Fear of Intimacy

[7lonewolf7]

I started this new job a few weeks ago and I've been hitting it off with a fellow employee. We talk pretty often throughout the week and we've even gone bar hopping together. I think I'm developing a crush on him and he on I. While outside of work we flirt and it's nice but I've noticed I've become more hypervigilant again. For the past 2 weeks I've been drinking more than usual and it's because my anxiety levels are extreme again. I want to be able to tame my mind but the more time passes, the closer we get, and the more my ptsd flares up. He's a nice guy and I don't know what will happen with us, but I wanna feel like I have control of my body again before anything serious happens. I'm still at that point where when I imagine being with someone, I get panic attacks

 

[Skywatcher]

Congrats on your job and new friends. My therapist pointed out that alcohol has a really high sugar content. Sugar is a major anxiety producer in our body. I’ve almost quit drinking entirely now. Reason being, it shoots my anxiety through the roof on the after crash that it causes my system. So you may have created yourself a loop. Nerves New Person-ptsd symptoms-drink to calm down-physical anxiety explosion-ptsd symptoms. Good luck. Maybe research alcohol and anxiety. ;-)

 

[bellbird]

alcohol has a really high sugar content.

This isn't exactly true.
Chemically, ethanol is not a sugar.

If there is sugar in an alcoholic beverage, it has either been added (in the case of a mixer) or it is present in low amounts from sugars that were not fermented, e.g. from the grapes in wine.

Alcohol can contain carbohydrates if it has not been distilled, and it can impact our metabolism of other carbohydrates. But the anxiety effects you're noticing from drinking alcohol? Are because of the alcohol.

 

[Teasel]

Hi @7lonewolf7 I can imagine I'd be equally freaked out. Sounds like it would be really good if you can slow down with him or her, take things at a pace you can handle. You could even say you need to take things slowly if needed?
Best x

 

[Mach123]

Not drinking around the possibility of intimacy might lead to the right thing happening. But then think of the things that wouldn't have happened if no drinking had been involved? But everyone probably knows this. Good luck!

 

[Skywatcher]

This isn't exactly true.
Chemically, ethanol is not a sugar.

If there is sugar in an alcoholic beverage, it has either been added (in the case of a mixer) or it is present in low amounts from sugars that were not fermented, e.g. from the grapes in wine.

Alcohol can contain carbohydrates if it has not been distilled, and it can impact our metabolism of other carbohydrates. But the anxiety effects you're noticing from drinking alcohol? Are because of the alcohol.

I must have misunderstood my T because I was talking about the after effects of having margaritas and she said they are packed full of sugar. We have talked about how sugar affects anxiety-for me-it actually calms it but then it all revs back up so much worse. Also, after drinks I do feel more anxious. This must be how it all got twisted around in my mind.

Now I feel like an idiot for my knowledge sounding untrue answer ?, oh well, lol. Thanks for correcting it.

 

[bellbird]

I must have misunderstood my T because I was talking about the after effects of having margaritas and she said they are packed full of sugar

Ah! Liquers do have a lot of added sugar, so yes your margarita would be :)