Alcohol-induced Anxiety?

• Alcohol and Generalized Anxiety/Panic by Ian Sharp, 6/8/97
  
  

I am not aware of any empirical research, but I have had a number of clients who have reported that their anxiety symptoms were worse the day after having several drinks. The clients who come to mind were not problem drinkers, as far as I could tell. These were individuals who were very vigilant regarding somatic symptoms and it seemed that usual physical symptoms of excessive drinking led to increased anxiety.

Of course, there are also plenty of individuals who try to use alcohol to manage their anxiety (not a good idea). In a college-aged population, I would be particularly alert for persons using alcohol to manage their social/dating anxiety. I would also wonder if an individual who (under the influence of alcohol) engaged in behavior which they found unacceptable might experience anxiety the next day, possibly regarding the repercussions of their behavior.

• Somatic Symptoms by Ian Sharp, 6/22/97
• Alcohol-induced Anxiety by Charles Tatum, Ph.D., 8/20/97
  • An Overly Sensitive Sympathetic Nervous System? by Jim Pretzer, 9/21/97
    • (No title) by Ian Sharp, 10/28/97
  • El alcohol produce depresion, la ansiedad es secundaria by Manuel Arrieta Munguia MTG., 6/4/98
• why drinking is good. by Bob Lasar, 12/12/98