Episode 294

In this episode, I'm answering a question from a To 50 and Beyond listener, Maggie.

Maggie sent me an email and said: I've heard you talk about your social anxiety when you were 14 and started drinking as you got older. Did having anxiety hold you back from quitting drinking? And how did you manage it once you stopped drinking?

Anxiety has been one of the most difficult things I've had to experience and manage throughout my life. I didn't talk to a doctor about my anxiety until I was in my 40s. I wanted to hide it. Pretend like I had everything together, and even during public panic attacks in my 20's and 30's, I would say, "I'm fine."

I wasn't anything but fine for decades, and I used alcohol to take away my anxiety so I would feel better.

In this episode, you will hear:

• When and why did my anxiety start at eleven after losing my dad.

• Why I first started drinking at the age of 14 - to fit in and lessen my social shyness.

• Where my anxiety comes from (hint: I was trying to control my anxiety, not manage it with drinking).

• How I approached the "anxiety roadblock" that held me back from going alcohol-free.

• The basics that I stuck to in early sobriety, and today, that help me manage my anxiety.

If you are someone who experiences anxiety and using alcohol to cope, I understand how you feel.

Alcohol is not a sustainable approach to anxiety. I learned this after I quit drinking.

There is help for you and support. You are not alone.

I felt alone in my anxiety for far too long. I'm with you.

Thank you for listening!

Mentioned in this episode:

The Daily Sobriety ToolkitJoin Team Alcohol-Free

Please contact me if you have a topic for the podcast or need a friend.

Q & A Series

The Hardest Part of Getting Sober

Wondering if Your Drinking Isn't "Bad Enough" to Quit?

The Benefits of Staying Sober When You're Alone

Starting Over on Day One

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