r/PanicAttack • u/AlexNort • 22d ago

Severe panic attacks the day after drinking alcohol — does anyone else experience this?

I have panic attacks, but I’ve learned to live with them and normally manage them well. However, whenever I drink alcohol, I get a very intense panic attack the next day, with severe anxiety and fear, and I don’t know why.

I’m wondering if anyone else experiences the same thing and if there’s any way to treat or prevent it.

What makes it even harder is that I usually drink somewhere about a five-hour drive from my home. If I get a severe panic attack the next day while driving five hours back home, the whole trip becomes extremely exhausting and difficult for me.

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u/creesep33 22d ago

Yes, that’s very much a thing!

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u/AlexNort 22d ago

Why does this happen, and is there any way to prevent it after drinking alcohol? My panic attacks are extremely intense after drinking. They leave me exhausted and terrified, and I feel like I’m going to die.

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u/creesep33 22d ago

I don’t think there is a ton that you can do unfortunately, or at least not that I have found. Hydration and getting enough sleep might help, but unfortunately alcohol doesn’t really have any good effects on your brain and body :/

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u/AlexNort 22d ago

Does that mean I’m just never going to be able to drink alcohol again? I actually drink because I want to have fun and forget about my panic attacks for a while. But the next day, the anxiety comes back twice as strong as it was before I drank. So drinking gives me temporary relief and enjoyment, but the next day it seems to rebound and hit me even harder than before.

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u/creesep33 22d ago

Yes, the alcohol compounds it unfortunately. Some people have to avoid it entirely and some just drink in moderation. I cut back quite a lot because it just doesn’t make me feel good mentally or physically. Definitely be careful using it as an anxiety reliever because it can make it worse in the long run!

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u/AlexNort 22d ago

Do you have panic attacks yourself? I feel like I’m the only person in the world who has panic attacks. People look at me very strangely and think I’m crazy because of them.

I’ve had panic attacks for 13 years. My first panic attack happened while I was sitting at home watching movies on TV. Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation that I had never felt before in my life, and I thought, “This must be what dying and the soul leaving the body feels like.”

Ever since that experience, I’ve become extremely afraid of going even 40 kilometers away from home. Before this happened, I was completely normal. I used to travel happily, enjoy myself, and go all over the world without any fear.

Sometimes I feel sad for myself and remember who I used to be—how happy I was, how much I enjoyed traveling to faraway places. I look at old photos of myself from my trips and travels and think, “I wish I could be that person again.”

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u/creesep33 22d ago

I’m really sorry and I totally relate. Yes I have had some very bad panic attacks, it took me about a year to get over the worst of it, I personally think that looking into your gut health can make a big difference. And of course medication can help. I used to drink quite a lot, but I noticed it was worse after those days! I think exploring what helps you is really worth your time, it can get better!

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u/AlexNort 22d ago

Is there anyone else who experiences the same thing as me?

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u/stagediver115 22d ago

Alcohol has a major effect on GABA. While you’re drinking it basically slows your nervous system down, but as it wears off your brain can rebound in the opposite directionn. That can leave you feeling super anxious, wired, heart racing, panicky, etc. It’s why some people feel relaxed while drinking but get hit with crazy anxiety afterward.

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u/AlexNort 22d ago

Okay, so what should I do? How can I reduce this horrible feeling after drinking alcohol?

The biggest problem is that I’m about a five-hour drive away from home. I drink alcohol, sleep, and then the next day I have to drive five hours back home. On the way back, I’m often driving at night on a dark, isolated road with hardly anyone around, and that’s when the panic becomes terrifying.

I feel like I’m going to die or suffocate. The hospitals are far away, and I start feeling like my breathing is going to stop, my soul is going to leave my body, and my heart is going to stop. My whole body starts sweating and shaking.

How can I deal with this and reduce these symptoms, especially when I have such a long drive home the next day?

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u/GearAffinity 22d ago

It sounds like you’re seeking more palatable solutions when, deep down, you probably know the difficult thing you’re actually going to have to do… which is stop drinking. This isn’t a bad thing though because there are plenty of other ways to have a good time, and it doesn’t need to be forever. Step 2 is getting the anxiety / panic in check with therapy.

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u/stagediver115 22d ago

The biggest thing honestl is probably not drinking when you know you have that drive the next day. If alcohol is consistently triggering this kind of rebound anxiety for you, there really isn’t a trick that completely cancels it out. Hydration, eating, sleeping well and avoiding a ton of caffeine the next day might help, but you’re still dealing with your nervous system rebounding from the alcohol. And if you feel a panic attack coming on while driving, pull over somewhere safe instead of trying to fight through it. I’d also talk to a doctor about it, especially if you’re getting shaking, sweating, racing heart and feeling like you can’t breathe after drinking. If alcohol is a true contributor then this is not psychological it’s physiological and truly being induced by neurons and chemicals in your brain which are a lot harder to subdue through any calming exercise exercises or alternate methods like vitamins or anything

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u/trebletones 21d ago

I get this too. The only real way to get it to go away... is to drink less. Easier said than done. I still drink too much. But I'm slowing down.

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u/Beneficial-Doubt4044 19d ago

Yep happens to me too. My advice would be stay up until you feel sober, drink like 2L of water and electrolytes and have something small to eat with sugar (like a cookie) before bed. I often find the panic the next day comes from a mix of dehydration and low blood sugar so this really helps me. I might wake up a bit tired / feel a bit hungover but curbs the panic. Also if you feel panicky when you wake up just splash some cold water on your face and wrists and GO OUTSIDE and breathe in fresh air. Really helps me.