1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: changes and transitions of our twenties and what they mean 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: for our psychology. Well, hello, thank you for tuning into 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: the Psychology of Your Twenties for this episode. This week's topic, 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: we're going to be talking about alcohol and alcohol consumption 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: in our twenties. There is so much that we could 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: talk about when it comes to drinking and the culture 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: around drinking, binge, drinking, peer pressure. It would genuinely take, 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: I think, a whole series of episodes to really uncover 11 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,959 Speaker 1: all the links between alcohol and psychology and our twenties. 12 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: So I thought for this episode we'd start pretty simple, 13 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: but we'd start strong, and we talk about anxiety, So 14 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: anxiety that you feel after you've been drinking. I think 15 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: that alcohol is such an important topic to discuss when 16 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: we're thinking about our psychology and our well being and 17 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: how that interacts with other factors in our life. In 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,839 Speaker 1: this decade, alcohol plays a pretty profound role, I would 19 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: say for those of us who choose to drink, especially 20 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: in Australia where I'm from, I think alcohol is kind 21 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: of a central feature of a lot of social interactions. 22 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: We go to the pub, we get drinks on a Friday, 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: we drink after work, we drink on birthdays, we drink 24 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: at the beach. Like a lot of social elements all 25 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: rest upon drinking and a pretty strong drinking culture especially, 26 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: and I think that as well. Alcohol is something that 27 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: a lot of us will start drinking in our late teens, 28 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: but in our twenties when we can kind of access 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: it more easily, when we have money to purchase alcohol, 30 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: consumption kind of goes up. And like I said, it's 31 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: a big part of our lives, a big part of 32 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: our social lives. So it's important to talk about and 33 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: to talk about in a healthy way and in a 34 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: nuanced way considering other things that it involves, like our 35 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: mental health. I think drinking in particular is really takes 36 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: a big becomes a big feature of our lives when 37 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: we go to UNI, or when we're in our early 38 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: twenties and you start drinking in college or with friends 39 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: that you've made in trades or from high school, and 40 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: there is a really big binge drinking mentality. I especially 41 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: found that at college, you know, there was no kind 42 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: of limit. We didn't have a good understanding of how 43 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: much it would take to get us really drunk, and 44 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: even if we did, we'd probably still drink past that point. 45 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: And we've all had, I think, for those of us 46 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: who choose to drink, have stories about, you know, when 47 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: we've taken it too far, when we haven't eaten anything 48 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: and then done a couple of shots or had a 49 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: few too many beers with our friends at the pub, 50 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: and there is a big culture around that. So I 51 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: think it's something to discuss, especially in our twenties, because 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: it isn't all just fun and gains. There can be 53 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: consequences both in the long term and on a really 54 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: serious level, like alcoholism or excessive drinking or doing shit 55 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: that like really fucks up your life, getting injured, making mistakes. 56 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: But then there's also the kind of less severe, more 57 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: short term impacts on our mental wellbeing and on our psychology, 58 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: such as anxiety, which is really important to have a 59 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: discussion around. As we mature, you know, I hopefully we 60 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: begin to learn healthier habits around alcohol. I definitely have 61 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: a lot of my friends and I have been discussing 62 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: how we really can't drink the way that we did 63 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: when we were twenty or twenty one, and you know, 64 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: going out like three nights in a row. Nowadays, that's 65 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: just completely out of the picture for me. And I 66 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: think a massive reason is because it doesn't that excessive 67 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: drinking doesn't really fit well into the narrative I have 68 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: around my mental health or my psychological well being, which 69 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: has become more important to me than those kind of 70 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: wild stories or getting home at four am. So there 71 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: is a lot to talk about when we're discussing the 72 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: intersections of a psychology and alcohol. But of course I'm 73 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:32,919 Speaker 1: going to limit myself to anxiety, something I think we 74 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: can all relate to if we drink, especially if we've 75 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: had a big night. We're going to talk about why 76 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: our brain reacts to alcohol in that way if you're 77 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: someone who experiences anxiety, the consequences, and also how to 78 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: maybe limit it, how to get over that weird, anxious, 79 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: depressive period the day after you've been drinking or the 80 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: week after you've been drinking, how to kind of move 81 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: past that and have a healthier relationship with alcohol and 82 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: with your body so that you don't have that kind 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: of negative calm down. So I hope you all enjoy 84 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: and we learn something today. Okay, So for those of 85 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: you who don't know what anxiety is, it's a pretty 86 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: common term. I don't know amongst my kind of friendship group. 