An alcoholic beverage is often prescribed as a remedy to settle your nerves, but does alcohol really help alleviate anxiety? Science paints a far different picture about anxiety and alcohol than what you might believe.
“I need a drink.”
Whether said half-joking, or dead-seriously, this phrase usually comes out after something stressful has happened. It could be a bad day at work, an afternoon wrangling cranky kids, an unexpected phone call bearing bad news, or simply waiting for results…pretty much anything that triggers that gnawing sense of anxiety, and an immediate desire to stave it off. You don’t want to find out how long does anxiety last, and you’re willing to try an emotional shortcut in the form of a cocktail.
So you have a drink, or two – or maybe a few more. For a while, the alcohol works as it is intended, making you feel relaxed and sedated. But several hours later, or even when you wake up the next morning, the anxiety is back – and even worse. If you are wondering why drinking makes you feel even more stressed, especially the next day, it is important to better understand the connection between alcohol and anxiety.
Knowing the Nuances of Anxiety
Scientifically speaking, anxiety is an emotion we experience that triggers a stress response. Another word for anxious is worried, which underscores the blend of restlessness and fear that is often felt when we have anxiety. Being anxious causes a physical stress response that can result in a range of effects including:
- Sweating
- Racing pulse
- Nausea or digestive issues
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches or other unexplained pain
- Tremors
- Sleep issues
While anxiety can be a relatively short-term feeling related to a specific event, it can also be a prolonged condition. People living with a type of anxiety disorder may feel on high alert or edgy most of the time, have a feeling of anxious depression, experience panic attacks, or have significant fear or worry over seemingly normal situations. Anxiety disorders are some of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions – in the U.S. alone, around 40 million people are living with an anxiety disorder.
How Alcohol and Anxiety Interact
With alcohol widely understood to be a form of liquid relaxation, it is no wonder that many people turn to it in times of stress, partially answering the question of why do people drink alcohol. When we think of “what does it feel like to be drunk,” we often picture ourselves carefree and having fun. The reality is that alcohol causes a number of chemical changes in the brain that can actually have the opposite effect, which is why feeling good may suddenly pivot to feeling even more anxious, underscoring the relationship between alcohol and anxiety.
What is Hangxiety?
An article penned by the Henry Ford Health staff described hangxiety as an anxious state brought on by alcohol use. When you drink, the “feel-good” neurotransmitters in your brain are increased partially by the ALC chemical found in alcohol. The Ford definition of hangxiety explains it as an effect of the shift in these levels when they drop back down as you regain sobriety.
This link between anxiety and alcohol can make people question if there is a hangxiety cure, or how to stop anxiety after drinking alcohol. You might also wonder how to remove alcohol effect immediately, or how to feel better after drinking.
The reality is that hangxiety is best addressed by reducing or stopping anxiety drinking. Removing alcohol from the equation when you’re already feeling stressed eliminates one of the anxiety causes, giving yourself a better foundation by which to find balance. For those of you questioning whether certain types of liquor are better than others – such as “is tequila a depressant?” – the answer is that all forms of alcohol can result in hangxiety.
Alcohol and Your Sleep Cycle
It’s called a “nightcap” for a reason – we often link drinking to a sound sleep. You might wonder “why does alcohol make me sleepy?” Though studies show that alcohol does allow otherwise healthy people to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more deeply for a period, it also interferes with REM sleep. REM sleep is considered to be a restorative sleep phase, and so missing out on this can make you feel drowsy and unable to focus the next day.
Alcohol’s interference with REM sleep can cause some people to experience waking up with anxiety in the middle of the night, resulting in them asking themselves “Why do I get anxiety at night? And why is my anxiety so bad?” If you’ve consumed alcohol, this is likely the result of anxiety after drinking, and can range from an uneasy feeling in the body to extreme anxiety.
