The beer fear is real, but what can you do to avoid hangxiety?
We’ve all woken up from a night out with the worst hangover imaginable, made even worse when combined with unnecessary anxiety and questions as to where we went wrong the night before.
Believe it or not but this is actually a completely normal and real feeling that can happen to anyone. Here are a few reasons as to why a person gets ‘hangxiety’, the scientific reasoning behind it and some home remedies to help you cure your 'hangxiety'.
What actually is Hangxiety?
The term “Hangxiety” originates from the combination of the two words “hangover” and “anxiety”. Which simply put, is just hangover-related anxiety. It is very much real and recognised as a symptom after a night of drinking. Hangxiety can be linked to dehydration, sleep deprivation as well as medication and alcohol intolerance, none of which are good feelings.
Why does it happen?
When drinking, two parts of your brain are affected, Glutamate and Gaba. These two combine to have opposite effects. Gaba tends to make your brain work less actively slowing it down, whilst Glutamate makes it more active. When you drink alcohol, your brain increases the amount of Gaba and decreases the Glutamate, making your brain and actions slower.
The next day your brain attempts to rebalance by taking the slowness from last night and reversing it into this anxious hyperactive state of hangxiety.
@maybemackenzie You were expecting this #hangover #hungover #sunday ♬ Jiggle Jiggle - Duke & Jones & Louis Theroux
Hangover cures and remedies:
- Rehydrate - drink as much water as you can to flush out the alcohol and toxins from your body.
- Fuel your body - eat nutritious meals throughout the day to slowly replenish your body.
If you partied extra hard and are feeling nauseous, eating lighter and smaller meals throughout the day is recommended.
- Rest - reset your body by grounding yourself and sleeping to help alleviate the hangover symptoms.
- Pain medicines - using over-the-counter pain medication such as Ibuprofen, will help to ease the hangover symptoms that make the anxiety worse.
What are your tips for dealing with hangovers and the resulting anxiety? Join our student panel and let us know. You'll get 1000 reward points for signing up.
