Alcohol=no anxiety

[SuicidalChick]

Before i go out somewhere social, i drink a few beers beforehand and they make me relaxed,confident and carefree. I know alot of us SP depend on drink because it's an effective anti-anxiety drug.

I just love the buzz i get from it and i can talk without stuttering or worrying what others are thinking of me.

Anyone else use alcohol to calm their nerves?

 

[endoflife]

No but I am trying kava, the pills dont seem to work but I am ordering the stuff you make the drink out of, a lot of people say the pills never work.

 

[Falcon]

Alcohol may calm your nerves, but you are treading on extremely dangerous waters whenever you require drugs to get to a normal state.

Seek treatment or try to practice to make progress.

 

[pjam76]

in most places

Even only a couple of drinks will probably get you arrested for drunk driving these days..... Nothing to play around with.

I hear what you are saying, but after awhile, those 2 or 3 drinks will no longer do anything for you.... Soon it'll be 5 beers to feel a buz, then a six pack, then two six packs, then a case to feel the same thing....

That's the problem with drugs and alcohol.... Once in a while, yeah it might lighten you up, relax you and not give you a hangover if you drink plenty of water before and after and don't get too messed up.

But if you do it all the time, every time you go out, eventually you'll be a constant drunk or an angry person who can't get enough to drink.

 

[nerdgirl178]

SuicidalChick...your name scares me 8O 8O 8O 8O 8O
Anyway, I drink too to "cure" my SA, however longterm it doesn't work of course, but drinking relaxes me and its an awesome high!!! :roll:

 

[pjam76]

alcohol

Technically Alcohol doesn't get you high. Marijuana gets you high. Cocaine sort of gets you high and makes you move a mile a second.

Heroin technically doesn't get you high.


Different drugs do different things.

Alcohol might get you buzzed, drunk, whatever, but technically you aren't getting high off of it... AKA why many people become depressed Drunks.

 

[kattness]

The worst thing about alcohol is what it can do to you emotionaly. In the end you will believe that u NEED it....its very much a slope.

Im cutting down on my alcohol, going to young persons substance misuse meetings every week, if you ever even feel like you are relying on it day by day - get help.

drugs are bad...kay?

 

[JulieKC]

I find alcohol gives me strength/confidence and I lose my anxiety. But by drinking I am actually creating another problem to deal with the first. So I feel its just a vicious circle.

 

[pjam76]

drunken

There is a difference between somebody, male or female, who are fall on your face drunk compared to somebody who has a little too big of a buzz.....

Somebody stumbling all over the place is usually some side show that others look at, discuss, ignore, make fun of, play tricks on when they pass out, and so on.

Somebody who just has a good buzz is somebody anybody could talk to or want to talk to..

I don't think most people want to get trashed to the point where they can't walk or talk, well I'm sure people do want to to that at times, but for this forum, most people just want to feel comfortable and relaxed while at some social gathering.

Cause for me I know I'd rather look back at the past month and think about the things I've done and people I met rather than think about, another month spent watching tv and working.

 

[decadeOfSA]

Yes, alcohol definitely does work, but it is not a good habit to get in to. You don't want to get a DUI or become an alcoholic do you? Get yourself some Klonopin or Xanax or some other benzodiazepine. It's legal with a prescription and pretty much does the same thing as alcohol without making you drunk(though it does impair your mind somewhat). Benzos work on the same chemicals in your brain that alcohol works on.

 

[HughJass]

I love drinking alcohol when I'm at home or somewhere were everyone else is drinking, but I find I'm terrified I'll make a fool of myself if I drink anything before dealing with people who aren't.

At home if does relax me and help me get over the day's anxieties.

 

[renegade]

Alcohol does a hell of a job in killing SP, but you got to do it when you need it, not everyday, cause if you drink constantlly you will need more and more to feel the same effects.

I didn't see the effects of benzodiazephines as similar to alcohol, and I was on maximum dosage....so it didn't worked for me.

 

[spurs]

i get worried that i'll lose control, because some of my most cringe worthy moments were because of drinking. too many bad memory's from drinking heavily. a few drinks to chill out but still be in control is what i go for now. plus i can't handle hangovers.

