If you feel increasingly anxious the morning after a night of drinking. In that case, it may be time to take stock of your relationship with alcohol and get honest with yourself about what's happening. Alcohol can cause dehydration and make you feel sluggish the next day. It also alters your brain chemistry, triggering anxiety that can intensify over time as you drink more frequently.
Alcohol and anxiety (Panic attacks after drinking)
You may feel anxiety during hangovers and drinking because of how your body reacts when under the influence. Alcohol can cause your blood vessels to dilate, which leads to an increase in adrenaline. This excess adrenaline can lead to anxiety symptoms when released after the alcohol wears off. Some people also experience hangover headaches or general morning sickness-like symptoms, as well as feeling anxious when they wake up.
Other symptoms include muscle tension, shaking, nausea and vomiting. It may seem like more than just a headache at first glance, but if these feelings persist even after 24 hours without alcohol, it is worth speaking with your doctor about what might be happening.
They will be able to determine whether your anxiety is tied to mental health issues like panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, other medical issues such as high blood pressure, and chronic conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Why do we experience hangover anxiety?
A hangover headache, drinking anxiety, and anxiety during hangovers are all the same. The feeling is caused by the depletion of B vitamins, which are responsible for breaking down alcohol and metabolizing it. Hangover anxiety can be exacerbated by other factors like dehydration, sleep deprivation, and stress. Hangover headaches are often worse in people who have a predisposition to migraines.
Drinking too much alcohol can worsen the problem because it will cause even more withdrawal symptoms than usual. Alcohol consumption is also linked with increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, both chemicals that contribute to feelings of panic.
PMC studies have found that these hormones may produce anxiety after drinking. Many people experience intense anxiety attacks or feel like they're going crazy when they're hungover. According to 40% of participants experienced at least one hangover-related anxiety attack in their lifetime.
What signs that your hangover anxiety could be turning into something more than just feeling groggy in the morning after overdoing it on drinks?
One sign that your hangover anxiety could be more than just feeling groggy in the morning after overdoing it on drinks is if you start getting anxious before you even go out or if you can't stop thinking about how much you drank the night before.
You might also be having trouble eating or sleeping and are obsessively checking for symptoms of alcohol poisoning. In addition, anxiety attacks can happen during a hangover or after drinking as well. These anxiety attacks may include chest pains, tightness in the throat, dizziness, feelings of terror or numbness, and nausea/vomiting.
If you find yourself dealing with these side effects from drinking too much every time you drink heavily- there's a good chance your 'hanxiety' is turning into something more serious like alcoholism or anxiety disorder.
Can it affect mental health in the long run?
Some people experience anxiety during hangovers because they fear the next day of having anxiety attack. This can lead to more drinking and more anxiety, which is bad for mental health in the long run. Heavy drinking with increased the risk of mental health problems, including depression and bipolar disorder, as well as behavioral and social difficulties.
The body has certain neurotransmitters that allow messages between nerve cells to be relayed without being interrupted by neurotransmitters released by other nerve cells. Drinking anxiety stimulates activity in these areas and can make it difficult for your body to maintain normal levels of mood or behavior.
[ Just 5 Minutes Of Exercise Can Reduce Your Appetite For Alcohol ]
What to do?
If you have anxiety during hangovers, it may not be your fault. Alcohol can cause symptoms of anxiety, including feeling jittery and tense. It's important to remember that if you have anxiety during hangovers, there are ways you can help yourself feel better.
To relieve some of your anxiety during hangovers:
- Drink water or eat food before going to bed after drinking alcohol. This will help prevent dehydration, and the effects alcohol has on your brain. Also, try to avoid things like coffee and other caffeinated drinks because they will make your anxiety worse.
- Get enough sleep when you drink alcohol so that the anxiety doesn't keep you up at night. [ Self-evaluate the quality of your sleep by answering a few questions. Take the TWC free assessment ]
- Don't drink too much alcohol! Drinking too much is what causes many people to experience hangover anxiety in the first place!
- Keep busy when you are feeling anxious in order to take your mind off it for a while. Engaging with others who are sober also helps.
- Try to engage in relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, or deep breathing, which can lower blood pressure and anxiety levels. Anxiety often comes from being under too much stress, so this could help with stress relief.
- Talk to your doctor about any medications that might work best for you and how long they'll last.
- Find out what triggers your anxiety during hangovers and limit those triggers by avoiding certain situations where you know it's going to happen. For example: don't go into crowded bars or clubs on weekends if you know that's when it typically happens.
- Practice good self-care habits like eating right and exercising regularly since these are good mood boosters even without alcohol consumption.
- Make sure to talk with friends and family about how you feel so they can support you through this tough time.
Conclusion
If you find that anxiety during hangovers is interfering with your day-to-day life, then it might be time for you to look into taking steps toward getting help. There are many ways that anxiety can be treated and managed, so talk to your doctor about what will work best for you.
In the meantime, try some simple techniques like deep breathing or meditation, which may provide relief from symptoms. Consider eating before drinking and sticking to just one drink at happy hour—this can reduce feelings of anxiety by preventing overconsumption of alcohol. Get plenty of sleep before going out on the town—especially if you have a big event coming up in the morning, as this could make hangover anxiety much worse.
