In this post I discuss how to deal with anxiety after drinking alcohol, and how blackouts through binge drinking made the problem even worse. I also discuss how I have now reduced my intake and limit what I drink due to crippling anxiety the day after a night out.
A pounding headache, nausea, and fatigue are the classic physical symptoms of a hangover. We’ve all heard of the ‘hangover cures’ that promise to wake you up, stop the sickness, and make you feel like a new person the next morning, but do any of them actually work? There are also other effects, which aren’t spoken about as much.
If you have anxious thoughts after drinking, you are not alone. Many people experience a higher level of anxiety as a side effect of alcohol, especially if they drink too much or too often.
Why do I feel anxious after drinking?
Alcohol is a sedative and a depressant that affects the central nervous system. When taken, it slows down brain activity, the feel-good chemicals leading to a relaxing effect, calm feelings and a sense of euphoria. However, this seemingly pleasant effect can have a darker side. While alcohol can initially make you feel relaxed and happy, it can also lead to feelings of anxiety and depression the following day.
Effects after drinking alcohol
- Alcohol consumption can interfere with quality stress as it releases cortisol, the stress hormone. This can have a knock-on effect with decreasing the ability to regulate emotions the next day.
- Alcohol is a depressant that can initially make you feel relaxed and happy. However, as your body removes the alcohol from your system, your blood sugar drops, which can lead to nervousness and anxiety.
- Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes your body to remove fluids from your blood through your renal system, which includes the kidneys and bladder, at a much quicker rate than other fluids. This can lead to dehydration if you don’t drink enough water with it, resulting in a dry mouth and excessive thirst the following day.
- Shakes and tremors after drinking alcohol are common symptoms. These can be felt in different parts of the body, hands, arms, legs, eyes and even the voice. The timeframe for these can vary from person to person, depending on how much alcohol is consumed. They generally won’t last longer than a day or two.
Drinking alcohol to relieve social anxiety
I have always been an anxious person, feeling insecure in social situations. Drinking alcohol always made me feel as though I could cope better, I didn’t feel so insecure. I would always joke to my friends that I’m myself after two pints. The ‘real me’.
I would always go out at the weekend, spending most of the time in the pub with my friends, drinking pint-after-pint, shot-after-shot. As time went on, my drinking wasn’t just contained to the weekend and I would regularly go out for drinks after work, crawling in really late to sleep and get up and do it all again. Eventually, drinking crept in at lunchtimes – going to the pub with my work colleagues, drinking a bottle of wine before returning back half-cut.
I suppose looking back I could easily be classed as a high-functioning alcoholic. All the signs are there: drinking practically ever day, drinking to get rid of a hangover, drinking in the morning on occasions as it took that horrible fear away. Waiting for the pub to open so I could have a drink again.
I didn’t realise I had a problem, it felt as though that’s what everyone I knew did at the time. Our whole social scene was based around pubs and clubs. Every social situation included alcohol; whether it was a trip to the beach, park, or shopping in town.
I could never just have one or two and it would always spiral into a large drinking session, resulting in me wasting more days than I’d like to admit, recovering the next day.
Blackouts when drinking alcohol
When I was younger, I would wake up after a night out and yet another blackout, not knowing what had happened and how I got home. I would wake up with the fear that I had done something stupid, that I had offended someone. A real feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
A mad scramble would ensue around my bedroom for my bag, counting through the things that I would hate to lose. Things that would cause me even more anxiety if I didn’t have them. Phone – check! Purse – check! Bank cards – check!
Once I had found these, I could relax a little, but I would worry myself sick until I had heard from a friend that I’d been out with and put myself at ease that what I was fearing in my mind, didn’t happen (mostly!).
After the initial fear had passed, we’d laugh for ages about what we had done. How we couldn’t remember half of it. Trying to piece together the night through bar and bus receipts and random photos on our phones. We’d study the photos, trying to work out where we had been from the wallpaper in the background or anything that might give us a clue to our whereabouts. It became a running joke, we thought we were hilarious.