87 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: If you haven't heard of it before, if maybe you're 88 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: from a different country where this isn't a term. Essentially, 89 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: it describes that kind of pretty common anxious feeling of 90 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: dread or nervousness after a night of drinking. It might 91 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: also be linked to a feeling of embarrassment or doom 92 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: that you've done something really stupid as you're recovering from 93 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: a big night or a big day. Generally, it's just 94 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: describing a feeling or a state of heightened alertness and 95 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: anxiety and stress or fear that we can directly link 96 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: to a period or an episode of accept drinking. Now, 97 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: if you are someone who experiences anxiety or stress after 98 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: you've been drinking a lot, you are, by no means 99 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: the only one. Anxiety during a hangover effects around twenty 100 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: percent of people from some estimates, and can pretty much 101 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: vary in severity, as many things do, depending on the 102 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: kind of person you are, depending on other factors that 103 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: are impacting your psychological state at the time that you 104 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: were drinking. But also the morning after when you might 105 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: be experiencing some of those hangover side effects. So as 106 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: the body recovers from a night of drinking, from binge drinking, 107 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: a hangover can create a state of physiological stress, So 108 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: that might that often happens when the body is under pressure, 109 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 1: like after an illness or injury, and alcohol can create 110 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: the same kind of impact on us. So this isn't 111 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: so much about anxiety. This is some of the physical 112 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: effects that we might experience after a hangover, so or 113 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: after a big night of drinking. You know, the headaches, 114 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: the sweating, nausea, all of those things, and anxiety kind 115 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: of works the same way. Not only does it cause 116 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: changes to our immune system, it also increases our cortisol 117 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: levels that's known as the stress hormone, our blood pressure, 118 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: our heart rate, and then on a deeper level, on 119 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: a more psychological neurological level, it also changes the neurochemicals 120 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: and neurotransmitters being released in our brain. And what does 121 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: that feel like? What does that anxiety feel like? Well 122 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: I kind of alluded to this, but as I've gotten older. 123 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: Obviously I'm not that old and still in my twenties, 124 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: but as I have had more things kind of come 125 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: into my plate as I've matured, as I've grown, as 126 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: I've had more responsibilities, as my brain has kind of 127 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: developed and formed, as it often does in our early 128 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: and mid twenties. What I found is when I dream, think, 129 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: if I've had a really big night, I haven't been 130 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: watching what I've been drinking. I had. This happened recently 131 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: at a work function. The champagne was flowing, and the 132 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: next morning, and especially the next day, I was just 133 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: feeling so panicky and nervous and stressed and flighty, even 134 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: though I didn't feel like I'd done anything embarrassing. I 135 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: hadn't really done anything, or nothing had happened that had 136 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: given me a reason to feel anxious. I could recognize 137 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: that the amount of alcohol I drank the night before 138 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: had actually caused changes in my body that were making 139 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: me feel really, really shit. And I've had so many 140 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: friends who have told me similar things recently after big 141 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: nights out. Not only do they have those normal hangover 142 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,439 Speaker 1: symptoms that we all kind of expect, the sweating, the nausea, 143 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: the headache, feeling vile, but they were also really anxious 144 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: for no reason, or for one reason, which was that 145 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: the amount of alcohol they're drunk had impacted their brain 146 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: and created a set a sense of arousal and a 147 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: sense of anxiety. This can feel really terrible, and I 148 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: think a big reaction that I normally have is like, 149 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: I'm never drinking again. I'm never drinking to that level again. 