These activities may involve other people, or can be self-care practices you do alone, such as taking a bath, practicing yoga, or reading. Even taking a light walk when you notice anxious thoughts can make a huge difference. The key is to find a calming activity that can help break the cycle of anxiety.
It's common to feel anxious or cranky. Your mood should get better within 3 to 6 weeks. Tell your doctor if it doesn't. You may need treatment for long-term symptoms or an undiagnosed mental health condition.
The Link Between Anxiety and Alcohol Withdrawal
When your brain adapts to alcohol (or any drug dependency), it causes alterations in brain chemicals. If the brain is cut off from alcohol, it triggers a stress response in the nervous system—causing symptoms of anxiety.
Hangover symptoms including anxiety tend to be most severe the day after drinking, when the body's blood alcohol level returns to zero. They can last for 24 hours or sometimes longer – depending on how much you had to drink and other physical factors, such as body size and liver health.
Liver function begins to improve after a couple of weeks after quitting alcohol, but after a couple of months, you may feel the differences in your body. Depending on your drinking history, the liver usually takes up to 6 months (or even more) to return to normal function.
And when you are trying to fight an addiction to alcohol or drugs, the first 30 days of sobriety are usually the most challenging. You have made a commitment to change, but it is hard. The first month without the substance that has controlled your life can be the toughest; it can feel worse before it feels better.
The "20-minute rule for alcohol" is a simple strategy to moderate drinking: wait 20 minutes after finishing one alcoholic drink before starting the next, giving you time to rehydrate with water and reassess if you truly want another, often reducing cravings and overall intake. It helps slow consumption, break the chain of continuous drinking, and allows the body a natural break, making it easier to decide if you've had enough or switch to a non-alcoholic option.
Go for a walk, run, or stretch daily. Different forms of exercise provide different results, so try different activities to see what works best. Talk it out. Seek support from peers, mentors, or trusted family members to talk through stressful situations.
Things you can try to help with anxiety, fear and panic
In summary, there are two key reasons you may be feeling especially anxious when you stop drinking: You might have already had baseline anxiety. You may have been using alcohol to manage existing anxiety because you didn't have the tools in your toolkit to address it in healthier ways. Your brain is in recovery mode.
Take a look at some suggestions of new hobbies to keep body and mind healthy and happy.
While some improvement typically occurs within the first few weeks of sobriety, complete normalization of sleep patterns often takes several months. This gradual improvement is normal and reflects the brain's natural healing process.
Alcohol withdrawal in chronic alcohol use is reported to enhance noradrenergic activation and increase the likelihood of experiencing panic attacks in neurodevelopmentally vulnerable individuals. Alcohol has been hypothesized to have a kindling effect on the emergence of panic attacks.
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
How Long Does Withdrawal Last? The duration of withdrawal differs significantly from panic attacks. While panic symptoms peak within minutes, withdrawal develops gradually over time. It can last for days or even weeks, depending on the specific substance involved and the severity of dependence.
Here's what we know — and don't know — about some herbal supplements:
The rule is simple: Commit to doing the task for just five minutes. That's it. Once you get over the initial resistance and begin, even if only briefly, something shifts. Momentum builds, anxiety decreases, and your brain transitions from avoidance to engagement.
What are the signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?
Five ways to relax without alcohol
Loss of coping tool.
Getting sober means you no longer have access to the coping tool—alcohol—that had been used to manage anxiety. For some people, the use of alcohol to cope with stress and anxiety is the reason they develop alcoholism. Once sober, the pre-existing anxiety can reemerge.
Distract yourself with a healthy, alternative activity. For different situations, come up with engaging short, mid-range, and longer options, like texting or calling someone, watching short online videos, lifting weights to music, showering, meditating, taking a walk, or doing a hobby.
Two fingers means a single pour. Three fingers means a double pour. Served neat in a rocks glass. It's old school.
Health care providers consider your drinking medically unsafe when you drink: You are a man of legal drinking age who has 15 or more drinks a week, or often has 5 or more drinks at a time. You are a woman of legal drinking age who has 8 or more drinks a week, or often has 4 or more drinks at a time.
If you do experience early symptoms of ARLD, these are often quite vague, such as: