It’s Sunday morning and your head is throbbing and your body aching, you slowly wake up (maybe even in a bed that isn’t yours), to see your costume from last night scattered across the room. You turn over and grab your phone only to find 5 missed calls from your best friend, 100+ messages in the group chat and selfies with strangers filling your camera roll. Suddenly your brain starts trying to piece together your broken memory of the night before and replay every interaction you had. This is when the hangxiety begins.
What exactly is hangxiety?
Hangxiety is the term commonly used to describe the feelings of anxiety, dread or unease that can follow a night, or weekend, of drinking. Usually occurring alongside a typical hangover, it can leave you feeling guilty or unusually worried alongside physical symptoms such as nausea or difficulty concentrating.
The scientific understanding of hangxiety is that this feeling is caused by chemical changes in the body that occur after alcohol consumption.
Alcohol affects the brain’s gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor which is what makes you feel more relaxed when drinking, then as you continue to drink more, your brain shuts off glutamate (which is what typically makes you anxious), again increasing calmness.
But once you stop drinking and the alcohol begins to wear off, your body very quickly tries to restore the chemical balance. This is achieved by the brain increasing glutamate levels and reducing the brain’s GABA. Subsequently having the opposite effect as to when you were drinking the night before.
The result? You may find yourself replaying conversations, worrying about things you said or did, or feeling an overwhelming sense of dread without knowing exactly why.
The important thing to remember is that these feelings are real, but they aren’t necessarily an accurate reflection of what actually happened last night.
Hydrate and Refuel
The first port of call when it comes to tackling hangxiety is to tackle the hangover first. It is impossible to feel emotionally stable when you’re feeling physically sick. Get hydrated with some water and eat something, whether you feel hungry or not, refueling your body will help your brain and body.
Rest
After a heavy night, or weekend, out, the easiest and best way to recover is by resting. Whether it’s sleeping for most of the day, or staying horizontal on the sofa doomscrolling or watching a lighthearted movie, keeping your mind quiet and your body still will work wonders.
Debrief
A common symptom of hangxiety is typically that horrible feeling of doom and dread, assuming your friends now hate you after last night’s drunken actions. As common as it is to feel this way, it is typically once again the chemicals in your brain playing tricks on you and it is very unlikely that the people who were as drunk as you last night have paid a second thought to your behaviour. Regardless, it can help to reach out to your friends and ask for a debrief about the weekend. Speaking to people can help you piece together missing parts of the night and equally reassure you of any anxious feelings you may have.
For future reference
Hangxiety unfortunately cannot exactly be completely prevented, however some tips on reducing the likelihood of it happening include:
- Line your stomach – eating carb heavy foods before and during drinking help to slow down the effects of alcohol
- Go at your own pace – know your limits and don’t try to keep up with others
- Sandwich water in between drinks – having something non-alcoholic in between drinks can help soften the blow
- Remember its okay to say no
- Keep consistent – mixing different spirits and drinks, or even mixing alcohol with drugs, can often result in a great hangover, and with it, hangxiety
Halloween may be over, but the overthinking doesn’t always end when the party does. Drink some water, get some rest, speak to a friend and be kind to yourself. You can’t rewind the last weekend and you don’t need to punish yourself for it. One awkward conversation, drink spillage or drunk confession doesn’t define you.
