Hangxiety

[Ryanf]

Hey guys,

first time posting! Have been having some issues over the past year or so with anxiety Attacks and feeling guilty following a night out. I don’t drink very often, maybe once a month or two, but when I do I regret everything I’ve said/done or feel guilty for drinking and feel ashamed. I know the easy answer is to stop but I’m 25, live a very active lifestyle and would love to be able to have drinks with friends without feeling terrible for days and weeks afterwards. I’ll often get into a good space and then have a big night out and dive into a rut with pretty bad anxiety and depression. Any tips/tricks?

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Ryanf,

I hope it’s okay if I extend a caring welcome to you here. Thanks so much for opening up here. I’m glad you’re reaching out 🙂

I think that I get what you’re saying, and that there are multiple considerations. I feel for you, & I think that I get where you’re coming from. The effects sound like they have been very intense for you...

I feel it’s hard, because on the one hand, you want to be able to drink when you’re out with your friends once/twice each month. But on the other hand, it does sound like the alcohol has a profound & somewhat long lasting effect on you (as it seems to trigger a low mood that can last days to weeks).

So I wonder if maybe it’s about striving some kind of “balance”?I’m not a doctor, so I’m not familiar with the biochemistry side of things. But purely speaking as a forum member, I’m just wondering if the amount that you’re drinking is perhaps a consideration e.g. maybe you could try to limit yourself to fewer drinks each time you’re out with friends.

Also, I would suggest perhaps drinking a glass of water in between each drink to keep the body stay hydrated & help reduce the effects of alcohol. I have also read that eating before, during or after drinking can help. Mind you, I’m not a doctor or nurse, & I’m just speaking as forum member/peer, but I thought that I still wanted to share some of my ideas.

I hope this helps a little, and please don’t hesitate to write in again if you would like to talk some more or ask anything else. There’s no pressure to share more than you want of course. But just know if you want to talk, we will be happy to continue supporting you 🙂

Kind & caring thoughts.

Pepper

[Bri_13]

Hi,

I get the same thing! The day after a big night I often wake up with an overwhelming sense of anxiety and a feeling that I severely embarrased myself the night before.

Alcohol can decrease magnesium levels. Magnesium acts as a muscle and nervous system relaxant so I have a magnesium supplement that I think helps a bit. You can get them from any chemist. Meditation also helps me a little. But I haven't fully worked out how to tackle hangxiety yet or the exact cause.

Hope this helps a little. It's good to know I'm not alone so thanks for the post!

- Bri

[Phoebica]

Hi Ryanf,

I used to feel something similar when I was young (18-23) then I discovered wine! I used to be a vodka/cocktail drinker, then started branching out a bit. Discovered I love white wine, get to a good/happy drunk stage, have fun and at able to gauge my limits on it.

This also coincided with finding my ideal night out too. My friends and I used to drink at home, then head straight for the clubs after 11pm. Another friend and I started going out for dinner and having a bottle of wine, then getting to the clubs about 10 when they were empty and dancing like idiots (& avoiding the cover charge).

My point being, maybe experiment a little and find what works for you?

Good luck.

[Jojo82]

This sounds very familiar to myself at around that age. I've suffered anxiety for most of my life. I used to wake up after a big night out with severe anxiety. I think a person with anxiety needs to be very very careful with alcohol, as alcohol has fantastic short term anti-anxiety effects.

So long story short, my anxiety after a big night out was not anxiety. It was withdrawal from alcohol. I'm not saying that this is what you have, but you need to be careful. I confused this with anxiety and it developed into a severe alcohol dependency. At my lowest point of being on life support in intensive care due to respiratory arrest, due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed.

I find it is a secondary condition brought on by anxiety, but it creeps up on you without you really knowing.

Just be careful and good luck with your journey!