Struggling with Sobriety When You ’ re an Introvert

A large part of my recovery will need to involve confronting the expectations others have of me, as well as the expectations I have for myself. I’ve always preferred my own company to that of others. The mother of my childhood best friend called this quality of mine “independence.” Others haven’t been so generous, and I’ve been called everything from “snobby” to “awkward” to “weird” to “lame.” People have told me I need to get out there more, that sitting alone in my room is no way to live. That may be so, but every time I tried to exit the safe confines of the physical boundaries of my room or to venture outside of my social comfort zone, I relied on alcohol to help me along. A six-pack before meeting up with my friends on a Friday night, or a few glasses of wine before I had a dinner with colleagues became essential coping mechanisms for me. By the time I realized I needed to quit drinking, I was basically going out in order to drink rather than to socialize with friends. Every social occasion was an excuse to get wasted, and every happy hour after work was an excuse to go home and drink more. When I quit drinking, I had never experienced an adult social life without the lubricant and obliterating power of alcohol to help me through. The social events that I could actually recall were few, and when I tried to imagine social events that didn’t revolve around alcohol, I came up blank. Essentially, I found myself in the strange predicament of having...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Addiction Alcoholism Disorders Personal Publishers Recovery Relationships Substance Abuse The Fix anxiety Confidence Coping Mechanisms Introvert Sobriety Social Situations solitary lifestyle Source Type: blogs