Blackout Drunk & Anxiety: Correlation Between The TwoBy Michaela

Women Blackout Drunk & Anxiety

If you are a woman worried about debilitating feelings from being blackout drunk, and anxiety that comes from that, then you are not alone. A common side effect that someone with an alcohol dependency can experience is anxiety after getting what can be described as “blackout drunk”.

This can be frightening, stressful, and difficult. If you want to overcome this issue, then learning more about it is paramount. The connection between anxiety and an alcohol dependency is apparent.

In this post, we are going to cover the science behind this effect, the correlation between alcohol dependency and anxiety, and what steps can be taken to overcome it.

We’re also going to talk about how a coaching program from The Alcohol Coach can help you have a higher success rate in overcoming alcohol dependence and having a better chance avoiding blackout drunk episodes and the resulting anxiety.

Science Behind Being ‘Blackout Drunk’

Before we can cover this topic effectively, we really need to dig into what it means to become ‘blackout drunk’. 

Most people understand being ‘drunk’ as having a lowered inhibitions, slurred speech, and potentially stumbling around.

This is all fair, but there are varying degrees of drunkenness. ‘Blackout drunk’ is different from your typical stumble-home-after-a-few-drinks drunk.

A blackout drunk is when someone drinks so much alcohol that they can no longer form new memories.

This doesn’t mean they are passed out, but rather that they are conscious and functioning without any recollection of what is happening.

There are two different types of blackouts: partial and total. A partial blackout is when someone only forgets certain details from the night.

A total blackout is when someone forgets everything that happened while they were intoxicated.

It’s important to note that blacking out from drinking does NOT mean you have alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency that can occur when someone drinks a lethal amount of alcohol.

Your blood alcohol content (BAC) needs to be at 0.40% or higher for alcohol poisoning to occur. This is incredibly rare as most people would have passed out long before they reached this BAC.

How Getting Blackout Drunk Leads to Anxiety

When someone drinks to the point of blacking out, they are placing themselves in a state of high risk for a variety of negative consequences. Aside from the obvious dangers associated with drinking too much and losing control over one’s faculties, there is also the significant risk for developing an alcohol use disorder.

But perhaps one of the most commonly-reported symptoms following someone getting blackout drunk is anxiety. There are a few different ways that getting blackout drunk can lead to anxiety.

First, binge drinking can lead to changes in brain chemistry that can cause long-term problems with mood and anxiety. Additionally, when someone blacks out, they are at an increased risk for experiencing traumatic events such as sexual assault or violence. These events can lead to lasting psychological problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Finally, anxiety can be a common side effect of alcohol withdrawal, and so people who frequently black out may be at an increased risk for developing alcohol dependence and requiring treatment for detoxification.

Other Side Effects Stemming From Getting Blackout Drunk

In addition to anxiety, there are other potential side effects that can come along with getting blackout drunk, whether it is done once or with regularity. Here are some of the potential pitfalls to drinking in excess to this degree. 

-Alcohol poisoning

-Injuries from falls or accidents

-Memory problems

-Loss of inhibitions leading to risky behaviors like unprotected sex

-Violent behaviors

-Blackouts (periods of time where you cannot remember what happened)

-Pregnancy risks

-Increased risk for developing chronic diseases like cancer

-Increased risk for developing an alcohol use disorder

If you or someone you know frequently drinks to the point of blacking out, it’s important to be aware of the risks and side effects. These types of drinking behaviors can lead to a host of problems, both in the short and long term.

What is ‘Hangxiety’

The term “hangxiety” has been coined to describe the resulting anxiety from a blackout drunk session.  It is the feeling of unease and anxiousness that can come the day after drinking to excess.

Hangxiety is characterized by symptoms such as:

-Intense worry

-Obsessive thoughts

-Restlessness

-Irritability

-Fatigue

For some people, hangxiety can be so severe that it leads to a full-blown anxiety attack. These attacks can be very scary and intense, and may even require medical attention.

How to Overcome Hangxiety

Undoubtedly, the next thing that you’ll want to know is how you can overcome hangxiety and the severe anxiety that results from blackout drinking.

In this section, we’ll acknowledge the steps that you should take if you want to avoid this in the future.

Avoid Excessive Drinking

The first thing that needs to be done is always easier said than done, but it’s also true.  In order to avoid the hangxiety that comes along with blackout drinking, you need to avoid excessive drinking altogether.

This means knowing your limits and sticking to them. If you’re someone who is prone to anxiety or panic attacks, it’s especially important to be mindful of how much you’re drinking.

It’s also important to be aware that different people have different alcohol tolerances. Just because your friend can drink more than you without getting blackout drunk, doesn’t mean that you can too.

Pace Yourself

If you do find yourself drinking, it’s important to pace yourself. This means sipping your drinks slowly instead of chugging them back.

It can be helpful to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or to drink water in between cocktails.

This will help to keep you hydrated and will also help to slow down your drinking.

Know Your Triggers

Another important step in overcoming hangxiety is to be aware of your triggers. If you know that certain situations or environments trigger your anxiety, it’s important to avoid them.

For example, if you find that drinking in large groups of people makes you anxious, then it’s probably best to avoid those types of situations.

It’s also important to be aware of the types of alcohol that make you more anxious. If you find that hard liquor makes you more anxious than beer, then stick to drinking beer.

Work With The Alcohol Coach to Overcome Alcohol Dependence

The best thing that you can do if you are ready to overcome your alcohol dependence and the negative side effects that come along with it is work with The Alcohol Coach. The Alcohol Coach takes a unique approach to overcoming alcohol dependence.

Instead of perpetuating limiting beliefs, The Alcohol Coach tackles the problem of alcohol dependence with a forward-thinking and positive viewpoint.

Editor’s Note:

In this article, you might notice that we use ‘labels’ such as “alcoholic”, “disease”, and other identifiers that are used to link individuals together by their habits with alcohol. Though they are used colloquially, we believe them to perpetuate limiting beliefs.  

A key tenet of The Alcohol Coach is that the way to overcome alcohol addiction is through empowerment, not retreating into a space of powerlessness or victim status. 

So, even though we may use these terms to communicate a point as it is known by the general public, keep in mind that our core beliefs dictate that these terms be avoided as much as possible.