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Read “The Homeostasis Trap: How Alcohol Hijacks Our Nervous System”
The Hidden Waves of Alcohol Anxiety
Most of us don’t realize it, but alcohol hits our brain chemistry in waves. These waves roll out over hours, sometimes days, and each one can spark its own phase of anxiety.
And that’s the trap. We drink to feel better, then feel worse, so we drink again.
Once we understand these three phases of alcohol-induced anxiety, we can see the pattern for what it is and start finding our way out.
Phase 1: Anxiety While Drinking
This one is tricky because it’s easy to miss.
We start with a drink to relax, and for a moment, it works. But as the alcohol settles in, our brain starts to counterbalance it. Sedation is risky, so our body responds by releasing stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline.
That means even while we’re still drinking, our nervous system is quietly revving up.
We might notice:
- Subtle restlessness
- Trouble focusing in conversation
- Feeling like we need another drink to feel settled
- That itchy sense of wanting just one more
For some of us, this is why we drink heavily. Not because we’re careless, but because we’re chemically chasing relief from the drink we just had.
It’s not a willpower problem. It’s how our nervous system reacts.
Phase 2: Anxiety the Next Day (Hangxiety)
This is the one most of us know well. It can hit even if we only had a couple of drinks.
By the next morning, the alcohol is gone, but those stress chemicals are still hanging around. At the same time, the feel-good neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin have crashed.
So we wake up feeling:
- On edge
- Regretful
- Overstimulated
- Mentally foggy but emotionally raw
The thoughts can start rolling in:
“Did I say something dumb?”
“Did I text someone I shouldn’t have?”
“Why do I feel so off today?”
Our body might also be telling the story:
- Rapid heart rate
- Shallow breathing
- Tight chest
- Clammy hands
I remember waking up like this, with my heart racing and my mind spinning. Back then, I thought it was just me. Now I know it was chemistry.
This isn’t weakness or overthinking. It’s withdrawal from something that has thrown our nervous system off balance.
Phase 3: The Withdrawal Anxiety We Miss
This last phase is the most misunderstood.
When we think of withdrawal, we often picture shaking hands and sweating. But it can be much quieter than that.
It might feel like:
- A general sense of unease
- Feeling off or irritable
- Restlessness or emotional flatness
What’s going on is this:
- Our brain is struggling to find balance without alcohol
- GABA is low, and we’re not producing enough naturally
- Stress hormones are still active
- Our nervous system is overly sensitive
I used to mistake this flat, restless feeling for boredom or stress. But really, it was my nervous system struggling without alcohol.
And this is often the point when we want to drink again, not to have fun, but to stop feeling like this.
That’s how the cycle stays alive.
This Cycle Isn’t Our Fault
Each phase stacks on the one before it.
We start drinking, our body compensates, we crash, then we drink again to feel steady.
That’s the chemical trap.
Once we see it clearly, we can stop blaming ourselves and start breaking free.
What Happens When We Stop Drinking
The good news is each phase fades in reverse.
- Withdrawal anxiety is the first to disappear
- Hangxiety fades away
- Even that subtle restlessness while drinking disappears
The longer we go without alcohol, the steadier our nervous system becomes.
Our GABA levels rise again. Our stress hormones calm down. Our emotional baseline lifts.
What we’re left with is simple: calm. Not sedation. Not suppression. Just calm.
The cycle of alcohol and anxiety isn’t proof that something’s wrong with us. It’s proof that alcohol rewires our system in ways we were never told. But just as our brain learned these patterns, it can unlearn them too.
Freedom isn’t about fighting harder. It’s about understanding the trap, stepping out of it, and letting our natural balance return.
That’s when calm stops being something we chase, and starts being where we live.
— Brent
Next in the Series →
👉 Alcohol and Depression: The Other Side of the Chemical Trap