anxiety???

I'm a 21 year old male and at times I find it really hard to catch my breath. I start to get really hot, and sometimes I through up. Also at tmes before I do things I have to a beer. It takes the edge off a little bit, but not enough. I don't want to become dependent on alcohol, but sometimes I feel I need it. What's going on?

Yes, this could be a panic attack related to anxiety. Alcohol is a rather bad "selfmedication" to reduce panic and stress. It will definetly cause severe problems to your health due to tolerance and addiction.

The best way to cope with your problem is to seek professional help by a psychologist. You will need to identify typical symptoms and thoughts related to your somatic complaints of the anxiety disorders. You will find typical situations or thoughts connected to your shortness of breath and tension. Later on you will learn methods to cope with your anxiety and to get relief without alcohol. This can be done by exposure to your anxiety or by allowing your emotions to come and flow. There are different methods with much better success than alcohol. So do not hesitate and seek help before it is too late to stop the bad drinking behaviour.