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Does Alcohol Make Anxiety Worse?

The 10-second answer

Over time, yes - anxiety tends to increase with alcohol use, and drinking to calm your nerves usually backfires.

The simple answer

A drink can feel like it takes the edge off in the moment. But the calm is borrowed: alcohol's rebound can leave you more anxious the next day, and using it to manage stress tends to raise anxiety over time. If you already live with anxiety, alcohol and anxiety can feed each other. Drinking less, or not drinking, is the direction that helps.

Myth vs Fact

Myth

A drink is a reasonable way to take the edge off anxiety.

Fact

Alcohol may appear to relieve anxiety in the short term, but over time heavy drinking and repeated rebound can escalate the anxiety itself.

The science

  1. NIH / NIAAAAnxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions that co-occur with alcohol use disorder.
  2. NIH / NIAAAAlcohol may appear to relieve anxiety in the short term, but over time heavy drinking and repeated withdrawal can escalate both anxiety symptoms and drinking.
  3. Cleveland ClinicOverall, anxiety tends to increase with alcohol use over time.
  4. CDCSubstance use disorders and other mental health conditions are often experienced together, as co-occurring conditions.

Medical sources

  • NIH / NIAAA↗Mental Health Issues: Alcohol Use Disorder and Common Co-occurring Conditions
  • Cleveland Clinic↗Hangxiety: Why You Feel So Anxious the Day After Drinking
  • CDC↗Substance Use & Mental Health
How often people ask: Medium

Keep reading

HangxietyIs Hangxiety a Sign of a Drinking Problem?HangxietyWhy Do I Get Hangxiety After Drinking?
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This page is general information, not medical advice. Sources are linked above. If you're worried about yourself or someone else, contact a healthcare provider or call 911.
Last checked: September 29, 2026