Panic attacks after alcohol as a result of taking minimal doses

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• Causes of panic attacks
• Symptoms of occurrence
• Physical manifestations
• Treatment of panic attacks
• Aids
• Medications
• Sport as treatment

Panic attacks and alcohol - these factors are not at all inextricably linked. In some people, this condition is a consequence of taking minimal doses of alcohol (no more than 30 grams per day). This amount is considered by many people to be a simple antidepressant, due to its ability to stop the release of the anxiety hormone - adrenaline. But on the other hand, such a dose is poison, as it causes mental problems, provoking a conflict between the conscious and subconscious “I” of a person.

How does a panic attack form?

The only cause is the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Panic attacks after alcohol what to do? - only those people who have learned from an early age that alcohol is an antidepressant can ask such a question. The person sought to drink alcohol to stimulate positive emotions. But he will only receive:

• imbalance between the autonomic and sympathetic nervous systems,
• threat of delirium tremens
• and panic attacks.

The mechanism for the formation of the negative effects of psychoactive substances, which include alcohol, along with drugs, is quite simple. Ethanol can saturate the brain with dopamine. After which the nervous system is exhausted and its production weakens. for natural dopamine levels to return.

Those who drink alcohol regularly reduce dopamine levels to critical levels, which is a prerequisite for a panic attack.

Many people mistakenly perceive blocking dopamine antagonists with alcohol as a positive thing. A one-time release of dopamine momentarily immerses a person in euphoria and reduces the perception of anxiety and fear. In the absence of these feelings, the body triggers a reaction mechanism that ends in an attack.

Important!

A panic attack is an attack of inexplicable, severe fear. It is accompanied by a feeling of horror and elements of disruption of the autonomic nervous system.

Particularly severe attacks develop in a person with a hangover. This is a consequence of his poisoning with the destruction products of alcohol and standard experiences. A severe hangover attack causes wild fear in a person, increased adrenaline levels, and uncontrollable anxiety . In some cases, the attack is associated with the desire to quit drinking and justifying oneself for an unsuccessful attempt.

Originally Answered: Why do I have panic attacks after drinking alcohol? – simple. This is a disagreement between the desire to drink alcohol, which becomes a consequence of developing alcoholism, and the understanding that alcohol is poison. An anxious and suspicious personality makes the attack emotionally charged, causing increased fear.

Reasons for formation

The liver is the main organ responsible for neutralizing alcohol.

To oxidize ethanol and convert it into acetic acid with subsequent removal from the body, the synthesis and reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is required. When there is an excess of alcohol, the liver resource is not enough for this and the production is blocked:

• citrate synthetase,
• isocitrate dehydrogenase,
• and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase - substances necessary for the production of pyruvate..

A lack of the final product of glycolysis, pyruvate, is detected in the body and glucose synthesis stops. The brain stops eating normally because the liver cannot synthesize glucose. Hypoglycemia can cause shock, coma, and death . But this, as a rule, does not happen. Just a person who has had too much alcohol begins to feel:

• fatigue,
• weakness,
• decreased attention,
• inability to concentrate
• and intense fear.

An increasingly deteriorating condition gives rise to thoughts of death in a person. And they are the ones who give rise to panic.

The nervous system suffers from a hangover as much as the liver and brain. Disruption of the nervous system affects the patient's behavior. If immediately after drinking alcohol a person may experience a feeling of pleasure, joy and euphoria and becomes inadequate, overexcited and aggressive, then after some time he experiences a reverse reaction.

The cause of fear may be additives to strong alcohol. To sweeten strong alcohol and give it a recognizable specific taste, zinc is added to it. A large number of sweet cocktails can aggravate the situation. Dark drinks, such as bourbon, have a stronger effect on the body than light ones, making the hangover more severe and the fear more intense.

Severe anxiety has been reported after drinking large amounts of whiskey or tequila. Fusel oils are not removed from them to impart taste and aroma. And everyone knows that it is they that lead to poisoning of the body and disruption of its proper functioning.

Another cause of severe fear is oxygen starvation of the central nervous system cells. Tissue cells, including nervous tissue, due to the large loss of fluid by the body, begin to accumulate and retain fluid. This causes mild swelling of tissues, including the brain. This leads to disruption of blood supply, delays the flow of oxygen to the brain and causes DEP. This disease can lead to attacks of unreasonable anxiety or fear.

