The Risks Of Using Alcohol To Relieve Anxiety
Many adults use alcohol responsibly. For some people, this might mean having the occasional nightcap to unwind after a long day or celebratory drinks at a gathering. In these situations, partaking in alcohol is considered socially acceptableeven customary.
However, even limited alcohol use can present problems for some people. In some cases, people who have certain mental health conditions, such as anxiety or panic disorder, might develop an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
Sometimes, people turn to alcohol or other substances to help them cope with symptoms of mental illness.
A review of studies published in 2012 found that anxiety disorders and alcohol use disorders often occur together. There are several proposed explanations for the link, including genetics, a person’s environment, and the brain mechanisms related to addiction and anxiety symptoms. Given the possible connection, it’s not surprising that additional research has shown that treating one condition requires adequately addressing the others.
How To Avoid Feeling Anxious
For some people, the best way to avoid the “hangxiety” may be to avoid alcohol altogether, or at least in large quantities, especially if you typically experience a lot of anxiety when youre not drinking, or have a history of panic disorder or panic attacks.
But at the same time, alcohols ability to reduce anxiety in the moment can be helpful in some situations, such as allowing someone with social anxiety to feel more comfortable socializing:
There are times that alcohol is effective in helping an anxious person feel more comfortable in social settings and uncomfortable situations, yet its not a solution to the cause of the underlying anxiety, says clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly.
“Alcohol use is only a short-term remedy and doesnt address the underlying anxious process, Yusko says. Therefore, alcohol use becomes more necessary to feel better.
Over time, the use of alcohol can become a second problem, or serve as an avoidance behavior that actually maintains an anxiety disorder in the long term, Yusko adds. He doesnt believe all anxious people need to stay away from alcohol completely, but does recommend being careful about using alcohol as a way to cope with anxiety.
Does Alcohol Worsen Anxiety
When people use drinking to deal with stress and panic, they can experience severe consequences even from drinking eventually. Like other frequently abused substances, the combination of alcoholism, hangover, and withdrawal can lead to an increased risk of panic attacks. Consequently, this kind of abuse can result in both alcohol addiction and anxiety and more severe panic disorder attacks.
Drinking is not just bad because it can worsen panic attacks it is the cause for anxiety in many instances too. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, anxiety is a mental health disorder that sometimes occurs as a result of prolonged drinking.
Studies have also been carried out to support this fact, and according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, at least 7% of Americans have anxiety related to alcohol usage.
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New Directions For Women Can Help Ladies Who Are Suffering From Alcoholism
The sure way to avoid the anxiety that is triggered by alcohol is to drastically reduce alcohol consumption or to stop drinking altogether. It does depend on whether or not your anxiety is due to an underlying disorder that youve tried self-medicating with alcohol or if its alcohol-induced. Nonetheless, when an individual quits alcohol or a mind-altering substance, they will become more level-headed and grounded.
Seeking professional treatment for anxiety and AUD can help you prevent the negative feelings and consequences associated with alcohol-induced anxiety and fully take back control of your life. An integrated type of treatment is the most effective to treat co-occurring disorders, such as alcohol use disorder and anxiety. Contact us today to get started.
Alcohol Is A Depressant
One of the times when alcohols impact on mental health is the most obvious is the morning after drinking, especially if you have drunk too much the previous day, whether that has been over a long or short period.
Why is this? Alcohol is a depressant which affects your brains natural level of happiness chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This means that although youll feel an initial boost the night before, the next day you will be deficient in these same chemicals, which may lead to feeling anxious, down or depressed.
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How To Take A Responsible Approach To Drinking
There are a few ways you can minimize the effects of anxiety if you decide to have a couple of drinks. To limit drinking and its effects, try drinking more slowly, alternating alcohol with water and other hydrating beverages, and making sure not to drink on an empty stomach.
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To reduce the chances of being anxious after drinking, if you have no history of an alcohol use disorder, limit yourself to one drink if you are a woman and two drinks if you are a man, Jaffe says.
A big reason why you want to drink in moderation is to keep your blood alcohol level from getting too high. Blood alcohol spikes, often brought about through binge drinking, force your body to work harder to eliminate the toxicity the alcohol introduced to your body, Yusko explains. And the more work your body has to do, the more likely you may be to experience anxiety after the alcohols initial effects wear off.
To learn more about drinking responsibly, check out NIAAAs Rethinking Drinking website, which has tons of helpful information that can help you understand what counts as a standard drink, how to recognize drinking problems, and more.
When To Get Help With Your Drinking
Because of the immediate relaxing effects of alcohol, many people with anxiety and other mental health issues are drawn to alcohol as a way to self-medicate. And while it may offer some short-term relief, alcohol is not an effective long-term strategy for anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health issues. In fact, it can worsen all of these conditions.
Using alcohol to self-medicate is risky. Over time, your tolerance to alcohol increases, which means you need more and more of it to get the experience of ease and relief. Many people with anxiety are also prone to alcohol use disorder .
No matter how much alcohol you consume, if your drinking feels out of control, worries you, or worries those close to you, thats a good enough reason to seek help.