150 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: We all know that's not the case. If you are 151 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: someone who drinks and drinks socially, it's very easy for 152 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: things to get out of hand, especially if someone's buying 153 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: drinks if it's a function, So it is important to 154 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,319 Speaker 1: understand if you do continue drinking after a bad anxiety episode, 155 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: It's important to understand why this state of psychological arousal 156 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: occurs and how we can kind of bounce back from 157 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 1: a big night without that terribly anxious feeling causing us 158 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: to dread the future or dread our current state. So, yeah, 159 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: you're probably know pretty familiar with the usual physical symptoms 160 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,719 Speaker 1: of a hangover, but like I said, it can have 161 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: psychological symptoms as well. So anxiety is that link between 162 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: our psychological state and having a hangover. This can mean 163 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: that when you are experiencing anxiety during a hangover, where 164 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: you're worried about something you did under the influence, or 165 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: maybe you're regretting things, trying to remember the evening, or 166 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: maybe just feeling a little bit off. We can attribute 167 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: this not so much to what we would see as 168 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:25,319 Speaker 1: the physical reactions to alcohol, but the psychological neurological reactions 169 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:30,599 Speaker 1: to alcohol. And if you already suffer from anxiety or depression, 170 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: even social anxiety, experiencing a hangover can make those symptoms 171 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: of anxiety a lot worse. Even though alcohol can lessen 172 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: feelings of anxiety whilst drinking, which we're going to talk 173 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: about a little bit later, there is that rebound effect 174 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: that may make you feel far worse and feeling beyond 175 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: your normal symptoms of stress and anxiety the following morning, 176 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: and unfortunately, experiencing those uncomfortable emotions can make us feel 177 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: like maybe we're not drinking enough. Alcohol amounts those feelings, 178 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: making you drink more and more, especially if you know 179 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: you've had a big day out in the town and 180 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 1: you kind of playing catch up and you've been drinking 181 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 1: for a while and those feelings of anxiety are coming 182 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: up as you're still kind of in a social setting. 183 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: It can cause us to drink more, and many people 184 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: do use alcohol as kind of a social lubricant, as 185 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: a bit of liquid courage. As my friends and I 186 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: always say before one of us goes on a date, 187 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: you know, a few shots of fiable kind of loosens 188 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: you up. And if you live with anxiety, particularly social anxiety, 189 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: you will find that having your drink or two before 190 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: a big social event or when you arrive will help 191 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: you relax and cope with anxious feelings. And this is why, 192 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: this is why we have that initial reaction of feeling 193 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: more calm, more at ease, perhaps more social, and why 194 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: it actually is completely and inextricably linked to the anxiety 195 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: you'll feel the next day. So alcohol, it is what 196 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: we would class as a downer drug. So we have uppers, 197 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: which is things like MDMA or caffeine and downers. So basically, 198 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: downers reduce arousal and activity within our central nervous system 199 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: by targeting different receptors and neurotransmitters in our brain. So 200 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:34,679 Speaker 1: alcohol in particular targets the GABBA receptor. So in our 201 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: brain we have neurotransmitters, which are those like tiny little 202 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: hormonal or chemical messages that get sent around things like 203 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: dopamine and serotonin. Which we've talked about before. And then 204 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: you have the parts of the neuron, and one of 205 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: those is a receptor, and the receptor is kind of 206 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: like the front door. It's the thing that allows the 207 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: neurotransmitters to come in. But alcohol targets that receptor, the 208 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: GABBA receptors, which set signals through the brain and the 209 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: central nervous system to inhibit the activity of a nerve cell. 210 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,320 Speaker 1: So basically, alcohol kind of makes that receptor shut the 211 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: door more frequently on other neurotransmitters coming in. So put simply, 212 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: when you first start drinking, it calms the brain and 213 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: it reduces excitement by making fewer neurons fire. So because 214 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: alcohol targets or stimulates Gaba receptors, this is why you 215 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: if you if you have anxiety, or you know, you're 216 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: just a general person, why you might start to feel 217 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: relaxed and cheerful when you're a few classes in when 218 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: you've had a you know, you've had a few drinks 219 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: and it kind of causes you to relax. So when 220 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: you've just started drinking, that kind of lulls you into 221 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: that blissful, gabba induced state of chill. It's kind of 222 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: like your peak point. But then as you keep drinking more, 223 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: when you get to your third or fourth drink, another 224 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: brain kind of slackening effect kicks in. Alcohol causes your 225 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: brain to start blocking a neurotransmitter called glutamate. So glutamate 226 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:13,839 Speaker 1: is an excitary neurotransmitter, so it causes activity in your 227 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: brain to occur more frequently and at a faster rate. 228 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: So more glutamate means more anxiety. Less glutamate means less anxiety. 