A person becomes apathetic, he is overcome by physical weakness, apathy and anxiety. This is exacerbated by feelings of shame or guilt if he can remember his actions.

Thus, fear or anxiety is a consequence of severe poisoning of the body - the brain, central nervous system, liver and kidneys. The central and peripheral nervous systems are overloaded.

Symptoms

Panic attacks caused by alcohol initially do not manifest themselves in any way. Everything inside a person is boiling. The patient does not know where to go to relieve the condition. While physical pain can be relieved with medications, there is no way to cope .

Such attacks can be observed in people of a certain type:

• those suffering from hypochondria, afraid of injury, illness and infection,
• prone to hysteria
• suffering from obsessive ideas
• epileptics.

The possibility of an attack is higher in people who have congenital or acquired diseases of the heart and blood vessels as a result of drunkenness. Alcohol causes an increased fear of death . Everything goes in a circle: fear causes the synthesis of catecholamine, which leads to an attack.

Systematic alcohol abuse is the cause of pathologies of the endocrine apparatus. Adrenal tumors, thyrotoxicosis and alcohol abuse stimulate the release of adrenaline, which causes a panic attack.

Drinking alcohol causes abnormalities in the functioning of some internal organs, increases phobias, aggravates mental illnesses and depressive states. The short-term pleasure from drinking alcohol is replaced by:

• apathy,
• withdrawal into oneself,
• anxious observation of the inner world,
• fears of developing alarming symptoms.

Physical manifestations of panic attacks

Before a person feels an attack of overwhelming fear, he experiences:

• dry mouth,
• lump in throat
• lack of air,
• increased sweating,
• chills,
• numbness of hands and feet,
• frequent urge to urinate.

The symptoms of the onset of an attack vary from person to person. There may be fear of death, madness, severe anxiety, an incessant feeling of tension, and increased blood pressure. Fainting also .

Attacks are not excluded in people with reduced immunity. Alcohol is a carcinogen that can disrupt the human immune system.

Signs of attacks after drinking alcohol do not have two components:

• presence of intoxication,
• vegetative-vascular disorders.

The second component is characterized by extensive symptoms, including a nonspecific complex - damage to the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory organs, heart and blood vessels, and genitourinary area. cannot be detected during examinations . Doctors attribute this to a high level of anxiety, which is the impetus for the appearance of symptoms.

Treatment of panic attacks after alcohol

It will not be possible to eliminate an attack that has already begun on your own. There are no magic cures for this disease. Taking antidepressants, physical activity, massage - all this is not serious. The main thing for a person prone to attacks is to work on himself.

First you need to give up alcohol. If a panic attack was observed after each dose, it means that alcohol in any quantity and for any reason is prohibited .

It has been noticed that the more a person strives to get rid of attacks, the higher their strength and frequency.

Content:

1. Pathogenetic mechanisms for the development of anxiety after binge drinking: 1.1. Withdrawal and anxiety.
2. What is the danger of anxiety after binge drinking?
3. How to get rid of emotional discomfort.

A multi-day alcoholic excess is accompanied by extremely severe complications from almost all organs and systems. An attempt to suddenly quit drinking is accompanied not only by physical, but also by emotional discomfort. Anxiety after binge drinking is an integral symptom of withdrawal symptoms. But if at the initial stages of binge drinking a person can cope with such a condition on his own (albeit not without difficulty), already at the third stage of alcoholism professional help is required due to the risk of severe complications.

Aids

The following are well suited as aids to help reduce the power of attacks:

• Taking vitamin-mineral complexes (injections of vitamins B and C),
• Accelerating the removal of alcohol breakdown products from the body - taking sufficient quantities of water, juices, fruit drinks, etc.
• Breathing exercises.
• Any water procedures, including contrast showers.

This list can be supplemented independently by including everything that can evoke positive emotions in a person and reduce the level of anxiety. You can't try to reduce anxiety by drinking alcohol. This will only increase the attack.

Help from doctors

If a drunkard, after drinking alcoholic beverages, regularly demonstrates attacks of aggression to his loved ones, makes scandals, humiliates, and lets loose his hands, then this will be a direct reason to organize for him full-fledged treatment for alcohol addiction. The process of sobering up in a medical facility is much faster than at home.

To remove toxic substances from the body, ethanol residues, medical specialists in clinics usually use special medications. The following procedures must be followed:

• Infusion therapy (installation of IVs);
• Dialysis procedures – cleansing the body of alcohol metabolites;
• Plasmapheresis – cleansing the blood of toxins and waste.

