If you wake up after a heavy night of drinking with a racing heart and a feeling of dread, you’re not alone.
‘Anxiety’, ‘fear’ or even ‘beer blues’ are commonly used to describe the horrors of overwhelming anxiety after drinking too much alcohol.
While there is no single drink that has been proven to benefit mental health, there are some beverages that experts say are more likely to trigger anxiety than others.
Some not only have higher levels of alcohol, but also contain other chemicals that could increase the risk of symptoms like palpitations, experts say.
‘Anxiety’, ‘fear’ or even ‘beer blues’ are commonly used to describe the horrors of waking up with overwhelming anxiety after drinking too much alcohol.
Lisa Gunn, director of mental health prevention at Nuffield Health, warns that anxiety is a common side effect of drinking too much alcohol.
She told HuffPost UK that although alcohol is a depressant that can initially produce calming sensations, it eventually leads to a “rebound effect,” where anxiety levels skyrocket.
“This is partly because alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters and chemical messengers in the brain,” he explained.
Specifically, the substance interferes with our “fight or flight” response – how we naturally react to danger.
Alcohol can also induce a feeling of panic because it affects GABA, a brain chemical that normally has a relaxing effect.
Rob Hobson, registered dietitian and author of Unprocessed Your Life, explained: “As the alcohol wears off during a hangover, GABA activity decreases, leading to increased excitability and anxiety.”
But Ms Gunn suggests some drinks could be worse than others.
Experts say the higher the percentage of alcohol, the more pronounced the effects of anxiety seem to be.
Alcoholic beverages can cause blood alcohol levels to spike, which “can lead to more pronounced rebound anxiety,” she says.
Cocktails, which often combine spirits with sugar, can also make matters worse, as they can cause blood sugar levels to spike and crash throughout the night, leading to extreme bursts of energy, she adds.
Red wine may be the worst; it is said to contain tyramine and histamines, which can trigger anxiety in those susceptible.
Beer’s lower alcohol content and larger size mean it poses little risk to your mental health the next morning, as long as you drink a small amount.
However, no matter what our drink of choice is, we often become “carefree” when we drink and do things we wouldn’t do when we were sober.
Ms Gunn stresses that if you wake up after periods of alcohol-induced memory loss, you will probably feel a little worried about what might have happened.
She adds that those who suffer from social anxiety beforehand may be more likely to drink to ease their worries when they go out, which is known to make symptoms worse.
Alcohol can also induce a feeling of panic because it affects GABA, a brain chemical that normally has a relaxing effect.
It calms nervous activity associated with reducing anxiety and also inhibits the excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate, further promoting relaxation.
While in small amounts alcohol can stimulate GABA, making you feel relaxed, drinking too much can cause feelings of panic, according to Drink Aware.
Rob Hobson, registered dietitian and author of Unprocessed Your Life, told MailOnline: “As the alcohol wears off during a hangover, GABA activity decreases and glutamate activity picks up, leading to increased excitability and anxiety.”
“Alcohol also temporarily improves mood by increasing serotonin and dopamine, but levels of these drop after drinking, which can contribute to ‘hangover anxiety,'” she added.
Dehydration can also contribute to anxiety. Hobson explains that because alcohol is a diuretic, people can experience dizziness and fatigue from being dehydrated, which contributes to feelings of restlessness and panic.
“Electrolyte imbalance can also be disrupted and this can worsen anxiety symptoms by causing irregular heart rhythm, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed,” he said.
