Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
So I've been diagnosed with GAD since I was 18 years old(currently 30). I have been on an SSRI for the better part of 10 years now and klonopin for around 3. they both seem to help in some amount, but I have always been curious as to how much better my anxiety would be if I were to give up alcohol completely. Since I was 18 and starting college until now I would say I havent had a period of more than a month or 2 of going without alcohol. I would consider myself a weekend alcoholic/binge drinker and would be lying if I said I havent used it as a crutch for my anxiety at times. Im sure like many on here I have always had increased anxiety the days following the drinking. I'm curious to hear from others with GAD that may have given up alcohol the effect it has had for them? Thanks for any info!
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When i was in the ER February 16th 2025, i was being admitted to ICU where i was for 3 weeks, then had to relearn to walk for 3 weeks in another hospital rehab floor, the nurse told me something that made me feel for over 18 months now that i was finally *safe*. She told me that the guy who raped and beat me 21 years ago now almost 20 years at that time, was in prison as of a month before that...
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I've been feeling like I don't matter my wife the other day instead of telling me she was having a pain day when I went to have sex with her she tell me afterwards that she having pain day due to her fribromyalgia and making feel like shit afterward saying she has a list of things from past 9 years of thing for me to do and is always adding more and more to this list and talk...
You've taken the important first step in writing it out.
When it comes to making choices, it's about what works for you when and where.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying alcohol and knowing what it does for you in the moment.
Anxiety is natural and is a helper. Use breathing exercises and gentle motion exercises to help reduce anxiety quickly in the moment.
Best wishes as you find your better balance.
We all have our crutch we use to get thru things what are hard to deal with. For me its always been smoking cigarettes and I had quit for 8 years but relapsed back in October. Then went 2 months but now I just have it where the most I will allow my self is 2 packs a week.
I know smoking is bad but I've never done drugs never liked weed or alcohol always eaten healthy and exercise. So if smoking seems to keep the anxiety down then at this point I need to focus on the bigger worries I got going on.
For wanting to give up alcohol good for you but try not to put to much pressure on your self of you can help it.
The other thing to seriously consider is that alcohol does not really mix well with SSRI's and Klonopin. I have talked to my psychiatrist about this, and he said I could have ONE beer, but ONLY once in awhile, while on those types of drugs. And to never ever drink that one beer too near the time when you take the Klonopin.
There is a very real danger of alcohol not mixing with the drugs you are taking. It intensifies the effects of alcohol, and... go look this up yourself... but you could put yourself into a coma or stop breathing, or have seizures.
I don't drink at all, only due to being on anxiety medications. I had to choose one or the other, so I chose the medications.
Alcohol is known as "self medicating" and sure, it does take away anxiety... but only for a short time.
Please research about mixing alcohol with those prescribed medications. Because they don't mix well, and can have fatal consequences. Not trying to scare you, but please look this up yourself and you will see.
Even in a safe calm stable environment, I would anticipate anxiety levels to rise, and it may be difficult to sleep.
One word of caution. If you're taking Wellbutrin, and you've been binge drinking heavily for a prolonged period... going stone cold sober abruptly, may result in a seizure. And also ingesting large quantities of alcohol, while taking Wellbutrin, may result in a seizure. In other words, alcohol and Bupropion do not mix well.