🥴 What Exactly Is a Hangover?

A hangover is your body’s response to alcohol overload. It usually kicks in the morning after a night of drinking, and can last anywhere between 6 to 24 hours, depending on how much you drank, your hydration, sleep quality, and metabolism.

Common symptoms include:

• Headache

• Nausea or vomiting

• Dry mouth

• Muscle aches

• Anxiety or low mood (“hangxiety”)

• Brain fog and poor concentration

• Irritability and fatigue

“I just had a couple of drinks, why do I feel this bad?”
Even a modest amount of alcohol can cause a hangover depending on your hydration, tolerance, and other health factors.

🍺 What Causes a Hangover?

A hangover is a multi-factor problem. Here’s what’s going on:

1. Dehydration

Alcohol is a diuretic. It makes you urinate more and lose fluids, leading to a headache, dizziness, and fatigue.

2. Gastrointestinal Irritation

Alcohol increases acid in the stomach, slows digestion, and can irritate the stomach lining—causing nausea or vomiting.

3. Blood Sugar Drop

Drinking can cause blood sugar to crash, resulting in shakiness, irritability, and weakness.

4. Sleep Disruption

Even if you sleep 8 hours after drinking, alcohol interferes with REM sleep, making you feel groggy.

5. Inflammation

Alcohol increases levels of inflammatory substances like cytokines, which can cause body aches and poor concentration.

6. Congeners

Darker drinks (like whiskey, brandy, red wine) contain more congeners—chemical byproducts that worsen hangovers.

🧠 The Emotional Side: Hangxiety Is Real

Many people experience anxiety, guilt, or sadness the day after drinking—even without doing anything “wrong.”

This is due to:

• Rebound effect from alcohol’s sedative impact

• Dopamine and serotonin drops

• Sleep deprivation

• Dehydration and fatigue

If you frequently feel mentally low after drinking, it may be a sign that your body (and brain) are not tolerating alcohol well.

🛠️ How to Recover From a Hangover

✅ Short-Term Remedies

• Hydrate – Sip water or oral rehydration solution

• Eat light – Prefer carbs, bananas, or toast

• Sleep more – Even a 30–60 min nap helps

• Pain relief – Paracetamol for headache (avoid NSAIDs on an empty stomach)

• Avoid more alcohol – “Hair of the dog” worsens withdrawal

❌ Avoid:

• Strong coffee (can worsen dehydration and anxiety)

• Smoking (intensifies nausea and irritability)

• Overexertion or exercise too early

⏳ When Should You Worry?

Most hangovers pass. But if you experience the following, seek help:

• Frequent hangovers despite “moderate” drinking

• Memory blackouts

• Cravings to drink again to feel “normal”

• Persistent mood changes after drinking

• Sleep and energy problems during the week

These may be signs of alcohol misuse or emotional dependence.

🏥 What We Offer: Holistic Help for Alcohol-Related Issues

At Apollo Clinic, Velachery & Tambaram, we help you understand and manage your drinking patterns—not just treat the symptoms.

Our Services Include:

• Comprehensive alcohol use evaluation

• Sleep and anxiety management

• Outpatient detox and tapering support

• CBT for habit breaking and emotional regulation

• Craving control medication if needed

• Weekend and evening appointments for professionals

📞 Don’t Let Hangovers Run Your Week

A hangover is your body’s way of saying “slow down, please.” Listen to it.

📌 Apollo Clinic – Velachery & Tambaram
📱 8595155808
🌐 www.srinivasaiims.com

“Recovery doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. It means you get to feel good without paying the price the next morning.”

✍️ About the Author

Dr. Srinivas Rajkumar T, MBBS, MD (Psychiatry)
Consultant Psychiatrist | Apollo Clinic, Velachery & Tambaram

Dr. Srinivas is a Chennai-based psychiatrist known for his structured, empathetic approach to alcohol use disorders and emotional burnout. He helps professionals and young adults explore their relationship with alcohol through personalized therapy, awareness, and non-judgmental guidance. His mission: make mental health practical, accessible, and stigma-free.