229 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: So this is why when you get drunk, we're less 230 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: anxious than when we're just a tiny bit drunk. It's 231 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: why our social inhibition goes down. It's why we can 232 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: kind of talk more easily because alcohol has blocked glutamate, 233 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: the kind the neurotransmitter that would normally make you feel 234 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: kind of anxious or a little bit like suspicious of 235 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: your words. Not only does alcohol reduce the chatter in 236 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: your brain by stimulating gabber, but it further reduces your 237 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: anxiety by blocking glutamate. So that's why you feel really good. 238 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: You feel like you can have all those weird drunk 239 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: trats with you know, people outside the club or at 240 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: the pub or in the bathroom, while you always have 241 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: like really deep and meaningful conversations with people, because normally, 242 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: glutamate would be telling your brain to kind of, you know, 243 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: real it in a little bit to stay alert, but 244 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: when that's not around as much, we're more chilled out. 245 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: So the body registers this imbalance in brain chemicals and 246 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: it kind of attempts to put things right. So it's 247 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: kind of like when you eat a lot of sugar 248 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: and your body starts producing a lot of insulin to 249 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: process that sugar to get your blood sugar levels back 250 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: to normal. But as soon as you've digested all of 251 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: those marshmallows or choppy chobs or whatever you've eaten, all 252 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: that insulin causes your blood sugar to crash and then 253 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: your body has to try and get it back up 254 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: to a normal level. So when you're really drunk, your 255 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: body realizes that something isn't right. A foreign substance, alcohol 256 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: has come into your body, and it's kind of messing 257 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: with your neurotransmitters and your GABA receptors and your glutamate levels. 258 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: So when you stop drinking, you will end up with 259 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: unnaturally low GABA function and a spike in glutamate because 260 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: your body and your mind is trying to compensate for 261 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: the fact that the alcohol has kind of numbed you 262 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: a little bit. This is why we feel anxiety or 263 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: have withdrawal from alcohol. This is why we get anxiety. 264 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: So essentially what's going to happen is that after you've 265 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: been drinking, your brain, once there's less alcohol in your system, 266 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,479 Speaker 1: is going to pick up that there isn't enough glutamate 267 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: or the right status quo amount of glutamate to let 268 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: us function. So it's going to shoot production and release 269 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: of those new yal transmitters back up. And we know 270 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: that glutamate is associated with anxiety, so to compensate for 271 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: that deficit in glutamate from the night before, it's going 272 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: to produce a lot and so you're going to start 273 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: feeling quite tense and anxious. And it can take the 274 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 1: brain a day or two to kind of return to 275 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: its normal state, and if you drank for an awfully 276 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: long time, it can also sometimes take a week for 277 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: your brain to readapt and the consequences of that and 278 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: why it relates to anxiety, is that during that time 279 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: that your brain is trying to restore normal functioning, you're 280 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: going to feel really anxious. And you're going to feel 281 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 1: really tense. It's kind of the sea saw of emotion 282 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: and psychological states, where you're at one end right down 283 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: the bottom and now you're way up the other side, 284 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: and your brain is trying to find that balance so 285 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: that you can get back to a normal state of functioning, 286 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: a normal state of arousal, and your brain can recover 287 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,639 Speaker 1: from a big night. So imbalances in gabber and glutamate 288 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: are not the only problem. There are some deeper interactions 289 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: that create anxiety and that feeling of anxiousness and stress 290 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: after you've had a big night of drinking or at Okay, 291 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: so we've talked about gabba and we've talked about gluten maate. 292 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 1: But alcohol can also cause a rise in nor adrenaline, 293 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 1: and this is known as our fight or flight hormone. 294 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: So nor adrenaline suppresses stress when it's first released, and 295 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 1: it increases in withdrawal. So severe anxiety is often associated 296 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: with a surge in nor adrenaline in the brain. Let 297 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 1: me kind of explain, so sorry, So yeah, it's normally 298 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 1: associated with a surge of nor adrenaline. So when you 299 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: consume alcohol, basically our brain suppresses this hormone, so you 300 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: feel less aroused, less stressed, but then once you stop drinking, 301 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: it tries to return to normal love. And that's another 302 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: key cause of anxiety. And another reason why we might 303 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: feel it and might be anxious the next day is 304 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,440 Speaker 1: because you might find that you're not able to remember 305 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: some of the things that you've done whilst you're inebriated. 306 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,919 Speaker 1: And that's because we need things like nora adrenaline and 307 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: glutamate and all of those kind of systems to remember 308 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: things and consolidate memories. And we also need nora adrenaline 309 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: to tell us and tell our brain when something's really 310 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: important and we should probably remember it. So if we 311 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: don't have normal levels of that, our brain isn't able 312 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: to kind of lay down memories in the same way, 313 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: so that it might also just be another underlying reason 314 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: why you're pretty anxious the next day, because you're thinking 315 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: back on your night. There's things that you can't remember. 