A Conversation for Building Confidence and Self-esteem
Alcohol and self-esteem
Ormondroyd Started conversation Oct 10, 2002
There is a terrible irony about the relationship between alcohol and self-esteem. You can drink to boost your confidence, and it can work for a long time; but nothing wrecks self-esteem more surely than the realisation that you've become dependent on the stuff.
For years, I tried to bolster my frail confidence with the artificial temporary boost that a drink can bring. It finally got to the point where I needed a drink to cope with any kind of social occasion. Eventually I had to do something about my drinking, and recently I've been going to a support group for problem drinkers. There's a regular monthly meeting there specifically concerned with issues of self-esteem, where I and others discuss why we needed a drink to boost our self-belief, and how we can work to strenghen our confidence after kicking the booze.
The good news is that I've now stayed off drink for over three months, and my confidence has never been higher. I'm doing things now that I know I'd never have had the nerve to do when I was relying on Dutch courage. Giving up problem drinking is such a challenge that if you manage it, you can think 'If I can do that, I can do just about anything!'
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Alcohol and self-esteem
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