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Depression and Worry

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1009

Hi Camiol,

You bring up a really good point about the anxiety brought on by drinking. I was coming at it from the opposite side with my last post but as I think about it's a vicious circle as drinking can be both caused and a cause of GAD and vice versa. I remember very clearly times when I had been drinking too much and by Monday after the weekend I was in rough shape mentally. It got to the point where the anxiety attack started to turn into a full blown panic attack and I honestly felt like I couldn't breath. It was bloody scary and the only time I've ever experienced it was a direct result of drinking too much. Your worry about digging out the of the hole of alcohol abuse is well-founded but don't under-estimate the progress you've made over the last couple of months. From what I've seen you are the one who's got control of the shovel so don't be afraid to crank the alcohol abuse monster across the head with it. :)

Keep going and keep up the great work.

Dave

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1009

Hi Samantha,

Excessive worry is a real problem and certainly supports the addicted personality. Obsessing about a problem and worrying about it for prolonged periods of time really wears a person down. It comes in so many forms and it's habit forming. I see it in my sister first hand. She worries and complains about everything, which is really nothing. The vast majority of worry is manufactured in your head and, as is so often said, "90% of all worries never come true". That's because the vast majority of them weren't real in the first place. And so the cycle begins...."My husbands\ wife's family hates me...(worry)....."I hate my job....(worry)....."If I'm late I'll let so and so down....(worry)....."If I don't drink my friends won't want me around"....(worry)..."How can I possibly stop drinking FOREVER!".....(worry)...etc, etc

Worry wear's you down, saps you of resources, makes you depressed, irritable, and leaves you vulnerable to drinking\ drugs\ etc. Almost sounds like GAD stands for "Getting Addicted to Drinking". It's like living with a vampire permanently clamped onto your neck except the vampire is really you.

If we learn to listen to ourselves and recognize this self-abusive train of thought and the actual dialogue we're using to create the worry we can learn to shut it down. It takes practice but is definitely within reach. I'm as guilty as anyone for participating in this behavior. You can recognize the signs right away; your body starts to feel weak and the muscles in your chest tighten up (among other things because there are many physical manifestations). At that point it's important to recognize if it is actually real or some manufactured attempt at a "Oh poor me" fantasy". If it's a legitimate problem I always ask myself "Can I do anything about this right now?" If so I do something. If not I put it out of my mind until I can do something.

One thing for certain, getting some exercise where you can only focus on the activity and get the endorphins going will give you the space and peace of mind to re-group.

So I guess the question is......how often do we deliberately use worry to give us an excuse to drink?

Sorry if I rambled a little there folks.

Peace! (not worry)

Dave

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 154

I am on medication for both depression and anxiety, but only in the past two-three years for the former. GAD, characterized often with associating panic/anxiety attacks or near attacks (i.e. on the edge), is no fun. In my case, I have had GAD since my mid-20s, about 30 years now. Anxiety attacks are rare now due to my medication, but lately I have been on edge, restless, in fact, all 7 states you mention below Samantha.

I would offer that worry and depression are not always intricately linked together. At least not in my case. I would be hard pressed to say which came first, but I believe worry (anxiety) did. Depression, which I was diagnosed with about 3 years ago, can oftentimes lead to suicidal thoughts when it is severe. At that point, there is usually no worrying whatsoever, only resignation, withdrawal from society and self-pity. Drinking excessively only makes matters worse and prevents medication from working in an optimal manner.

Sometimes I get fed up with worrying about being worried, a vicious circle of negativity and anxiety. Negative repetitive thinking as you mention below is often characterized by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or ruminating as my counselor describes it. No doubt, however, if depression and anxiety are not directly related (same family), then they are most definitely first cousins, along with OCD and ruminating.

I have a lot more I could say from experience about depression and anxiety, but I would much rather leave space for others to describe/share their thoughts and experiences.

Love is all.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 616

I never thought of myself as an anxious person, but after reading some of the symptoms, it makes me wonder if perhaps I do have an anxiety disorder. I find myself tired a lot, I don't sleep well, I get irritable and constantly have muscle tension. I always attributed it to alcohol abuse, and perhaps that is what the root of my problem is, and with alcohol abuse comes GAD. I think my main worry is that I'm never going to get out if this hole I've dug myself into (alcohol abuse) and I could lose everything important to me. I know in my heart that I won't ever let myself get to the point of no return, but the fear is always there.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2606

People who are depressed or sad often worry. In fact, worry is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety in depression. People who worry all the time may meet the formal diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

GAD is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive or unrealistic worry over many issues including work, school, health and family. The intensity, duration or frequency of the anxiety and worry is far out of proportion to the actual likelihood or impact of the feared event. In addition, people with GAD may experience:

•   Restlessness
•   Feeling on edge
•   Easily tired
•   Difficulty concentration
•   Irritability
•   Muscle tension
•   Problems with sleep

Both depression & anxiety are characterized by negative repetitive thinking. Although the specific content may be different, the underlying processes may be similar.

How is worry affecting your life?

Samantha, Health Educator

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