In Part I of this series, I discussed hangover anxiety - what it is and how it typically manifests. Once you’ve recognized that you’re dealing with hangover anxiety, you’ll likely want to find ways to manage it. One of the challenging things about hangover anxiety is that while you may recognize how debilitating and distressing it can be, you might not be prepared to give up drinking alcohol altogether. So how can you manage the anxiety you feel after drinking alcohol, without having to completely change your lifestyle? In Part II of this series I’ll be discussing strategies that can be used to mitigate and cope with hangover anxiety.

So you’re grappling with hangover anxiety, now what?

Reduce your drinking.
The most effective - and sometimes easiest - course of action is to address your drinking habits. This may not require complete abstinence from alcohol, but will require an honest assessment of the quantity, frequency, and context in which you tend to drink most heavily. We will often work with our clients to better understand instances in which drinking alcohol leads to psychological and emotional distress. We can gather data about these patterns and then work together to problem-solve ways to better manage alcohol use. Skills we might work on in session include how to navigate drinking-heavy situations; communicating a desire to reduce drinking to loved ones, friends, or colleagues; and identifying pleasurable activities that can be incorporated into a person’s life that have less emphasis on alcohol use.

Getting perspective on your perspective.
Oftentimes the thoughts and emotions we have around drinking - including regret, shame, or worry about what transpired while inebriated - are inaccurate or unhelpful. So we want to make sure we are aware of any distorted thoughts that arise and modify them accordingly. Rather than thinking to yourself, “I’m sure I did something awful last night,” and ruminating on that thought, we might encourage speaking to a trusted friend or significant other who was also present, and who can provide honest feedback about your behavior. If that is not possible, or in the event that you did actually do something that you regret in the daylight hours, it is more adaptive to acknowledge “It wasn’t my best night, and at the same time, nothing catastrophic happened.” And if you seriously regret your actions, commit to a change to prevent it from happening again!

Cut yourself some slack and set realistic goals.
When anxiety is high or emotions are dysregulated by the effects of alcohol, it is important to take care of yourself. Putting pressure on yourself to “be productive” and to fight against negative emotions (rather than to observe and accept them as a natural consequence of a substance), will likely be counterproductive. It might be helpful to realistically evaluate your priorities and capabilities on a day when hangover anxiety is high. For example, if you were planning on going for a run, it might make more sense to take a walk instead. Or, if you wanted to get some work done, identify one specific task that feels manageable for you.