Panic attacks with a hangover: causes and how to eliminate them

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• Causes of panic attacks
• Symptoms of occurrence
• Physical manifestations
• Treatment of panic attacks
• Aids
• Medications
• Sport as treatment

Panic attacks and alcohol - these factors are not at all inextricably linked. In some people, this condition is a consequence of taking minimal doses of alcohol (no more than 30 grams per day). This amount is considered by many people to be a simple antidepressant, due to its ability to stop the release of the anxiety hormone - adrenaline. But on the other hand, such a dose is poison, as it causes mental problems, provoking a conflict between the conscious and subconscious “I” of a person.

What are panic attacks

Panic attacks are a very scary psychological disease in which uncontrollable panic attacks occur without any particular reason.
But many people who suffer from such disorders do not really understand that this panic can be controlled and treated. People often have a very difficult time when such disorders arise, but they do not turn to specialists who are ready to provide them with some help. There are quite a lot of reasons here. One of these reasons is the lack of special information about such a disease.

Many people think that panic attacks cannot be cured or, on the contrary, are afraid that treatment by a psychiatrist will negatively affect their social status. Some try to get rid of this disease at home. But few people know the true nature of panic attacks.

Treatment of alcoholism with increased anxiety

If panic attacks or anxiety associated with drinking alcohol occur, the patient's condition will continue to worsen. Medicines only relieve symptoms, but do not treat the cause of their occurrence. To recover, a person must consult a specialist and undergo treatment for alcohol addiction.

Treatment of alcohol addiction includes the following steps:

1. Detoxification. Cleansing the body of ethanol breakdown products.
2. Medical and social rehabilitation. Drug therapy aimed at restoring physical health and reducing cravings for alcohol.
3. Social and psychological rehabilitation. Specialists help the patient learn to live without alcohol, form healthy ambitions and goals for life.
4. Social adaptation. Consolidating motivation to maintain a sober lifestyle, preventing relapses and breakdowns, as well as helping to restore a person’s social status.

If you or a loved one suffers from increased anxiety due to alcohol intake, then you need to completely give up alcohol. Call the AlcoZdrav help center hotline at 8-800-775-32-63 and sign up for your first free consultation with a specialist.

Causes and factors in the formation of a panic attack

Such attacks appear as a result of vegetative-vascular dystonia. Or similar attacks can occur after stressful situations that have happened to a person.

A panic attack can be triggered by taking certain medications or stimulants, ranging from caffeine to strong central nervous system stimulants. And finally, panic disorder may be one of the manifestations of depression.

Causes of anxiety and depression

The main reason for the occurrence of these phenomena is a violation of the proper functioning of the brain due to its poisoning by the metabolic products of ethyl alcohol. The nervous system suffers similarly.

Even a small dose of alcohol can lead to a state of apathy. Alcoholic drinks stimulate disruption of the production and transport of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that are responsible for the emotional state. Their imbalance occurs in the body and a state of depression or anxiety occurs.

Photo by Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

If we talk about chronic alcoholism, then the reasons are broader. There is a decrease in brain volume, organic disorders appear and neurons are damaged. This leads to personality degradation, a decrease in human cognitive functions, and behavior becomes unpredictable.

It is worth noting that anxiety and depression will certainly appear as a result of alcohol consumption if they are observed in a sober state. That is, after the party there will be an unpleasant exacerbation of these disorders. This will definitely happen, because despite the fact that euphoria and relaxation appear when drinking alcohol, it has long been known that these drinks are depressants.

What does a seizure look like?

A panic attack is a rather sharp attack of fear, which can be characterized by completely different symptoms until the deterioration of well-being. Attacks occur very unexpectedly, and under the most normal conditions for a person. That is, in order for a panic attack to occur, there is no need to go to any special place. This situation can make a person’s condition much worse, and the person often begins to feel as if he is defenseless against any attack. During such an attack, a person may begin to choke, experience sudden movements, and be nervous. He constantly worries that this attack will return to him again.

How to quickly eliminate an attack

The following rules will help you cope with this attack:

Correct breathing and its normalization

When a person feels fear, his breathing becomes faster and more oxygen enters the blood. The gas balance becomes disturbed, which can lead to hyperventilation.

The person feels like he doesn't have enough air. But during panic attacks, on the contrary, the oxygen content increases by about 40%. Here the main task will be to make the oxygen supply much smaller. In this case, the person needs to use the bag to breathe into it. Thus, reducing the flow of air into the body. It is worth breathing into it until the person’s condition returns to normal. But if it so happens that the package is not nearby, then you can simply press your palm tightly to your mouth and nose and breathe while doing so.

Businessman holding paper bag over mouth as if having a panic attack

Activating your senses will also help.

When we give the brain certain information from different organs of perception. There is a way to switch the brain to process this signal so that the fear disappears on its own.

In this case, a much simpler option would be to use the sense of touch. For example, if you feel panic overtaking you again, just pinch yourself. You can also wear an elastic band on your arm. And in the event that PA overwhelms you again, pull back this rubber band to get a click and a sign that the brain needs to switch from this fear to something more pleasant. Washing with cold water can also help in this situation.

It is important to control your movements

During experiences, a person may experience repetitive movements that he makes completely unconsciously, and may even experience numbness. This reaction will definitely not allow the patient to get out of this state.

It is important to return control to the body. To do this, it is necessary to focus your attention on the muscles of the legs and arms, and also gradually make your movements smooth.

Another way is to try to switch your attention from the internal to the external environment.

Often experiencing panic attacks, a person can withdraw within himself, and then various symptoms begin to appear. The fear begins to become stronger. But if the brain can focus on something outside, then it will become much easier for the patient. For example, start counting cars on the street or people passing by. There can really be a lot of ways. You can also call a friend or even chat with a stranger.