Lack of sleep is also a key contributor to anxiety – who hasn’t felt the effects of a bad night’s sleep on their mood and overall reactions? The more you drink, the less REM sleep you get, and the more anxious you feel the following day.
Alcohol and Your Hormones
Over time regular drinking can negatively impact the glands that release hormones, as well as tissues that are affected by these hormones, which can cause a variety of medical problems that may also contribute to feelings of anxiety. If you’re wondering “why does my period stop when I drink alcohol?” this is related to alcohol’s effects on hormonal pathways.
Alcohol and Your Neurotransmitters
Feeling buzzed or drunk comes from alcohol’s effects on a variety of neurotransmitters in our brains. Alcohol causes a rise in serotonin, a mood booster that makes us feel happy and relaxed. It also causes gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to drop, which accounts for the loss in inhibition that often comes along with a few drinks. As the effects of alcohol wear off, these levels start to go back to normal – but the drop in serotonin can negatively impact your mood, and the rise in GABA can make you feel stressed and anxious, clarifying the link between anxiety and drinking.
Alcohol and the Dreaded Hangover
Your head is spinning, your heart is pounding, you’re shaking after drinking, you are sweaty and nauseous – wait, are you hungover or having an anxiety attack? That is the very question your body is asking when you’re fighting through the ill-effects of last night’s revelry. If you are already inclined to feeling anxious, you are even more likely to feel this way after drinking.
Rethinking Your Relationship with Alcohol
If your go-to method for stress relief is a few drinks, you are conditioning your body to rely on alcohol for relaxation, when in fact it often can exacerbate your anxiety (for further clarification, an exacerbate synonym is “worsen”). The reality is that if you regularly feel anxious after drinking, you probably shouldn’t be drinking. Instead of going straight for a bottle, try a few quick techniques to calm yourself down.
For example, a few easy ways to help immediately quell anxiety are:
- Eat something – low blood sugar can make you feel anxious and irritable. Instead of pouring a cocktail, eat something easily digestible, and follow it up with a healthy meal with lots of protein. If you’re still feeling anxiety after eating, try the following suggestions to help further relieve your stress.
- Take a breath – there are many different types of breathing exercises, but ones like the 3-4-5 method focus on a deep inhale, followed by holding the breath for a short time and then going into a longer exhale. This helps immediately disarm your stress response.
- Go for a walk – if you are able to step out, going for a walk activates a range of stress-relievers, such as exercise and being outdoors. A simple change of scene can do wonders when we need a perspective reset.
- Drink a glass of water – dehydration can actually make symptoms of anxiety worse. Instead of reaching for a cup of coffee or a beer, pour a big glass of water and get hydrated.
For the long-term, you will likely need a more detailed plan of how to identify those and rework your coping mechanisms to shift away from that problematic “drink or two” that leads to anxiety from alcohol. It may seem daunting at first, but there are plenty of benefits to rethinking your relationship with alcohol, including:
- Retraining your brain – right now your brain is conditioned to believe that alcohol is the “medicine” it needs to relieve stress, even if that isn’t how it actually works! Changing this habit forms new pathways in the brain that reroute to healthier alternatives.
- Finding better ways to cope – if a drink is your typical option for stress relief, you are limiting the possibilities for other, effective coping mechanisms that have the added benefit of not making you feel terrible the next day like alcohol anxiety does. The effects of alcohol that make you uncomfortable and uneasy define your general outlook for days, further affecting your ability to bounce back from stress. With all the ways that alcohol exacerbates anxiety, there are definitely other methods to feel better without having to deal with the side effects of alcohol.
- Getting to the root of your anxiety – nothing about drinking helps you uncover what’s really making you feel anxious. By taking alcohol out of the equation and confronting the things that are bothering you, you have the opportunity of addressing your anxiety directly – and overcoming it!
