HI...............

After having my first panic attack i began drinking alot more..........i mean not getting drunk everyday but ill drink a bottle of wine at night (750ml) with dinner............if i dont my anxiety is pretty bad...............i know im self mediacting but i hate pills at the end of the day they both have side effects at least i know what alchol does.................my question is people are saying it causes more anxiety??????????? how is this true?

thank you

Alcohol destroys brain cells, and causes current ones to re-route with time, causing any current problems like your Anxiety to possibly get worse, or change what your triggers are, or even the severity..

I don't like the side-effects of some medications, but talk to your Dr. and see what may have less side-effects, or side-effects you can deal with..

It does not cause anxiety WHILE drunk--it causes problems the NEXT day and it could be part of the cycle of your anxiety. I like to drink once in a while but I'm always ready for a day (next day) with some symptoms.

i do the same thing. not a whole bottle, but 2 or 3 glasses a night. i've been doing it for years. and i agree, if its ok to put a bunch of pills in our body then why not self medicate?probably not the best answer, but just letting you know that it completely relaxes me too. unless i over do it, like with a night out. then i'm ten times worse the next day...

I used to make wine - drank a few glasses nearly every night for a few months. But I rarely drink anymore.

It makes the anxiety worse when it wears off. You get your anxiety back + the negative effects you feel the next day. It also ruins your circadian cycle (body clock) and gives you crappy sleep. Crappy as in, your brain doesn't get fully replenished the next day, even though physically it makes sleep great IMO. This becomes apparent over time. My brain feels like it gets foggier because I'm getting less and less deep sleep.

If you know the risks and what you're doing, then there's nothing wrong with self-medicating. I do it all the time, with all sorts of drugs and foods. See a doc. They're quick to prescribe something like Xanax or Ambien, which might help you get through the night. There's no real side effect from these drugs, as they are very short lasting and you feel rested and fine when you awake.

Ambien is GREAT. It's unfortunate tolerance to it builds up so quick.