"HOW DO I GET
OUT OF THIS CYCLE OF DRINKING ALONE?"
I am British and have been living in Paris for a couple
of years, and I'm worried about my relationship with
alcohol. Since I came here, I have been suffering from a
kind of social anxiety which I think started out from
the initial language barrier and cultural differences.
Although things have gotten easier since my French has
become a lot better, and I have a lot of international
friends, I still feel anxious about being around people
(often even my own friends that I have made here). I
somehow got into a habit of drinking by myself.
Sometimes it's not very severe (a couple of beers before
going out to meet friends to take the edge off my
nervousness), but lately I have started to enjoy staying
in by myself and drinking MANY beers in the course of an
evening, ending up drunk and lonely and emailing my
friends in the UK. I need to find a way to get out of
this cycle, as I'm usually a sociable and outgoing
person, and I get on well with many people. I am worried
that I'm developing a dependency on alcohol - whether to
escape the anxiety of being around other people, or to
enjoy my own company more. I feel guilty and anxious all
the time and I really don't know who to turn to for
support. Thank you for listening and thank you in
advance for any advice you might have.
ANSWERS
AUDIO for partially sighted |