“It’s this feeling of overwhelming anxiety, of doom,” says Dr Akhil Anand, an addiction psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic in Rochester, in the US.

“It’s not only psychological, but also physical. You get a racing heart. You get uneasy butterflies in your stomach. You’re very fidgety.”

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Anecdotally, he says, nearly a quarter of his patients report experiencing “hangxiety”.

Its cause can be traced to a number of neurological factors. “Alcohol causes a muck in your brain neurochemistry, and it affects all the neurotransmitters,” Anand says.

Dopamine, which helps the body manage anxiety, is hindered as you recover from ingesting alcohol, New York-based clinical psychologist Dr Kendra Kubala says. Additionally, cortisol, often dubbed the “stress hormone”, ticks up during that recovery.

There is also an element of recalibration. Alcohol is called a “social lubricant” for a reason. It can make people feel more at ease. It does this by mimicking our natural relaxation hormone y-Aminobutyric acid, known as gaba. But when that wears off, our bodies return to their baseline, resulting in what Kubala calls “a bit of a chemical battle”.

After alcohol has enhanced the gaba neurotransmitter, glutamate, its natural counter, tries to balance it out. The day after drinking, your brain’s rebalancing of that glutamate may cause anxiety and agitation, Anand says.

In trying to “reset”, your brain can take you on a bit of a mood roller coaster.

“Alcohol is a depressant and has sedating effects,” says Dr Arielle Baskin-Sommers, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Yale University, in the US. “It helps us feel relaxed when drinking, but when we stop, the brain tries to recalibrate from the more sedating effects, leaving some feeling worked up, anxious and irritable.”

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Then there’s the endorphins. Consuming alcohol can cause the body to release endorphins, resulting in a feeling of happiness and a positive mood. However, there is a yo-yo effect once those endorphin levels come back down, sometimes causing a more severe “crash” in mood, Kubala warns.

What are the symptoms of ‘hangxiety’?

While we often think of a hangover as purely physical – a headache, nausea, maybe sensitivity to bright light and loud noise – psychological ramifications are quite common. In fact, Baskin-Sommers lists anxiety, low mood and jitteriness as frequent symptoms.

“People who have pre-existing anxiety or other mental health conditions are at higher risk of experiencing psychological effects after having alcohol,” Baskin-Sommers says.

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Increased heart rate, sweating, anxiety, worry and general distress for no known reason can all be symptoms of “hangxiety”, Kubala says. Because alcohol consumption also disrupts sleep patterns, it may become more difficult to make decisions, complete simple tasks and concentrate.

A patchwork memory

Another key component that can lead to “hangxiety” is faulty memory, Anand says.

People who drink heavily are often unable to remember all the events of the night before. If you’re already an anxious person, not being able to remember all your interactions can lead you to ruminate, which makes anxiety worse.

How long does ‘hangxiety’ last?

Age, weight, alcohol tolerance, hydration and medications can all contribute to how long a person’s symptoms persist, Kubala says.

It’s all about how long your body takes to recalibrate after various hormones and neurotransmitters have been disrupted.

“Generally speaking, people experience the physical symptoms for a shorter period than the psychological symptoms,” Baskin-Sommers says. “Ultimately, it depends on what it takes for each person’s brain to return to its set point.”

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That’s the medical side. The challenge with “hangxiety”, though, is that it can be situational as well. Drunk decisions often create sober regrets. So, if a person has made a poor decision while intoxicated or hung over, the worry, guilt and uncertainty associated with “hangxiety” might last longer, Kubala says.

Usually “hangxiety” will last about a day. If it begins to drag on into two or three days, Anand warns, this may be your body trying to tell you something is wrong.

“That may not be anxiety; that might be alcohol withdrawal, and that suggests dependence on alcohol, which is a very high risk factor for addiction.”

How do I get rid of ‘hangxiety’?

Curbing “hangxiety” can be as nuanced as fighting general anxiety. The key is to be patient with yourself and examine the causes.

From a prevention standpoint, it’s good to watch what you drink. For example, many cocktails have large amounts of sugar and colouring, Kubala says. That can result in an energy “crash” and a dip in mood.

“Examining why you drink alcohol can help you make healthier decisions,” she advises, especially if you are drinking to numb a specific feeling, because it is likely that feeling will return once you sober up.

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As for lessening the pain once the “hangxiety” has arrived, Anand recommends creating a day that revolves around self-care. If you know you’re planning to go out for an evening of drinking, clean your space before you leave – coming home to a house in disarray can aggravate hangxiety, he says.

Ticking off items on your to-do list ahead of time can also help.

The best cure is moderation

All three experts agree that the best way to combat “hangxiety” is to drink less and to take real time to evaluate your relationship with alcohol.

“Considering your motivation for drinking and the state you are in when you start drinking can be useful,” Baskin-Sommers says. “If you are drinking to ‘feel better’ or you are already feeling down when you start drinking, it is most likely that these feelings will get worse after you drink.”