Hi everyone. I have just ordered the program, but it hasnt arrived yet. I am really looking forward to receiving it! I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the same thing as me. My anxiety is much better when I have a few drinks. I usally wind up getting drunk because the more I drink, the better I feel. But the problem is the next day my anxiety is SOOOO much worse. It is almost unbearable. It is like a catch 22 because alcohol initially takes the anxiety away, but multiplies it the next day. Does anyone else have this same issue? Any light you can shed on the subject would be appreciated.

bdiddy excellent to hear that you are starting the program, you will love it but you will soon learn that alcohol is a depressant and will make your anxiety worst then next day so I don't think it is advisable. In the program it will discuss cutting back on sugars, caffeine, and alcohol. This doesnt mean that we will never be able to drink alcohol again but its not suggested at this time. Trust, there are other methods of relieving yourself from your anxiety and you will find out just that in this program. Good luck!

Im glad your getting the program. I just posted a thread about the exact same thing. I drink till it goes away and the next morning, Im worse! Please quit drinking!! I am. I didnt drink at all this week and I feel much better. I am going out tonight with a friend and he was surprised that I said Im not drinking! But I know I can do it. SO can you!!!

I am new to this also just started yesterday, kinda.
I use to mix alcohol with anxiety and depression and the next day it was always worst.the last time I got drunk I came too in jail. Makes for a bad day all the way around!
I quit drinking with the help of 12 step group now I CAN work on the underlying issues with a clean and sober mind.
I don't no how to receive messeges off this site yet but I would love to here from u, I will figure it out.

I started the program 1 week ago I am the same way when it comes to Alcohol it does me the same way but when I do not drink I do feel better I feel that it bring double anxiety on the next day good luck

hello, i have been sober for 20 years.

i, too like you drank to relieve the anxiety.

when i first got sober i had a hard time trying to figure out what caused what. did the anxiety cause the drinking or the drinkinf cause the anxiety. i do remember that the anxiety was at it's highest after i quit drinking and it would nr another 10 years of different anti-depressants and mind altering drugs until 1 dr finally gave me ativan. i've never abused it cause it has saved my life.

i ordered the program in hopes of getting off the meds.

today i accept the fact that i have and always will have anxiety.

i was doing very well until my father passed away. i did not drink but i was in a full blown panic. i now undrstand i did'nt have the tools to handle his death.

i sometimes wonder if anxiety is'nt some kind of avoidence behaviour problem. it seems under stress the anxiet hits the hardest. i thought it hit me cause it was so hard dealing with my dad's death.

everso. don't drink. over half of the people in a.a. and n.a had anxiety ocd and depression issues before they began drinking. they all say the same thing. i felt normal after the first drink or pill i took.

ther's post all through here that can help you learn out to deal with your anxiety.

good luck, been there done that

Welcome to the new people! You are needed and wanted here and are the most important people here.

I have been sober for 12 years and have recently experienced anxiety and depression like never before. In June my wife retired, we moved to the beautiful Oregon coast, and my brother killed himself.

I have been overwhelmed and so depressed I am often paralyzed to the point if being confined to my recliner with a blanket and a kitty. There are times when a drink or 30 seems like a good idea, but when I remember how horrible and hopeless I felt before I got sober, I make the choice to NOT go back there. I can carry out this decision with help from people like you as I cannot do it alone.

Starting this program gave me hope from the beginning. I have been really busy which helps with the mental merry-go-round of what my head tells me. I am told "Don't believe everything you think".

Getting sober and doing this program are the two biggest and best things I have ever done for myself. No one can do this work for me and doing my recovery makes me feel better about me.

Sometimes I think that getting a new "something" will make me feel better. This is just another form of addiction. I heard a guy once say," If some is good and more is better, then too much is just right". Another friend (an elderly Greek woman) told me," when you get lots of stuff you don't own it......it owns you".

For me, sobriety means much more than not drinking; it means living a new lifestyle. You guys are helping me get there. It has taken everything we have done in our lives to get where we are right now and what matters is what we do from here on. Let us use our past to remind us of what we got when we do certain things. We will get the same lessons over and over again until we learn them.

I too am the same way...I have been sober for 5 years now...I drank like everyone else did..To get rid of the anxiety and the next day had worse anxiety..I quit cold turkey...I don't know how I did it but I did...I guess the panic attacks got so bad that it scared me I don't know...All I know is I do eel better even though I still have panic attacks...I'm still on week one and will overcome this..God Bless all of you wonderfl people..

hi everybody im with all of you i feel the same way when i drink it makes me feel good when im drinking but the next few days after drinking i feel anxiety an depressed really bad an that sucks well just thought i would tell you all my experice with it thanks to you all an good luck im on week 2

To MollyMae2 - I also recently lost my father. Although, I had lost several other family members in the past, this loss was the worst ever. I watched him suffer in the hospital Stem Cell Unit - he had the transplant due to the fact that he had recurrent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We thought this was the cure - it turned out that he died. He had complications from the treatment. This all happened during the time I was laided off from my job. My father died in July, 2008 and then his sister told me she was also terminal and died in October, 2008 from emphysema. I am devastated and my anxiety is so bad sometimes, I just can't focus and feel so lost. I feel so bad for you and I too turned to alcohol to numb my pain. I really don't think I am an "alcoholic", but I know it causes me to be more anxious the next day. I am grateful for this program and am starting tomorrow. I used Lucinda's book years ago to get off of my meds and it worked. So keep going you will survive.

Thank you everyone for the input on the drinking and anxiety. I am doing much better. I am learning to relax with a sober mind. The psychologist I am also seeing said there is nothing wrong with a glass of wine at night to help relax. I have taken his suggestion and a couple nights a week I take a bubble bath and have a glass of wine. It really does seem to help me unwind. (I know you are all laughing at the thought of a grown man taking a bubble bath with a glass of wine! haha) My next thing that I just thought of is doing the bath and wine while listening to the relaxation CD. I have a hard time relaxing just laying on my bed. I think I may get some good results with trying that. I will keep you posted. Thanks again everyone, and best of luck on your program!