You want to go out and have a fun and carefree evening, but for some reason you know you'll wake up not feeling so great and it won't just be from the hangover. While you may go to bed with a smile on your face, the next day your smile is replaced with anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and worry. “Why do I feel guilty after I drink” might be a question you ask often and is one that keeps you from going out. Luckily, there is a perfectly good explanation for why you might be feeling guilty. Read on to learn the facts.
Why Do You Feel Guilty After Drinking?
Dehydration
It is common knowledge that alcohol can cause dehydration, but this dehydration doesn't just cause you to feel more thirsty and lightheaded. When dehydration kicks in, your body goes into defense mode, causing you to feel more anxious. The more you drink and the sicker you feel, the more this defense is increased, which results in you feel more anxious and guilty about the night before.
Drinking the wrong drinks
Darker liquors will leave you with a more severe hangover in the morning, which will result in more guilt. Drinking mixed drinks that contain a lot of sugar or even caffeine will also increase your anxiety in the morning. The guilt and anxiety you feel in the morning is your body's way of reminding you that what you are drinking is have a serious negative impact on your health.
Drinking too much
You will feel even worse the more you drink. The guilt you feel from a night of drinking is your mind and body's response and warning that you might be drinking too much. The anxiety acts as a direction to get you not to focus so much on the hangover but more on the idea that you need to cut back on your drinking.
You're being hard on yourself
Most often, you'll feel pretty guilty about drinking the night before when you feel like you have let yourself down. Why do I feel guilty after I drink can be a simple answer you may be ignoring. You may or may not have acknowledged that you want or need to cut back on drinking and in either case, you're going to regret a night out. You will feel mad at your behavior for the night before especially when you current sober self needs to deal with the hangover and discomfort.
Your health
After a night of drinking, you are bound to wake up and not feel the best. The aches and pains you feel set off your anxiety as this is your body's first defense mechanism when feeling ill. When you are not feeling your healthiest, you are bound to feel more guilty or anxious because of what caused you to feel this way.
You care about what others may think
If you are the type of person that cares more about what other people think of you, there's a greater chance that you will feel guilty after a night of drinking. If you have trouble letting your guard down, you are going to feel regretful after a night of drinking even the alcohol may have given you more confidence that you wouldn’t exude under any other circumstances.
Drinking in general
Drinking too much alcohol, in general, is going to make you feel uneasy. While small amounts of alcohol can act as a stimulant, higher quantities begin to act as a depressant. Therefore, the more you drank the night before, the lower your mood is going to be the next day.
How Can I Prevent Drinking Too Much?
Eat before you drink
If you want to avoid asking yourself “why do I feel guilty after I drink?”, be sure to eat before you drink. Alcohol is absorbed much faster when you have an empty stomach and this process is sped up even more when you are drinking cold drinks. Since alcohol impairs your ability to control your impulses, you will end up making the bad decision to drink more. Eating before you go out for a drink can slow down the alcohol absorption process.
Alternate your drinks
Instead of just ordering another alcoholic drink after another, switch it up. Have one alcoholic drink and then order a non-alcoholic drink. This will reduce the amount of alcohol you will consume throughout the night and it will keep you better hydrated.
Change where you hang out
You don't always have to meet your friends or date at a local bar. Consider changing up where you and your friends hang out. Why not the local coffee bar instead? What activities can you guys do, like going to a bowling alley? There are plenty of places you can have fun without having to consume alcohol.
Look at your drinking routine
Are there specific days you always go out to drink? Are there certain times you always tend to have a drink, like after cutting the grass or have a glass of wine once the kids are in bed? If you have a routine to your drinking pattern, then it's time to change it up. Find a hobby or different activity to do in the times or on the days you would normally drink.
Think about how much you'll save
Why do I feel guilty after I drink could be a question you ask if you know the money you spent could have gone to a better place. Really sit down and look at how much you spend when you go out drinking and add that up for a monthly total. This is money you could be putting aside to save for a vacation, new car, home, appliances or any number of other things.
Set up drinking guidelines for yourself
It's best to get a friend to hold you accountable, but this has to be a friend that you know will help you stick to the guidelines you set. Set a drink limit and a money limit for yourself before you go out. If you need to be in bed by a certain hour, make sure you have your alarm set to let you know when you need to leave. Don't drink in rounds, while you may not want to turn down that free drink, this is one of the fastest ways you can easily over drink.
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