Binge drinking and blackouts causing anxiety
I have always suffered from blackouts after drinking too much. When I was younger, I didn’t think it was a problem. It’s only now that I realise how bad and dangerous this is.
I assumed that everyone was the same. That everyone didn’t know how they got home. That everyone missed out huge chunks of their night.
The reason I blacked out so much is because I was a binge drinker, drinking as much as I could to get drunk, spending all day/night drinking. I loved the feeling of not being aware of who I was, escaping my problems.
I now know that these blackouts are caused by drinking high quantities of alcohol, which leads to an impairment in the way your brain transfers memories from short-to-long-term memory. Blackouts are linked to binge drinking, but can also occur when people combine certain medications and alcohol.
The last time I had a blackout was about two years ago. I met up with a friend and went to the pub for some drinks. I ended up staying out until the morning. When I got home I stayed in bed for about three days, unable to go outside, worrying about what I had done. Trying to piece together the night.
I couldn’t remember a large chunk of the evening and of course, I had filled in the gaps myself with awful scenarios of what could have been.
Blackouts have been a large factor in my post-drinking anxiety symptoms. The thought of not knowing what I did or where I went after a night of drinking would cause me huge stress. Just having a bad hangover could lead to me spending the whole day with a feeling of utter dread, wanting to hide away from the world. When I was younger I would just get drunk again. It got rid of the anxiety of course!
Feeling anxious the day after drinking alcohol
Feeling anxious the day after drinking alcohol is just the ‘norm’ for me. It is guaranteed. As I’ve got older the effects of alcohol and post-drinking anxiety has become worse and worse, regularly leading to me staying in the next day, even fearful of going outside and having contact with people.
Ever since I can remember I have felt anxious the day after drinking alcohol. I thought it was just par for the course after drinking, – you go out you have fun and then you spend the next day or two recovering.
I would joke to my partner that I was experiencing ‘hangxiety’ (hangover anxiety) again or ‘beer fear’. Making a joke of that fact that I wanted to die inside, that I was fearful of going outside or being in a social situation.
Panic attacks
I’ve only had a few panic attacks, which have been brought on after a night of heavy drinking. Each time I have been really hungover, trying to deal with the feelings of dread and anxious feelings.
The first time it happened I was on a packed train going to work. I was late and I was struggling with the after effects of a night of drinking. I was trying to act like a normal commuter, trying to sit calmly in my seat when inside I was screaming and I had the shakes.
All of sudden I felt an overwhelming urge to be sick and my heart rate started racing. My arms and hands started tingling, a sweat came over me and I started spinning. I didn’t know what to do with myself and one person noticed and offered me their water. Once it had passed I got off the train, confused as to what had happened. This happened another 3 times, always the day after a big night out.
Coping strategies and self-care when drinking alcohol
While I would never condone drinking so much that you feel awful the next day, there are some things that you can do to help yourself. Some of these are methods that I have used are listed below, to varying degrees of success.
Unfortunately, they don’t relieve feelings of anxiety. I’ve found that only goes away once the alcohol has left my system and the only thing that stops anxiety is not drinking in the first place.
- Moderation is key – Set boundaries for yourself and stick to them. Avoid binge drinking.
- Hydrate! – Drink plenty of water if you can in-between glasses of alcohol. It really does make a difference. I have always been pretty rubbish at this, but the times I’ve remembered to drink water have really helped. The main cause of a headache is dehydration. Dehydrated brains are more prone to anxiety and irritability.
- Mindful Drinking: Be aware of why you’re drinking. Are you seeking genuine relaxation or just escaping momentarily?
- Sleep – Get plenty of rest (if you can). Drinking alcohol can interfere with rem sleep so you will most probably feel exhausted. A quick nap can really help.
- Eat something – Eating a nutritious meal can help restore your blood sugar levels and provide your body with the energy it needs to recover. Quite often people crave carbs and fatty food when they are hungover, but I feel that healthy foods: broths, vegetables, yoghurt helps me.
