Alcohol and major anxiety!

[Gmfc]

Hey. Wondering if anyone else experienced high anxiety after a few drinks. I’ve noticed this more so with hard liquor. Vodka in particular. I had 3 drinks tonight and now i feel super anxious, short of breath, chest pains. I keep dozing off and jolting awake. I don’t even have a buzz anymore so I don’t understand why I am feeling this

[bbanxiety]

Alcohol and anxiety is a double edged sword. Many people use alcohol as a tool to help them cope with their anxiety, ranging from needing a few drinks in social situations to needing it every night to feel like they've unwound.

The the reason alcohol gives you that up period and down period is because it interacts with your serotonin levels as well as neurotransmitters in your brain. It is the same as benzodiazepines such as Diazepam. During the up stage of alcohol your body releases dopamine which is the chemical in our body used in our reward system, hence why you can feel elated and pretty great.

The down stage of alcohol is the same as any type of withdrawal, you've sent your serotonin levels up, you've appeased your neurotransmitters and now it's time for them to come back down to earth, bringing you back to your original state, or it can often make you worse than before as you're withdrawing from it.

It's key to remember that alcohol is actually a depressant and although may appear to be a tool for helping with anxiety because it gives you brief release, it certainly is not a long term solution.