Does Alcohol Help With Social Anxiety
Although an exhibitionist might enjoy the opportunity to chit-chat and dance the evening away, the very apprehensive and socially nervous among us can have difficulty making small talk and often need more than a couple of alcoholic beverages to decrease our self-consciousness.
Lots of people use alcohol to help cope with social anxiety but the truth is alcohol only ever makes problems worse in the long run.
Drinking to gain some social confidence is common but it’s an approach that can backfire, though, according to a brand-new report. The report analysts discovered that individuals who were considered to be extremely reserved were more likely to encounter extreme anxiousness the day after consuming alcohol, in addition, naturally, to a hangover.
Is Dutch Courage a thing?
” There is a reason that alcohol is often regarded as ‘Dutch Courage,'” psychoanalyst Tiffanie Henry, Ph.D., told us. “Drinking is well-known for relieving us of our nerves, hangups and offering us the ability to do and say things that we typically may keep to ourselves.”
Alcohol doesn’t give you courage, it makes you stupid – there is a big difference!
But the reverse side of that coin is that a great deal of what may have transpired while consuming alcohol “might not have gone on had they been clear-headed. So it’s normal to reconsider and agonize over errors from the prior evening of alcohol consumption.”
Lecturer Celia Morgan, of the Exeter University research team, stated in a report that even though the booze may help alleviate social anxiety in the short-term, it can have a “recoil” and serious repercussions the following day.
Short-term solution, long-term problems
The report writers added that social anxiety disorder had been linked with alcohol use disorder before, but until now there had been limited study into the impact of drinking on stress and anxiety levels in very timid men and women.
They hope that the data will motivate apprehensive individuals to accept their individualities instead of drinking excessively. “This may assist transition individuals away from alcohol use to cope with anxiety and stress,” Morgan claimed about being shy. “It’s actually a very constructive and positive characteristic. It’s OKAY to be quiet and reserved.”
” The essential thing here, whether talking about an upper, such as coffee or energy drinks, or a sedative, like alcohol, is to understand how it alters your personality. It’s generally not OKAY to ‘self-medicate,’ particularly when the ‘medicine’, alcohol, does not really address the issue,”
Dr. Henry stated. “We need to check out the risk-benefit of the circumstance and recognize that although drinking can alleviate your nerves in the instance, it will also have damaging repercussions on the flip side.”
Alcohol is nothing more than a clever drug promising us the world – it can’t deliver on its promises… ever!
Social anxiety advice
Dr. Henry also had some guidance for very reserved folks who need support making it through a gathering with no alcohol consumption:
If social scenarios give you stress and anxiety, you’re not the exception. Lots of men and women struggle with social anxiety and manage by easing themselves into social scenarios gradually. Try things like giving yourself a fixed time frame if you commit to going to an event; ask a buddy to tag along, and speak with at least 3 people, then say your farewells and head home happy with yourself for making it through.
Putting off quitting drinking
A lot of suffers of social anxiety avoid dealing with their drinking because they feel they will be losing a coping mechanism. While alcohol does appear to offer a solution that is only true if you look at it with blinkers on.
Can you imagine a doctor prescribing a drug to help you deal with your social anxiety and then telling you that the side effects include cancer, low mood, damage to career and relationships?
If that did happen, would you ignore all the terrible consequences and take the tablets anyway, unlikely!
However, this is exactly what we are doing with alcohol.
Alcohol is a devious and nasty drug
It is very good at appearing to offer a solution to a problem but then trapping the drinker in a loop of their own misery. Watch my video blog today and I will explain how by hanging onto your belief that alcohol helps with social anxiety you are preventing a better and healthier alternative from appearing in your life.
If you are ready to remove the thing that is preventing you from dealing with social anxiety once and for all. Why not click here and join me for a FREE quit drinking coaching session online today. I will even give you a free copy of my bestselling book ‘Alcohol Lied To Me’ as a free gift just for showing up!