Aids

The following are well suited as aids to help reduce the power of attacks:

• Taking vitamin-mineral complexes (injections of vitamins B and C),
• Accelerating the removal of alcohol breakdown products from the body - taking sufficient quantities of water, juices, fruit drinks, etc.
• Breathing exercises.
• Any water procedures, including contrast showers.

This list can be supplemented independently by including everything that can evoke positive emotions in a person and reduce the level of anxiety. You can't try to reduce anxiety by drinking alcohol. This will only increase the attack.

Help from a psychotherapist during attacks

To eliminate such panic attacks, psychotherapy is divided into:

• Directive - one that really requires the presence of a leader or simply a guide.
• Psychotherapy can also be non-directive - which is used when working with educated people.

In psychotherapy, specialists begin to analyze in detail the situation of anxiety. They also help to sort out all situations so that the patient can cope with them independently. He just has to show that he can get rid of any panic attack. Everything is in his hands.

And also in the process of all psychotherapy, it is quite important that there is interpersonal contact between the patient and the doctor.

Data

· A person can feel severe anxiety and fear either immediately after drinking a large dose of alcohol or several days after the last drink.
· Anxiety, fear, anxiety, and panic often occur in an addicted person due to the abolition of alcohol consumption.

· Anxiety leads to insomnia, which aggravates the patient’s psycho-emotional state and, without receiving professional help, provokes an increase in the dose of alcohol consumed.

· Against the background of panic and lack of sleep, the risk of epileptic seizures .

Taking medications

Of course, we have already mentioned that panic attacks can also be treated with various medications.

This type of treatment often requires that the patient begins treatment only on the recommendation of a doctor. And nothing else.

Drugs that help relieve a patient from panic attacks can be divided into 5 general groups:

• Sedatives;
• Anxiolytics;
• Antidepressants;
• Neuroleptic drugs;
• Nootropics.

Breathing exercises during an attack

You can get rid of a panic attack using diaphragmatic breathing.

This exercise is performed according to the following algorithm:

You need to relax thoroughly and start breathing through the diaphragm. To do this, you need to place your hand on your stomach in order to fully begin to control the entire process. It is worth inhaling air for 3-4 counts, and holding it for approximately 2 counts. And you need to exhale air in approximately 6 counts, and rather slowly.

It is also necessary to focus on relaxing the body, while it is important to leave all thoughts alone. It is also important to repeat this pace for 10-15 minutes.

This exercise can be performed in addition to home, also on the street, in a store or in any other place.

Mental components of hangover anxiety

Why can a person develop feelings of anxiety after drinking alcohol? psychological may come into play . Fear can intensify if a person tries to solve the problems of ordinary life with the help of alcohol or drinks to escape from them.

But alcohol will not help solve problems. On the contrary, the neglected situation will only worsen. Plus, a person will experience fear from a hangover and panic if he remembers his problems.

Application of auto-training

In a short time you can get rid of panic attacks using auto-training. Auto-training will help the patient feel safe; it will also be possible to convince him that nothing is happening around him and there is no reason to worry.

Autotraining operates on the principle of hypnosis, helping a person to suggest what he needs to understand. So, thanks to auto-training, you can get a positive result from this procedure and, finally, get rid of harmful panic attacks.

Symptoms

Panic attacks caused by alcohol initially do not manifest themselves in any way. Everything inside a person is boiling. The patient does not know where to go to relieve the condition. While physical pain can be relieved with medications, there is no way to cope .

Such attacks can be observed in people of a certain type:

• those suffering from hypochondria, afraid of injury, illness and infection,
• prone to hysteria
• suffering from obsessive ideas
• epileptics.

The possibility of an attack is higher in people who have congenital or acquired diseases of the heart and blood vessels as a result of drunkenness. Alcohol causes an increased fear of death . Everything goes in a circle: fear causes the synthesis of catecholamine, which leads to an attack.

Systematic alcohol abuse is the cause of pathologies of the endocrine apparatus. Adrenal tumors, thyrotoxicosis and alcohol abuse stimulate the release of adrenaline, which causes a panic attack.

Drinking alcohol causes abnormalities in the functioning of some internal organs, increases phobias, aggravates mental illnesses and depressive states. The short-term pleasure from drinking alcohol is replaced by:

• apathy,
• withdrawal into oneself,
• anxious observation of the inner world,
• fears of developing alarming symptoms.

Can you drink alcohol during panic attacks?

Of course, alcohol can help get rid of the fear of a panic attack, but it can only drown out this fear for a while, and will not completely get rid of this problem. Therefore, in this case, it is better not to get used to drinking alcohol at all, because you can easily turn from getting rid of panic attacks to alcoholism. So, trying to get rid of panic attacks, a person will suffer from drinking alcohol. Therefore, it is advisable to treat attacks without drinking alcohol. After all, this is only a delusion or a muffling of fear, but not a complete deliverance from it.

Why does anxiety occur?

A feeling of anxiety appears when drinking alcohol or due to a hangover. The cause of a panic attack, as well as unreasonable fears, is ethanol, which is part of alcoholic beverages. Once in the body, it quickly spreads through the blood vessels and gains access to the internal organs.

The psychotropic substance ethanol has a destructive effect on the health of the nervous system, undermining its functioning. When a small dose of this substance is taken, ethanol provokes the release of dopamine, which causes a feeling of overexcitation and euphoria. In the case of frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages, ethanol depresses the nervous system, replacing the feeling of euphoria with regular obsessive thoughts, hysterics, sadness, and a feeling of uselessness. This reaction provokes a decrease in glucose in the blood of the alcohol addict. The condition negatively affects the general condition of a person, causing lethargy, fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased concentration, and short temper.