What Is Hangxiety?

Understanding Hangxiety

What Does “Hangxiety” Mean?

Hangxiety combines the words hangover and anxiety to describe the emotions and sometimes physical symptoms that can accompany a hangover after a night of drinking alcohol.

What Are Common Hangxiety Symptoms?

Both emotional and physical symptoms characterize hangxiety. 

Common emotional hangxiety symptoms include:

• Feelings of anxiety and worry or dread
• Irritability and brain fog
• A sense of shame, regret, or guilt about your behavior while drinking alcohol

Physical hangxiety symptoms often include:

• Jitteriness, fidgetiness, or shakiness
• Sweating, nausea, and headaches
• Increased heart rate and the feeling of butterflies in your stomach

When Does Hangxiety Usually Start After a Night of Drinking?

Hangxiety symptoms typically start the day after a night of drinking, when the effects of alcohol have worn off.

Understanding How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Nervous System

How Does Alcohol Impact Neurotransmitters Like GABA and Glutamate?

Alcohol increases the activity of GABA in the brain while inhibiting glutamate, decreasing the responsiveness of incoming chemical messages while suppressing electrical activity, which contributes to the sedative effect of alcohol. 

Alcohol consumption interrupts the normal functioning of GABA and glutamate by binding to GABA and NMDA receptors. When alcohol binds to a GABA receptor, it increases the flow of chloride ions into neurons, making neurons less excitable. This increased GABA activity results in impaired coordination, judgment, and cognitive function. 

Alcohol binding to an NMDA receptor decreases the sodium and calcium that enter the neuron, suppressing its electrical activity. This decreases excitatory glutamate activity, which contributes to the sedative effects of alcohol while disrupting the balance between excitation and inhibition.

How Do Stress Hormones Like Cortisol Contribute to Hangover Anxiety?

During and after alcohol consumption, cortisol levels increase significantly, disrupting the body’s normal stress response, which can amplify ordinary worries, contributing to heightened stress and anxiety levels. 

Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps regulate your immune, reward, cognition, and emotion systems. The body’s typical stress response follows a cycle that regulates energy, alertness, and sleepiness by peaking in the early morning after waking up, gradually declining throughout the day, and then hitting its lowest point at night before you sleep. 

Drinking alcohol disrupts the natural stress response cycle by increasing cortisol levels and preventing those levels from decreasing naturally, leaving higher-than-typical cortisol levels present even after the alcohol wears off. 

In addition, elevated cortisol levels change how neurons send signals in your brain by making them overactive. Overactive neuron cells in your nervous system can manifest as a variety of mental health concerns, including increased feelings of anxiety and restlessness. 

How to Tell if Feelings of Anxiety Are Linked to Hangxiety?

Your feelings of anxiety may be linked to hangxiety if you consistently experience higher anxiety levels after drinking alcohol and if those feelings of anxiety are accompanied by other symptoms like racing thoughts, a sense of dread, regret, guilt, or shame, along with typical physical hangover symptoms.

Why Can Alcohol Affect Anxiety Levels After It Wears Off?

The effects of alcohol initially dampen feelings of anxiety by reducing brain activity, but those suppressed stress responses rebound as the alcohol wears off and brain activity increases. 

These hangxiety symptoms are a result of changes in your brain chemistry caused by alcohol consumption and the effects of alcohol as it wears off. 

Initially, alcohol boosts calming chemicals and neurotransmitters like serotonin, oxytocin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which make you feel relaxed and sleepy while decreasing alertness. When those calming effects of alcohol diminish as the brain tries to restore balance, heightened anxiety levels can occur as that alertness returns. 

Rebounding occurs because the brain adapts to the presence of alcohol, and the sudden withdrawal of those anxiety-suppressing chemicals causes the brain to struggle to readjust to a state without those calming chemicals.

Why Drinking Alcohol Can Trigger Anxiety and Panic

Does Binge Drinking Increase the Risk of Hangxiety?

Yes, consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period during binge drinking sessions can cause greater fluctuations in brain chemistry and severe withdrawal symptoms that heighten both physical and psychological hangxiety symptoms. 

Those greater fluctuations in brain chemistry are a result of drinking large enough amounts of alcohol that disrupt the normal function of the GABA and glutamate neurotransmitters. 

