Claim: Alcohol Causes Panic Attacks

Question

The claim that alcohol can cause anxiety attacks is true, but it oftentimes isn't directly due to the alcohol and is rather exacerbated by the effects of it. The study Alcohol hangover effects on measures of affect the morning after a normal night's drinking  notes that heavy alcohol consumption can affect mood as well as increasing anxiety and the physical symptoms of anxiety. It should be noted that this is typically seen more in heavy drinkers, not casual drinkers. In The association of alcoholism and anxiety, it's the authors note that the biggest overlap between alcohol and anxiety is during withdrawal.

Answer 1

The claim above relating to the effect of anxiety in relation to the consumption of alcohol is true. Studies released from psychologists and neurologists show that there is a connection related to the aftereffects of alcohol after a night of drinking versus a night where a population abstained from drinking. The population that drank the night prior experienced a lower level of alertness and tranquility, and higher levels of anxiety and physical fatigue. Though there is no inherit direct connection to a "hangover" causing anxiety attacks. Though other articles point to the conditions of heavy / binge drinking developing further neurological and psychiatric damage towards mental health. 

Alcohol hangover effects on measures of affect the morning after a normal night's drinking - PubMed

Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Anxiety: Bridging Psychiatric, Psychological, and Neurobiological Perspectives - PMC

Answer 2

Alcohol does not directly cause anxiety attacks, yet according to multiple sources, including the studies by the NIH and Springer Nature, alcohol does increase baseline levels of anxiety. The studies that you cited both found that heavy alcohol consumption increases anxiety symptoms the next day. According to an article by MedCentral, this increased level of anxiety is caused by the brain over-adjusting to the suppression of brain activity in the amygdala. The amygdala is the part of the brain that controls the stress response and feelings of anxiety, and activity in this part of the brain becomes overly elevated after the dampening effects of alcohol wear off the next day. The increase in emotional distress and anxiety caused by alcohol consumption is known as hyperkatifeia. This term is also mentioned in another study by the NIH, which defines hyperkatifeia as "a greater intensity of negative emotional/motivational signs and symptoms during withdrawal from drugs of abuse in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the addiction cycle". The study also mentions the direct link between hyperkatifeia and heavy alcohol consumption addressed in the other studies and articles. Overall, while alcohol may not directly cause panic attacks, it does elevate baseline levels of anxiety, leading to an increase in the likelihood of a panic attack. 
Sources:

Alcohol hangover effects on measures of affect the morning after a normal night's drinking - PubMed

The association of alcoholism and anxiety | Psychiatric Quarterly

Alcohol Makes Me Anxious. Is That Normal? - The New York Times

Why Alcohol Makes Anxiety Worse: A Misunderstood Loop

Drug Addiction: Hyperkatifeia/Negative Reinforcement as a Framework for Medications Development - PMC

Answer 3

I found this to be true as well. While alcohol can cause people with anxiety disorder to feel better while intoxicated, once it wears off, they can often feel worse. And for people without anxiety disorder, there are 3 main reasons why alcohol can cause panic attacks pointed out in this article. They are dehydration, low blood sugar, and effects on your hormones. It is most common for these feelings of anxiety to occur after the alcohol has worn off.

https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/alcohol-panic-attacks

Answer 4

Alcohol can indeed cause panic attacks indirectly. According to Charlie Health, alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system, slowing down brain activity and providing a temporary sense of relaxation and easing anxiety. Although this may encourage individuals to depend on alcohol to deal with stress, as the alcohol wears off, they might experience rebound anxiety, where stress levels become elevated. This process is deeply related to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps promote calm and reduces anxiety. When the effects of alcohol wear off, the brain attempts to regulate neurotransmitters, and GABA may weaken, and anxiety may increase. Charlie Health also claims that heavy drinking, especially over a long period, can further decrease GABA and negatively affect other neurotransmitters.

https://www.charliehealth.com/post/alcohol-and-panic-attacks#:~:text=While%20panic%20attacks%20typically%20occur,mental%20health%20impacts%2C%20including%20anxiety.

