Are You Suffering From a Crystal Hangover? Here’s How to Fix It 

A few years ago, like many people around the world, I hopped on the crystal healing bandwagon. I was going through a transitional period in my life—new love, new job, new living situation—and wanted a fresh outlook to match. I’d read about how the vibrational power of crystals can have a positive effect on your overall wellness and I was anxious to jump head first into the magic. I beelined it to my local new age store and came home armed with a huge chunk of amethyst and every colour of quartz under the rainbow. 

Get personal guidance in love, money, and more for the next 12 months.

My living space had started to resemble the physical embodiment of Spencer Pratt’s Instagram feed—The Hills star is known for his over-the-top, crystal-heavy social media—when I noticed something: I didn’t feel good. Instead of feeling joyous, focused, and at peace, I felt anxious, overwhelmed and well, just plain weird. I gathered up all the crystals, stuffed them in a drawer and decided that crystal healing wasn’t for me.  

Read This Now: The Most Powerful Crystals for Your Zodiac Sign

It wasn’t until I spoke with a crystal healing expert that I figured out what was wrong: I was suffering from a crystal hangover.  

Yes, that’s right. Those bottomless mimosa brunches aren’t the only things that can leave you with a hangover for the ages. “Crystals are a form of holistic medicine,” says Courtney Taylor, a psychic clairvoyant and energy healer who frequently prescribes crystals to her clients.   

“Crystals each have their own vibrational tone and energy. Depending on what they trigger, it can land you somewhere where you’re getting negative side effects,” explains Taylor. Since crystals have exploded in popularity, she’s had several people come to her reporting symptoms of what she’s dubbed “crystal hangovers.”  

Symptoms

As it turns out, the spike anxiety I felt when I first started (over)using crystals wasn’t uncommon. Using too many crystals or in the wrong combination can bring about physical and emotional symptoms, such as feeling panicked or out of control.  

 “The other one is restlessness. Feeling really agitated and snappy with people. Sometimes you can get thrown off balance when you add too many crystals,” explains Taylor.  

Another common symptom is poor sleep. “You may find that you’re staring at the clock, staring at the ceiling and not getting the best sleep,” she says.   

Causes

Hangover symptoms can occur when you’re getting used to a new stone. A common stone associated with crystal hangovers is clear quartz, explains Taylor.  “It’s a master healer stone and it’s super powerful. It’s really a huge detox crystal and I always give it to my clients because it’s amazing, but sometimes we have to adjust it because it is so powerful.”  

A hangover can also occur when you have too many stones together. Blue lace agate has a very calming energy that acts almost like a sedative, however as Taylor explains,  “if you put a stronger stone with it – for example, clear quartz – it can block the calming effect and create anxiety instead.”  

Read This Now: So, Why Are Crystals So Powerful, Anyway?

It’s also possible to outgrow certain crystals. Maybe you needed a particular vibration at a certain point in your life and now it’s no longer applicable. Taylor is very conscious of this in her work. “If there’s an area of someone’s life that’s already so, so good, I don’t want to create the vibrational space and focus it all on that area if it’s already amazing. Instead, I’ll prescribe something to help with another area.”  

Crystal therapy is an on-going, evolving process. If you’re experiencing hangover symptoms, here are a few easy adjustments you can make.  

Take it off your body   

You get the best healing benefits when a crystal is touching your skin. “But if it is too strong and you’re getting that crystal hangover effect, take the crystal off. As long as it’s not touching you, it can still be in the room. That isn’t to say you won’t still get a radiance or some of the vibrations,” says Taylor.  

If you’re still feeling anxious or depleted, try moving the crystals to another room or taking a break altogether. Through a process of elimination, “we can help identify what’s triggering this anxiety and hangover symptoms,” she says.  

Swap your powerful crystals for gentler ones

Suffering from a crystal hangover? “Throw on an amethyst” says Taylor. Amethyst is a gentle crystal known for its healing properties and ability to balance you emotionally, physically and spiritually. Rose quartz is another soft and gentle stone that’s nearly impossible to overdose on.  

See the future. Know the future. Download your premium astrology report today. 

“Black tourmaline is always a go-to if you’re trying to push out negative energy,” says Taylor. It also pairs nicely with the stones above.  

 Unsure about how to use a certain crystal? Taylor encourages folks to connect with a professional. “Contact someone who is knowledgeable in crystal therapy who can help you determine whether you should take it away completely or replace it with something else.”  —By Simone Paget

Simone Paget is a freelance writer based on the West Coast of Canada. She’s a nationally syndicated sex and relationship columnist for the Toronto Sun and the author of the blog SkinnyDip.ca. Her work has appeared in/on publications such as the Washington Post, Elle Canada, Food Network, Reader’s Digest Best Health and The Toronto Star. For more adventures and insights, find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Photo: @jordvdz via Twenty20