Over time, these emotional hangovers can impair attention span, making it challenging to focus on tasks for extended periods and potentially causing social withdrawal.
Digital Desk: An emotional hangover resembles the aftermath of consuming alcohol or other substances. It stems from intense emotional or traumatic events, leading to feelings of exhaustion and discomfort.
Such experiences could result from various situations like heated arguments, breakups, misunderstandings with friends, or minor frustrations like losing a cherished item. These incidents push individuals beyond their emotional limits, leaving them overwhelmed. The following morning, they might wake up feeling physically and emotionally drained. Nearly everyone encounters this phase of emotional hangover at some point in life, which can adversely affect mental health, contributing to conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, and eating disorders.
Over time, these emotional hangovers can impair attention span, making it challenging to focus on tasks for extended periods and potentially causing social withdrawal. Suppressing emotions over an extended period can be mentally exhausting, burdening individuals with unresolved feelings and impacting their self-perception and relationships. Individuals might blame themselves rather than addressing the root causes, further complicating their emotional state.
Symptoms commonly associated with emotional hangover include muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, feelings of guilt and sorrow, brain fog, procrastination, headaches, distractibility, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, upset stomach, nausea, and mood swings.
Dr. Sonal Anand, a psychiatrist at Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road, explains that emotional events trigger the brain to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, activating emotional centers such as the amygdala responsible for processing emotions and memories. Prolonged activation of these hormones and defense mechanisms can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, potentially leading to cardiovascular issues like stroke, cardiac arrest, and heart disease. Intense emotions can embed deeply in memory, making it difficult to forget or move on.
To overcome an emotional hangover, strategies include ensuring adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night), engaging in enjoyable activities to distract from stress, practicing relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation, and expressing thoughts and feelings either verbally or through journaling. A balanced diet with essential nutrients also supports overall health and recovery from emotional strain.
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