Am i at risk of becoming an alcoholic?

Question

I have very bad anxiety. Before i go out with my boyfriend i drink a few beers to calm my nerves,they dont make me drunk, but just tipsy and enough to relax me. I dont want to go to the doctor about my anxiety because she will just put me on tablets and i dont want that(tablets have already ruined my moms life). I'm glad that alcohol eases the pain of my anxiety but i know it's only a short term fix.

Answer 1

If you are asking this question hun, then you need to find help, real help. Do not rely on strangers from here, if your are anxious then you are looking for help a cry fr help, and wanting someon to say hey its ok, you are not week, but number one if your are having anxiety ove ryour boyfreind maybe he is not the the right one for you. As I answwered a similiar Q last night please hun, find help, there are hot lines out there, meetings supportive people. We can not se einot your life dear, only go by what is in front of our eyes on the screen. I am a drinker and know that, it breaks my heart when I see people ask questions like this. If you are worried, then please find a support group or a hot line to call. Those people are not judgemental
I do not know your location but heres a quik number to call, they I am most positvie can help you get geared in right direction.
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Alcoholic's Anonymous
1-800-227-2421

Answer 2

In my uneducated opinion, yes. The good part about it is that you have recognized the possibility and that is great. There are people who are in complete denial about the problem.

You have taught yourself that drinking is the way to get a hold on things again. You are creating a dependency for it.

What happens when the beers aren't enough?

When you get to the point where you're thinking "I MUST have this drink, because I can't bear to go past this minute without it", that's alcoholism. Has something like that ever gone thru your mind? Go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting today.

There are better ways to calm anxiety. You don't need tablets.

Examine why you are anxious ---- change the situation and you will have a lot less anxiety than you did before as well as improving your health in the long run.

Answer 3

Remember it's not only short term, but also artificial. Be very, very careful. The real question is why do you feel anxious before going out with your boyfriend?

Doctors do not only prescribe tablets, they can also point you in the direction of a specialist who will listen to what you have to say and give you advice, help ypu understand where the anxiety comes from and what triggers it. That's the only way you'll cure it.

Remember, any artificial substance might hush up your unpleasant feeling, but it wont get rid of the cause --- which is what you really need to focus on.

Answer 4

If you use alcohol for anxiety (or depression or any number of things alcohol can be used for), it soon takes more of it to have the same effect, and the symptoms will occur whenever you don't have alcohol in your system. That's when the real danger begins.

If you use anti-anxiety medication according to the instructions, you should have a problem with them.

Better still is Cognitive Therapy or Rational Emotive Therapy. Check your local library or the web. Think of it as exercises to keep your mind in shape; left untreated it could become severely problematic later.

Answer 5

What you call anxiety already is physical addiction. Did you have that before you started drinking routinely? Try AA or other rehab. You'll need 6 months to a year of complete abstinence before that anxiety eases up. And you may need medication for life. You'll have to be extremely lucky if in a few years you can have a drink or two without falling off the wagon.

I am sorry I have such dire predictions for you. You should be aware that the reason why alcoholics dig themselves deeper and deeper is because they always think "This is OK; It's under control." If you act now, you may prevent messing up your life and permanent physiological damage to the brain due to alcohol consumption.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Yes, you're at high risk, if you aren't already. What's with the 'not taking tablets because they ruined your mom's life?' That has nothing to do with you. You will not be able to abuse them, because you will be monitored. There are anti anxiety pills that are very mild, and leave you able to funtion normally.
I have 'panic disorder'. It is a very real condition, and I tried the drinking route. However, that only made it worse. I was prescribed an anti anxiety pill, and can do anything and go anywhere. They certainly haven't ruined my life, in fact they have enhanced it.

Answer 7

You become an alcoholic when you drink and you can't stop. Having a few beers won't make you an alcoholic.

Try jogging to calm your anxiety. When that runners' high kicks in, life will be good.

Answer 8

Heyy, well, try to see if there is any other way for you to relax yourself. You may want to test some different options out. Before your boyfriend comes, turn on the radio, watch a favorite scene from a movie again, repeat a mantra to yourself ... Bridget Jones used on in the book and it worked for her. =^^= Try deep breathing, meditation, tai-chi, kickboxing, aromatherapy, color therapy, etc. Try using color swatches, (color therapy), like a bit of blue's supposed to calm you down, (all the different colours are supposed to evoke different moods). Also, consider why you need to relax before you go out with your boyfriend. Do you do this with all guys, or is it just this one boyfriend? Because if it's just him, you may want to consider ending the relationship, as he could be creating unnecessary stress within your life. And maybe it's not the tipsyness that relaxes you. It could just be 'the idea' of alcohol itself. Try some non-alcoholic versions of your favorite alcoholic beverages and see it they work. Sometimes your mind can trick itself. Anyways, good luck.
~~~<333~~~

Answer 9

I would say, yes. You are using alcohol as a crutch and the more you use it, the higher your tolerance will become. You will have to drink more, to get the same effect.
Even though you're only drinking "a few", those "few" will turn into many.
If your boyfriend is the reason for your anxiety, rethink your relationship.

Answer 10

Yes you are- especially due to your Mom's history. There are some antidepressants that work well for anxiety that are not addictive.I would suggest getting therapy first because changing your thought patterns is key in dealing with anxiety.Finally, address the issue with your BF and ask him to help you out to come up with some strategies to deal with the anxiety and to figure out ways that he can support you so that you do not need to continue drinking.