Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages necessarily affects the condition of the human body. Due to intoxication, all systems suffer, and in advanced cases, disorders such as panic attacks can occur.
For many alcoholics, the state of anxiety that comes from drinking is quite frightening. It is typical for people prone to long feasts.
What causes panic attacks and how to deal with this disease?
What are panic attacks
Panic attacks are a very scary psychological disease in which uncontrollable panic attacks occur without any particular reason.
But many people who suffer from such disorders do not really understand that this panic can be controlled and treated. People often have a very difficult time when such disorders arise, but they do not turn to specialists who are ready to provide them with some help. There are quite a lot of reasons here. One of these reasons is the lack of special information about such a disease.
Many people think that panic attacks cannot be cured or, on the contrary, are afraid that treatment by a psychiatrist will negatively affect their social status. Some try to get rid of this disease at home. But few people know the true nature of panic attacks.
Consequences of alcoholism for humans
At the biochemical level, ethanol acts as an organic substance. Alcohol and its derivatives have a detrimental effect on the nervous system. If you take alcoholic beverages continuously for 2 years or more, the death of nerve cells occurs and the conduction of nerve impulses is disrupted. A striking example here is alcoholic polyneuropathy, a disorder associated with nerve conduction.
At the same time, it decreases:
- memory;
- concentration of attention;
- cognitive functions.
Active death of hepatocytes – liver cells – also occurs. They are roughly replaced by connective tissues that do not perform certain functions. The heart becomes covered with fatty tissue, hemoglobin decreases, thrombocytopenia occurs, and the risk of internal bleeding increases. The cardiovascular system also suffers - the risk of vascular rupture, corresponding heart attacks and strokes increases.
Thus, mature, developed people who abuse alcohol within 5-10 years turn into sick, dependent people with clear symptoms of degradation.
The state of alcoholic intoxication is determined by three stages, and affects a person as follows.
- Disinhibition, tendency to aggression, changes in mood, disorders of judgment and thinking.
- Loss of coordination of movements is added, speech becomes blurred, blood rushes to the face.
- Stunning, pallor, depression of the central nervous system occurs, blood pressure drops sharply, and the person ceases to understand what is happening.
Causes and factors in the formation of a panic attack
Such attacks appear as a result of vegetative-vascular dystonia. Or similar attacks can occur after stressful situations that have happened to a person.
A panic attack can be triggered by taking certain medications or stimulants, ranging from caffeine to strong central nervous system stimulants. And finally, panic disorder may be one of the manifestations of depression.
What does a seizure look like?
A panic attack is a rather sharp attack of fear, which can be characterized by completely different symptoms until the deterioration of well-being. Attacks occur very unexpectedly, and under the most normal conditions for a person. That is, in order for a panic attack to occur, there is no need to go to any special place. This situation can make a person’s condition much worse, and the person often begins to feel as if he is defenseless against any attack. During such an attack, a person may begin to choke, experience sudden movements, and be nervous. He constantly worries that this attack will return to him again.
How to quickly eliminate an attack
The following rules will help you cope with this attack:
Correct breathing and its normalization
When a person feels fear, his breathing becomes faster and more oxygen enters the blood. The gas balance becomes disturbed, which can lead to hyperventilation.
The person feels like he doesn't have enough air. But during panic attacks, on the contrary, the oxygen content increases by about 40%. Here the main task will be to make the oxygen supply much smaller. In this case, the person needs to use the bag to breathe into it. Thus, reducing the flow of air into the body. It is worth breathing into it until the person’s condition returns to normal. But if it so happens that the package is not nearby, then you can simply press your palm tightly to your mouth and nose and breathe while doing so.
Businessman holding paper bag over mouth as if having a panic attack
Activating your senses will also help.
When we give the brain certain information from different organs of perception. There is a way to switch the brain to process this signal so that the fear disappears on its own.
In this case, a much simpler option would be to use the sense of touch. For example, if you feel panic overtaking you again, just pinch yourself. You can also wear an elastic band on your arm. And in the event that PA overwhelms you again, pull back this rubber band to get a click and a sign that the brain needs to switch from this fear to something more pleasant. Washing with cold water can also help in this situation.
It is important to control your movements
During experiences, a person may experience repetitive movements that he makes completely unconsciously, and may even experience numbness. This reaction will definitely not allow the patient to get out of this state.
It is important to return control to the body. To do this, it is necessary to focus your attention on the muscles of the legs and arms, and also gradually make your movements smooth.
Another way is to try to switch your attention from the internal to the external environment.
Often experiencing panic attacks, a person can withdraw within himself, and then various symptoms begin to appear. The fear begins to become stronger. But if the brain can focus on something outside, then it will become much easier for the patient. For example, start counting cars on the street or people passing by. There can really be a lot of ways. You can also call a friend or even chat with a stranger.
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 a psychotherapist during attacks
To eliminate such panic attacks, psychotherapy is divided into:
- Directive - one that really requires the presence of a leader or simply a guide.
- Psychotherapy can also be non-directive - which is used when working with educated people.
In psychotherapy, specialists begin to analyze in detail the situation of anxiety. They also help to sort out all situations so that the patient can cope with them independently. He just has to show that he can get rid of any panic attack. Everything is in his hands.
