Anxiety, an enemy...

[Nicangel]

Hi my name is Nicole,

i have suffered from GAD for over 7 years now and I am over it. Why can't I just deal with life normally?

I have been medicated for most of this time, but self medicate with alcohol when things get too much. This can be very detrimental to my profession, my relationships and my general well being.

Is anyone in the same situation? Please tell me that I am not the only one...

Nicole

[sarez]

Hello Nicole,

I too suffer from an anxiety disorder, however I have not self medicated with alcohol as I am only a teenager and for several other reasons. However, I do know someone in the same situation as you. 

Self medicating with alcohol is very impacting not only on your mental health, but also on your physical. I am actually doing my research project on a topic to do with alcohol. 

By self medicating with alcohol, you are at higher risk of addiction. If the alcohol makes you feel better, you probably want to take more. However, alcohol is not going to take away your anxiety and at points it can actually make it worse. 

The person who I know started using alcohol to self medicate to make herself feel better and now, she is facing an addiction unfortunately. 

I suggest trying to stop the self medication before it gets to serious and try other forms of activities to help yourself. Have you tried sport? Even a jog in the morning helps you relax. Also therapy and counselling is usually a great help, however if you do not feel comfortable with stuff like that, you could always try to open up to a family member or friend or even just on here. 

You can also try to find other activities that help you get your mind off of things such as video games, reading, cooking, etc. 

I hope you are doing okay, Nicole. I hope this has helped you. 

From Sarah. 🙂

[MissBenthos]

Hi Nicole,

I have been suffering with anxiety for some years now as well, it’s extremely frustrating! I have also used alcohol to try and calm myself down, which can work for a brief period of time but in the long run is probably best to try and avoid if you can. Although, I feel a little hypocritical in saying that, because some days it just seems like the best option. I guess it’s something we both need to work on.

Thanks for the suggestions Sarah 🙂

[Hspar2]

I know exactly how you feel. I have suffered from depression and more recently anxiety for years and have been on medication for it, However I go through bad cycles and when that happens I self medicate with alcohol. This in turn makes things worse and it becomes a vicious cycle it has affected the way my family and friends see me and how I see myself which in turn makes my anxiety worse.

It really is taking things a step at a time. I have started to reduce the alcohol I have and make sure I talk to myself out loud when I feel likeI might use it to self medicate, reminding myself that if I have too much I will only feel worse for it and that it will not change my anxiety. I force myself to drink very slowly and start doing other things while I am having a glass of wine, for example I used to watch TV and guzzle the wine just to numb the anxiety, however now I will have one or two glasses very slowly and whilst watching TV do something like knitting or coloring in to direct my mind somewhere else.

I think the main thing is trying to break the habit before it completely takes control over you. Its also a really good idea to have nights off, at least to remind yourself how much better you feel physically when you haven't overindulged. 

I really hope this has helped. Please don't feel alone, I know its hard because you sometimes drown in your own feelings and thoughts but there are people who are going through the same thing.

[clare89]

Hi Nicole,

I really feel for you, it sounds like you are struggling. 

 i have had GAD basically my whole life as well as social anxiety and have really only brought it under some degree of control in the last year or so. 

The thing that made a big difference for me was seeing a psychologist regularly and doing cognitive behaviour therapy. If you can't afford a psych you could see a free counsellor or do an online course like mood gym or ecouch. 

 i used to self-medicare a bit with alcohol as well, but (as I'm sure you realise), it's actually really unhealthy and makes things worse. I kicked the habit by always asking myself whether the reason I wanted a drink was to stop feeling anxious or just for fun. I think its unhealthy to drink to stop feeling anxious. Now I only drink when  I'm out with friends. Again you should really get professional help for this. 

another really important thing is to find friends and family that care about you and accept you for who you are and then be completely honest and open with them on a daily basis about how you're feeling, good and bad, small problems and big problems. This stops things snowballing and let's you assess your problems rationally instead of catastrophising, generalising and all those things that anxiety sufferers !!

and of course, the basics are important too- eating fresh healthy food, getting outside, exercising, sleeping enough etc. 

 end of rant, hope this helped.