No matter what your circumstances, its never too lateor too earlyto reach out for assistance. There are many different ways to get help with your drinking, which means theres probably at least one thatll work for you. Learn more about alcohol treatment options.
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Your Hangover Can Trigger Anxiety
As your body gets alcohol out of your system, your blood sugar levels drop, which actually stresses your brain out. This can lead to feelings of anxiousness and worry, and can be especially triggering if you have an anxiety disorder.
Lots of people drink to relax and rid themselves of worries or anxiety for a few hours, but if your hangover comes with a hefty dose of anxiousness, you might need to rethink this coping mechanism.
It Messes With Your Brain
Booze can make you feel liberated and joyful, but too much can have the opposite affect on your mood and disposition. Alcohol interferes with the chemicals, or neurotransmitters, in the brain, says Ashley Loeb Blassingame, a certified alcohol and drug counselor and the co-founder of Lionrock, an online substance abuse recovery program.
More pointedly, alcohol can affect our serotonin levels, which are responsible for feelings of happiness and pleasure. “As the alcohol wears off, anxiety increases because the body is responding to it being sedated and, as a result, tries to find equilibrium,” Blassingame says. “The hyperactivity, created by a chemical reaction to being sedated, leads to increased feelings of anxiety and uneasiness.”
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Why Does Alcohol Make You Feel Anxious
When your blood alcohol concentration starts to drop , your brain experiences boomerang-like shifts in the levels of certain chemicals, explains Dr Aparna Iyer, a US-based psychiatrist. Alcohol mimics the effects of GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps people feel less inhibited which is why you might feel extra chilled and gregarious while youre drinking but during the hangover the next day, the effects are reversed, causing anxiety to spike, she adds. The same goes for serotonin .
To make it worse, there is some evidence to suggest that the feeling of hangover shame could be worse for women. The liver plays a key role in regulating your hormones but when you’ve got it working overtime processing the toxins in alcohol, some of the day job falls by the wayside. For us lady folk this means we can end up with a build-up of oestrogen in the system. While the relationship between oestrogen and mood is not clear-cut, research suggests that increased levels contribute to anxiety.
Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of alcohol education charity Drinkaware, adds that ‘feeling shaky or anxious is because of alcohols withdrawal effect on the brain which in turn affects your mood, skin, weight and sleep.’
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers specific definitions for “heavy drinking.” The CDC considers one standard drink to be the equivalent of:
- One 12-ounce bottle of beer
- OR one 5-ounce glass of wine
- OR one 8-ounce bottle of malt liquor
- OR 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor
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How To Manage Anxiety Symptoms After Quitting Drinking Alcohol
- Many people suffer from anxiety after they stop drinking alcohol.
- This anxiety may be directly caused by anxiety or may be the result of pre-existing anxiety.
- Alcohol withdrawal may also cause panic attacks.
- Addressing anxiety is important, as doing so can protect against relapse.
- Long-term stress and anxiety reduction should be considered a part of any treatment plan for decreasing alcohol use and abuse.
How Do You Stop Hangxiety
Unpleasant as hangover anxiety is you, unfortunately, cant simply pull the plug.
Consider trying some natural remedies for anxiety, such as breathing exercises, meditation or engaging in your favourite hobby, to help calm your thoughts, and get as much sleep as you can.
Regularly hydrate, and nourish yourself with consistent and nutritious meals. Avoid caffeine, which has been known to increase feelings of anxiety in some, and definitely dont do a hair-of-the-dog by swigging another alcoholic drink.
If anxiety persists and begins to interfere with the day-to-day living of your life, consult your GP.
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Anxiety And Alcohol Dependence
According to a 2018 study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, the comorbidity is commonly seen between mood/anxiety disorders and substance use disorders. The reason behind these co-occurring conditions is the self-medication hypothesis, which means people suffering from mental disorders commonly misuse substances to relieve the symptoms of mental health conditions. Over time, this practice of self-medication may turn into an independent condition or addiction.
AUD and anxiety disorders do commonly co-occur,â Aaron Sternlicht, LMHC, CASAC, a therapist and co-founder of Family Addiction Specialist in New York, tells WebMD Connect to Care.
âAUD and anxiety disorders are akin to the chicken or the egg dilemma as to which came first. Some individuals with an anxiety disorder may turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism only to develop a dependence on alcohol while others with alcohol dependence may develop anxiety as a result of their alcohol use,â Sternlicht says.
Other Signs Of Alcohol Dependence Include:
- Drinking heavily four days a week or more
- Needing a drink in the morning to feel normal
- Feeling unable to stop drinking
- Drinking five or more alcoholic drinks per day
- Needing to drink at every get-together
Overconsuming alcohol may also lead to a hangover, which is a set of symptoms that can make panic disorder worse. These include:
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Alcohols Effects Are Many And Varied
The first thing to know about alcohol is that it does many things to the body. It really causes profound physical effects across a variety of different systems, explained Dr. Carl Erik Fisher, an addiction psychiatrist at Columbia University. Among other things, it affects the kidneys, immune system, brain, hormones, metabolism and the circulatory system, he said. No wonder consuming it can make us feel weird the next day, even if we dont have that much.
