Physical illness or mental? New poster.
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hello everyone.
Around 6 months ago I noticed I would feel very strange after drinking. The symptoms are difficult to describe but I'll try.
It mainly centres around suddenly feeling disorientated and I'm not quite with it despite still being able to interact with people. My legs feel heavier and closer to the ground and my visual perception is strange i;e my hands look far away.
This got more and more intense so that I quit drinking outright for 8-10 weeks during which I believe I suffered from general anxiety and an anxiety that I was seriously unwell.
After being tested for everything under the sun and nothing coming up I accepted that nothing was wrong. I went to a party and had two drinks, got a bit tipsy and was fine the next day in fact I felt better than I had in ages because I had been able to relax and be me with my friends. I felt comfortable drinking socially and so resumed drinking most weekends.
Today at my pub when I turned up for work, out of the blue, the same strange symptoms reappeared!
Has anyone else had this? Is it a physical illness made worse by alcohol or is it a mental thing?
I don't really want to give up alcohol socially but I will if necessary.
Please help. It's driving me mad. I just want to be ok.
1 like, 10 replies
Robin2015 josef30804
Posted
josef30804 Robin2015
Posted
Thanks Robin
You were totally right and I've already received some great advice
Hope you're well
ihavenonickname josef30804
Posted
You are quite observant, share these observations with your physician.
h1954 josef30804
Posted
harlan6932 josef30804
Posted
Could be a variant or sub-type of panic disorder(?). Some clinicians feel that panic disorder has strong "biological" underpinnings. Sometimes a low dose of an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) can be very helpful. The key is to take the lowest tolerated dosage. Have you ever had these episodes "out of the blue" when alcohol wasn't a factor?
gwen45436 harlan6932
Posted
Hi, I would agree with harlan, when I had anxiety bad a few years ago, I had those feelings, especially the legs feeling nearer the ground and the hands seeming far away and my eyes would not focus properly. I also felt sometimes that I was not really doing what I was doing, I was observing - weird but it was anxiety and I don't get it now. I went on SSRI and felt so much better after two weeks.
josef30804 harlan6932
Posted
I will talk to my doctor and see what they say about this.
I actually did once or twice after I quit full stop but assumed it was an after effect.
I know nothing of panic disorder to be honest.
josef30804 gwen45436
Posted
Hey gwen.
It's so reassuring to hear someone else has experienced these feelings and the part about being an observer is totally bang on.
Can I ask more about the ssri? I'm quite nervous/sceptical about taking anything.
Thank you!
gwen45436 josef30804
Posted
Hi, yes sure. I did not know what was the matter with me and when my doc said it was panic disorder/anxiety and that I was experiencing clinical depression - I did not believe her. But she insisted that I put my trust in her and put me on SSRI (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). It would appear that when your level of Serotonin falls in your brain, you experience all these kinds of feelings and the SSRI slowly tops the level back up. You feel no change at all lfor 2 weeks, then you start feeling better and more in control. They were not at all addictive nor did I put on any weight. I was on them for 10 years in all and slowly came off them any years ago and never needed them again. They were a blessing for me and all those strange feelings disappeared and I no longer "observed" lol.
Hope this helps..............G.
Misssy2 josef30804
Posted
Maybe when you drink a certain thing you get these feelings? Or maybe in a certain environment? Or maybe at a certain time of day/night?
When I first read your post I was thinking that yea, these are just normal buzzed feelings...Then..you said had a different feeling other times. Weird.