Alcohol

[Dave1989]

Do people find it eases your anxiety or heightens it?

For years I used it as a coping method, i would get blind drunk before going out on a night which usually resulted in me fighting etc, but it did make the anxiety bearable. however the past few times i have been out my anxiety has been through the roof after drinking, friday night was particularly bad and it resulted in me coming home and getting pretty upset because my sp and bdd was so overwhelming. I'm considering stopping drinking alltogether now to be honest, however the main method of socialising for me is nights out with friends etc which always involves alcohol/clubbing etc which makes it difficult.

 

[Feathers]

Hm, can you choose to be the 'designated driver'? Then you'll have a legitimate reason not to drink..

I partied a lot in the student days without drinking, mostly just went dancing with friends and drank water.. You can actually dance more and have more fun..

I found myself more exhausted more quickly or feeling suckier later (or doing some stupid things) if alcohol was involved, yup..
It can temporarily make you feel better or 'more sociable' but have bad effects later...

Good luck with it!

 

[deleted user 1]

I find that alchohol is a delicate balancing act. Too much and you lose all control, and that can lead to all your emotion come out in the worst possible way. But I have in the past used it to try loosen myself up, which has worked. But I'm talking half a shot of rum here. Other then that I don't touch alchohol.

 

[UnOccupied]

I am the same way as you. With alcohol, i can have 12 drinks, and be very drunk, but it almost feels like my anxiety is amplified. But sometimes, i can have 12 drinks, and have an awesome time. I think it just depends in the situation, way im feeling during the day prior, and the people im around. If im in an overwhelming situation, my anxiety can get the best of me, and make the alcohol have the opposite affect.

I think it is very apparent that anxiety and depressed feelings are way more powerful than alcohol(or some other drugs which people use to calm down that i don't want to mention). It is just like drinking coffee, or an energy drink. If i am feeling really anxious, or depressed, it can make me want to just go to bed, and not wake me up at all.

I have learned that anxiety and depression are VERY strong feelings. Sometimes, it can feel better to numb them with alcohol or drugs, but usually it is better to lay of these things when feeling bad, especially in highly social situations.

If i know im going to a club or crowded bar, and i know the anxiety is about to come on full throttle, i just drink a little bit going into it. This calms me down a little bit, and helps me to think clearly. Then, when i am there i just hang out and talk to a friend i feel comfortable with, or just float around unnoticed. Then i will usually feel more comfortable, and in control, and go mingle. But, if not i would just go home.

The anxiety i get from drinking happens less and less as i continue my CBT and look for that ultimate "cure" to SA. Good luck

 

[Dave1989]

Hm, can you choose to be the 'designated driver'? Then you'll have a legitimate reason not to drink..

Failed my driving test four times haha so can't use that excuse unfortunately.


it's one of the worst things for me because before sa and bbd hit, I used to love going out with friends etc, you couldn't keep me in the house. But now it's totally different and I feel like it's a constant battle when I go out to enjoy myself.
Yeah that's what i'm like unoccupied, sometimes i can go out and have a great night but sometimes it's awful and I just want to come home. I really should start working on my cbt more i've got a couple of self helps books, but I seem to notice something every day which backs up my beliefs and makes me wonder if the cbt will actually work

 

[Feathers]

Hm, okay.. you can still take care of your own drink and have something that looks like something the others wouldn't be suspicious of? (apple juice+water looks remarkably like white wine!) or some other drinks too.. depends what you and others drink otherwise..
for next round, just say 'I'll have the same'? (if it's possible, or can you avoid the rounds?)
Or you could say you have a health problem and need to stay away..? A friend said alcohol 'gave her the hives' (I still don't know if that's true or not), helped her avoid being pushed on by other guys..

If CBT is difficult, could ACT work better? (I only read some bits of the Happiness Trap on Amazon, but looks helpful?)