- Pain–relievers – Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and aspirin can help with headaches
- Sport drinks – These can help replace lost electrolytes and rehydrate your body.
- Caffeine – It may seem like a good idea to have a coffee when you wake up feeling tired, but caffeine can further dehydrate your body.
- Physical activity – whilst this might not seem obvious when you feel awful, from past experience it can really help. It flushes out the toxins and although you probably won’t feel 100% straight away, it can definitely give you a clearer mind. Swimming is a good option – there’s something about being in water when you feel anxious which can really calm your thoughts.
In addition, if you’re prone to anxiety or depression, using alcohol to cope may lead to more serious hangover symptoms. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that the more anxiety, depression and stress people reported, the more severe their hangovers were.
This can lead to a vicious cycle in people struggling with alcohol use disorder. After consuming alcohol, especially in excess, they often experience the unpleasant effects of hangovers the next day.
In an attempt to alleviate these uncomfortable symptoms and restore a sense of well-being, they may turn to alcohol once again. This perpetuates a cycle of alcohol use, negative effects the following day, and subsequent alcohol consumption to feel better temporarily.
The journey towards an alcohol free life
Alcohol is a trigger for my anxiety and my life and for these reasons I have decided that the only way forward is to give it up completely. I have the usual fears – I think that I feel that I will be missing out, or my life will be boring without it, which I know isn’t really true. When I think of going through another deliberating day or two of post-drinking anxiety, it puts it into context.
That feeling of dread the day after a night out (or even just after a couple of drinks at home these days!) stays with me long after the high of the evening before. The relaxing glass of wine just isn’t worth it.
I am only starting my journey towards an alcohol free life and I am sure there will be times that it will be tough, when I will want one. It’s been such a huge part of my life for so long. I just have to try to remember why I am living a life of sobriety.
As I’ve got older I’ve realised that I can’t drink the way I used to. I don’t want to either. I am on a journey to become a happier, calmer person, and now that I am a mum I know that alcohol can’t have a place in my life like it used to. Also, to be the best mum that I can and be present in my child’s life.
Books to help quit or reduce alcohol
I’ve read a lot of ‘quit lit‘ books the past couple of years, which have really changed my outlook. These books help people to not feel alone in their feelings and experiences of alcohol management. They feature useful information and stories from the authors on what helped them quit drinking.
Some of the books that I have read that delve into the topics of alcohol, anxiety and recovery are listed below:
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace:
Annie Grace combines science-backed insights with personal experiences, which will make you question your life choices. As a former high-functioning alcoholic, she shares her journey and encourages readers to explore life beyond drinking.
Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker:
We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at work events, lunches, book clubs and weddings. Yet no one ever questions alcohol. In fact, the only thing we ever questioned is why people don’t drink.
I read this book in a day or two, I couldn’t put it down. I finished the book feeling very positive about the future.
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Grey:
This book resonated with me more than anything I’ve ever read. She discusses the blackouts, the embarrassing situations, the drunk tales. The ‘horror’ at not knowing what you did the night before.
She also discusses how it feels to navigate the social scene as a non-drinker. Highly recommend!
These books have been a huge factor in cutting down the amount I drink. As I mentioned, I haven’t given up completely, but I have a restraint that I have never experienced before.
Help for anxiety
Alcohol consumption can have profound effects on mental health, exacerbating symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, eating disorders, ADHD, and other psychiatric conditions. It’s essential for individuals with mental health conditions to be aware of the potential risks associated with alcohol use and to seek support and treatment from qualified healthcare professionals.
There is a lot of professional help available for people who struggle with alcohol abuse and anxiety, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or Anxiety UK. These groups can offer you emotional support, practical advice, and a sense of community. You can also talk to your doctor or a therapist about your situation and explore different treatment options.
Thank you for reading and if you have any questions, please post in the comments!