Stepping away from drinking may be harder than you realise, and you might find that quitting drinking isn’t something you can hang up easily. You may need professional support for several months or more to help you make the transition from using alcohol for anxiety relief to practising other methods that successfully alleviate your anxiety. There are many different therapeutic options available to help you successfully integrate new coping mechanisms into your life, and identify and manage the sources of your anxiety.
Learning to Relax at The Dawn Alcohol Rehab in Thailand
At The Dawn Wellness Centre and Rehab Thailand, we understand the pressures and stressors of life that make it easy to lean on alcohol to cope. Our highly personalised, holistic treatment involves exploring and addressing the root causes of your anxiety and alcohol use, while also guiding you through a wide variety of new coping techniques. In addition to a range of modern psychotherapies, we offer activities like yoga, meditation, art therapy, and fitness training to help you find new ways to manage stress and regain your health.
Give us a call today and learn more about your options for real stress-relief at The Dawn.
FAQs
1. What are the long-term effects of using alcohol to cope with anxiety?
Ans: Using alcohol to cope with anxiety can lead to several long-term effects, including alcohol dependence, stunted brain function and development, difficulty thinking in abstract terms, deterioration in visuospatial abilities, and various physical and cognitive impairments. These effects can occur even during periods of sobriety.
2. How can someone with anxiety reduce their reliance on alcohol as a coping mechanism?
Ans: To reduce reliance on alcohol as a coping mechanism for anxiety, individuals can try eating something to stabilise blood sugar, practising breathing exercises like the 3-4-5 method, going for a walk, and drinking water to stay hydrated. For long-term solutions, seeking professional support to retrain the brain to find healthier alternatives, uncover the root of the anxiety and integrate new coping mechanisms into daily life are recommended.
3. What are the signs that someone is developing a dependence on alcohol due to their anxiety?
Ans: Signs of developing a dependence on alcohol due to anxiety include craving alcohol, making excuses for drinking, drinking alone or in secret, prioritising drinking over responsibilities, experiencing blackouts or mood swings, and drinking to calm down.
4. How does alcohol withdrawal contribute to anxiety levels?
Ans: During the protracted abstinence phase of alcohol withdrawal, individuals can experience overwhelming anxiety, which plays a significant role in increasing the risk of relapse. This anxiety perpetuates substance abuse and alcohol use.
5. What are some alternative coping strategies for anxiety that do not involve alcohol?
Ans: Alternative coping strategies for anxiety that do not involve alcohol include practising mindfulness meditation, engaging in regular physical exercise, seeking therapy (such as cognitive-behavioural therapy or dialectical behaviour therapy), and participating in relaxation techniques like yoga or deep breathing exercises. Additionally, building a support system and addressing the root causes of anxiety through professional help can provide long-term relief.
6: Can quitting alcohol cure anxiety?
Ans: Hangxiety is best addressed by reducing or stopping drinking. Removing alcohol from the equation when you’re already feeling stressed eliminates one of the anxiety causes, giving yourself a better foundation by which to find balance. For those of you questioning whether certain types of liquor are better than others, the answer is that all forms of alcohol can result in hangxiety.
7: How do I stop alcohol anxiety?
Ans: If your go-to method for stress relief is a few drinks, you are conditioning your body to rely on alcohol for relaxation, when in fact it often can exacerbate your anxiety. The reality is that if you regularly feel anxious after drinking, you probably shouldn’t be drinking. Instead of going straight for a bottle, try different techniques to calm yourself down.
8: How long after quitting alcohol does anxiety go away?
Ans: Stepping away from drinking may be harder than you realise, and you might find that quitting drinking isn’t something you can give up easily. You may need professional support for several months or more to help you make the transition from using alcohol for anxiety relief to practising other methods that successfully alleviate your anxiety.
9: Does alcohol anxiety last?
Ans: The effects of alcohol that make you uncomfortable and uneasy can define your general outlook for days, further affecting your ability to bounce back from stress. With all the ways that alcohol exacerbates anxiety, there are definitely other methods to feel better without having to deal with the side effects of alcohol.