And also in the process of all psychotherapy, it is quite important that there is interpersonal contact between the patient and the doctor.
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.
Taking medications
Of course, we have already mentioned that panic attacks can also be treated with various medications.
This type of treatment often requires that the patient begins treatment only on the recommendation of a doctor. And nothing else.
Drugs that help relieve a patient from panic attacks can be divided into 5 general groups:
- Sedatives;
- Anxiolytics;
- Antidepressants;
- Neuroleptic drugs;
- Nootropics.
“I used to take care of myself, but now I wash my hair once a week.”
Yulia, 30 years old, Vladivostok:
I am a teacher by profession with 10 years of experience. I took a gap year where I worked somewhere other than teaching. The pace was frantic, I couldn’t keep up. And then the panic attacks started.
On November 16, 2021, I woke up as usual and started getting ready for work. Suddenly it came over me: I became wildly scared, my arms and legs went numb, I stopped feeling them, my body began to tremble, and my heart was pounding madly. I felt hot and cold and felt nauseous. This lasted half an hour. Then I felt very weak and lay there all day. I simply didn’t have the strength to go to work. I didn't understand what was happening to me. A few days later the attack repeated, then the attacks became daily and were repeated several times a day. I had to quit my job.
I visited all the doctors in the city, took a bunch of tests - everything was normal. As a result, the therapist said that I have vegetative-vascular dystonia. She advised me to go for a massage, acupuncture and drink valerian. It didn't help me. I even tried hypnosis. It happened that I didn’t sleep at night for a week - I was afraid not to wake up and only fell asleep in the morning.
I was afraid that I was going crazy or had already gone crazy, but I just didn’t know about it, so I went to a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. The psychiatrist prescribed me some nuclear antidepressants. I was simply afraid to drink them - I don’t want to become a vegetable. Moreover, antidepressants do not get rid of the problem, but only block it, and if you stop taking them, everything will come back again.
Once upon a time I was a lighter girl, but now, due to panic attacks and hypochondria, I can’t go to a club with friends
I decided to do an MRI of the brain. Everything was in order, but it started to bother me that time had passed since the first examinations, suddenly something appeared during this time, I needed to be examined. In general, I began to develop hypochondria. I went to the doctors again, they looked at me like I was a fool. I spent hours on the Internet, reading medical reference books and falling into hysterics. I didn’t go outside at all for three months. Later, from the Internet, I learned that these were panic attacks.
Now it’s a little easier for me: it covers me twice a week. I went back to work in May. I thought I’d return to my path and let her go. It didn't let go. Just the other day I had an attack. I went to the dining room to serve breakfast to the children and I started shaking, I wanted to run away somewhere. When an attack begins at work, I go to a deserted place, roar and call my friends and mother.
If something pricks me somewhere, a pimple pops out, I immediately start to panic. The attacks make life very difficult. I wanted to go to the dance, I even signed up for the group, but I didn’t go: at the last moment I became afraid that it would suddenly hit me there and I would make things worse for myself. I used to be a lighter girl, but now, due to panic attacks and hypochondria, I can’t go to a club with friends. I used to take great care of myself, but now I can wash my hair once a week. I understand that it shouldn't be this way, but I just don't have the strength. I don't know who to contact. We don’t have proper specialists in our city, and I’m skeptical about Skype sessions. I will be looking for a psychiatrist again in the near future.
Breathing exercises during an attack
You can get rid of a panic attack using diaphragmatic breathing.
This exercise is performed according to the following algorithm:
You need to relax thoroughly and start breathing through the diaphragm. To do this, you need to place your hand on your stomach in order to fully begin to control the entire process. It is worth inhaling air for 3-4 counts, and holding it for approximately 2 counts. And you need to exhale air in approximately 6 counts, and rather slowly.
It is also necessary to focus on relaxing the body, while it is important to leave all thoughts alone. It is also important to repeat this pace for 10-15 minutes.
This exercise can be performed in addition to home, also on the street, in a store or in any other place.
Mental components of hangover anxiety
Why can a person develop feelings of anxiety after drinking alcohol? psychological may come into play . Fear can intensify if a person tries to solve the problems of ordinary life with the help of alcohol or drinks to escape from them.
But alcohol will not help solve problems. On the contrary, the neglected situation will only worsen. Plus, a person will experience fear from a hangover and panic if he remembers his problems.
Application of auto-training
In a short time you can get rid of panic attacks using auto-training. Auto-training will help the patient feel safe; it will also be possible to convince him that nothing is happening around him and there is no reason to worry.
Autotraining operates on the principle of hypnosis, helping a person to suggest what he needs to understand. So, thanks to auto-training, you can get a positive result from this procedure and, finally, get rid of harmful panic attacks.
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.
Can you drink alcohol during panic attacks?
Of course, alcohol can help get rid of the fear of a panic attack, but it can only drown out this fear for a while, and will not completely get rid of this problem. Therefore, in this case, it is better not to get used to drinking alcohol at all, because you can easily turn from getting rid of panic attacks to alcoholism. So, trying to get rid of panic attacks, a person will suffer from drinking alcohol. Therefore, it is advisable to treat attacks without drinking alcohol. After all, this is only a delusion or a muffling of fear, but not a complete deliverance from it.
