The duration of hangxiety can vary widely, depending on individual factors such as the amount of alcohol consumed, tolerance levels, overall health, and your current coping mechanisms. In most cases, the acute symptoms of hangxiety, including physical discomfort and heightened anxiety, tend to peak within the first few hours after waking up with a hangover and gradually subside over the course of the day. Initially, it enhances the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), leading to initial feelings of relaxation. As alcohol is metabolized, GABA levels can decrease, resulting in rebound anxiety and heightened stress responses. Chronic alcohol consumption can also deplete serotonin levels, contributing to feelings of depression and anxiety.
What to Do If You’re Feeling Hangxious
Just think of how some people get nauseas from one drink, while others can drink many without getting queasy. “During a hangover people experience feelings that mimic anxiety such as faster heartbeat, palpitations, sweaty palms and dizziness, which in turn can induce anxiety, even panic attacks,” explains Dr. Hafeez. “And given the impaired sleep with alcohol, anxiety is further exacerbated, as sleep fosters clearer thinking, rational behaviors, and improved memory and attention — all of which when impeded contribute to anxiety as well.” Sometimes, because people tend to use alcohol as a social lubricant, the anxiety comes creeping back in as soon as the alcohol starts to wear off. “Anxiety and depression are often related to alcohol abuse, because the person has more anxiety when they’re not drinking rather than drinking,” Koob notes. “For some drinkers, the hangover anxiety is almost as predictable as the pounding headache and queasy stomach,” says Hafeez.
Health Challenges
Research from 2014 suggests this can contribute to anxiety and other changes in mood. Once you’ve cared for your physical needs, be gentle with yourself emotionally. Realize that this is a temporary feeling, and forgive yourself for your sense of worry or unease.
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This is why when you drink alcohol it’s common to feel less anxious and more relaxed. If you consume high amounts of alcohol, the anxiety circuits in your brain become strongly suppressed. Health issues such as kidney disease or liver disease can make you more prone to adverse effects of alcohol and more severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Even if they don’t know the term hangxiety, we’re pretty sure they’ve felt it at least a little bit. When you’re stuck in an anxious loop, it can be hard to see things from an outsider’s perspective.
- People who experience regular anxiety during hangovers may wish to check experts’ guidance on whether they are drinking too much.
- The term “hangxiety” is now fairly widely used, though the official origins of the verbiage are unknown.
- A bad hangover, even without hangxiety, can make you never want to drink again.
- Additionally, as alcohol is broken down and removed from the body, certain chemical toxins produce inflammation and oxidative stress.
- Your choice is Clear—give us a call and let’s explore how to begin the recovery process together.
Why some people experience anxiety during a hangover
There is some evidence that laughter, meditation, and direct sunlight (16) trigger a chemical reaction in your body to release more serotonin (17). Once you stop drinking, those elevated happy hormones revert back to their natural state, taking extra pleasure along with them. The COVID-19 crisis has made life more challenging for everyone — especially those who are struggling with anxiety.
If you don’t replenish those essential liquids, you can become dehydrated, resulting in excessive thirst and low blood pressure. “Increased anxiety can also be a symptom of poor sleep, and it’s well known that alcohol causes more nighttime disturbances and poor quality sleep,” Saltz adds. Here’s why you Drug Rehab Success Rates and Statistics feel anxious after having one too many drinks — and what you can do to feel better. In other cases, someone may still have anxiety when they are drinking, but according to Hafeez, just two drinks is enough to relax the brain—at least temporarily, anyway.
If you’re planning on drinking, taking all the standard steps to avoid a hangover will also help you avoid hangxiety. Additionally, your hangover and accompanying anxiety may be more intense if you weren’t well hydrated and fed prior to drinking. Eating processed foods high in sugar, which can also mess with your mood and production of feel-good chemicals, and not having consumed enough water while drinking can both intensify hangover and hangxiety symptoms. There are many different forms of anxiety, but in general the word is used to describe when you feel afraid or worried without a specific reason to. Chronically high cortisol levels can be partially responsible for a host of unpleasant symptoms like increased thirst, bloat, and anxiety; lowering them will only help put your mind at ease (21).