Hangxiety: Why a Drink to Calm Down Can Leave You More Anxious

Image Credit: Unsplash

The racing heart, the knot in your stomach, the replay of everything you said last night. If you’ve ever woken up after a few drinks feeling not just tired but strangely anxious and on edge, you’re far from alone. It’s so common that it has its own nickname: “hangxiety”. What makes it tricky is that many of us reach for a drink precisely because we feel stressed or anxious in the first place. A glass of wine to switch off after a busy day, a couple of drinks to feel more relaxed at a party. So why does something that seems to calm us down so often leave us feeling worse?

What the experts say

The US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) explains the pattern in its guidance for health professionals. Alcohol may appear to relieve anxiety in the short term, but over time, heavy drinking and repeated withdrawal can make both anxiety and drinking worse. It also notes that anxiety-like symptoms can follow a single heavy drinking episode, even in people who don’t have an anxiety disorder. And it describes how anxiety can increase between drinking episodes, reaching high levels during withdrawal. Closer to home, MindWell, the mental health website for people in Leeds, puts it plainly: some people use alcohol to try to ease their anxiety, lift their mood or help them sleep, but drinking to cope can increase anxiety, bringing sickness, shaking, sweating and panic.

The cycle that keeps it going

It’s easy to see how a pattern can form:

1. You feel stressed or anxious.
2. A drink takes the edge off for a while.
3. The next day, the anxiety returns, often stronger, with tiredness and low mood on top.
4. The quickest way to feel better seems to be another drink.

MindWell adds an important point. Over time, relying on alcohol can make it harder to handle situations without it, until some people come to believe they can’t cope or sleep without a drink.

Why it can feel worse the morning after

Beyond the chemical effects, there are everyday reasons hangxiety bites hard. Many people find their sleep is lighter and more broken after drinking. You may be dehydrated, hungry and short on energy. And if you can’t quite remember what you said or did, your mind is quick to fill in the gaps with worst-case scenarios.

Easing hangxiety in the moment

If you’re already feeling it, a few simple things can help: Be gentle with yourself. Remind yourself that this feeling is partly physical and it will pass. It isn’t a true measure of how things are. Drink water and eat something. Basic care makes a real difference to how your body and mind feel. Get some fresh air. A short walk, even round the block, can steady your breathing and lift your mood. Slow your breathing. Breathe in gently, and let the out-breath be a little longer. Repeat for a few minutes. Avoid the “hair of the dog”. Another drink may seem to help, but it only delays the cycle. Check in with someone. If you’re worried about something from the night before, a quick, honest message to a friend often clears it up faster than overthinking.

Breaking the cycle for good

The best way to avoid hangxiety is to look at how and why you’re drinking: Notice your patterns. MindWell suggests paying attention to how much you drink each week, as regular glasses can add up without you noticing. A simple diary for a couple of weeks can be eye-opening. Spot the triggers. Do you drink more when you’re stressed, bored, tired or socially anxious? Naming the trigger helps you plan a different response. Find other ways to unwind. Exercise, a warm bath, a phone call, a favourite series or an early night can all do the job a drink was doing. Plan alcohol-free days. Several days a week without alcohol give your body and mood a chance to reset. Try lower or no-alcohol options. If the ritual matters, keep it but change what’s in the glass.

When anxiety and drinking are tangled together

For some people, anxiety and drinking feed each other in a way that’s hard to untangle alone. NIAAA reports that among people treated for anxiety disorders, between 20% and 40% also have alcohol use disorder. It also says that stopping drinking often leads to an improvement in mental health symptoms, and that treatment works best when both are addressed together. It’s worth speaking to your GP if:

• You often drink to manage anxiety, stress or sleep
• Your anxiety is worse on the days after drinking
• You’ve tried to cut down and struggled
• You feel shaky, sweaty or panicky when you don’t drink

Anyone who drinks heavily every day should get medical advice before stopping, as withdrawal can be risky. Support comes in many forms, from talking therapies to more structured treatment. Programmes vary from country to country; one Ohio centre in the US, for instance, describes alcohol counselling and other talking therapies as part of its care, alongside detox and outpatient support. In the UK, your GP or local drug and alcohol service can tell you what’s available nearby. Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline, is free on 0300 123 1110. If anxiety ever feels overwhelming, Samaritans can be called free, day or night, on 116 123.

A calmer way forward

Hangxiety is your body and mind telling you something. Listening to it, without shame, can be the first step towards a calmer relationship with both alcohol and your own feelings. You might find that the evenings you skip the drink are the ones that leave you feeling most like yourself the next day.

Sources

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Mental Health Issues: Alcohol Use Disorder and Common Co-occurring Conditions, Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol (last revised 8 May 2025). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/mental-health-issues-alcohol-use-disorder-and-common-co-occurring-conditions
• MindWell Leeds (Forum Central and Leeds City Council). Drink less alcohol (last modified 4 March 2025). https://www.mindwell-leeds.org.uk/myself/looking-after-your-wellbeing/physical-health/drink-less-alcohol/
• Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Drinkline – national alcohol helpline (checked October 2026). https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/getting-help/community-support-near-you-infolink/drinkline-national-alcohol-helpline
• Samaritans. Homepage (116 123, free, day or night; checked October 2026). https://www.samaritans.org
• Arrow Passage Recovery. Alcohol Addiction Treatment (client page; read October 2026). https://www.arrowpassage.com/alcohol-addiction-treatment