. By the time i get home, I stay awake til 1 or 2 in the morning, and drink to go back to sleep. AND THE WHOLE CYCLE REPEATS.

                I came up with this realisation while talking to my sister about my problem. If i can get off the drinking, the rest of it will be SOOO MUCH EASIER!

                I'm ready to take me feet off the bottom of the pool, and get down to that deep end to work on my backflips off the high board!

                I've been on this forum 2 DAYS! AND ITS ALREADY HELPING!

                THANKYOU SOO MUCH! (I want to be one of the lifeguards in the future.

                Comment


                  #9
                  The power of the internet compels me.

                  Hi noknok, welcome to MWO. Haven't read through all the posts, but I read your original post. I also suffer from anxiety disorder (and other neurological disorders). What my alcohol worker told me, and what I have found, is that alcohol makes these disorders worse. In the case of anxiety disorder, in the short term the alcohol relaxes you and reduces your anxiety. Trouble is, once you've sobered up, your anxiety becomes worse, so you need more alcohol to relax you and enable you to sleep. (I have a sleep disorder too.) A vicious circle is created whereby the more you drink, the more anxious you become when sober, so you need more alcohol to relax and enable you to sleep, so you become more anxious again once you sober up. Basically, alcohol isn't helping you, it's making things worse. Hope that helps you make sense of things a little. I tapered down over a period of a few months and my anxiety is significantly reduced as a result, though it's still a bugger trying to get to sleep at the moment.

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