Carrying out these procedures allows you to completely cleanse the body of toxins and alcohol metabolites. Doctors prescribe several sessions to ensure that all toxins are completely removed from the digestive organs and blood.

It is worth remembering that aggression from alcohol can manifest itself in anyone; its causes lie in character traits, as well as in the effect of ethanol on consciousness. This is inevitable, so experts advise how to behave correctly with a drunkard. There is no need to quarrel with him or respond with irritation, this will only spur the alcoholic and he may become even angrier. It is better at these moments to leave the apartment or house, leave the drunk alone, and spend the night in another place. The right approach will help prevent dangerous consequences.

Medicines

There are no medications that can completely get rid of attacks. You should not take painkillers, antivirals or other medications and think that they will relieve a person from attacks. Seizures are not a disease and cannot be cured by taking a pill.

There are medications that can suppress anxiety, reducing the symptoms of panic. You can use folk remedies - soothing decoctions of medicinal herbs.

You can take medications only under the supervision of a doctor - a neurologist or psychotherapist.

The list of medications that a doctor can prescribe includes:

• sedative (based on plant components - valerian, motherwort),
• a tranquilizer, anxiolytic or a synthetic broad-spectrum agent (phenazepam, afobazole, seduxen).

But addiction to medications quickly develops. The doctor may prescribe an adrenergic blocker. But all these remedies are not a panacea. They don't always help. Rather, they are designed to save others from possible manifestations of unmotivated aggressiveness on the part of people susceptible to attacks. Medicines help keep the patient either in a state of semi-asleep or in a very relaxed state. At the same time, the person is conscious. The fear of not being able to gather oneself and physically respond to an ever-increasing threat can only intensify the manifestation of panic.

Medicines can only be taken in a state of absolute sobriety. Otherwise, the combination of alcohol and sedatives may cause unpredictable reactions. To the point where the person falls into a coma.

Depression - what is it?

Depression is a serious psychological disorder characterized by a state of emotional depression.
It causes a low level of self-esteem, social maladjustment, and loss of interest in one’s own life and surrounding events. Modern medical opinion suggests that, regardless of psychological and volitional qualities, character traits, financial situation, from time to time it is common for any person to become depressed, to be in a depressed state, when it seems that everything is getting worse every day.

Some people do not believe that depression is a disease, and therefore do not attach much importance to such an apathetic and not the best period in life. However, treating depression is a necessary and important task. After all, a depressed mood can push a person to commit unpredictable actions, from falling into alcoholism to suicide.

The cause of depression can be different: problems at work/school, loss of a loved one, the emergence of a big problem, a quarrel with family members. But there are a number of signs that require close attention.

Symptoms of depression:

• the patient feels constant fatigue, the need for a break, a constant desire to lie down to rest, to hide from everyone;
• self-loathing, unkempt appearance;
• a feeling of hopelessness, helplessness, a feeling that nothing can be fixed;
• indifference to hobbies, hobbies that recently gave positive emotions, but now seem banal and boring;
• disinterest in the problems of relatives and friends, loss of interest in everyday issues;
• constant changes in weight;
• headache, inability to sleep;
• feeling that everything is getting on your nerves, causeless anxiety, irritability;
• memory impairment, blurred attention;
• thoughts of suicide, disappointment in life;
• harsh self-criticism, low level of self-esteem.

All this puts pressure on a person and he is looking for a way to relax. It is often found in drinking alcohol.

Sport as treatment

Physical activity is an excellent opportunity to stop drinking alcohol and eliminate panic. Any available type of is welcome, from swimming and yoga to cycling, running, Nordic walking, skating or skiing. Physical activity helps a person:

• relax,
• eliminate nervous tension,
• relieve anxiety.

Physical education can improve the functioning of the endocrine system, increase dopamine levels, and enhance good mood.

If the attack catches a person at home, then breathing exercises will help reduce its manifestations. It helps stabilize the condition. Relieve tension, regulate the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. There is no need to breathe particularly quickly or deeply. Hyperventilating the lungs can only worsen the condition. Folding your palms and bringing them to your lips will help you come to your senses. Inhale in counts of 4, and exhale in counts of 6. This will increase the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and help trigger the parasympathetic nervous system. Which promotes relaxation.

If all else fails, you must call an ambulance.