Effects of Alcohol & Caffeine on Phobias

Video Transcript

"In this clip we'll talk briefly about why it's good to avoid drugs, caffeine and alcohol. One of the things you got to remember is that when you have a phobia, your body's already moving faster, your minds thinking faster, or slower, (depending on the situation) than you want it to. By taking, drinking things like tea or coffee or sodas, you're actually going to be adding caffeine to your body. Caffeine is going to speed up things, and can actually lead to increased anxiety. So you really don't want to add to all the anxiety you're feeling by fueling the fire. Same thing goes with drugs and alcohol. If you're experiencing any kind of depression, it can actually add to it. The drugs and the alcohol also may seem like a really good idea, like if I take a beer, drink a beer right now, or take this pill, it's going to relax me, and in the long run it actually could end up provoking more anxiety, and making things a lot worse. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe anxiety medication or antidepressants, and you need to follow that prescription however it is. If you feel that after you're taking whatever medication, and it's not working, talk to your doctor, but you never want to self medicate."