A panic attack hangover refers to the lingering physical and emotional exhaustion experienced after a panic attack, often characterized by fatigue, mental fog, and heightened sensitivity.
Panic attacks, or anxiety attacks, are sudden episodes of intense fear and anxiety that trigger physical reactions, such as rapid breathing, shaking, and elevated heart rate.
When panic attacks occur, you might feel like you’re losing control, having a heart attack, or even dying – even if there is no real danger or threat. Panic attacks are not life-threatening but can be frightening and significantly affect your quality of life if they are recurrent.
Why do I feel hungover the day after a panic attack?
When you experience a panic attack, your body’s natural fight-or-flight response to danger is triggered, leading to intense physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate or breathing.
During panic attacks, your nervous system activates, and your adrenal glands release adrenaline into your bloodstream, increasing blood circulation, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Adrenaline is often referred to as the “fight or flight” hormone because it increases your energy and alertness, so your body is prepared to either run for safety or fight for life.
However, after the panic attack ends, the anxiety subsides, and the adrenaline levels drop back into the normal range, you might be left feeling drained, exhausted, and even sore.
A panic attack hangover, also called an adrenaline hangover, refers to the symptoms you experience after a panic attack when your adrenaline levels go back down.
It is often referred to as an anxiety hangover because the feelings one experiences are similar to those after a person has been drinking.
Common symptoms of panic attack hangovers include:
- Lethargy
- Sleepiness
- Muscle soreness
- Excessive fatigue
- Body aches and pains
- Trembling or shaking
- Sweating or chills
- Abdominal discomfort
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Racing heart
- Dizziness
- Nausea or stomach pain
Tips for Dealing with a Panic Attack Hangover
Get some rest
Panic attacks tend to zap your energy and leave you feeling depleted. A 30-minute nap or just laying on the couch can help restore your adrenaline levels to normal, rest your muscles, and ease your anxious thoughts. Other calming activities can include mindfulness, meditation, reading, or listening to music.
Talk to someone you trust
Speaking with a close friend or loved one might help you understand what triggered your panic attack. Exploring your feelings and processing your emotions with a loved one can be grounding and calming.
Take a walk or do a light workout
Going for a walk or doing a light workout can actually be quite restorative after a panic attack. Exercising causes the release of endorphins, which enhances your mood, lowers your stress hormone levels, boosts immunity, and helps center your thoughts – all of which can help you battle the panic attack hangover symptoms.
Eat nutritious foods
Healthy foods provide the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that our bodies require to function, heal, and thrive. Having a small snack or treat will not only provide your body with critical nutrients, but it can also help set your mind at ease.
Find new surroundings
After you have recovered from a panic attack, it can be helpful to change both your physical position and your location. For example, if you are standing or pacing around, try to sit somewhere so you can relax. Or, if you experience a panic attack at home, try going for a walk around the neighborhood.
New scenery and surroundings can help distract your mind and get you away from whatever might have caused the panic attack, and subsequently, may even help you recover more quickly in the aftermath.
How long does it take to feel normal after a panic attack?
A panic attack usually lasts anywhere from a few minutes up to 30 minutes, and repeated attacks can even recur for hours. Symptoms typically peak within 10 minutes and then begin to gradually fade away.
While most of the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack tend to subside after about 20 minutes, other symptoms may continue to linger for longer. The symptoms of a panic attack hangover can last anywhere from 10 minutes to up to a week.
Sources
Bayan Treatment Centers. (n.d.). Panic Attack Hangover: After-Effects and Recovery Tips. Retrieved 2023, March 14, from: https://www.banyanmentalhealth.com/2021/11/09/panic-attack-hangover/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, May 14). Panic attacks and panic disorder. Retrieved 2023, March 14, from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
Rosenblatt, K. (2022, February 2). How To Deal With a Panic Attack ‘Hangover’ Talkspace. Retrieved 2023, March 14, from: https://www.talkspace.com/blog/panic-attack-hangover/
