Anxiety PSA: Alcohol and (legal) stimulants

Just wanted to put in a friendly PSA that to all of the people on this platform who are struggling with generalized anxiety, I strongly, strongly recommend that you seriously consider getting off of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine. For the record, I used to love recreationally partaking in all of the above, but if you are in anxiety hell, you are almost certainly doing yourself a huge disservice if you are regularly partaking any of these substances, even in moderation. I don't want to come across as a prude, and I was guilty of this too for years and years, but more and more I'm shocked by how many people I know who are riddled with anxiety and still pound coffee/energy drinks or drink alcohol regularly or vape, etc. Sometimes it just takes someone pointing it out for the point to get across.

a.lea

Date posted: 14h

you're definitely not wrong but tbh i'm not giving up my coffee. it is part of a routine for me and one of the few things i can actually count on enjoying every single day so while i try to keep my intake at a reasonable level, caffeine is here to stay for me ☕️ (i do also have adhd though so it might affect me differently)

A.M.D.G.

Date posted: 13h

Fair enough! I love coffee; I used to drink it all day. As my anxiety got the better of me, I had to start cutting back until I decided that the anxiety hell was just not worth it and that I was finally ready to remove anything from my life that was making it worse. My impression is that many people don't give it that much thought. They hate their anxiety, and it just doesn't occur to them that their coffee or energy drinks are part of the problem. And hey, we all have our blind spots, no judgment. That's why I'm trying to spread a bit more awareness around these substances we take for granted.

a.lea

Date posted: 13h

@A.M.D.G. that totally makes sense. i think it is important to bring more attention to these things because you're right, people don't give it much thought and might not be aware of how it's affecting them

Rowleyfan2001

Date posted: 13h

I actually became sober for good a few weeks back. Been a regular drinker since I was 21 (am now 37) and I feel great with no cravings at all. If anyone would like to talk about stuff more please feel free to reach out, always here to support and never judge!

Mercury75

Date posted: 12h

Sobriety has been great for me, and I'd love for abstaining from drugs and alcohol to become more normalized. It can be a little lonely to be the only non-drinker/non-smoker I know. I have no regrets though, my life has been better without the noise.

Generiname

Date posted: 14h

Being a struggling alcoholic, I agree with this.

A.M.D.G.

Date posted: 14h

I feel that. I've had pretty serious issues with alcohol, and I used it very heavily to self-medicate for years. For being a "downer", it is really crazy how over time it will wreck your nervous system and create chronic anxiety. What I came to realize is that everything alcohol promises is a lie.

Generiname

Date posted: 14h

@A.M.D.G. I would give so much to be able to quit cold turkey. I managed to last 2 days without anything, and thats a good start. I've managed to last months before so hopefully I'll be able to reach that point again soon

A.M.D.G.

Date posted: 13h

@Generiname - Alcohol is really difficult to give up. It took me 2-3 years of on-again-off-again, tapering, bargaining with myself, etc. to decide I'd had enough. I still occasionally get cravings, but then I think back to the whole wretched cycle of what drinking looked like for me, and the desire goes away pretty quickly. If you feel truly, truly powerless, I would highly recommend AA. You could even just read the book before committing to meetings.

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