For me The alcohol was a symptom. I used it to remove all the bad feelings that life gave me, the problem was when I stopped drinking I always still had the bad feelings.

Take away the booze and you took away the way i was able to cope.

So I had to address the root of the problems. I needed to peel back the onion and find out the reasons that made me drink. For me it was 'abandonment issues" and a feeling of fear. One of my earliest memories was of my mom crying and saying that my dad didnt come home last night. I was very young and I immediately stepped up to console and protect my mom. It was a tough time, I remember reading my moms diary and how my dad would be caught out at a bar or just not at the office. I was 100 percent sure that I never wanted to do this type of thing. So fast forward to when I started drinking for fun at like 14... There was always a shame in the back of my mind, but I found that if i drank more , i wouldnt feel the shame.

This malady is a biotch. The way it is perpetuated thru the generations and how there are so many other issues than just the drink. The real kicker was when my mom died in 2001, i just couldnt deal with this and therefore used booze to deal. The fear of death and the fact I was mortal was just too much for me.

I found that I needed to address the issues, and once I had, I only then found that I didnt need booze. Sure, at times I still desire to escape but I know that the bad will far outweigh the relief. Im an alcoholic, I like the effect booze has on me. But today I choose to not be that person I used to be. I choose to go home and be with my family instead of absent , so my son will not have the same issues.

I suggest you talk with the dr about any medication but the relief for this alcoholic was found when I started to work on the root and that took talking to other ppl that had btdt

1is2many

Hey -

I think what you are getting at in your post is that the anxiety is related to the alcohol. However, I can say confidentially that its not. My anxiety started in 2003 and my heavy drinking did not begin until much later.

And I don't drink to escape anything. I started drinking because it was "there" and then I liked the feeling of being buzzed and then I went from getting buzzed to getting drunk regularly, again, mostly because it was easy to do so.

Having removed all the alcohol from our home and once again living in a place where I have to drive places I can go out and not drink (because I'm driving) and come home and not drink because there's no alcohol at home to drink.

Also, I didn't drink to over come things that gave me anxiety. I know that drinking made me more anxious and so when I had to travel (my anxiety is travel related) I would not drink for two or three days before a trip to make sure I didn't have any extra anxiety from alcohol. I still also stop drinking coffee two or three days for a trip for the same reason.

Rich

One of the benefits of being sober, is the fact that you can correctly gauge the effect of medications. Drinking masks many of the benefits and/or side effects. So now, you actually know how it really makes you feel......that's a good thing!

If they prescribe something else, do your research. It sometimes takes a few tries before you find something that works well for you.

Hey --

Yeah, its "nice" to know the things I've been feeling are from the meds and not just "oh I'm hungover.." My doctor is on vacation so I won't get a chance to talk about changing my meds until next week.

I have a friend who is on a lower dosage than I who gets really bad dry mouth from the meds which is something I have not experienced. Its funny how medication effects everyone differently, from the desired effect to side effects.

I've been on a few different meds and other than one medication that gave me a really bad upset stomach I have not had much in the way of side effects that I noticed.

I'm sort of used to dealing with what I'm feeling now, the one change being that I'm not taking aspirin or whatever in the mornings for the hang over headache so depending on what my research reveals about other side effects I may stay with the current prescription.

I say that because the ramp off of one med causes some withdrawal side effects and then as I get ramped up on another medication I invariable feel more anxious because I'm not on "full" meds. Plus there is the uncertainty of the new meds working on my anxiety which adds to my anxiety!

Talk to you soon

Rich

Rich, just thought I would add this re your headaches.
Have you tried pressing on a pressure point on your hand that can get rid of them - also works for toothache.
It is between the thumb and first finger, on the fleshy bit. You hold on it for 5-10 mins with the thumb of your other hand (with first finger underneath. I have done it several times and it works for me, also worked for a mate too.

Just thought it might help.
G.

Hey Gwen --

What I meant about not taking anything for a headache was because I don't have a headache because I'm not hung over. The symptoms I do feel (most days) is just a little jittery and sometimes my heart rate feels like it is accelerated.

Thanks for your thoughts though. I'll try that the next time I do have a headache.

Rich

Talk to your doctor! But some anti-anxiety medications, specifically benzodiazepines, like xanax, clonazapam, will increase your cravings for alcohol. They both work in similar areas of the brain. Thus if you were taking the meds and drinking alcohol on the same day it was as if you were taking larger doses of the meds. Now that you have taken alcohol out of the equation your brain is short on "meds". You are going through benzo withdrawal. This is serious business and must be monitored by your doctor. I have read in other medical forums that benzo withdrawal is horrible. You can't just stop. Definitely time to see your doctor to see what plan of action he/she has. But avoid alcohol!!! Great job so far! Eventually your goal is to get off the anti-anxiety meds even if it takes a couple years. Big Pharma gets people hooked and you become a customer for years. Best wishes. FWD.

Hey

I am taking Effexor which is not a benzo.

Additionally, I am not looking to get off the anxiety meds any time soon. Since I've been using then I have been able to fly so I can travel which is something I like to do, as does my wife.

Rich

Hi RW~~

The symptoms you described may be part of PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome) which varies with each individual. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

HI --

Thanks for your response. I looked into PAWS but I don't really have many of the symptoms.

I've also been checking my heart rate when I wake up over the past few days. Saturday morning, for example, I woke up from a bad dream and my heart rate was nearly 90 (Its normally around 72). Sunday morning and this morning I woke up and my heart rate was normal.

I think some mornings I wake up from a bad dream but don't necessarily remember the bad dreams.

Conversely, there are times when I wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning from a bad dream but then go back to sleep until 8am when my alarm goes off. I will try to remember to check my heart rate at 4 or 5 and again when I wake up at 8am.

I know that one of the side effects of my anxiety meds is vivid dreams and now that I'm not drinking I falling into a deeper sleep which is leading me to have vivid dreams some nights.

Rich