Have you or someone you love ever experienced an anxiety attack or panic attack? If so, you may know personally how frightening and overwhelming they can be.

Mental health professionals understandably focus attention on how to cope with a panic or anxiety attack or address the anxiety symptoms and stressors that can lead to their development. However, there’s another aspect to having an anxiety or panic attack that perhaps gets too little notice—the hangover that follows.

The physical and emotional effects that define an anxiety or panic attack hangover can leave you drained, dazed, and derailed—sometimes for days.

Here’s why they happen and what can be done to minimize their symptoms.

WHAT IS AN ANXIETY DISORDER?

Believe it or not, some anxiety is good and necessary in life. A moderate level of anxiety helps us to successfully handle basic life challenges.

For example, we may feel anxious when facing new or pressure-filled situations, such as starting a new job, moving to a new town, or preparing for an important exam. Our anxiety helps motivate us to prepare and face the situation at hand.

However, some people tend to feel nervous and worried about non-threatening, routine events and responsibilities. They struggle to manage their internal stress, which may be disproportionate to moderate everyday life stressors.

Constant worry and nervousness may impede their ability to function in life. They may start to experience both mental and physical symptoms of anxiety, such as depression, ruminating, disturbed sleep, feeling a sense of impending doom, digestive distress, and more.

When this happens chronically, an individual may develop an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. An estimated 40 million U.S. adults develop some form of anxiety.

There are several diagnosable types of anxiety disorders:

• Agoraphobia
• Panic disorder
• Specific phobia
• Social anxiety disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Selective mutism

While these types are different, there’s one commonality they all share: an intense fear or worry out of proportion to conditions.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ANXIETY ATTACK AND A PANIC ATTACK

A panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder, and panic attacks are a symptom of anxiety. A panic disorder is when an individual experiences recurrent panic attacks and fears future attacks.

People who live with an anxiety disorder or other mental health disorders are more likely to experience panic attacks. Yet, having anxiety does not necessarily mean an individual will experience a panic attack or even an anxiety attack.

Understandably, anxiety attacks and panic attacks are thought to be the same thing. But they are, in fact, different.

An anxiety attack is usually the result of mounting stress and worry. It builds over time to a point where it becomes overwhelming. An individual will usually feel like their anxiety becomes so intense that it is unmanageable, activating their stress response.

An anxiety attack can be temporary in response to a particular situation, or it can last for days, weeks, and sometimes even months. Anxiety attack symptoms may include:

• Fatigue and/or dizziness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Increased heart rate and muscle tension
• Hypervigilance (being easily startled or feeling jumpy)
• Restlessness and problems sleeping

An anxiety attack is milder than a panic attack. However, without awareness and coping strategies to manage worries and fears, these symptoms can disrupt normal and healthy functioning.

On the other hand, a panic attack is a physiological reaction in which the body’s fight-or-flight response is activated to help an individual deal with a phobia, trauma, or major stressor. It can also come on seemingly out of nowhere, in situations that feel normal and safe. Other factors can trigger a panic attack as well, such as having too much caffeine or smoking.

A panic attack occurs suddenly and usually peaks at 10 minutes before subsiding. The most severe symptoms last anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes or so. However, some intense symptoms may be experienced for several hours. They are totally consuming and disruptive.

During a panic attack, an individual may experience extreme anxiety coupled with physical symptoms, such as chest pain, increased heart rate, trembling, difficulty breathing, and sweating.

When a person has a panic attack (especially for the first time), they may think it’s a life-threatening illness and go to a hospital emergency room. It’s not uncommon for an individual to think they are having a heart attack, going crazy, or dying. Other common panic attack symptoms may include:

• Numbness or tingling
• Chills or hot flashes
• Nausea or abdominal pains
• Feeling detached, depersonalized
• Feeling dizzy, light-headed or faint
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying
• Feeling of choking

WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK HANGOVER?

Although anxiety attacks and panic attacks are different, they both produce a hangover in varying degrees. In addition to the emotionally draining aspect of experiencing heightened fear and anxiety, the body undergoes a physically taxing process as well.

It starts when the fight-or-flight stress response is triggered. Your sympathetic nervous system becomes activated, releasing a cocktail of stress hormones, including epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol, which prepare your body to fight or flee from the threat.

When the threat passes (or the attack diminishes), your “rest and digest” parasympathetic system is activated, which begins the process of restoring your body to normal functioning.

This is when the panic or anxiety attack hangover begins. An individual may feel drained, dazed, and unable to function properly. The hangover symptoms may include any of the following:

• Feeling depleted of all energy; total exhaustion
• Brain fog, sluggishness
• Difficulty focusing
• Muted alertness
• Body aches
• Soreness in the chest (in cases of hyperventilation)
• Nausea
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Headaches; migraines
• Flareup of symptoms for any other chronic health conditions

The aftereffects of a panic attack will likely be more intense than those that follow an anxiety attack. They can last for as little as a couple of hours or as long as a week.

7 WAYS TO COPE WITH AN ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACK HANGOVER

1. Take a moment.

After the stressful event, pause. Your mind and body need time to calm down and rest. Do not immediately get busy or engage with others.

Instead, find a quiet place. Maybe turn the lights down, light a candle, open a window, or put on some calming music. Lie down or sit somewhere comfortable to let your mind and body start to recover equilibrium. Nothing else matters. Your well-being is the priority.

2. Breathe.

If you engage in any form of mindfulness, take a few minutes to practice it. If you don’t, try a simple breathing technique like diaphragmatic breathing or box breathing.

What is box breathing? Quite simply, you take four seconds for each of the following four steps: inhale, hold it, exhale, hold it. Repeat these steps a few times.

Research has indicated that these types of breathing techniques are associated with lowered cortisol levels. As you breathe, try to connect with whatever you’re feeling emotionally and physically in your body. 

3. Write it down.

Document all the details leading up to your anxiety or panic attack in writing or an audio recording on your phone. This will prove helpful to review with your therapist or a mental health professional later.

It can also help you track patterns or themes. This might help prevent a future episode or it may help to address fears or stressors underlying your attack.

4. Sleep well and eat well.

In the immediate aftermath of a panic or anxiety attack, you may need to drink some water and eat a healthy snack to help replenish your body. You will also be very tired. If you can, take a nap. To recover properly, in the hours and days after, make restful sleep and healthy eating a priority.

Research indicates stress is associated with increased inflammation levels in the body, as well as lowered immune function. Maintain healthy sleep hygiene to promote restful sleep, which will help to keep your immune function strong and inflammation down.

Maintain an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet pattern loaded with fresh, colorful fruits and veggies; healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fatty fish, and olive oil; and quality lean protein. These healthy foods will nourish your body, further aiding in its recovery.

5. Gently exercise.

Although you might feel exhausted after a panic or anxiety attack, some light exercise can help you come back to equilibrium.

Take a walk in the neighborhood or hop on an elliptical for 15 minutes. If that’s too much, simply do some stretches or yoga.

Exercise will help to even your mood, bring down your stress hormone levels, and promote calm, research has found. It perfectly counters the “hangover” symptoms!

6. Talk to someone.

A panic or anxiety attack is scary. Talk to someone you trust, whether that’s a spouse, pastor, or an understanding friend. Choose someone calm and grounded.

Get curious and explore your feelings surrounding the attack. It’s important that you feel safe enough with this individual to review what happened and possibly process some of your feelings.  

7. Seek professional help.

If anxiety is affecting your ability to function in life, reach out to a mental health professional. The best way to avoid or better manage anxiety and panic attacks is to get anxiety treatment early.