 

[se7]

I always drink when I go out, but then again I don't go out very often. I don't see it as a problem because at the end of the day I'm only doing what thousands of others are doing right now, having a drink to loosen them up and have a good time.

When I was working I used to have a drink during my lunch break, just to calm me down that little bit, plus the pub was a lot quieter than the highstreet so it was somewhere to escape to.

Whenever I'm really depressed I have a drink and listen to music just because thats what I like to do. So yeah I always drink when I have to go out and be around people, but it ain't a problem for me. Yeah there are drunks out there, but I think people over react about drinking a lot of the time.

 

[Cyrano]

Personally, I've found alcohol to be quite an effective remedy, it allows me to relax and enjoy social situations.

 

[Moonie]

I agree with lot of these comments. But especially with the comment PJam made about those 2 or 3 drinks turning into 5, 6.. And sometimes when you drink it is good and light hearted... but if you are in a soured mood you could become even more depressed and/or angry.

Most of the times when I have these drinks to "calm" me down, it usually turns into much more. For me, I can't have those couple of drinks, I crave more. Sometimes I will not eat before I drink and I drink fast.. so it hits me hard.. I have made a fool out of myself quite a few times. It will take you more and more drinks to feel the same effects.

As a pp said, you have to be wise with when you decide to drink. I am trying to cut down but I will have some to drink before I give a presentation at school or go out somewhere with people I am not too comfortable with. I am not really proud about this, but it helps, and I am trying to come to a point where I can drink without taking it out of context.

 

[Quickslash]

I did the same, it seemed like a godsend in the beginning. Then I needed it everytime I went out, I would keep cups from Mcdonalds to camouflage my rum and coke I was drinking while I was out with friends.

Then i'd start mixing benzos with alcohol, I stumbled in after some gin & xanax one night...woke up the next day with my leg bruised and cut up with no recollection of how it happened. I laughed about it more than anything, but shortly after giving it up was the best choice.

Just be careful like the others have said, alcohol is not only psychologically addictive but physically. I had bad shakes from only drinking one beer when I was used to drinking 6-8 a day cause my body was craving more. Shortly after I experienced my first full blown panic attack.

Best advice I can give is drink only when you're happy beforehand, I can't tell you how many times I drank when in a bad mood only regretting it later.

 

[Schnauzernicky]

yep, use alcohol a lot, but not a good idea, I have had to detox twice due to dependency, i agree pills dont work and have yet again turned to booze, the only thing is i know eventually this makes me feel more anxious, as im not just worried about going out, meeting people etc. but also worrying about if i have enough drink in the house to stop the shakes.

 

[Remus]

I feel better when I drink but am more shakey the next day

I do it to socialise, I did drink solo at home bout two years back and had bout 3 bottle of wine a week, I put a stop to it as it maybe made me feel better for a few hours but made me depressed and anxious next day.

everything in moderation I guess

 

[Horatio]

I was brought up to believe that alcohol was evil unless it was served in a chalice...

When I was 16 and at the other end of the country in an aircraft hanger I had my first oppurtunity to drink alcohol, with the Andrews Sisters singing in the background I abided to their lyrics and had my first rum and coke

Just over a year ago I started to drink alcohol now and then and lately as part of my marketed effort to 'get out there' and spend less than all my life at my computer I started drinking about once or twice a week.

Certainly if you have SA/SP then alcohol can serve as a great intermediate step... it can give you confidence to be in situations you would otherwise never go to (Eg: Crowded bars, music events etc)

the benefits of alcohol are more than just the affect on ones mind... if you dont have friends then bars are one of the best places to meet people. having a drink makes you more approachable in that situation and being a drinker also opens up more oppurtunities for people to invite you out. Since I started drinking I get invited out by work mates way more often, initially 'for a couple of drinks' but now to all sorts of things

now I find that the occasional drink through the week can help me relax and clear my mind a little, and the occasional night out on the town is usually good for morale and exciting, never knowing what interesting conversation I might have

the trick is to knowing ones limit and not exceeding it or putting oneself in dangerous situations. if you can control your drinking then its not a problem

and as for those people who brought me up to think that alcohol was evil unless drunk from a chalice.... in case any of them read this forum I will post a photo of me out on the town two weekends ago :lol: