To think I can't be the only person alcohol does this to?

[manzolini]

I drink about twice a month and probably get properly drunk about 2/3 times a year. Last night was one of those nights.

I feel great when I'm not drinking, I feel like my life is on a good path, am grateful for the people in my life etc. however, the day after drinking, even if nothing bad happened the night before, I feel this impending sense of doom and as if my life is out of control and that I'm a failure and a bad person.

It's not 'beer fear' because I'm not even worried about something I've done or what others might think about me but I literally feel like I am a failure and that nothing in my life is going right even though it is. It's an internal feeling and really hard to explain.

The best I can describe it is this knot in my stomach and I feel homesick whilst being home. If I have something coming up in the week I catastrophes it when I'm hungover and feel like i can't deal with it and that my life is crumbling. It's like yesterday during the day I was going about my business happy with my life and then today I am a shell of a person.

Does anyone else get this?

This is completely normal after drinking, is one of the best reasons for avoiding alcohol!

Yes!! It's not a fear of what I did/said when I was drunk, it's the horrendous feeling of doom/failure/depression that hits me like a brick the next day that I can't cope with. Ive only ever experienced this after being drunk.
I've not drunk for years now. Took the hint long ago that it wasn't for me.

You express this so beautifully. Especially the homesickness for home.

For me it's the same as an anxiety attack. Apparently it's because you hangover makes your body react in a similar way, your heart races, your blood sugars change and you might sweat etc. My exh is an alcoholic and used to suffer panic attacks and I am pretty sure most of them were due to alcohol.

Alcohol is a drug which doesn’t agree with everyone. I worked in the hospitality industry for several years during which I encountered loads of perfectly nice, normal people who turned into absolute dickheads when they were pissed. Generally, the men became belligerent or violent and the women became histrionic & tearful. Sometimes, it was the other way round.

if you are one of the people who alcohol doesn’t agree with, it’s best to avoid the stuff altogether.

Feeling the same way today OP. A couple of drinks just seems to bring any anxieties and sadness into very sharp focus. Pretty much spoiled my Sunday so definitely need to decide whether it’s worth it. Hope the clouds pass for you soon.

Thank you, I hope the same for you also. It's a horrible feeling and yes, it magnifies worries and anxieties that were already present and makes me feel like I can't deal with them. I have spent the full day between my bed, the sofa, and the toilet and it's been a lovely day outside. Such a waste, it's very rarely worth it anymore for me.

Hangxiety is how I would describe what you are feeling…it’s a very common response for many people!

I call it the booze blues and it's one of the reasons I don't drink a lot anymore.

I’ve given up drinking partly because of this feeling. I wasn’t getting it every time I’d had a few, but often enough to make me really want to shift the habit.