Feel like self medicating. Any advice \experience?

[StrangeStranger]

This is is the first time I have seriously considered self medicating as i will soon be restarting college in September (had to drop out due to severe anxiety) and I really want it to work out this time. My biggest problem is that during the beginning months I find it really hard to cope with all the stress and anxiety, then my failure to cope leads to withdrawal and thus then i don't fit in. I just feel so sick of not being able to fit in anywhere and I really need to make changes. So surely taking a few swigs of alcohol before I go in would help? It's not like I'd keep this up as I would only do it for the first couple of months until I can cope on my own. So yeah, any advice or experiences with self medicating would be greatly appreciated. I'm still not a hundred percent set on this idea but I'm just curious if anyone has had positive outcomes from self medicating?

 

[Psychedelicious]

yas

The problem with self medicating like this is that even if it does work a few times, you slowly become reliant on needing to do this in ANY social situation to get by. This is what happened to me any ways. It often freaks me out when i have to socialize without anything to aid me, and really it's not good. I'm way past that point right and believe me you don't want to get here either. I stopped taking all depressants because I was so reliant on benzos to get me by that I could not function without them. I was tired of blacking out and not remembering anything. While I stopped doing that, I really just switched my poison to something that really is not better at all.

You don't want to end up like me, I can tell you that much. Not that everyone who self medicates does, so I'm not by any means saying you'd end up like me, this is just my personal experience on the matter. Just the way that you worded your intent kinda reminds me exactly how I was a few years ago, and the problem was I ended up needing it every time to feel even somewhat content socializing. I ended up feeling worse in social situations sober than I ever did before. My life has gotten crazy, and I honestly shouldn't be here. I'm going down hard and going down fast, but I don't even care too much anymore. Just remember how you are while you're drunk really is not going to change how you act while you're sober. It often makes it more difficult for you to socialize in a sober state when you begin doing this.

 

[mozart87]

have you ever been to the ER? LOL

 

[Jungle]

Having sleepless nights helps me with my anxiety, whenever there's something important, I prevent myself from sleeping (I didn't sleep for my graduation exam, thankfully it didn't affect my performance). I am not saying it is better than dutch courage, having never drunken any kind of alcohol I am not qualified to compare them. However it is certain to be harmful for your brain and body's recovery process if you do it too often.

But I don't feel any anxiety when in that state, I don't care what people might be thinking of me too.

I am aware this can't be qualified of self medication but for lack of a better input that's what I'll settle for.

Edit : Fighting sports and music are my best friends, you should consider these too.