Additionally, withdrawal from binge drinking alcohol increases feelings of anxiety because your body is struggling to adapt to the sudden absence of alcohol. That struggle to adapt triggers a physical stress response that manifests as a sense of discomfort, along with physical symptoms like tremors and increased heart rate, which also heightens anxiety levels.

Can Alcohol Cause Panic Attacks Even in Social Drinkers?

Yes, drinking alcohol even as a social drinker can trigger or worsen feelings of anxiety, which can lead to panic attacks because of the effects of alcohol on brain chemistry and the impact of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. 

The risk of experiencing panic attacks from drinking alcohol is increased by risk factors like pre-existing anxiety disorders and trying to self-medicate symptoms of anxiety with alcohol.

Can Alcohol Worsen Existing Mental Health Conditions?

Yes, drinking alcohol can significantly worsen pre-existing mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders. 

Due to the effects of alcohol consumption on your brain chemistry, you can experience emotional instability from mood swings, more intense symptoms like sadness and panic, along with increased stress and anxiety from a cycle of drinking alcohol and withdrawal.

Physical Hangover Symptoms That Can Feel Like Anxiety

How Do Physical Hangover Symptoms Mimic Panic Attacks?

Physical hangover symptoms can mimic panic attacks because they trigger similar physiological responses like the fight-or-flight response and the release of a rush of adrenaline. 

Some of the symptoms hangovers and panic attacks share include:

• Increased heart rate and sweating
• General unease and feelings of anxiety
• Muscle tension and fatigue
• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

Can Dehydration and Electrolyte Changes Make Hangxiety Feel Worse?

Yes, dehydration and changes in your electrolytes can make hangxiety worse because dehydration triggers your body’s stress response, while an imbalance of electrolytes can disrupt nerve signaling and mood regulation. 

Alcohol is a diuretic that causes the loss of extra fluids and essential minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which contributes to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. 

Dehydration after drinking alcohol can significantly worsen hangxiety symptoms by triggering the release of stress hormones like cortisol. The lack of proper hydration is forcing every system in your body to work harder. Stress hormone release creates real physical stress symptoms that your brain interprets as feelings of anxiety. 

Imbalanced electrolytes worsen hangxiety symptoms by contributing to dehydration and disrupting brain function due to low levels of the essential minerals that support various bodily functions. 

Some of the ways electrolyte imbalance impacts functioning and exacerbates hangxiety symptoms include:

• Sodium: Low amounts can lead to confusion and irritability
• Potassium: Low amounts can lead to muscle weakness and fatigue
• Magnesium: Low amounts impede relaxation, nervous system calming, and mood regulation

How Does Poor Sleep Affect Anxiety the Next Day?

Poor sleep means reduced restorative rest in REM sleep, which impairs vital emotional processing and memory. 

Poor REM sleep also heightens your sensitivity to stress, amplifies anxiety levels, makes it difficult to manage emotions, and impedes your ability to cope with distressing feelings around your alcohol consumption, like guilt, shame, and regret. 

Alcohol consumption also disrupts sleep patterns by altering your natural sleep cycle as your body metabolizes alcohol. Metabolizing alcohol disrupts communication between the neurotransmitters that help regulate sleep by causing frequent awakenings after the initial sedation, while decreasing the amount of time you spend in the REM sleep stage.

What Causes Hangxiety to Become a Repeated Pattern?

Why Do Some People Drink Alcohol to Self-Medicate Anxiety?

Many people self-medicate with alcohol to temporarily mask or suppress distressing symptoms from mental health conditions like anxiety disorders. 

In the short term, drinking alcohol can reduce anxiety and numb emotional pain, which can make you feel less overwhelmed and more relaxed. However, the relaxing effects of alcohol are short-lived, as your symptoms not only come back, but the rebounding effect often worsens anxiety symptoms. 

Drinking alcohol to self-medicate can also create a cycle of dependence and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Can Drinking Habits Increase the Risk of Alcohol-Related Anxiety?

Yes, your drinking habits can put you at a higher risk of alcohol-related anxiety because, among other factors, how much alcohol you consume can make you more prone to experiencing hangxiety symptoms. 

Listed below are some of the patterns of drinking habits that can increase your risk for hangxiety:

• Binge drinking
• Heavy drinking
• Using alcohol to self-medicate

When Is Hangxiety a Sign of Alcohol Use Disorder?

