Hangxiety. Booze blues. Beer fear. These terms describe feelings of shame, guilt, or worry that can emerge after a night of drinking. While hangover anxiety — or “hangxiety” — may not be a diagnosed medical condition, it can significantly affect a person’s quality of life. But what causes it?
Many aspects of hangovers, including dehydration and lack of sleep, have the ability to trigger or intensify feelings of anxiousness. Large volumes of alcohol also trigger potentially harmful activity in the body’s immune and stress response systems, Craig Gunn (opens in new tab), a lecturer and researcher in the School of Psychological Science at the University of Bristol in England, told Live Science.
“There is an increase in proinflammatory cytokines [a class of inflammatory molecules] and cortisol [stress hormone] levels,” he said. “In addition, the physiological effects of a hangover, such as an increased heart rate, can mimic those seen during anxiety. Together, these could lead to increased feelings of anxiety for certain individuals.”
However, Gunn said that hangxiety is estimated to only affect around 12% of individuals who drink alcohol, and why some people have different symptoms to others is not well understood.
Hangxiety and the brain
According to a 2019 article published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism (opens in new tab), the mild euphoria we experience after drinking alcohol is caused by temporary changes to our chemical messengers in the brain, called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters play a major role in regulating our mood, and after they initially generate euphoria, sudden changes to their levels may be a major trigger for later symptoms of hangxiety.
ALCOHOL GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT
Dr. David Nutt (opens in new tab), head of the neuropsychopharmacology unit at Imperial College London in England, told Live Science how hangovers can impact our mood.
“At first, alcohol elevates the GABA system — the brain’s natural calming neurotransmitter — and this leads to its relaxing and sociability effects,” Nutt said. “Then, at higher doses, it blocks another neurotransmitter called glutamate. Glutamate has opposite effects to GABA; it excites the brain and lays down memories. Blocking it leads to sedation and amnesia.”
According to Nutt, the brain tries to compensate for these effects by decreasing GABA production and increasing glutamate production. Once the alcohol has left the body, the brain is left overactive and this can cause…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Livescience…