Also if you do drink, make sure to eat proper beforehand, or meanwhile/after, and to dance it out?And drink enough water, to keep hydrated? Alcohol dehydrates..

I only passed it 4th time, and some others only on 10th time or so, so you're still young...?

 

[honeydippedxo]

i use to use alcohol to become more sociable which worked like magic. i could make anyone my best friend and be the life of the party drinking. but the next day i would feel so dumb thinking of all the idiotic things i said or did. people started telling me i love drinking with you and stuff so i did it for a while. then i stopped drinking all together cuz i dont want to become an alcoholic. most people in my family are so i know im prone to it. sometimes i miss the magic and miss going out but in the end i decided its not real.

 

[Falkor]

i only drink at parties.. Because I cant drink because of my meds.
And Im not using alcohol to ease my anxiety because I dont want to be like a alcohol addict , and i think if you drink to much you arent 100 % concentrated on the things around you.. and it doesnt make you think clear
So id rather think clear and be anxious instead of being drunk or almost drunk
I have this fear of being drunk and act like a fool and people will never forget it.. like that i say things .. who people never will forget
because I know.. when I have no anxiety.. and I feel totally good.. I can act so crazy.. Because nothing stops me and i totally let myself go .. Reminds me of some time lolll so yea i dont like it but I DO like the fact that it eases my anxiety.. But Yeah i dont know.. parties are fine yea

 

[NickyNacker]

It definitely gets rid of my anxiety completely, which scares me. I'll be 20 in April and I'm scared that when I'm 21 and out on my own (lol who am I kidding I won't be out on my own til way after that, but still) that I'm going to become an alcoholic because it makes me feel so much better.

But also, if I drink TOO much it gives me panic attacks.

 

[Pacific_Loner]

Do people find it eases your anxiety or heightens it?

For years I used it as a coping method, i would get blind drunk before going out on a night which usually resulted in me fighting etc, but it did make the anxiety bearable. however the past few times i have been out my anxiety has been through the roof after drinking, friday night was particularly bad and it resulted in me coming home and getting pretty upset because my sp and bdd was so overwhelming. I'm considering stopping drinking alltogether now to be honest, however the main method of socialising for me is nights out with friends etc which always involves alcohol/clubbing etc which makes it difficult.

For me it eases anxiety in party context when everyone is really as drunk as me, but gives me panic attacks when I drink way too much.
And it almost systematically makes me really depressed the next day, whatever if I had fun or not.
Maybe it wouldn't work for you, I don't know, but I used to be able to go out and just have a limited amount of alcohol (like 3-4 beers maximum) and drink water for the rest of the time, and be fine. However, it won't be possible if you absolutely need to be totally drunk to be fine, or if you just can't stop drinking once you started, or if people keep paying you drinks and you can't say no.
This trick only works for me when I'm in a very good period of my life, because I have more will to keep myself in a conscious state.
It is usually periods where I do a lot of sports and outdoor activities... which could be another way for you to socialize.

 

[punklove]

When I'm drunk it's as if I'm the person I always wanted to be... as sick and twisted as that sounds it's true because for once I'm actually comfortable in my own skin.
I love it.
However sadly I know that relying on alcohol is a bad idea so I don't really drink often.

 

[LookingForward]

I would never go to a party or similar social gathering and not have a drink. Like punklove says above, when I've had a few its like I become the person I was always meant to be, confident, outgoing, chatty, funny, basically the polar opposite of how I really am.
But I am Irish, and drinking is a way of life here, so the only thing that would make me look wierd at a party would be actually 'not' drinking

 

[Rembrandt Broam]

Do people find it eases your anxiety or heightens it?

Eases. It reaches a certain point where the alcohol cancels out the anxiety and, as others have said, I become the real "me". The trick is to maintain that level without becoming drunk, but without allowing myself to sober up too much either, allowing the anxiety to creep back in. Obviously this only works for me in social situations where drinking is expected and acceptable, and as I don't really do social events these days it doesn't really apply any more.