Categories: Health

What Is Hangxiety?

“Hangxiety” is a term used to explain a sense of nervousness or unease after drinking alcohol. Usually, these symptoms of irritability or a way of apprehension begin about eight to 12 hours after drinking, as the results of alcohol wear off.

Sometimes, people feel anxious while drunk, which might manifest as feelings of suspicion or anger. This article will explain what hangxiety seems like, recognize it in yourself or another person, prevent it, and what to do when hangxiety happens.

Roos Koole / Getty Imges


What Does Hangxiety Feel Like?

Hangxiety can last for several hours or longer. It may cause a wide range of feelings and associated actions.

You might feel or act in the next ways:

  • Irritated by noises, shiny lights, or by other people
  • Impatient if you’re attempting to do easy things, equivalent to unlocking a door or making a phone call
  • Troubled by difficulty concentrating and focusing
  • Suspicious
  • Agitated
  • Fearful that something could go incorrect, even for those who can’t determine exactly what you might be afraid of
  • Reckless
  • Angry and lash out at others

In some situations, hangxiety can feel like a panic attack, with symptoms of shortness of breath, sweating, and shaking.

What Causes Hangxiety?

Hangxiety is one in every of the symptoms of a hangover. A mix of the toxic effects of alcohol and the withdrawal from the results of alcohol causes a hangover.

As the results of alcohol begin to wear off, you’ll experience a wide range of unpleasant symptoms. Common hangover symptoms include:

  • Headache
  • Sadness
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Shakiness

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur because the body adjusts to a sudden decline within the chemicals which can be components of alcohol. Additionally, as alcohol is broken down and faraway from the body, certain chemical toxins produce inflammation and oxidative stress.

Drinking a considerable amount of alcohol is more more likely to cause withdrawal effects. The effects can vary amongst individuals, as some people metabolize the byproducts of alcohol more efficiently than others.

Health issues equivalent to kidney disease or liver disease could make you more liable to adversarial effects of alcohol and more severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

It is difficult to predict whether you or another person will experience anxiety after an episode of drinking or during a hangover. Some studies suggest that folks who’ve underlying depression or anxiety disorders is perhaps more more likely to experience anxiety during hangovers. However, these results are inconsistent, and other aspects could also be involved.

What Should I Do When I Feel Hangxiety?

Having hangxiety or being with someone going through it may well be very distressing to everyone involved. There aren’t any definite cures or ways to eliminate hangxiety symptoms, except with time, but there are methods that you could cope.

Some of the ways of managing hangxiety are the identical because the strategies for combating a hangover, but there are also additional things you’ll be able to be mindful to specifically tackle your anxiety feelings.

It can assist to do the next:

Recognizing the symptoms and understanding that they’re the results of alcohol use and withdrawal can provide some sense of assurance that the symptoms will wear off after a number of hours.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If the symptoms of a hangover or hangxiety are severe—or for those who are having shaking, tremors, a fever, changes in consciousness, or seizures—get prompt medical attention.

If you or someone you understand is combating excessive alcohol use, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

How Can I Prevent Hangxiety?

Preventing hangxiety requires a level of insight into your individual emotions. If you’ve got anxiety or depression, drinking can exacerbate that. You may experience anxiety-related emotions while drunk and/or as the results of alcohol begin to wear off.

If you’ve had episodes of hangxiety, the very best option to prevent it from happening again is to avoid alcohol. Getting skilled help for managing anxiety and depression can even substantially improve your quality of life.

Even for those who’re not liable to anxiety or depression, you’ll be able to take measures to forestall hangxiety from happening, including:

  • Staying adequately hydrated if you drink alcohol
  • Not drinking alcohol on an empty stomach
  • Drinking only moderately

Some adults can safely tolerate two or three alcoholic beverages when consumed with food, but many cannot tolerate multiple drink.

Some healthy adults can turn into sick from consuming even a small amount of alcohol. Knowing your limits is a key think about stopping hangovers and symptoms of hysteria during a hangover.

How Can I Get Help?

If you discover that you just’re experiencing unpleasant effects during or after drinking alcohol, consider not drinking in any respect. If you’re at a degree at which you’ve got turn into so depending on alcohol that you just are unable to diminish your consumption—even in light of those unpleasant effects—then it’s vital to get skilled help.

You should make an appointment to see a healthcare provider or mental health skilled who can assess your mental health and diagnose underlying conditions equivalent to depression or anxiety that may predispose you to hangxiety.

Additionally, discuss your use of alcohol with a healthcare provider or mental health skilled who can screen you for alcohol use disorder and help guide you to appropriate treatment. Many people recuperate from alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder with proper medical supervision.

Summary

Hangxiety is anxiety that’s related to alcohol withdrawal. In general, alcohol causes people to turn into less aware of their surroundings, and sometimes reduces anxiety. Withdrawal from the results of alcohol may result in increased anxiety that may last for hours or longer.

Getting rid of hangxiety involves resting, avoiding anxiety-provoking challenges throughout the episode, staying with a supportive person, getting something to eat, and staying hydrated.

If you’re experiencing recurring episodes of hangxiety if you drink alcohol, it may very well be an indication that you’ve got an underlying mental health condition or alcohol use disorder.

It’s vital that you just discuss with a healthcare provider or mental health skilled who can guide you by providing you with a diagnosis, treatment plan, and direction for support during your recovery.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts inside our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  2. Benson S, Ayre E, Garrisson H, Wetherell MA, Verster JC, Scholey A. Alcohol hangover and multitasking: effects on mood, cognitive performance, stress reactivity, and perceived effort. J Clin Med. 2020;9(4):1154. doi:10.3390/jcm9041154

  3. Terpstra C, Verster JC, Scholey A, Benson S. Associations between mental resilience, mood, coping, personality, and hangover severity. J Clin Med. 2022;11(8):2240. doi:10.3390/jcm11082240

  4. Palmer E, Tyacke R, Sastre M, Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt D, Ward RJ. Alcohol hangover: underlying biochemical, inflammatory and neurochemical mechanisms. Alcohol Alcohol. 2019;54(3):196-203. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agz016

  5. Mackus M, Loo AJV, Garssen J, Kraneveld AD, Scholey A, Verster JC. The role of alcohol metabolism within the pathology of alcohol hangover. J Clin Med. 2020;9(11):3421. doi:10.3390/jcm9113421

  6. Tellez-Monnery K, Berghoff CR, McDermott MJ. Investigating the results of emotion dysregulation and repetitive negative pondering on alcohol hangover anxiety and depression. Addict Behav. 2023;140:107619. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107619

  7. Eriksson CJP, Metsälä M, Möykynen T, et al. L-cysteine containing vitamin complement which prevents or alleviates alcohol-related hangover symptoms: Nausea, headache, stress and anxiety. Alcohol Alcohol. 2020;55(6):660-666. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaa082

By Heidi Moawad, MD

Dr. Moawad is a neurologist and expert in brain health. She usually writes and edits health content for medical books and publications.

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