Answer 5

This is a true statement since the author highlights the leading cause of the reasoning behind the anxiety that comes with alcohol. Alcohol is caused to give many "hangxiety" after drinking any alcohol, which was clarified to be true from there credible sources. There source is written by two trained and scholarly writers named Joris C. Verster and Sarah A. Stephan, with contributions from the other coworker studies. The doctors published this essay acknowledging the side effects of having a hangover to a peer-grieved scientific journal titles, "Addictive Behavior". The explain that alcohol alters "brain chemistry", which leads to extra anxiety after being drunk, and can make one have "provoking phases" to the withdrawal and hangovers.

In the article "why alcohol causes hangxiety", the emphasize that hangover sensitive people are more likely to experience "pronounced psychological effects, including anxiety, following alcohol composition", and have a negative impact on there mental stability in general. This course is a blog from noble psychologist that did a study examining the relationship of hangovers and anxiety levels among a grand population of college students around the United States. They discovered that individuals that are found neurogically sensitive to hangovers have a significantly higher level of anxiety and stress levels, compared to people who's body are typically use to alcohol and use to fighting against a hangover.

Overall, alcohol does affect peoples anxiety and stress level after drinking, especially during ones hangover. Although, this may not happen to everyone, only if one does not get a hangover due to being use to a normal alcohol intake on a weekly basis.

Comments

What are your sources? Strong fact-checks include in-text citations, plus relevant data or quotes from experts. Thanks!

Answer 6

The claim presented is not incorrect, as alcohol and panic attacks can be related. According to https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-and-anxiety#:~:text=Alcohol%20has%20an%20effect%20on,tension%20and%20feelings%20of%20panic. , alcohol affects your brain chemistry, specifically GABA. Large amounts of drinking may cause a decrease in GABA and cause feelings of panic and tension. This claim is true because there are relations between alcohol and anxiety.

Answer 7

This claim here is true. As I dove deeper, the link that was tagged was from a news arricled called "NewYork Times". This website is very reliable as all their information is correct. Now from thus new article I found from "DrinkAware", it stated that "it can induce panic because of its effects on GABA, a chemical in the brain that normally has a relaxing effect." Its also stated that alcohal has a afect on your brain chemistry. 

https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-and-anxiety

Answer 8

I like how you expanded into the reasoning and a few confounding variables behind the claim to clear up some potential thoughts and concerns. For instance, in your response I found the clarification that anxiety can be shown more in heavy drinkers as opposed to casual drinkers much more clear than just the statement that alcohol can cause anxiety attacks. Although it is not listed, I am sure there is some scientific data behind this claim that was left out of the New York Times article in order to make the reading experience more enjoyable for media consumers. Great response and very insightful!

Answer 9

When looking over this claim I have to say this is true in some ways. After looking over the New York Times article they make a lot of compelling points as to why this claim is true. They have a lot of evidence from doctors saying that Alcohol does cause panic attacks. I also looked into another article to make sure that this is true. I found an article through "American Addiction centers" and they say the same thing but they also mention that alcohol can also act as a shield from anxiety and that it makes you relax. This is true but also you are free in the moment but after the alcohol wears off you can then think about everything again and that's where the panic attack comes from. I do think that alcohol can cause panic attacks but at the same time everyone reacts to alcohol differently so this could not happen to some people. Alcohol can also affect your brain where negative thoughts come from so that's where panic attacks can form. That's why this claim is true alcohol can cause panic attacks.

Comments

Did you review sources besides the NYT article? Always check additional sources to conduct a strong fact-check. Thanks!

Answer 10

The claim that alcohol causes panic attacks is relatively accurate, as there is a direct correlation between the two. Drinking alcohol doesn't immediately cause a panic attack, but it increases the chances of inducing one. According to American Addiction Centers, a study conducted showed that 25% of people who sought help for panic disorder had a history of alcohol dependence. This is likely due to GABA, serotonin, and dopamine being affected, which are just a few of the chemicals in the brain that are impacted by alcohol. When these neurotransmitters are changed, it can skew how the body responds in normal circumstances. Many more sources also explain the relationship between alcohol and anxiety disorders, such as panic attacks. The National Library of Medicine and American Addiction Centers are two reliable .gov and .org sources I found.

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcohol/risks-effects-dangers/anxiety

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2528232/