Binge Drinking and Anxiety ~Best Friends Forever~

As someone who suffers from rather extreme social anxiety, I can tell you that it is very easy to become a binge drinking under these circumstances. It probably won’t be intentional or anything you’ve carefully measured out in your head. It just happens. We all know that this time of year is worse than anything for those of us that suffer from anxiety.

It’s that time again, holiday parties spring up from every direction and no matter how you try you cannot seem to escape them. First it’s the interoffice emails that Спрэд like virus’ over the servers from all those people you never even really spoken to in the office, then it’s the “company” party at the fancy restaurant, or even worse, at your boss’ home. Just thinking about that is enough to make the average person want to drink and this is just the beginning of the madness.

From that point on, you will receive numerous cards and phone calls instructing you when to arrive at the family party and what to bring. This can get even worse if you are married or dating someone, or if your children are in that situation. At least work parties are easy to sneak out of early and nobody except the boss’ favorite really want to stay or even show up to start with.

Maybe you are so panicked and nervous that you find your hand is dripping with seat and you haven’t even gotten out of your driveway yet. By the time you arrive at the party, you’re surely on the path to having a full blown panic attack. Just thinking about how panicked you are will make it seem a million times worse, so what can be done? Many will begin drinking before leaving the house. Not only is that dangerous for driving but it’s especially dangerous since it will loosen you up enough to where you think you will be able to drink much more upon arrival at the party. This is where the slippery slope begins.

Try doing some relaxing exercises before entering into a stressful situation. Breathing exercises work especially well. If you are feeling too high strung for these times of slow activities, go for a run or better yet, enjoy some loving with your partner. If your partner is equally as nervous, Viagra can help set those nervous feelings aside. Truly, if your anxiety and panic is that bad, you should try speaking with a doctor about it so you know what your options are. Too often do people with anxiety issues end up with substance abuse issues as well. If these people were never put in socially stressful situations, they would likely not even drink.