As for post-drinking anxiety in particular, there could be a few causes. First, alcohol mimics a calming brain chemical called GABA, which is one reason why drinking often makes us feel relaxed. Afterward, however, the body fights to return its chemistry to normal, reducing calming GABA activity and increasing the activity of an excitatory chemical called glutamate, which has the opposite effect, making us feel restless and excited, said Dr. Ellen Vora, a psychiatrist in Manhattan who wrote a book about anxiety.
Also, alcoholic drinks such as mixed cocktails can contain lots of sugar, and after we metabolize it, we can experience a blood sugar crash, Dr. Vora said. In response, the body releases stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline, which induce the liver to release glycogen and normalize blood sugar levels.
Be Aware Of Mixing Anxiety Medications And Alcohol
If you take medication for anxiety, or you take anti-inflammatory drugs or narcotics, drinking can cause problems with anxiety. You can become agitated and jittery because your body is busy processing the alcohol, which neutralizes the effect of these medications.
Its important to pay close attention to the labels on your drug bottles and not to drink alcohol if you read a warning
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Does Alcohol Cause Anxiety
Drinking changes the brain. After the euphoric effects of alcohol fade, serotonin levels drop. This causes people to feel anxious or depressed the day after heavy drinking.
Alcohol use reduces blood-sugar levels, causing people to experience irritability, dizziness and weakness. Drinking alcohol can also result in dehydration, fatigue, nausea and heart palpitations. Heart palpitations are a common outcome of anxiety.
Ways to reduce anxiety without drinking include:
- Limit use of caffeinated products
- Try to get six to eight hours of sleep each night
- Do not skip meals
- Engage in hobbies, such as listening to music, each day
- Undertake relaxation techniques, such as yoga
Drinking heavily can cause people to perform volatile actions that they would not normally engage in or may result in a blackout. This can induce stress the next morning especially for those who do not remember what happened the night before.
Long-term heavy drinkers are particularly vulnerable to developing an anxiety disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Heavy alcohol use can also lead to other mental health disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder and bulimia.
People who rely on alcohol to combat anxiety can develop alcoholism. People with alcohol addiction who suddenly stop drinking can experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms, such as sweating, nausea and seizures. These effects can exacerbate their anxiety.
Drinking Alcohol Raises Your Risk Of Mouth Throat Larynx And Oesophagus Cancer
Many people know that drinking alcohol can raise your risk of cancers like liver, breast and bowel cancer. But it can also increase your chances of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx or oesophagus.
Ethanol, which is what alcohol is made of, isnt carcinogenic in itself, but when your body metabolises it, it turns into acetaldehyde, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists as a Group 1 carcinogen to humans.
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Why Do I Have Anxiety After Drinking
Drinking too much too often can be harmful for you in varied ways. It can also lead to feelings of anxiety and guilt. If you need help to quit drinking, contact a licensed professional counselor at BetterHelp today.
You were the life and soul of the party last night. You knew you were drinking too much, but why stop when you’re having such a good time? You even said that you’d pay for it in the morning, but you’d worry about that tomorrow, and you poured your sixth glass of wine.
The morning has come, and your own words prove to be true: you are paying the price for drinking too much.
You feel anxious and ashamed. You’re filled with guilt and worry about what you said and what you did. You can’t remember parts of the party – pieces are missing. You’re embarrassed.
You feel like hell.
You have hangxiety. It’s a real word. The Urban Dictionary defines it as: “The feeling of overwhelming guilt, stress, and worry the day after a drinking binge. Hang-over Anxiety. Hangxiety!”
Chemical Changes In The Brain That Cause Anxiety After Drinking
A rush of the feel-good hormone, dopamine, is released into the reward center of your brain while drinking alcohol. It’s the same feeling that you get when you fall in love or win big at the casino you feel great.
Unfortunately, an alcohol buzz doesn’t last long. When you stop drinking, the dopamine level in your brain decreases and the mood hormone, serotonin, is suppressed. That’s why you feel anxiety and guilt after drinking.
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How Alcohol Can Cause Anxiety And Why You Shouldnt Treat Anxiety With Alcohol
For some people, your anxiety actually comes before alcohol. About 3.1% of the U.S. population is affected by generalized anxiety disorder, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. If youre feeling nervous about being in a social setting, you may pour yourself a glass of wine to self-regulate any stress.
It makes sense why people reach for a drink as a stress reliever. As alcohol is a sedative and depressant, it can relieve feelings of fear and anxiety in the moment. But after the alcohol wears off, you can start to feel your anxiety come back even stronger. This can become a cycle where you become dependent on alcohol.
If your body becomes used to consuming alcohol as a coping mechanism, you may experience symptoms of withdrawal when youre not drinking. This included increased anxiety, as well as:
- Your heart rate rising above 100 beats per minute.
- Experiencing hallucinations.
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