Mental health expert explains what type of alcohol gives you the worst hangxiety
Drinking might well be all fun and games until you wake up in the morning and you're left in a panic about your actions from the night before.
If the hangover wasn't already bad enough, and trust me lads they do get worse as you get older, some unfortunate folks are left wondering why, or perhaps even what on earth, they were up to after six beers in the pub.
Whether it's completely failing to flirt with a girl you fancy, spilling your drink all over a mate or the dreaded blackout, we've all done things we don't want to remember after a couple of drinks.
Of course, there's hundreds of health reasons nowadays to stay away from booze entirely, and indeed more and more young people are embracing sobriety as a way of feeling good on Sunday mornings rather than rotting in bed all day.
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However, if you do still enjoy the occasional drink, but want to avoid waking up and being left wondering why you acted the way you did the night before, then a mental health expert has clarified some of the drinks you might want to avoid.
Lisa Gunn, the mental health prevention lead at Nuffield Health, explained that while alcohol is technically a depressant and will initially calm you down after drinking it, it will also create a ‘rebound effect’ later on where it increases your anxiety.
She said: “This is partly because alcohol disrupts the balance of neurotransmitters and chemical messengers in the brain.”
Which type of alcohol will likely cause more hangxiety?
Even though pretty much every type of alcohol is going to lead to some bad choices, the health expert confirmed what we've all been thinking by suggesting that spirits and wine are among the worst for a bad head in the morning.
Gunn shared that drinking spirits can spike your blood alcohol level, which 'can lead to more pronounced rebound anxiety' the next morning.
Red wine is also one of the worst options, unless you're having it with a nice steak, as it causes both tyramine and histamines, which can trigger anxiety.
I'm sorry to say that your favourite sugary cocktails, with the little pineapples on top, are also some of the worst options if you want to avoid feeling rough and spaced out the morning after, as they can spike your blood sugar and blood alcohol levels pretty quickly, leaving you feeling low energy and hungover the next day.
What's the best choice of alcohol if you want to avoid hangxiety?
Fortunately, a good old-fashioned beer is one of the best choices if you want to keep a clear head the next day, so long as you enjoy it in moderation and don't sink like 10 pints in the space of a few hours.
When it comes to hangxiety, if you're already suffering from anxiety and start drinking to help you feel better, then chances are you'll feel even worse when the alcohol leaves your system.
Really, the best way to avoid hangxiety is to drink nothing at all, or just be confident that you didn't do anything too embarrassing after a few cocktails with your colleagues.
Topics: Alcohol, Mental Health, Health
James Moorhouse