What to Expect With Your Anxiety When You Quit Drinking
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The central nervous system relies on the balance between glutamate, which stimulates brain activity, and GABA, which slows it down. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to various mental health issues, including anxiety. Anxiety is a natural response to new situations, but excessive worry can become problematic.
Why You Feel Anxious After Drinking Alcohol (Hangxiety)
Drinking alcohol can initially seem to calm anxiety by affecting GABA receptors in the brain. However, over time, the brain adjusts to the presence of alcohol, leading to tolerance. This tolerance can result in an increase in anxiety when not drinking, as the brain works to rebalance its chemistry.
Alcohol also affects heart rate and increases cortisol, the stress hormone, further contributing to anxiety. Regular drinking creates a cycle where anxiety leads to drinking, and drinking temporarily alleviates anxiety. This cycle can be difficult to break, as the brain becomes accustomed to alcohol's presence.
What is PAWS in Sobriety?
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is a long-term healing process that follows acute withdrawal. PAWS symptoms, such as brain fog, irritability, anxiety, and depression, can persist for 6 months to 2 years. These symptoms can trigger us to return to drinking to cope with the symptoms.
Listen to episode 167 to learn more about how quitting drinking affects your anxiety:
FAQs on Anxiety in Sobriety
How do you deal with anxiety when you quit drinking?
Therapy and community with other sober people are great ways to manage your anxiety. It’s important to learn why you are feeling anxious and what your anxiety centers around. If your anxiety is unmanageable in early sobriety and you are struggling to stay sober, then it’s important to discuss this with your doctor. It is okay to need medication to manage your anxiety.
How can I loosen up without alcohol?
Alcohol provides instant gratification and rewards with no effort, so when you don’t drink it can feel like life is very hard. Winding down after work without a drink or getting comfortable in social situations may be difficult in the beginning. I recommend venturing out slowly and not feeling pressured to say yes to everything. Alcohol makes boring things seem fun and it makes us connect with people that we don’t actually have a connection with, so in sobriety you will be more choosey about what activities you want to do and what people you want to spend your time with. That’s ok!
Can quitting alcohol reverse anxiety?
For some, yes. I struggled with alcohol-induced anxiety, so when I quit drinking my anxiety went away. For others, quitting drinking allows you to finally work on your anxiety and learn coping skills. With more time away from alcohol, the brain will adapt back and it will learn how to calm itself down without expecting alcohol to do it.
Cite this article:
Tietz, G. What to Expect With Your Anxiety When You Quit Drinking. Sober Powered. 2023
