Drinking alcohol.to sooth anxiety

[oNecoOlazN]

I dont know if this goes in the off section but
.
I feel that my anxiety is worse these days and its getting pretty unbearable at times..i would like to go on meds but cant......would drinking a little beer help?

Oh and i hope this thread doesnt get banned for talking about alcohol.....

 

[PeterO]

As a recovering alcoholic who used to self-medicate, I urge proceeding with extreme caution. If you don't have a family history of alcoholism and can drink somewhat without it becoming excessive, then... maybe. Responsible moderate use can be a good thing. But if you do use it to "treat" anxiety, it may take a lot of will power to not go back to it again and again, and more and more, until you have a real problem. That's what happened to me.

 

[LoyalXenite]

As a recovering alcoholic who used to self-medicate, I urge proceeding with extreme caution. If you don't have a family history of alcoholism and can drink somewhat without it becoming excessive, then... maybe. Responsible moderate use can be a good thing. But if you do use it to "treat" anxiety, it may take a lot of will power to not go back to it again and again, and more and more, until you have a real problem. That's what happened to me.

I second this, I have a family history of addiction and a few years back I really toed the line of a drinking addiction. Now I have a strict rule of only drinking at specific occasions because of it.

 

[vj288]

Alcohol lowers inhibitions, but it's also addictive and a depressant. It'd be like using a band-aid that is dipped in poison. Temporary fix to the anxiety, but could leave lasting, worse ailments as well.

That being said, I think that's something everyone should keep in mind while drinking, anxiety-filled or not. I remember when I was younger and a little drunk, I wished I could be like this sober - that is talking to people more comfortably, happier, "fun". I had someone reply to this once, and tell me its not the alcohol that made me like that. I was like that all along, it was just hidden behind a wall of inhibitions.

I say that because alcohol can help in that way I think. It can show you what you can be. Anything you can do drunk you can do sober. Using a few drinks to help show yourself what you are capable of, when done cautiously, I think can be a helpful thing. Using alcohol as a crutch whenever you need to do something that makes you anxious? That I would not recommend. That's going to leave you worse in the long run.

 

[SoScared]

I found that initially drinking soothed the unpleasant feelings i was getting after my initial bouts of epileptic seizures and the accompanying anxiety that came along for the ride. OK, i felt as though it worked for a while but i ended up drinking half a bottle of rum for breakfast several years later. Not good.

 

[Azael]

Alcohol lowers inhibitions, but it's also addictive and a depressant. It'd be like using a band-aid that is dipped in poison. Temporary fix to the anxiety, but could leave lasting, worse ailments as well.

That being said, I think that's something everyone should keep in mind while drinking, anxiety-filled or not. I remember when I was younger and a little drunk, I wished I could be like this sober - that is talking to people more comfortably, happier, "fun". I had someone reply to this once, and tell me its not the alcohol that made me like that. I was like that all along, it was just hidden behind a wall of inhibitions.

I say that because alcohol can help in that way I think. It can show you what you can be. Anything you can do drunk you can do sober. Using a few drinks to help show yourself what you are capable of, when done cautiously, I think can be a helpful thing. Using alcohol as a crutch whenever you need to do something that makes you anxious? That I would not recommend. That's going to leave you worse in the long run.

I used to take several shots of vodka (I hate the stuff) to "loosen" myself up. I remember thinking to myself that this was how I used to feel. It was like someone cut loose a millstone and I could feel weightless. As you say, it's a crutch. A way of circumventing a problem, a temporal solution. It can never be the way forward. Thankfully I never did develop an addiction to alcohol, but it very well could have been so in another instance. The only way forward is functional sobriety. If a coping method doesn't serve the purpose of facilitating that goal, it is ultimately a waste of time and worthless in my opinion.

 

[PugofCrydee]

No it's not worth it.

 

[Miserum]

I prefer Jordan Peterson's drug of choice.

 

[THeCARS1979]

Dont get attached to it. Its not to be used as a crutch

 

[Siegfried]

I have been using alcohol lately to be able to keep up with my gf interactions and my job environment. I'm wasting a lot of money buying that and also i'm gaining weight because of it.. it's really difficult to let it go since i feel my gf likes me better when i'm drunk. She does not notice it because i take like a dozen of mint products to refresh my breath. As time goes by i feel like i loose more and more confidence on myself since i'm getting dependent of the alcohol to be able to interact with others.. this is probably the worst thing that i have done to get over my anxiety.

Do yourself a favor and don't ever use alcohol as an escape..