Panic attacks and alcohol

[Rumor]

Val's are still the treatment of choice for alcohol detox, if you are physically addicted.

[dudcat]

I would add this private GP gave me 28 5g Valium to give me help in the short term whilst I sort out whether i deal with this privately or change GPs on NHS.

The urge to drink has already gone in just 2 days.

Well, it sounds like you are making some serious choices concerning your health.  Alcohol is a terrible drug to detox from and is in the same class as benzodiazepines. Quitting either cold turkey would be considered a medical emergency, if one has built up a tolerance and become addicted.  I have been down this road personally and do not wish to return from whence I came.  Do not take it lightly.

The Valium will reduce the chances of seizures.  It will also lessen the intensity of agitation and restlessness that comes along with alcohol withdrawal. The panic attacks may minimize after a while, because the alcohol actually creates them in its wake.  But it takes time.  You are going to have to tough it out for a bit until your body chemistry starts to return to normal.

Drinking is the worst thing to do for a panic attack.  Deep breathing helps. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the booze in those situations.  The farther you get from a drink, the farther you get from a panic attack.  Sounds counter-intuitive to some, but it's true for me. Stay the course for a while and then see how things work out.  Then reassess.  -dc

[CoiledSpring]

Thanks - yes I am UK based.

I'm not so sure the NHS is that good at dealing with this sort of thing - I kind of feel that it is partly their poor advice that helped get me here. Advising that I drink to avoid panic on flights.

Yes ok, I know that I then took it to an extreme but to advise somebody who is prone to panic situations that instead of a short course of anti anxiety pills to have a few gin and tonics instead now sounds really shit advice in hindsight.

What reassures me about all this is that I don't generally wake up wanting to drink.

The urge to drink comes from feeling panicked. And it isn't an urge to drink per se, it's an urge to remove the feeling of panic or anxiety.

I think / hope this is a better starting point than straight-up alcoholism. But maybe I am naive..??

[dudcat]

Thanks - yes I am UK based.

I'm not so sure the NHS is that good at dealing with this sort of thing - I kind of feel that it is partly their poor advice that helped get me here. Advising that I drink to avoid panic on flights.

Yes ok, I know that I then took it to an extreme but to advise somebody who is prone to panic situations that instead of a short course of anti anxiety pills to have a few gin and tonics instead now sounds really shit advice in hindsight.

What reassures me about all this is that I don't generally wake up wanting to drink.

The urge to drink comes from feeling panicked. And it isn't an urge to drink per se, it's an urge to remove the feeling of panic or anxiety.

I think / hope this is a better starting point than straight-up alcoholism. But maybe I am naive..??

The feeling of panic and anxiety - especially when flying - is a well documented 'phobia,' especially in light of the fact that flying is safer than traveling in an automobile.  But it is real nonetheless, and casual advice to have a drink or two prior to a flight is rather harmless, but if that person overdoes it, there needs to be a different solution.  A dose of anti-anxiety medication does the trick for many people, and there is certainly nothing wrong about that.

Again, if you have identified drinking as a potential problem, I personally feel that that is what you should take a look at.  Just to be careful and stay healthy.  That shit can sneak up on you and before you know it...  -dc

[CoiledSpring]

Thanks - yes I am UK based.

I'm not so sure the NHS is that good at dealing with this sort of thing - I kind of feel that it is partly their poor advice that helped get me here. Advising that I drink to avoid panic on flights.

Yes ok, I know that I then took it to an extreme but to advise somebody who is prone to panic situations that instead of a short course of anti anxiety pills to have a few gin and tonics instead now sounds really shit advice in hindsight.

What reassures me about all this is that I don't generally wake up wanting to drink.

The urge to drink comes from feeling panicked. And it isn't an urge to drink per se, it's an urge to remove the feeling of panic or anxiety.

I think / hope this is a better starting point than straight-up alcoholism. But maybe I am naive..??

The feeling of panic and anxiety - especially when flying - is a well documented 'phobia,' especially in light of the fact that flying is safer than traveling in an automobile.  But it is real nonetheless, and casual advice to have a drink or two prior to a flight is rather harmless, but if that person overdoes it, there needs to be a different solution.  A dose of anti-anxiety medication does the trick for many people, and there is certainly nothing wrong about that.

Again, if you have identified drinking as a potential problem, I personally feel that that is what you should take a look at.  Just to be careful and stay healthy.  That shit can sneak up on you and before you know it...  -dc

Flying is one element

But I can be walking down the street and all of a sudden feel as if I am standing on the edge of a cliff and feel sheer panic.

Or in a train and feel as if I am about to collapse and want to batter the door down and stop the train.

So it's all the instances together that are the problem. Getting pissed on a plane is fine

[mr nobody]

Coiledspring-I guess your name reflects how you feel right now.

In some cultures anxiety/panic attacks are just plain misunderstood and in drinking societies yes it is "have a shot" and so on.

I truly wish you success in this and if you will allow me:

You may have two separate issues 1) problem drinking made worse by stress 2) Real anxiety-the panic and not liking crowds/planes etc is genuine and I wish people would start treating it the way other conditions are treated.

Have seen people really booze it up before they actually got help with the ptsd/anxiety/panic disorder.

Keep looking for professional help and stress it is the panic that makes you drink not the other way around.

Peace.

[CoiledSpring]

Coiledspring-I guess your name reflects how you feel right now.

In some cultures anxiety/panic attacks are just plain misunderstood and in drinking societies yes it is "have a shot" and so on.

I truly wish you success in this and if you will allow me:

You may have two separate issues 1) problem drinking made worse by stress 2) Real anxiety-the panic and not liking crowds/planes etc is genuine and I wish people would start treating it the way other conditions are treated.

Have seen people really booze it up before they actually got help with the ptsd/anxiety/panic disorder.

Keep looking for professional help and stress it is the panic that makes you drink not the other way around.

Peace.

Cheers mate - it absolutely is the panic and anxiety that leads to the booze - the non-social drinking of booze.

On a small amount of occasions it is everyday stuff that most people would say "God I need a drink"!

I think when I first started with the attacks in the early 90s I don't think the docs really new how to deal with it hence all the physiological tests.

Then they were like there is nothing physically wrong with you so just try not to get stressed.

Thing is stress isn't the trigger - well not in any traditional sense that I recognise.

---

Oh CoiledSpring name?

Just a wee joke - I don't feel that uptight.

What I do feel is that the alcohol is starting to wear down my body a bit - but that can't be neatly summarised as a 'name'!

[Batgirl]

I tried Buspar for anxiety and hated it: it made me dizzy and disoriented, so I stopped. But, everybody is different. My father is an alcoholic and has been to rehab more times than I can count. They gave him ativan and anti-seizure medication one time, and more recently they used Baclofen which, to my knowledge, is not addictive, or at least, not as addictive as a benzo. Good luck to you! You are absolutely right that drinking to relieve anxiety is a vicious circle. You are in my thoughts.

[mr nobody]

Problem with typing is people can't always tell when you are kidding.

Coiledspring could describe me on many days.

Almost used "broken" and "circuit overload" for me-just sort off picked mine off the cuff.

Hope all is well.

[CoiledSpring]

Sorry - hopefully my user name doesn't offend?

Humour is important in life but i recognise it isn't obvious - of people want me to change it please shout up.

On the matter in hand the Valium I received has really worked well.

No obvious overbearing impact from the Valium, no panic attacks and the urge to drink has gone.

Why the hell wssnt I given this stuff earlier?