316 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: You're like, did I say something embarrassing? Did I do 317 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 1: something embarrassing? Or you can kind of only remember flashes 318 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 1: of it, and it's enough to make you feel stressed. 319 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: That's because of an imbalance in your brain where you're 320 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: isn't able to consolidate memories as well. And if that's 321 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: ringing any bells, it may be because anxiety associated with 322 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: that and in general, doesn't affect us all equally, as 323 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,719 Speaker 1: revealed by this really interesting study that was published in 324 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: a general call Personality and Individual Differences. So this was 325 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: conducted in twenty nineteen and it looked at i think 326 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: around one hundred people, and what they wanted to measure 327 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: is how does alcohol impact us differently based on our 328 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: varying levels of social openness or shyness. So researchers asked 329 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: fifty of the participants to drink as they usually would 330 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: in a social situation, and the other half of the 331 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: participants to stay sober, and then they measured the levels 332 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: of anxiety before, during, and after the period where people 333 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 1: were either drinking or they were sober. And according to 334 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: the authors, the people who were more shy had much 335 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:02,120 Speaker 1: higher levels of anxiety following day than people who weren't shy. 336 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: And they also found a correlation between having bad anxiety 337 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: and the chances of having an alcohol use disorder or 338 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: using alcohol to kind of numb some of those feelings 339 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: of social anxiety when you're going into a situation. So 340 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: the interactions that alcohol has with our brain isn't just 341 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: important for anxiety and feeling nervous the next day, but 342 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: it might also have a link with problematic drinking if 343 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:33,360 Speaker 1: you are someone who's anxious normally, And one theory as 344 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: to why shy people might be more at risk of 345 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: anxiety and even sometimes alcohol problems is the possibility of 346 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 1: that seesaw effect on gabble levels and it being more 347 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: pronounced in them. So your baseline gabble levels when you're 348 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 1: an anxious person might be lower to start with, and 349 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,160 Speaker 1: it could also be a psychological effect. People who are 350 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: more highly anxious are more prone to rumination, going over 351 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: thoughts about the night before, so that's another potential mechanism. Also, 352 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: if your levels of those important hormones glutenmate and neure 353 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: adrenaline are pretty high or low to start with, the 354 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,879 Speaker 1: compensation that your brain has to make the days after 355 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: drinking is going to be more pronounced. And we know 356 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: that as neure adrenaline and glutamate levels are restored, anxiety 357 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 1: and stress comes with it. So if you're someone who's 358 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: shy and you have lower levels of that to begin with, 359 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: or higher levels in some sense. In some cases it 360 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: kind of swings back around and can really knock you 361 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: on your butt. So the study also does have a 362 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: lot of, you know, wider implications. After all, I think 363 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:41,199 Speaker 1: a lot of us as drinkers, or if you do 364 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: drink at some point or another, do lean on alcohol 365 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,640 Speaker 1: to kind of make us more easy going, make friends easier, 366 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: and as a social lubricant to some degree in a 367 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: lot of social settings. But if you're someone who is 368 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: repeatedly using alcohol for those reasons and drinking to excess, 369 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: it might be because there is kind of an imbalance 370 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 1: in your brain, or you are experiencing more anxiety around 371 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: social interactions in general, so your brain is compensating and 372 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: you're experiencing worse hangovers, more anxiety the next day. This 373 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: type of anxiety, it might not happen every time you drink. 374 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: And although I have kind of said that people who 375 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: are naturally shy or less socially kind of interested might 376 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: experiencing anxiety more, it isn't just confined to that group 377 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: of people. Of course, there are external and extraneous things 378 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: and context in our lives that we need to think 379 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: of and consider when we're thinking about this reaction to alcohol. 380 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:47,159 Speaker 1: If you're going through a difficult time in your life, yes, 381 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: it might be a reaction to lean on alcohol as 382 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,000 Speaker 1: a crutch because it is a socially acceptable drug because 383 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: it does make you feel better, and if you're feeling 384 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: anxious and stressed in the short term, you're going to 385 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: feel amazing. But if you have all those things, if 386 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: you've got something really stress we're going on, you'll probably 387 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: be responding differently to alcohol. Then if you know, you 388 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,160 Speaker 1: just come back from holiday, or you're feeling really great, 389 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 1: or you're feeling really confident, somebody who isn't experiencing any 390 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: issues with mood might also notice anxiety, but it's probably 391 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: going to be more physiologically based and more to do 392 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 1: with what happened the night before, rather than some kind 393 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 1: of imbalance which is causing stress for no reason. There's 394 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: also the case of certain medications. So if you're already 395 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: taking anxiety levels which your acting upon neu adrenaline and 396 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: serotonin and glutamate and your GABBA receptors, or even anti 397 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: inflammatory medications like ibuprofen. I know, before I went out, 398 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: people always like, don't take any panetal or aspirin or 399 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 1: anything like that, because it will have an effect with alcohol. 