Get Anxious After Drinking? Blame Hangxiety
By Brianna Lapolla
You wake up feeling like you’ve never had a sip of water in your life, your head is pounding, and you’re not sure why you’re even awake. Then the existential angst kicks in. It’s called hangxiety, the feeling of dread that follows a night of heavy(ish) drinking.
The Fear isn’t just from seeing embarrassing photos on social media of the weird shit you did the night before. The comedown could be due to a disruption in your hormone levels, namely serotonin and cortisol (1, 2).
While you probably know how to cure a physical hangover (no judgment), mental recovery is slightly more complex.
What Is Hangxiety?
Hangxiety—the racing thoughts, excess worry, low energy, and general sense of existential dread— is a symptom of mild alcohol withdrawal after a night of imbibing. But unlike physical hangover symptoms, dehydration is not typically identified as a cause of hangxiety—there appear to be actual neurological factors at play (3).