Anxiety and Alcohol - No, that Cannot be a Slogan Tee

Hands up if anyone has ever been more worried about the rebound anxiety following a night out then the hangover the morning after?

That's me 85% of the time...

The last couple of months have been spent in lock down for revision, so I've not been too indulgent on the old booze front... I have however noticed a marked increase in my anxiety the day after a night of drinking.

 I have started to take the time to check in with myself more and I'm becoming more aware of my feelings and anxieties. I've also been in therapy and partaking in some more self care over the last couple of months, so maybe I'm able to draw these patterns because I am more in sync with me... who knows?

This increase can be anywhere from an increased heart rate to an higher incidence of panic attacks. I don't know if this change in my mental state is directly influenced by the alcohol from the night before because it doesn't appear to be dose dependent (shout out to the Bradford Hill Criteria).

A few cocktails with friends the other night (2.5 max) made me a total nervous wreck the next day. I had my first panic attack in 3 months and was incredibly on edge for the rest of the day. However 4 pints just left me with a groggy head and sleepy the next day...

Luckily, the effects seem to only last as long as a typical hangover (36 hours tops), so it's not like it is triggering a total relapse into agitated depression (thank fuck....).  It is still a bit of a kick in the teeth for people with anxiety. I can only speak from my experience, but alcohol is my main crutch for dealing with social situations and is used by the majority of my friends to unwind after a tough week.

I feel stuck between a rock and hard place. I want to drink because cocktails and wine are lush, I want to have a good time with friends, and it takes the edge off the social aspect of my generalised anxiety. I also know that if I do drink, I have to deal with the aftershock the next morning (most people get a hangover, which is a pain, but not as stigmatised as having a panic attack on the bus on uni...).

My depression is slightly less affected by drinking (at least in the immediate term,  in the longer term, cause and effect can get a bit blurry). I couldn't find any hard evidence in the medical literature, but anecdotally I feel this is a recognised connection.

If anyone reads this, it would be nice to get some of your experience regarding rebound anxiety.