As if the physical symptoms of a hangover weren’t annoying enough, some people also experience mental problems from alcohol. The anxious and depressed feelings that arise the next day come under the term hangxiety.
Hangxiety
Do you also sometimes wake up after a night of drinking feeling anxious and worried about everything you did that night? Are you afraid you talked too much or told things you didn’t really want to share? If so, you may be suffering from ‘hangxiety’. This term comes from the words anxiety – meaning fear – and hangover – meaning hangover. It refers to the anxiety that arises when you have a hangover.
Hangover
A hangover after a night of drinking is no fun. Headaches, nausea, heartburn and even vomiting are common. But to these physical symptoms, some people also experience a mental hangover. They may feel anxious, stressed or depressed, which makes the hangover even worse. Especially people who are already prone to anxiety and panic attacks can suffer from this. The relaxing effect that alcohol has for the first few hours gives way to opposite feelings of anxiety the next morning. These feelings of anxiety and stress make you suddenly alert. How did I behave? What all did I say, do and share with those around me the previous evening? Have I been irritating or annoying, doing stupid things?
In addition to the flow of tense and overwhelming thoughts, you may experience sweating, restlessness, high heart rate and blood pressure, or trembling. The tendency to avoid people and responsibilities are also all part of hangxiety. You may feel irritable and worry about things without needing to, and even have a panic attack.
Alcohol
Hangxiety occurs because alcohol directly affects the neurotransmitters in your brain. When you drink alcohol, it initially makes you feel calm and sometimes even euphoric, but this later gives way to the opposite effect; you feel anxious, tired and depressed. One of the reasons for this anxiety is withdrawal. For example, alcohol suppresses glutamate, a stimulating neurotransmitter in the brain. By the time the alcohol wears off, the body has often adapted by making more glutamate to compensate for the suppression. This extra glutamate in your system makes you more anxious.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. There is also a chemical in your brain called Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF) that acts as a stress neurotransmitter. When you drink alcohol, your body suppresses CRF, but during withdrawal, the amount of CRF increases, often leading to an increased stress and anxiety response.
Susceptibility to hangxiety
Not everyone suffers from hangxiety after a few glasses of alcohol. It depends, among other things, on how much you drank and ate, whether you had water that day, as well as whether you are susceptible to hangxiety. The higher the level of alcohol in your blood, the more likely you are to experience withdrawal symptoms, and thus feel anxious.
For some people, therefore, it is better to avoid alcohol in large quantities – or even altogether. Although alcohol can reduce stress and anxiety in the moment, it is only a temporary solution that can make your problems worse in the long run. Moreover, it does not address the underlying cause of your anxiety.
Alcohol consumption
Fortunately, it doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking completely if you suffer from occasional hangxiety. Try to drink more slowly, alternate alcohol with water, and make sure you don’t drink on an empty stomach. By taking it easy, you will keep your blood alcohol levels under control. High blood alcohol levels cause your body to have to work harder to remove the toxins of alcohol from your system. The harder your body has to work, the more likely you are to experience anxiety after the initial effects of the alcohol wear off.
But when the harm is already done and you are lying in bed with a severe mental hangover, it is especially important to calm yourself down. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t take the thoughts you have about yourself too seriously: hangxiety is temporary and the negative thoughts are often not rational. Create a safe environment for yourself, take a walk or try meditating. This way, you can create a safe “headspace” for yourself so that your thoughts can calm down. Drink plenty of water to hydrate your body and, if necessary, talk to people who can reassure you about the previous evening.
Help
It is also important to learn about the underlying causes of your anxiety. Although only 20 percent of people experience hangxiety, the degree to which you feel bad can also vary tremendously. If you think you are trying to numb anxiety or stress with alcohol, are becoming dependent on the drug or your anxieties concern you on a daily basis, it is wise to talk to a professional.