john44

For me hangovers and withdrawals were two distinct, completely different things. Back when I didn't drink alcoholically, I would drink moderately most of the time, say 1 or 2 drinks 2 or 3 times a week if that. Once in awhile, maybe 2 or 3 times a year, I'd really party and get pretty wasted. The next day I'd have a hangover complete with a blinding headache, nausea, sometimes vomiting, sleeping all day and generally feeling like crap. Absolutely no desire to drink during a hangover; simply the thought of drinking would make me ill.

Withdrawals were a different animal. I'd frequently wake up at 2-3am, with hideous anxtiety, shaking, sweating, cold hands and feet with severe alcohol cravings. Drinking would quell all these symptoms. I suffered no headache, no nausea but would have gladly taken these symtoms to avoid the anxiety et. al. of withdrawal. After I started drinking alcoholically, I didn't suffer hangovers anymore; that should've been a big clue that something was changing.

So I think the takeaway is if one is starting to feel "different" hangovers than they've had in the past, then perhaps the body isn't processing alcohol the way it did in the past. And once this happens, there is no going back to how things were. The change from being a cucumber to a pickle is complete and we all know a pickle can never change back into a cucumber.

pinkdog

Hi John, let me clarify my statement that a hangover is withdrawals. A hangover is when alcohol is withdrawing from your body. "The Withdrawals" are a more serious escalation. Technically, they both occur due to alcohol leaving your body. Best wishes.