400 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 1: These will interact and your medications may be less effective, 401 00:24:56,920 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: which is why you might feel more anxious, restless, or agitated. 402 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: If you're taking a medication for anxiety. People who've made 403 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: that medication they're considering you being completely sober. Of course, 404 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 1: they've done studies to see the interactions between that medication 405 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: and alcohol, but they're just trying to make it so 406 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: that you can function on the daily when you're not drinking. 407 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: So excessive binge drinking is something that needs to be 408 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 1: taken into account if you are choosing to take medications 409 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:26,840 Speaker 1: for an anxiety disorder or any other thing that you 410 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: might already have going on. And some medications also carry 411 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: a risk of other side effects like memory impairment, which 412 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: is another big reason why the next day you might 413 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: be feeling a little bit of regret if you can't 414 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 1: really figure out what actually happened. And then of course 415 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: there's the more serious things like organ damage and ulcers, 416 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: especially if you're taking kidney or liver medication as well. 417 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: So if you do feel anxious the morning after, it's 418 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: important to recognize and understand why that might be the 419 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: case before you kind of panic, you need to be 420 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 1: really kind to yourself. You should go for a walk, 421 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 1: breathe really deeply, talk to a friend whose judgment you 422 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:11,920 Speaker 1: can trust if you're nervous about something you've done the 423 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: night before, if that's why you're experiencing anxiety. I love 424 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: doing this with my friends, having a bit of a debrief, 425 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: and it's probably the fact that there really isn't anything 426 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: to worry about. But we also know that sometimes when 427 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: we do drink too much, you can become a bit disinhibited, 428 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,919 Speaker 1: and our behavior might be or we might do things 429 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: that we otherwise would wouldn't do. And that's where understanding 430 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,640 Speaker 1: the mind body connection really is quite important. If you're 431 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: experiencing a lot of psychological symptoms associated with a big 432 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 1: night of drinking, feeling physically well. It won't completely resolve anxiety, 433 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: but it can make you better equipped to tackle some 434 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 1: of those racing thoughts and those worries and those regrets 435 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:01,919 Speaker 1: and those feelings. The first one is to rehydrate to drink. 436 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: Our body is very finely tuned and requires a lot 437 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,880 Speaker 1: of upkeep and will tell you when things are not right. 438 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: One of those big things that you know I think 439 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: we think about but not that often is levels of 440 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: water in the body. That's really important for getting alcohol 441 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,119 Speaker 1: out of your bloodstream, for detoxing your body, but also 442 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: diluting the impacts of alcohol in the blood that will 443 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 1: and the impact that we'll have on your brain. So 444 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: drinking a lot of water the day after. We swear 445 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: by drinking a lot of water the night before, it's 446 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: going to make you feel better. I also have some 447 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: friends who swear by exercising the next day. Don't get it, 448 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: never been a fan, like pretty much bottom of the 449 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: list of things that I want to do, But kind 450 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: of sweating it out and releasing some of that anxiety 451 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 1: through exercise and through a healthy outlet is really amazing. 452 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: Of course, you can always sleep it off, wait until 453 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: it's all past, that's a good idea. But you know, 454 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 1: if you've got a day, if you've been drinking on 455 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: a Sunday, you've got things to do the next day. 456 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's not possible to stay in bed. So another 457 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 1: solution that I sometimes do is just meditate. Deep slow 458 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: breathing can help relax some of those physiological symptoms, which 459 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: will also connect with your brain and relieve some of 460 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: that anxiety as well, and meditation is so easy to 461 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 1: do if you're someone who really suffers from a heightened 462 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 1: nervous system and heightened levels of arousal and rumination. The 463 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: next day. You can do it on your bed, you 464 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: can do it lying down, you can do it on 465 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: the train. But it really does help to just kind 466 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: of close your eyes and focus on your thoughts how 467 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: you feel physically and emotionally, and don't try and judge 468 