Hangxiety is a relatively new term coined to express the anxiety some people experience after drinking alcohol. Anxiety associated with the thought of developing a hangover can persist for a few hours, typically until blood alcohol concentration returns to baseline levels.

CAUSES OF ANXIETY

Social anxiety; drink or two helps you relax and cope with nervous or anxious feelings before (or during) a social event. But as the effects of alcohol begin to wear off, anxiety tends to return. Physical hangover symptoms can add to anxiety and make you feel even worse.

Alcohol detox; Whether you have one drink or five, your body eventually has to process the alcohol out of your system. During this time, you might feel restless, anxious, nervous, or jittery, just as you might if you were dealing with more severe alcohol withdrawal.

Emotional withdrawal; drinking alcohol may seem to help numb any physical or emotional pain you’re feeling. But it won’t make it go away.

Dehydration; drinking tends to make people urinate more than usual. Plus, despite your best efforts, you probably don’t drink as much water as you should when you’re drinking. The combination of these two factors can lead to dehydration.

Folic acid deficiency; Alcohol can also cause your folic acid levels to dip, which could explain why you don’t quite feel like yourself the next day.

Medication use; Certain medications, including some anxiety and anti-inflammatory medications, may interact with alcohol. Your medications may be less effective, and you may feel anxious, restless, or agitated.

Regret or worry; After drinking alcohol When you remember (or try to remember) what happened the next day, you might feel embarrassment or a sting of regret.

Poor sleep; Alcohol use can affect your sleep, even if you don’t drink much. Even if you’ve gotten plenty of sleep, it probably wasn’t of the best quality, which can leave you feeling a bit off.