Hangxiety can be a sign of alcohol use disorder if you also:

• Self-medicate with alcohol to cope with anxiety, stress, or other difficult emotions
• Have to consume more alcohol to achieve the same calming effects as before
• Regularly experience heightened anxiety levels after drinking alcohol
• Experience withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and cravings when you’re not drinking alcohol
• Continue drinking despite negative consequences for your job, relationships, and well-being
• Start drinking earlier in the day to cope with anxiety and hangover symptoms

How Can Repeated Hangxiety Affect Loved Ones and Daily Life?

Some of the ways repeated hangixety can harm your daily life and relationships with loved ones include:

• Emotional instability: Mood swings like irritability can cause conflict that strains relationships
• Withdrawal: Avoiding social situations can push your loved ones away
• Hangxiety aftermath: Feeling embarrassed, guilty, or ashamed of your behavior
• Erosion of support: Confusion, frustration, unreliability, and loss of trust
• Work and school: Difficulty concentrating and loss of productivity
• Mental health: Increased stress levels, poor coping, anxiety disorders, and depression

How to Manage and Prevent Hangxiety

What Can Help Calm Hangxiety Symptoms in the Moment?

You can help calm hangxiety symptoms in the moment by attending to your physical hangover symptoms as well as the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety.

To help hangover symptoms, you can:

• Rehydrate your body with plenty of water
• Replenish your electrolytes
• Settle your stomach with light or mild foods
• Try over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen 
• Rest to more comfortably process the alcohol and recover 

Emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety can be calmed by:

• Practicing breathing exercises like deep breathing to regulate your nervous system
• Utilizing grounding techniques to redirect your focus from anxious thoughts
• Engaging in mindfulness meditation to reconnect to your body

What Helps Reduce Anxiety the Day After Drinking?

Stay hydrated with plenty of water, eat a nutritious, balanced meal, and give your body time to recover by taking a nap or taking it easy for the rest of the day.

Can You Prevent Hangxiety Before a Night Out?

Yes. Not drinking alcohol is the easiest way to avoid hangxiety.

However, other ways you can prevent hangxiety the next day before a night of drinking include:

• Eat a full, balanced meal before drinking alcohol
• Have plenty of water between every alcoholic beverage
• Don’t consume more than one alcoholic beverage per hour and sip rather than gulp
• Choose lower alcohol content drinks over higher ones
• Set an alcohol consumption limit for the night out
• Be mindful by keeping track of what you drink and how much you drink

When Does Reducing or Stopping Alcohol Become the Healthier Choice?

Reducing or stopping your alcohol consumption can be the healthier choice when drinking alcohol significantly harms your physical health and mental health. 

If you’re feeling dependent on alcohol to get through the day or manage distressing thoughts and feelings, cutting back on your alcohol consumption can help. 

In addition to addressing mental health issues, reducing or stopping your alcohol intake can support your physical health by lowering your blood pressure, decreasing fatigue, and improving sleep quality. Cutting out alcohol can also reduce the risk of you developing serious health conditions like liver disease, heart disease, other cardiovascular issues, and cancer.

Getting Support for Alcohol Use and Co-Occurring Anxiety

When Should Hangxiety Be Taken Seriously?

Hangxiety should be taken seriously if:

• It’s happening almost every time or every time you drink alcohol
• Hangxiety symptoms last longer than 24 hours
• It’s accompanied by other mental health symptoms such as panic attacks, depression, or self-harm
• It disrupts your daily life, work, school, relationships, and personal well-being

What Is the Connection Between Alcohol Use and Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), several mechanisms may explain the common co-occurring connection between AUD and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety disorders.

• People are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol to cope with mental health conditions
• Early alcohol consumption in adolescence can predispose you to mental health issues
• Shared genetic and environmental risk factors like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma

How Can Personalized Addiction Treatment Support Long-Term Recovery?

Zia Recovery Center offers each client a personalized treatment plan with evidence-based options tailored to your specific needs, preferences, and goals, helping you address the root causes of your challenges so you can heal in mind and body.

What Does Recovery From Alcohol Use Look Like Beyond Abstinence?

Healing beyond abstinence looks like building and strengthening your skills with ongoing support, connection, and community-building services.

At Zia Recovery Center, we serve our alumni through our Community Aftercare Program (CAP) to keep them connected to peers and recovery services.