james186

I get really bad anxiety when I'm hung over, like many more people. Is it down to physical effects of alcohol like an irritated stomach lining? Or is it psychological? I always out it down to my stomach (at least that's how it starts). What do you think?

Dee74

I would say there's a connection - my anxiety is definitely worse when I am run down or over tired, or bodily tense.

At the same time anxiety can give me pains in the chest or digestive issues, or headaches...so it's a bit like the chicken and the egg really IMO

D

kirstensmith

For me when I drink, my anxiety is at first better. But if I drink too much, I feel jittery. I think it all depends on the person, your current mental health, and how much you were/are drinking.

soberclover

Wouldn't it be easier to not have to feel this way? My personal as well as clinical experience has taught me that the withdrawal symptoms are generally the opposite of what the drug effect has on us when we are using it.

FreeOwl

I think it's a lot like the nature-nurture debate..... there's a connection and interplay that isn't well understood but is pretty clearly there.

Trying2bhappy

I can honestly say, when I was drinking I was a ball of nerves. I was a weekend binger and on the days I wasn't drinking there was a lot of screaming going on in my house because I was so nervous all the time...I have to get the kids to school on time, go to work (ouch, with a hangover), get chores done, homework, cook, clean, feed the dogs, etc.... In my head, I couldn't manage everything, I'm guessing?? Now that I'm sober and more clear headed, I don't have anywhere near the anxiety that I had when I was drinking (and I'm only a month sober). Or, maybe I can handle the stress better? My husband is a drinker and doesn't want me to go back simply because our mornings are so much better now (no screaming at him or the kids)!

Wastinglife

I get terrible anxiety after drinking. If I am coming off a bender that lasted several days, I won't sleep for 3 or 4 days and can't leave the house. I don't how some people wake up after a night drinking and seem cheery.

ScottFromWI

I also had horrible anxiety towards the end of my drinking. It has improved markedly over time though, so I have to guess drinking was definitely not helping.

jamesaltima

Dehydration will cause anxiety. Consumption of alcohol causes dehydration.

N3p3nth3

In my case, the anxiety I experienced after drinking (and also occasionally over the weeks after quitting) seemed very physical in nature-- jitters, racing heart, etc. I think of it as more of a biological "bouncing back" from the sedating effect of alcohol.

Ruby2

I had horrible anxiety when I was still drinking. So crippling I had trouble walking. My dad once walked me to an important meeting I had, supporting me as I walked down the street. Once I quit it has almost completely vanished and only resurfaces if I drink too much coffee or smoke too many cigarettes without eating enough.

I think it was a combination of withdrawal from alcohol, poor nutrition, dehydration. As I said, it was terribly crippling when I was in the final phases before I quit. Now, I don't have those problems. Quitting was worth it for that alone.

Nonsensical

Why Alcohol Causes Anxiety | Anxiety Guru

biminiblue

Alcoholism causes malady in the body, mind and soul, and the only escape is to stop drinking.

Alcohol itself crosses the blood/brain barrier and affects/dampens the processes in the brain. Since it acts as a Central Nervous System depressant, coming off alcohol the nervous system is attempting to find its default state and will be in high alert mode, compensating for the depressant that has kept it quiet. So a drinker coming down is going to feel anxiety on a physical level - elevated heart rate, increased sensitivity, headache. I would guess there are elevated stress hormones involved as well.


The emotional - I know for me alcohol was a great way to not deal with anything. When I removed alcohol, I had to learn to manage my emotions. That's no small feat.

SadieJack

Alcohol and anxiety a risky mix for some - CNN.com

Change4good

For me, I ONLY experience anxiety when I drink, so in my case it is physical, in that I threw off my body's ability to regulate because alcohol screws up my brain chemistry.

When sober, it vanishes. Just my experience. I do know that anxiety is real and needs to be managed for those who don't drink and have it.

DearPrudence

Last time I tried sobriety, I had horrible anxiety attacks-- to the point where I went back to drinking just to calm the #$(#()$* down. THIS TIME, though-- I'm not feeling it. Makes me suspicious and waiting for the other shoe to drop (so to speak). But, yeah-- it's pretty normal to feel anxious coming off booze. (Those two articles linked above were great-- thanks friends for posting them!)

Soberwolf

This

Briseis

I think it's a vicious feedback cycle. If you're mentally stressed, the body responds in kind and increases the levels of said mental stress, y'know what I'm sayin'?

And ditto x 1 million on the rebound anxiety after drinking. Especially after one of my blackouts. Ew.

Briseis

Ok, I enjoy restating what others have said, apparently!

I need to slow my roll and read through the previous posts before yakking LOL

hopefullylost

I have anxiety anyways, so when i come off of a night of binge drinking it only makes mine worse. It's usually to do with the way I act in social settings. I'm socially anxious when I'm sober, so I drink to help calm my nerves. But then I lose control of my drinking and do and say inappropriate things. Then I wake up feeling anxious due to the drop of serotonin in my brain AND chain smoking when I'm hungover probably doesn't help either. It's a vicious cycle.