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 1: those thoughts or unpack them, simply just notice them as 469 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: they come up into your awareness and move along. There's 470 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: so many good apps for this, so so many do 471 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: a google the dare app Amazing meditation podcast on Spotify, excellent, 472 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: anything to help relieve the stress in your brain in 473 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: a healthy way. Sometimes we might notice that having more 474 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: alcohol if you're having a bit of a bender, might 475 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: make you feel good at the moment, but often in 476 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,800 Speaker 1: the long run, it's really not going to make you 477 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: feel that great because, as we've talked about, this whole 478 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: phenomenon of feeling anxious the day after drinking or after 479 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: binge drinking is because of the neurotransmitters in your brain 480 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: being at an imbalance, because your body has undergone physical stress, 481 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: much like an illness, and it's trying to do its 482 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: job and make you feel better. So it's not worried 483 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: about whether you're going to like your brain that you 484 00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: can't control your conscious experience, cannot control what your brain 485 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 1: is doing, you know, beyond your control. So if you're like, oh, 486 00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: you know, would be really great if we just released 487 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: glutamate at a slower level so I don't feel anxious, 488 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: Or if we you know, just held off on getting 489 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: my neu adrenaline levels back to their normal level for 490 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,719 Speaker 1: a few days because I got a big work conference 491 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: or something like that. Like, your body doesn't care. It 492 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 1: just wants you to be back at that equilibrium as 493 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: fast as possible. So it's about counteracting that impact and 494 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 1: taking care of yourself in other ways by eating a 495 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: good meal, rehydrating, exercising, sweating it out, or even meditating 496 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 1: to kind release some of that tension. Like I said, 497 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 1: if you're someone who has experiences of anxiety, I definitely 498 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: do at the moment, you know, after drinking, I'm always like, 499 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: oh my god, I just feel so terrible. I need 500 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: to talk to my friends about it. Have I done 501 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 1: something silly? Often I haven't. It's just because there is 502 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: a nervous arousal in my body that's telling me to 503 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 1: look out for things that could be a threat. And 504 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: I'd say just take it easy on yourself, maybe try 505 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: and stop after the third drink. Like I said, two 506 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: to three drinks is that sweet spot. But I also 507 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 1: understand there's a lot of other things that come into 508 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: our alcohol intake that isn't just self control. You know, 509 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: there's peer pressure people by your drinks. Sometimes you're not 510 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: noticing what you're drinking. Sometimes you feel like you need 511 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 1: to keep up with others, or sometimes you just want 512 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: to have a really good night, you want to really 513 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: let loose. But being aware of what that does to 514 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: your psychological wellbeing and your psychological state in the long 515 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:39,280 Speaker 1: term and the morning after is really really important. Well, 516 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening into this episode. Like 517 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: I said, there are so many interactions between alcohol and 518 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,600 Speaker 1: psychology and our twenties. I could talk about it for ages. 519 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 1: So if you're interested in hearing some more episodes on 520 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: the role of alcohol and this important decade in our 521 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: lives and how that impacts with our mental wellbeing, reach 522 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: out on Instagram. Tell me what you want to hear. 523 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: I think peer pressure around drinking is another thing I 524 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: really want to talk about, and also binge drinking alcohol 525 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: as kind of as an addictive substance is something that 526 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,320 Speaker 1: I think I could tackle a little bit later on, 527 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 1: But it's just so important to be aware of if 528 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: you choose to drink, like I'm sure a lot of 529 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: us do. I definitely do. But knowing that even though 530 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: it's a socially acceptable drug, it does still impact us, 531 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: as I'm sure we've all figured out by now, is 532 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: really really crucial. So I hope that you have enjoyed 533 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: this episode, as always, if you feel cool to do so, 534 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: if you learned something today, if you think someone else 535 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: might benefit from this episode or another one of the 536 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 1: ones that I've made, please leave us a review on 537 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: either Spotify or Apple Podcasts, check us a follow on Instagram. 538 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,959 Speaker 1: It really helps the podcast to grow, and it just 539 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: makes me feel a lessons my anxiety when I see 540 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 1: that people are enjoying this content and the work I 541 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: put into it. So thank you for those who have 542 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: already done so, I really appreciate it. And yes, thank 543 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: you so much for tuning in. I will be back 544 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 1: next week with another episode. I think we're going to 545 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: have a guest on, so things to look forward to 546 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: and have a lovely week.