Beer And Panic Attacks: A Dangerous Combination?

Alcohol and panic attacks often go hand in hand, with one triggering the other. While alcohol can temporarily reduce anxiety, it can also worsen it in the long run and cause severe panic attacks. Alcohol-induced panic attacks are a serious matter and can be a sign of a serious problem.

Alcohol can induce panic attacks

Alcohol affects how your brain works. In small amounts, alcohol can increase your levels of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which has a relaxing effect on the brain. However, if you drink a lot, you can reduce your levels of GABA, causing an increase in anxiety. Alcohol also has sedative and depressive effects. Once the effects of alcohol wear off, GABA levels fall, resulting in a tense, hypervigilant, and overstimulated condition.

Additionally, alcohol can cause panic attacks by:

• Increasing dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes you to pass more urine than usual, leading to dehydration. Dehydration can cause your heart to beat faster and trigger dizziness, similar to the feelings you get when anxious.
• Lowering your blood sugar levels: Low blood sugar can trigger anxiety and even lead to panic attacks in people prone to anxiety. Alcohol can lower blood sugar immediately after drinking and for several hours after.
• Affecting your hormones: Alcohol interferes with the hormone system, including the production of serotonin, a feel-good hormone. When the effects of alcohol start to wear off, your serotonin levels decrease, leading to a rise in anxiety.
• Leading to withdrawal symptoms: If you've been drinking heavily for a while, stopping or cutting back can cause alcohol withdrawal, which can include severe anxiety and panic attacks.

If you are experiencing alcohol-induced panic attacks, it is important to take steps to calm yourself and acknowledge the situation and the fear you feel. Consider finding a sympathetic friend to talk to or engaging in relaxing activities such as breathing exercises or meditation. It is also important to examine your drinking habits and consider reducing your alcohol intake or seeking professional help if you are unable to stop drinking.

Alcohol can worsen pre-existing anxiety disorders

Chronic alcohol consumption impairs your ability to respond to stress in healthy ways, which can lead to anxiety. This may be due to alcohol's effect on the amygdala, the area of the brain that regulates negative emotions. Brain imaging studies have found abnormalities in amygdala functioning in individuals with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol can also affect the brain's GABA neurotransmitters, which are responsible for feelings of relaxation and calmness. While mild amounts of alcohol can stimulate GABA and cause feelings of relaxation, heavy drinking can deplete GABA, causing increased tension and feelings of panic.

Additionally, alcohol can cause dehydration, lower blood sugar levels, and interfere with hormones, all of which can trigger anxiety and panic attacks in some people. Alcohol withdrawal can also worsen pre-existing anxiety conditions or create new symptoms of anxiety. It is important to note that alcohol is not a healthy coping mechanism for panic attacks, and there are healthier ways to manage anxiety disorders that won't put your health at risk.

Alcohol can cause new anxiety symptoms to develop

Chronic alcohol consumption impairs your ability to cope with stress in a healthy way, which can lead to or worsen anxiety. This may be due to alcohol's effect on the amygdala, the region of the brain that controls negative emotions. Brain imaging studies have found abnormalities in amygdala function in individuals with alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol can induce panic because of its effects on GABA, a neurotransmitter that typically has a relaxing effect. Mild amounts of alcohol can stimulate GABA and cause feelings of relaxation, but heavy drinking can deplete GABA, causing increased tension and feelings of panic. When the alcohol wears off, GABA levels decrease, triggering an anxious, exaggerated, and overstimulated state.

Additionally, alcohol increases dehydration, lowers blood sugar levels, and affects hormones, all of which can contribute to the development of new anxiety symptoms.

Alcohol can lead to physical dependency

If you already have an anxiety or panic disorder, you are more likely to experience these symptoms after drinking alcohol. But alcohol can also trigger anxiety in people who don't have an existing mental health issue. As well as lowering GABA, alcohol can increase anxiety and panic attacks in several other ways. Firstly, it is a diuretic, which means it causes you to pass more urine than usual, leading to dehydration. Dehydration can cause your heart to beat faster and may trigger dizziness, which can make anxiety worse. Alcohol can also lower your blood sugar levels, which can trigger anxiety and even lead to panic attacks, especially if you are already prone to anxiety.

Additionally, alcohol interferes with your hormones. While drinking can make you feel good temporarily by raising your levels of serotonin, a feel-good hormone, when the effects of alcohol start to wear off, your serotonin levels decrease, leading to a rise in anxiety. This complex relationship between alcohol and anxiety can create a vicious cycle. For example, a person may start drinking to cope with their anxiety, but as their alcohol consumption increases, their anxiety worsens, leading them to drink even more. This cycle can lead to physical dependency on alcohol.

If you are physically dependent on alcohol, stopping or reducing your alcohol consumption can be difficult and may cause withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal can worsen pre-existing anxiety and even create new symptoms of anxiety, making you feel like you need to drink again. This is why it is important to seek professional help if you are struggling with alcohol abuse and panic attacks.

Alcohol can affect the hormones

Secondly, alcohol interferes with the body's production of insulin, a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. By increasing the presence of glucose in the body, alcohol consumption raises the risk of type 2 diabetes and hyperglycaemia in those with pre-existing diabetes.

Thirdly, while alcohol initially lowers cortisol levels, thus temporarily reducing stress, over time, drinking can increase levels of this hormone, especially the morning after drinking, when the body is withdrawing from the effects of alcohol. Increased cortisol can make you feel stressed and anxious, causing digestive issues, mood swings, high blood pressure, reduced immunity, and poor sleep.

Finally, alcohol can affect the thyroid, a hormone that regulates metabolism in every cell in the body. Alcohol abuse can lead to thyroid problems, such as thyroid cancer and thyroid dysfunction, which can cause fatigue, weight gain, and more.

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